Highland Division Monument Unveiled
AS A MONUMENT to the service men of the 51st Highland Division, and its achievements, a life size bronze statue of a piper, sculpted by Alan B Herriot on an 8ft granite block, was unveiled on Saturday 7 October on land donated by the Clan Donnachaidh at Bruar.
A band concert commenced proceedings on a lovely sunny morning. The bands taking part were the Royal Regiment of Scotland military brass band, led by the director of Music Captain Williams, and the Robert Wiseman Dairies Vale of Atholl pipe band, led by Drum Major Kenny Forbes and Pipe Major Angus Clarke.
The ceremony began at 11am, by which time the weather had turned rather wet and cold. The Rev Neil Gardner, from Cannongate Kirk in Edinburgh, led the ceremony of the unveiling accompanied by former members of the "51st". Dr Tom Renouf gave a reading regarding the campaigns of the division during the second world war in the low countries and Germany and the battle of St Valerie in France in 1940.
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Douglas Roger gave the reading of the 21st Psalm, and the "Going down of the sun" was narrated by William B Robertson. The unveiling of the monument was carried out by Major Graham Pilcher. The last post was played by the Regimental band, then a wreath was laid by two of the Division veterans as three aircraft by the University of Glasgow and Strathclyde air squadron flew overhead.
The lament "Flowers of the forest" was played by Pipe Major Angus Clarke from the Vale of Atholl while the second part of the flypast, deploying two of the aircraft in the flight, paid respect to the fallen.
At the end of the ceremony a short display was given by the Black Watch ACF Pipe Band.
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