Cape Breton Highlanders Pipe Band

Debert, NS

Circa Autumn, 1941

The photo was taken just before the battalion embarked for overseas.

Front Row, Drummers, Left to Right:
1.  Cpl. B.R. “Woody” Woodman, Glace Bay, NS
2.  William Palmer, Sydney, NS
3.  Melvin MacLean, Sydney, NS (bass drummer)
4.  Dan S. MacDonald, Sydney, NS
5.  Allister “Allie” Wood, Glace Bay, NS

Second Row, Pipers, Left to Right:
1.  Pipe Major John Alexander “Black Jack” McDonald, Soldiers Cove, NS
2.  John Joseph “Joe” MacMillan, Reserve Mines, NS
3.  William “Willie” Bernard Gillis, Inverness, NS
4.  Gordon “Red Gordon” MacQuarrie, River Denys, NS
5.  John Joseph “Piper” MacMillan, Reserve Mines, NS

Back Row, Pipers, Left to Right:
1.  Dan James MacKenzie, North Sydney, NS
2.  George Sutherland, Soldiers Cove, NS
3.  Archie Allan MacKay, Inverness, NS
4.  Gordon Hammand MacDonald, New Waterford, NS (Killed in Action in Italy on January 15, 1944)

Note that the drummers wear dark blue glengarries with diced banding, the same as issued to all men of the battalion, while the pipers wear dark blue glengarries with feathers and without diced banding.

Most names and place names above were taken from a wartime captioned newspaper photo. Place names are believed to be home addresses at time of enlistment and not neccessarily places of birth.

Photographer:  Unknown
Ref. Number:  13-48 (2-1.2)
Image Information:  Scan of original photo
Source:  Marjorie MacKay, St. Peters, NS, 2013
 

Cape Breton Highlanders Pipe Band

Circa 1940

The photo was probably taken somewhere on Cape Breton Island.

Front Row, Kneeling, Left to Right:
1.  ??
2.  B.R. “Woody” Woodman
3.  Jack Strickland

Back Row, Standing, Left to Right:
1.  Joseph Petite
2.  Pipe Major John Alexander “Black Jack” McDonald
3.  ??
4.  William “Willie” Gillis
5.  Dan MacDonald
6.  John Joseph “Piper” MacMillan
7.  Gordon “Red Gordon” MacQuarrie
8.  ??

Photographer:  Unknown
Ref. Number:  13-48 (2-2.2)
Image Information:  Scan of original photo
Source:  Marjorie MacKay, St. Peters, NS, 2013