Morrison

David Morrison was born in Hawick, Scotland on April 29th 1923.

He lived in Allars Bank in Hawick and would probably have attended Hawick High School.

From the documents I have, he joined the 1st Bttn KOSB in around 1937 as a 'boy soldier'.

He married my Grandma, Lillian Edna Thompson in 1943 in Inverness. *Fellow 1st KOSB piper, James Adamson was his best man.

David served with the KOSB through Normandy, Belgium, Holland and into Bremen in Germany. He played the pipes at the funeral of a US Airman who was shot by the SS near La Chappelle Au Moine.

He also went to Egypt, Gibraltar and Palestine after the war and finally left the Army in 1950 and moved to Hull, East Yorkshire.

David had 3 children and worked as an insurance salesman after the war for the COOP. He helped form the City of Hull Pipe Band and then the CRS (Cooperative Retail Society) Pipe Band in the 80s. He played the pipes all over and was a regular on New Year's Eve and at weddings in the town. (He played at Judo champion Karen Briggs' wedding back in the day).

He rarely spoke of the war and I can only recall a couple of things he said. Of Normandy he said, 'we were bitten to death by ruddy midges (mosquitoes) and pounded by Moaning Minnies constantly' (German Nebelwerfer rocket launchers). He told me his best mate was killed when he went back to his dugout for his hat and a mortar bomb landed on it, killing him instantly. He fought the SS and Hitler Youth and said they were young but very vicious. He rated 'Rennie' and Monty as officers and had a lot of respect for the Canadians. He showed me the scars on his back that he still had in the 80s where he'd been forced to take cover when RAF Typhoons strafed them. Fellow 1st KOSB soldier, Joe Hunt joined the regiment the day after.

The photographs of 1st KOSB sequestered in Denmead/New Forest prior to the landings were taken on 29th April 1944, his 21st birthday! I keep looking out for him in them. He played the pipes for Monty when he came to their HQ in Germany after the War.

Obviously, Grandad was more than 'just' a soldier. He was fiercely proud of Scotland and never lost his 'lilt'. He boxed when he was in the Army and always stayed in shape. He played the bagpipes until his 'wind' gave out and he invested in an electronic chanter. He was learning new tunes until the day he died, and practising the old favourites constantly. He taught me to play the pipes in a no-nonsense way and berated me for not practising EVERY day :-)

He had 3 Grandchildren when he died in 2004 and would have found out about my first son being born if he'd waited a month or two longer. Ah well.