Falkirk district remembers those who fought at Saint Valéry

The 80th anniversary of the Battle of Saint Valéry was marked this morning at war memorials around the district.

Lone piper Bryan Mckay from Stenhousemuir stood at Carronshore War Memorial, while piper Neil Clark played in the village of Allandale where he was joined, following social distancing guidelines by Falkirk’s Provost William Buchanan.

Bryan, a member of Pentland Caledonia Pipe Band, and Neil, an ex Scots Guard who runs Falkirk Piping, joined many pipers across Scotland and around the globe to play a poignant tribute to the thousands of Scots who were killed or captured during “the forgotten Dunkirk”.

At 10am they played the haunting pipers march, Heroes of St Valéry to remember those who fought at the battle in World War Two.

Pipers from 17 countries on five continents had pledged to play on their doorsteps at that time as part of commemorations being organised by Legion Scotland, Poppyscotland and RCET: Scotland’s Armed Forces Children’s Charity.

The lesser-known battle of Saint-Valéry-en-Caux saw troops, largely from the 51st Highland Division, fight almost continuously for ten days against overwhelming odds.

Eventually surrounded by the Germans at Saint Valéry, those who were not killed or fell to their deaths from the cliffs trying to escape were captured on June 12, 1940.

Marched hundreds of miles to Prisoner of War camps in eastern Europe, they endured appalling conditions for five long years.

Provost Buchanan said: “It was a very fitting tribute at Allandale this morning with piper Neil Clark playing along with over 400 pipers world wide the Heroes of St Valery at 10 am this morning under the government’s guidelines on social distancing.

“Neil’s grandfather was in the Allandale pipe band who joined up.

“It was very poignant for Neil who also piped a tune for Allandale he composed.”