Allandale's Band of Brothers.

[1938 Observer]

I could not decide initially whether to place this item here or in the genealogy section,but as it involves both a family and a community I opted for 'History".

My background to this story:- My parents were both "Falkirk Bairns", father came to Australia as a child, mother as an adult when her and my father married (1936). As my father was away all through WW2 (RAN) I grew up amongst Scottish friends (surrogate Aunts/Uncles and cousins etc.,)......naturally my language was more 'Scots' than English ;) .
Two of the 'Aunts' had initially been MacLachlans, in the last three or four years I have just regained contact with a daughter from each of these lines.........................during various 'family discussions' the both related the same story about the MacLachlan brothers as related to them when they were young lasses.....but they were unaware of the full details of the events. With little to go on I set about on some research, but from 'downunder' this can be a little difficult.......I eventually found two of the brothers mentioned on "The Commonwealth War Graves" website........then a blank wall on further research.......UNTIL :)
I came across this article in the Falkirk Herald (I check the hatches/matches/despatches) each week ...........and so to the article.

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Allandale's band of brothers Published Date:
07 April 2010 Falkirk Herald......By Jill Buchanan.

THE SKIRL of the pipes filled the air as the brave men of Allandale marched off to war.
When the storm clouds of war gathered over Europe in 1939, all the men in the village pipe band who were old enough enlisted together, marching to a hall in nearby Bonnybridge to join the local regiment, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.



The previous year the band had been crowned world champions at the Cowall Games and had lifted a remarkable 64 medals, an amazing achievement for a tiny village.
In their ranks was a real-life band of brothers – four of the MacLachlan family's nine sons,
who were the driving force in setting up the pipe band, went to war but only two survived.

[1938 Observer]

Re: Allandale's Band of Brothers.

http://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/featu...ers.6210102.jp.
Continued
However, the pair were to live with the legacy of the terrible conflict for the rest of their lives.

Kenneth suffered pain for the 50 years up to his death after he was injured in an explosion that took the life of his brother Ian.

Meanwhile, Finlay, who had been posted to the Far East and taken prisoner by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore, has never escaped from his demons of the horrors he endured during three years in a PoW camp.

However, despite all that he suffered, today (Thursday) he celebrates his 90th birthday in Australia where he now lives with his second wife.

The story of the MacLachlan brothers, who were led by Malcolm, the second oldest in the 14-strong family and the band's pipe major, is the subject of a new exhibition in Bonnybridge Library which opens at 9.30 a.m. on Saturday and runs until May 7.

'A March Back in Time With the Pipers of Allandale: The Story of One Remarkable Family's Wartime Sacrifice' has been created by the members of Greenhill Historical Society, all volunteers dedicated to capturing the area's past and keeping the memories alive for the future.

Much of their information has been gleaned from Malcolm's daughter, Nan Glen, who vividly remembers the days when her grandmother's cottage was the focal point for band practices and the village waved the men off to war.

Even more poignantly, Nan, now a youthful 80, recalls the events surrounding her father's death.

Nicknamed 'Pipey', Malcolm piped his fellow soldiers into battle at the start of the second battle of El Alamein in October 1942 and his 12-year-old daughter sat in her classroom at Greenhill School listening to the radio as the BBC's war correspondent described the conflict in North Africa unfold.

"I'd never heard noise like it and the big guns seemed to fill the classroom. Then came the sounds of the pipes and the teacher said it was my dad. He was playing 'The Campbells are Coming' like he always did," said Nan.

Despite it being almost 70 years ago, the tears flowed as she remembered the brave young man who used to lead his beloved pipe band through the streets of Allandale with his tiny daughter at the front carrying the silverware they had won in the latest competition.

"I used to always turn round to look for him and he would wink at me," she reminisced. "Now here he was leading men into battle so far from home."

Just two days after they had heard him play, came the dreaded telegram that every family with a husband or son serving in the Armed Forces feared. Malcolm had been killed by a sniper's bullet, aged just 37.

"We heard lots of different stories but it seems they had been cut off and he had volunteered to take a message behind enemy lines when he was shot," Nan added.

Just five weeks later her mother Meg gave birth to Nan's younger sister Mhairi. "It was a terribly sad time," she said remembering how her mother had to come to terms with becoming a widow and raising two fatherless children.

The MacLachlan family suffered further loss when Ian was killed.

