The Armildale pipe band will participate in a world-wide event to play the commemorative tune The Battles O’er at exactly 5pm in Central park to mark the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice of Compiegne that officially ended World War I in France on November 11, 1918.
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Armidale Pipe Band Pipe Major Craig Ritchie said the Armistice was signed in France at 6am in France.
“Worldwide, it doesn’t matter where it is, this will be happening at the same time,” he said.
“We’ll be all kitted out in our gear, as we do on Anzac Day and we’ll probably play “The Green Hills Of Tyrol”, which is the tune that goes with that. It should all last for about 15 minutes.
Craig said the event related to the signing of the Armistice and remembered all the fallen bagpipers who actually lead the charges.
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“They were very brave. Although there was a very famous one in World War II who walked up and down the beach for the D-Day landings, and nobody could actually work out why he didn’t get shot by the Germans,” he said.
“They were actually in awe of the bravery – or stupidity – of the guy, walking up and down the beach playing his bagpipes! Sort of, why would we shoot him?”
“In world War I, particularly the 51st Division of the Highlanders went into battle with a piper leading the charge all the time, so many of them were lost.”
Craig thought time had certainly changed.
“I think we live in a different era of bravery now. What we consider brave, every second person did in 1915-18,” he said.
