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334:, Richardson set out among a group of 50 men who began digging in under enemy fire after advancing about 30 metres. James however continued the advance and discovered a farmhouse in and around which a group of German soldiers had taken cover. In doing so, he was spotted by a German officer who was leading the group and shot him before returning to the position his unit was digging out. There he explained what he had seen to a Sergeant Major who sent the information back to officers behind the lines who then directed artillery onto the position.
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354:. The 20-year-old fearlessly encouraged his comrades forward by marching in front of them, playing his bagpipes in the face of the withering enemy fire, inspiring them to get up and continue their attack, which was ultimately successful. Later in the day, James realized he had left his bagpipes at or near the front lines and decided to traverse the battlefield to recover them, however, Richardson never returned and was presumed to have been killed.
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Their collective effort led to conclusive evidence that identified the pipes as those played by Piper
Richardson on that day in 1916. An anonymous donor facilitated the purchase of the pipes on behalf of the citizens of Canada. In October 2006, a party of dignitaries visited Scotland and received the
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and Pipe Major Roger McGuire were largely responsible for the investigative work into identifying
Richardson's pipes. With the support of The Canadian Club and a group of patriotic citizens, Pipe Major McGuire travelled to Scotland in January 2003 to help identify the pipes that had been displayed at
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A British Army
Chaplain, Major Edward Yeld Bate, had found the pipes in 1917 and brought them back home after the war to a school in Scotland where he was a teacher. The pipes were unidentified for several decades, and served as a broken, mud-caked, and blood-stained reminder of an unknown piper from
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As the
Company approached the objective, it was held up by very strong wire and came under intense fire, which caused heavy casualties and demoralised the formation for the moment. Realising the situation, Piper Richardson strode up and down outside the wire, playing his pipes with the greatest
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After proceeding about 200 yards, Piper
Richardson remembered that he had left his pipes behind. Although strongly urged not to do so, he insisted on returning to recover his pipes. He has never been seen since, and death has been presumed accordingly owing to lapse of time.
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area of
Vancouver. In a precursor of the valour he would later show on the Somme, while at work in 1914 he learned of a youth drowning in a nearby creek and proceeded to run to the scene, dive into the water and bring up the boy, who died despite Richardson's efforts.
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coolness. The effect was instantaneous. Inspired by his splendid example, the company rushed the wire with such fury and determination that the obstacle was overcome and the position captured.
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Sources vary, but somewhere between 1911 and 1913, when James would have been between 16 and 18 years old, the
Richardsons emigrated to Canada, first settling in
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For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty when, prior to attack, he obtained permission from his
Commanding Officer to play his company "over the top".
217:, Scotland on 25 November 1895 and was one of seven children. His father, David, was a police officer and his mother Mary was a mill worker. At the time of the
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Ardvreck School for over seven decades. Tomas
Christie, a parent of students there and also a piper, initiated the search for the origin of the pipes.
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was commissioned to produce a statue of
Richardson, which has been display at the Chilliwack Museum and Archives in Chilliwack since 2003.
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where his father had risen to the rank of Police Inspector and Fire Chief. As the family moved, James (known as Jimmy) attended school at
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Richardson's bagpipes were believed to have been lost in the mud of the Somme for almost 90 years until 2002, when the Pipe Major of
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After the war, in June 1920, James Richardson's body was discovered by a farmer about 300 metres north of the northeast corner of
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507:(Plot III, Row F, Grave 36) which is located on the east side of the D107 Road, 1.6 kilometres north of the village of
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Richardson is also commemorated with an inscribed paving stone in Bellshill, Scotland, the town he was born in.
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Later, after participating in bombing operations, he was detailed to take back a wounded comrade and prisoners.
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Richardson's battalion was pinned down by barbed wire barriers and intense enemy fire during an attack on
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In April 1915, the 1st Canadian Division were placed in a reserve position behind the frontlines near the
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and advance into a position known as Kitcheners' Wood in the dark of night. In what became known as the
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on 23 September 1914 as a private/piper with the Seaforths. His regiment contributed a large draught to
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562:"Biography – RICHARDSON, JAMES CLELAND – Volume XIV (1911-1920) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography"
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tartan on them, the same tartan used by the pipers of the 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion.
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For his actions, he was awarded the British Empire's highest medal for bravery and valour, the
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322:. On the night of April 22, the opening day of the battle, Richardson's 16th, along with the
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661:, The Canadian Virtual War Memorial (CVWM) > James Clelland Richardson Digital Collection
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in Rutherglen. During these years, he learned to play the bagpipes and won several prizes.
