Guardsman brings his D-Day veteran grandfather's bagpipes back to the beaches
A D-Day veteran's grandson, a proud Scots Guardsman, has returned to Normandy carrying the same pipes his grandfather had with him on Juno Beach 80 years ago.
Lance Sergeant Dougie Warren played the pipes during the wreath-laying ceremony at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, near Gold Beach.
"It's a very special day, I don't think I could have asked for more," said Lance Sergeant Warren.
He said: "It's the first time they've been in Normandy since D-Day.
"It's the story of my pipes rather than me personally that was chosen. These were my grandfather's pipes, he had them with him on D-Day.
"He was a platoon commander in the Gordon Highlanders, attached to the Canadians. He landed at Juno. He didn't play them off the boat, but he had them there."
On 6 June 1944, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 2nd Armoured Brigade landed to establish a bridgehead on Juno Beach.
LSgt Warren said his grandfather died when he was just four months old, but said he had been "massively" inspiring.
During the wreath-laying ceremony, which was attended by the King, LSgt Warren played Flowers of the Forest - a traditional Scottish lament that is often played during remembrance ceremonies and military funerals.
LSgt Warren explained: "It's emotional, it has the desired effect. If there's a dry eye you've played it wrong."
Join Our Newsletter
