History

Introduction:
On this page we will share some of the history concerning our bagpipe band and, of course, the history concerning the regiment of The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada from Vancouver.

Scotland. How it all began:
Canada. How the story continued:
This 1st Infantry Division was built up as follows:
Holland. How we still commemorate:

First, let’s take a small tour to the past, to Scotland, home clansmen, tartans, lochs and of course,  the great Scottish Highland Bagpipe.

Scotland. How it all began:

In 1777 Kenneth MacKenzie, Earl of Seaforth, raised a regiment which was called the first seven years of it's existens The 78th Regiment of (Highland) Foot. After that period it was re-numbered in The 72nd Regiment of (Highland) Foot. The recruitment took place in MacKenzie country, such as the Seaforth area. Go to the website of The Clan MacKenzie for detailed information about this clan.
The Regiment sailed for America and soon after that to the Channel Islands (1778). In 1781 it was followed by a trip to India where The Earl of Seaforth died as well as many others.

The first meeting with "folks" from The Netherlands, then known as Holland, was in 1795 on the Island of Ceylon (nowadays Sri Lanka) were The Seaforth Highlanders fought against The Dutch and won. In 1797 The Regiment went back to Great Britain were in 1804 a 2nd Battalion was raised but very soon (in 1816) was disbanded. In 1806 The Seaforth from Scotland met again some Dutch soldiers during a fight a Capetown.
In 1823 The Regiment was renamed into The Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders and went to South Africa, Gibraltar, Canada and The Caribean. In 1855 they fought in The Crimean War (Sebastopol) and from 1858 till 1866 they were on duty in India. Finally The Regiment was involved in heavy battles in Afghanistan in 1878.

In July 1881 The Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders merged with The 78th Highlanders which was raised in 1793 by a nephew of The Earl of Seaforth. The 1st Bn 78th Highlanders also met The Dutch during duties in Nijmegen (Nimwegen) and Geldermalsen. In 1795 The 1st Bn 78th Highlanders went back to Great Brittain where a 2nd Regiment was raised. This 2nd Regiment as well as the 1st Bn were named The 78th Highlanders (The Ross-Shire Buffs). When in July 1881 this Regiment finally merged with The Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders the new name became The 1st Bn Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs).

During the Great War (World War I for Dutch readers) there were eight battalions and one pioneer battalion in active service. The battalions had great loses among their servicemen. After The Great War The Seaforth Highlanders went to India, Ireland, Afghanistan, Palestina, Egypt and Shanghai.

During the Second World War The Seaforth Highlanders played an important role at several frontlines. The 2nd, 5th and 6th Bn took place in the Italy operation in 1943. The 2nd and 5th Bn came in action in Normandy while the 1st Bn was in India. In 1944 The 2nd and 5th Bn liberated Best and Eindhoven in The Netherlands while The 7th Bn liberated Nijmegen (Nimwegen). They also took part in The Battle of The Bulge (Ardennen Operation), a last attemp from Adolf Hitler and his generals to set the war to their hands. And the result we all know!

After the 2nd World War most Battalions were disbanded and The 1st and 2nd Bn merged. from 1951 till 1954 there was period of rest when The Seaforth Highlanders stayed in Scotland. After that they went to Egypt, Jemen (Aden), Gibraltar and Germany (Munster). Finally in 1961 The Regiment merged with The Queens Own Cameron Highlanders to become The 1st Bn Queens Own Highlanders (Seaforth & Camerons). In 1994 this was followed by a new merger with The Gordon Highlanders to form The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons).

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Canada. How the story continued:

Amongst the many immigrants in Canada were a lot of people from Scotland. In Vancouver in 1909 the idea came up to raise a Highland Regiment which was done so officially in 1910. The new Regiment was of course part of The Canadian Army and got the only number that was available on the Canadian Army List: 72. By coincidence that was the same number as The 72nd Regiment of (Highland) Foot raised in 1777 by Kenneth MacKenzie, Earl of Seaforth, in Scotland. On April 11th 1911 the Canadian Regiment got the official approval from Scotland to use the name Seaforth Highlanders.
In The Great War (World War I for Dutch readers) The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada took part in the 16th Overseas Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force later renamed in The Canadian Scottish Regiment (note: the website mentioned is that of The Regimental Association, the site of The Regiment is currently closed). In 1916 they went to France with 40 officers and 1055 men. Eight months later already 655 Canadians had lost their lives in this war. In 1919 the Regiment returned to Canada.

