Battle cry!

[Adm.Lee]

Here's the obit for a brave man with a unique spot in history.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/special-forces-obituaries/7952729/Piper-Bill-Millin.html

Any guesses or opinions on whether Scottish units remaining in 2000 have pipers, and play? Have the Soviets and Polish ever gotten used to that, or is it something that can demoralize them?

Given the terrific loss of most radio communications, what does the group think of the return of bugle/drum signals to the post-modern battlefield?

In one of my sillier games, I allowed my group to mount speakers on their vehicles, 'cause they wanted to play "Ride of the Valkyries" when they attacked a town.

For that matter, on the aural battlefield, here's a 1935 recording of the Confederate "Rebel Yell"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssLMroT2euQ&NR=1

The second half of that, when they repeat it lots of times, is a bit hair-raising.

[headquarters]

thanks for the link - I always wondered what it might sound like -I hav rread that it was blood curdeling -and it sort of was !

[pmulcahy11b]

Given the terrific loss of most radio communications, what does the group think of the return of bugle/drum signals to the post-modern battlefield?

I think a more common one would be whistles.

[jester]

And runners, bicycle runners, dog runners and carrier pigeons too.

Or, semephore be it with flags, lights or mirror reflections. Or just lighting signal fires, just keep scheming hobits away from those.

[Rainbow Six]

There's been a couple of articles about Bill Millin in the Scottish media this weekend...a remarkable man. Apparently when he landed in Normany on D Day he was only armed with a sgian dubh (a small knife that is part of traditional highland dress and is carried tucked into the top of one's sock so that only the hilt is visible).

As to whether Scottish units in 2000 would still have pipers, I think almost certainly yes, some would, at least in a V1 timeline*. Most of the musicians that made up the various Regimental bands also had an operational role in the event of War, so bandsmen would have deployed with everyone else. (A relative of mine was in the pipes and drums of the Black Watch a number of years ago, and I'm pretty sure that when not taking part in band activities he was part of the Machine Gun Platoon).

Aren't the North Koreans and the Chinese supposed to still use bugles?

(*Things might have changed after Options for Change in the early 90's, when the Corps of Army Music was formed and the number of bands was reduced.)

[weswood]

thanks for the link - I always wondered what it might sound like -I hav rread that it was blood curdeling -and it sort of was !

I thought it sounded kind of homey. Says the man who's lived in Texas, Louisiana and Georgia 90% of his life....