by Tucker Koch, Contributing Writer
Bagpipes: You’re probably familiar with the traditional Celtic instrument; Dr. Doof’s neighbor plays them every morning, and they were used in the background of some Titanic scenes, in the AC/DC song “It’s A Long Way to the Top”, etc. What if I told you someone in the army used bagpipes? Let’s talk about Jack Churchill.
Born in British Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka) in 1906 to two rich British parents, he lived the first four years of his life on that island before moving to Hong Kong. He then spent an additional 7 years there before finally moving to the United Kingdom. After he moved, he attended school on the Isle of Man and then joined the army 9 years later. The army transferred him to Burma, where he resided for 10 years. He then left the army in 1936 and worked as a newspaper editor in Kenya for 3 years. The man is definitely well-traveled, if you know what I mean.
In 1939, right after the Germans invaded Poland, he rejoined the army and fought in mainland France. He brought a longbow of all things with him and, according to some soldiers’ accounts, killed a German soldier with it. After fighting in Dunkirk, he was transferred to the British Commandos until the invasion of Norway in 1941. Right as the British landing crafts hit the beaches of Norway, Jack started playing the bagpipes to boost morale in the troops. They then completely destroyed all the German garrisons and captured or killed every single German they saw there. I know the answer is that it is lost to time, but it would be really funny to see the negotiations Jack must’ve had to pull off to bring those bagpipes with him.
Now for the 1943 invasion of Sicily. He brought a Scottish longsword, a set of bagpipes, and a longbow with him to this invasion. He then proceeded to help take the town of Molina and capture 42 soldiers, including some who were responsible for the mortars. How did this man not become Swiss cheese? In 1944, he was shipped to the Yugoslav front, where he took part in a few successful missions; apparently, he used his bagpipes to better communicate with the troops. Unfortunately, on a charge on the German-controlled island of Vis, his squad was wiped out by mortar shells and gunfire. He miraculously survives the attack, plays the bagpipes, and is reluctantly captured and knocked out.
The Germans, thinking he might be related to Winston Churchill (he’s not), flew him to Berlin to interrogate him. He was then moved to a concentration camp in Tyrol, which was later overrun by British soldiers, since Germany was not doing well in 1944. He served in the army for a bit longer, helping out in places like Palestine, before retiring. He eventually died in 1996.
The funniest part is that Jack wasn’t even alone in the bagpipe department. William Millin played bagpipes during the landing in Normandy, but that’s a topic of another article. This has been Tucker Koch, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this.
