William Denholm enlisted in the 1st Battalion of The Royal Scots in the 1930s and was promoted to Pipe Major during the war

He wrote a pipe tune called, 'El Alamein' in 1942 which was dedicated to the 8th Army.

There is an electronic version of the tune here > https://pipetunes.ca/tunes/el-alamein/

From the Piping Times 1979: "On June 6, 1944, pipers of 1/K.0.8.B. and 6/K.0.S.B. played their comrades ashore at Normandy.

By September, the pipers of 1/K.0.S.B. under Pipe Major Willie Denholm of Duns were trying out his new tune, The Caen March. Pipe Major Denholm had already made his name in writing the winning tune for the El Alamein march". https://archives.thepipingcentre.co.uk/storage/pdfs/publications/piping-times/piping-times_september_1979.pdf

He also wrote 'The Royal Scots Polka' - a chanter version can be heard here > https://pipetunes.ca/tunes/royal-scots-polka-the/

Comment from the Pipetunes site: "I went on to serve with Scottish Lothian and Borders Horse T.A. unit and Pipe Major W Denholm was the P/Major of the band he was a great piper and good father figure, the unit became the Queens Own Lowland Yeomanry, after his death."

William died in 1960