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where his father was police sergeant and at the 1911 census, they were based at nearby
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The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess
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responded to an Internet posting. He discovered that Ardvreck preparatory school in
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as a reminder of a generation's valour. They are currently on public display.
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On 8 November 2006, the bagpipes were officially repatriated when troops from
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sent overseas on October 3, 1914, and after further training in England, the
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In 1916, the 1st Canadian Division were involved in fighting several of the
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The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) Victoria Cross Recipients
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pipes from the Headmaster of Ardvreck School for repatriation to Canada.
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Richardson's Victoria Cross and war medals are on display at the
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at The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project
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James Clelland Richardson on The Canadian Virtual War Memorial
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Canadian Battle of the Somme recipients of the Victoria Cross
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and, on Oct 8, 1916, in a phase of the action known as the
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Fighting at the Somme, Earning the Victoria Cross and Death
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No. 30967, dated October 18, 1918, stated the following:
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Movie with data about Richardson and other pipers of WWI
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the family was living at the police station houses in
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Army News Story - Repatriation of Richardson's Pipes
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village and recovered for burial. He is interred at
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189:(25 November 1895 – 8/9 October 1916) was a
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729:James Clelland Richardson's digitized service file
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423:The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's)
704:Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995)
326:were moved into the front lines and ordered to
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638:(Supplement). 22 October 1918. p. 12488.
34:Piper James C. Richardson, VC, circa. 1914-15
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870:Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's)
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286:and were among the first echelons of the
494:Chilliwack Museum and Historical Society
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294:were sent to France on 9 February 1915.
820:People educated at Stonelaw High School
723:Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
616:"James C Richardson VC - victoriacross"
602:"James C Richardson VC - victoriacross"
576:"James C Richardson VC - victoriacross"
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136:16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion, CEF
753:(Piper James Cleland Richardson entry)
708:VCs of the First World War - The Somme
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860:Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers
213:James Cleland Richardson was born in
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815:People educated at Bellshill Academy
865:Burials at Adanac Military Cemetery
264:72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
744:Stonelaw School list of the fallen
699:The Register of the Victoria Cross
284:16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion
278:, he voluntarily enlisted and was
209:Youth, Pre War Life and Enlistment
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589:Piper Richardson | Family History
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875:Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
840:Great Highland bagpipe players
542:Canadian pipers in World War I
237:. He was also a member of the
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825:Scottish emigrants to Canada
470:British Columbia Legislature
288:Canadian Expeditionary Force
110:Canadian Expeditionary Force
850:Canadian military musicians
348:Battle of the Ancre Heights
223:Blantyre, South Lanarkshire
156:Battle of the Ancre Heights
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332:Battle of Kitcheners' Wood
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184:James Cleland Richardson
87:Adanac Military Cemetery
22:James Cleland Richardson
318:attacks that began the
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710:(Gerald Gliddon, 1994)
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314:unleashed a series of
274:. At the outbreak of
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383:Richardson's Bagpipes
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292:1st Canadian Division
116:Years of service
701:(This England, 1997)
695:(David Harvey, 1999)
693:Monuments to Courage
591:, City of Chilliwack
344:Battles of the Somme
763:17 May 2006 at the
526:Canadian War Museum
476:Burial and memorial
468:placed them at the
151:Battle of the Somme
678:. 5 December 2017.
676:City of Chilliwack
672:"Piper Richardson"
635:The London Gazette
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630:"No. 30967"
516:John Weaver
509:Courcelette
312:German Army
276:World War I
257:False Creek
119:1914 - 1916
40:Nickname(s)
789:Categories
548:References
532:, Canada.
511:, France.
431:Perthshire
316:poison gas
249:Chilliwack
239:Boy Scouts
227:Rutherglen
94:Allegiance
56:, Scotland
514:Sculptor
272:pipe band
247:and then
245:Vancouver
215:Bellshill
54:Bellshill
761:Archived
536:See also
306:city of
205:forces.
191:Canadian
104:Service/
77:, France
501:Le Sars
310:as the
304:Belgian
199:British
161:†
530:Ottawa
435:Lennox
427:Crieff
172:Awards
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106:branch
98:Canada
82:Buried
308:Ypres
268:Piper
127:Piper
75:Somme
43:Jimmy
201:and
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124:Rank
61:Died
48:Born
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