"Uncle Kenny had heard that he was just further up the line and was allowed to visit him when there was an explosion,'' said Nan.

''The band were all stretcher- bearers and when Jock Smith, who became the pipe major after my dad, turned up Kenny told him to take Ian. They got him to a New Zealand dressing station but he later died. He was only 20.

"Uncle Finlay suffered terribly in the PoW camp and, when he came home, weighed only about six stones.

''He'd helped to build the bridge of the River Kwai and, although didn't talk much about what he'd been through, he told us he was once made to stand outside for 24 hours in the blazing heat as a punishment by the Japanese.

"He was part of the first commando unit and joined them when my father was on leave after speaking to some old soldier who said four brothers should never serve together in case something happened to them all."

Nan's cousin Lachlan (75) maintained the family tradition and became a piper, playing all over the world. One of his most precious possessions is young Ian's practice chanter.

A painting of Malcolm leading the Argylls into battle used to hang in the regimental home at Stirling Castle, but now has pride of place in Nan's Falkirk home.

She added: "

They really captured people's imaginations. It was on the BBC and we got letters and were sent food parcels from all over the world. Everyone was really moved by their story.

"I can still see them proudly marching down the street to join up, none of them imagining what would happen – and that some of them wouldn't come home."

[1938 Observer]

Re: Allandale's Band of Brothers.

More about the band from this site........

Allandale Pipe band was founded in 1933 by Pipe Major Malcolm McLachlan of the 7th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. He wanted to raise the awareness in Allandale of the pipes and also encourage youngsters to learn the pipes and drums. He soon managed to gather a few enthusiasts for the band but there were no instruments, uniforms or money to buy them. He appealed to the villagers for help in raising the money and soon there were many fundraising activities on the go. Mrs. McLachlan even made toffee apples to sell to the children. A sum of £200 was raised and instruments and uniforms were purchased but they had no meeting place for practice until Mrs. McLachlan allowed them to use her kitchen night after night.

http://www.allandalecottages.co.uk/i...&id=3&Itemid=5

[1938 Observer]

Re: Allandale's Band of Brothers.

Finally from the website of "Falkirk Local History Society"

http://www.falkirklocalhistorysociet...index.php?id=2

Haggs Parish Church

At Haggs the Parish Church is a handsome red sandstone Victorian Building. Between the two churches, at Longcroft, is the parish War Memorial with the names of the fallen in Great War inscribed below the obelisk. Bronze plaques have been added with the names of those who died in service in World War 2. Among these are two brothers, Malcolm and Ian Maclachlan who were killed at the Battle of El Alamein. Malcolm was pipe major of the Allandale Pipe Band and Ian a piper in the band. Their parents lived in Longcroft at that time.

http://www.falkirklocalhistorysociet...ndex.php?id=65

[1938 Observer]

Re: Allandale's Band of Brothers.

Just to add a little more interest to this story here a couple of photographs I found to help illustrate the article...

This is a photograph of the Allandale Pipe Band........Malcolm MacLachlan is in the rear row..on the left hand side.




This is an individual one of Malcolm.

[1938 Observer]

Re: Allandale's Band of Brothers.

MACLACHLAN, MALCOLM
Initials: M
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Pipe-Major
Regiment/Service: Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Unit Text: 7/10th Bn.
Age: 38
Date of Death: 24/10/1942
Service No: 2971793
Additional information: Son of Malcolm and Mary MacLachlan; husband of Margaret MacLachlan, of Allandale, Stirlingshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: XXVI. F. 18.
Cemetery: EL ALAMEIN WAR CEMETERY
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Name: MACLACHLAN, IAN
Initials: I
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Piper
Regiment/Service: Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Unit Text: 7/10th Bn.
Age: 21
Date of Death: 24/10/1942
Service No: 2984005
Additional information: Son of Malcolm Maclachlan, and of Mary Maclachlan, of Haggs, Stirlingshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: V. D. 18.
Cemetery: EL ALAMEIN WAR CEMETERY

[Ranald]

Re: Allandale's Band of Brothers.

The Falkirk History Society starts the winter meetings on 15 September, therefore another 9 months of interesting lecturers.

[ps don't take the 9 months out of context !!]

Regards

Ranald

[Alastair]

Re: Allandale's Band of Brothers.

I got an email in from the "Rowan Tree" editor looking for any articles for the Clan MacLachlan so I sent him the url to your account. Hopefully he'll get in touch with you.

Alastair