When in 1939 the threat of a new war grew by the day and in September 1939 the Germans occupied Poland The Canadian Army mobilized their troops. On December 20th 1939 The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada sailed for Great Britain the band included. The first three years of the war was a periode a much training. In 1943 The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada were shipped to Italy and landed on Pachino Beaches in July of that year. In May 1944 they were involved in the Battle for Hitlerline. In March 1945 The Regiment was brought to Belgium. The plan was to bring to Regiment into Holland were the south was already free but the western and northern parts of Holland were still occupied by the Germans after the failed attempt of The Allied Forces to break through near Arnhem and Oosterbeek (Operation Market Garden, A Bridge too Far) in september 1944.
In the spring of 1945 The Allied Forces started their campaign to free Holland. They moved in the East towards Arnhem, Zutphen and Deventer. The British Forces turned right for Germany and The Rhine Area. The Canadian Forces went north and also turned left to Apeldoorn. They crossed the river IJsel and went on to the villages of Stroe, Garderen, Voorthuizen, Barneveld and Achterveld in a area called The Gelder Valley (Gelderse Vallei). In De Glind (near Achterveld) The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada stopped and 'jumped' to the Dutch capital Amsterdam (50 km west of Achterveld) which was liberated in April 1945.
It is important to know that the liberation of The Gelder Valley was not only done by The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. The Regiment was part of The 1st Division, 2nd Infantry Brigade which was shown by the square red insignia on the jacket (every division had their own colour on the jackets).

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2nd Infantry Brigade
The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI)
The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
The Loyal Edmonton Regiment.

During the liberation days the pipebands of the Canadian Regiments played for the Dutch people which set the bases for the existing number of 34 pipebands we have today in The Netherlands. On May 8th 1945 The Massed Pipes and Drums of the Allied Forces performed in Amsterdam on Dam Square (in front of The Royal Palace). In presence of Her Majesty Queen Wilhemina of The Netherlands the pipebands performed in a victory parade. A picture of this parade can be seen on our introduction page.
At this moment The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada is a reserve regiment within the Canadian Army.

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Holland. How we still commemorate:

In 1995 FrankJan de Boone, member of The 48th Highlanders of Holland Pipes and Drums, came up with the idea to set up a pipeband in his own area (Amersfoort and Voorthuizen). The band he already was playing in was set up to commemorate The 48th Highlanders of Canada who liberated the city of Apeldoorn. Mabye it was possible to do the same for other regiments who were involved in the liberation of Amersfoort and The Gelder Valley.
FrankJan started some research and found out that the city of Amersfoort, were he works as teacher, was liberated by The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa and also had a pipeband that was on duty in that area. But he also found out that in his hometown Voorthuizen also a Canadian regiment was involved in the liberation. That was The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. This regiment had a pipeband. It was very important for him to choose a regiment that was in the area and also had a pipeband. That made it historically easier. Meanwhile he also looked for interested people and a training building for the new band. Members were no problem. Several Dutch people, including experienced pipers and drummers, seemed interested in his idea. Also youth from Amersfoort and Voorthuizen were attracted by the idea to set up a military pipeband to commemorate our liberators. But the building was a bigger problem. Due to strict environmental regulation (a pipeband makes to much sound) a building could not be found. An other problem was the lack of a drumming instructor. Although The Netherlands has more then 30 pipebands the number of piping and drumming instructors is limited. Finally the plan of FrankJan ended in 1996.

Meanwhile at the Beatrix Pipeband in Hilversum a drummer and a piper also had plans for a military orientated pipeband. Within Beatrix Pipeband there was already a miniband that performed at military events suchs as Open Days for the Airforce and the commemoration of The Battle for Arnhem (Operation Market Garden) every year in September. In spring 1999 Kees Westerkamp, the drummer, heard from the idea of FrankJan de Boone from Voorthuizen. They came together for a meeting with several other pipers and the old plan of FrankJan was discussed again. The concept was to raise a memorial pipeband to commemorate the Canadian regiment of The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada and also other Canadian and British regiments who where involved in the liberation of Holland. It was also an oppertunity for military orientated pipers and drummers to join a pipeband with a military protocol. A letter went out to the commanding officer of The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada in Vancouver with the details of the plan and to ask for permission to use the name of the regiment and the 1945 uniform. At the same moment the recruitment for the new pipeband also started. FrankJan gave several interviews for newspapers and radio stations.
In september 1999 the band had already 20 interested people, most of them starting pipers. In October 1999 the band received a letter from the commading officer from The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada who was very interested in the idea and promised to help out with al sorts of questions and problems. Meanwhile the Canadian military attaché in Den Haag also heard from the idea and promised to help with several matters. In September 1999 some experienced pipers and drummers of the new band, which was named The Seaforth Highlanders of Holland Memorial Pipes and Drums, already took part in the Airborne Memorial Weekend (Battle for Arnheim) in the villages of Ede and Oosterbeek. More performances followed and the band also got more members. In January 2000 kiltmaker Jean MacPherson from Scotland (from the shop Hugh MacPhersons of Edinburgh (who also was a Seaforth Highlander) came to Voorthuizen for uniform measurements. Meanwhile some intructors left and were replaced by Josien Teerlink. The problems with the training building were solved in October of 1999 when the pipeband could use a building of The Donkersgoed Company in Voorthuizen which is still in use for workshops, extra trainings and bar nights. The pipeband moved to Bernhard Baracks (Army) in January 2000 for their weekly training.
See Band in action for more information about where to see the band or the events we've taken part in.

If you have questions of suggestions for this website or this page (maybe you can tell us more about some historical facts) please contact us at info@seaforth.nl

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