Shieldhill Young Defenders Flute Band

07/09/2026

Collective service we had at the Arras Memorial to the Missing & Faubourg D'Amien Cemetery.

Remembering
Gunner William & Malcolm McIsaac, Royal Garrison Artillery.

Private Thomas Bennett, 8th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders.

Private Robert Skinner, 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders.

Private James Donoghue, 10th Battalion Argyll And Southern Highlanders.

Corporal James Marshall Watson, D Coy. 11th Battalion Royal Scots.

Able Seaman John Bryce Ramsey, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.

🌺🌺 Lest We Forget 🌺🌺

07/09/2026

Some photos from the service at Anzin-St Aubin British Cemetery

07/09/2026

Commemoration service held at Anzin-St. Aubin British Cemetery on the 31/8/26 for

Private Robert Grey 1st / 5th, Seaforth Highlanders who died on the 20 August 1918 age 34, of Learigg Shieldhill.

Who is a relative of 3 of our band Members Mark, Allan and Stuart.

🌺🌺 Lest We Forget 🌺🌺

06/09/2026

All home safe and sound 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏡

As it was on our last tour in 2023, this tour brought out a wide range of emotions as we moved around the various sites of the Somme Battlefields and Ypres Salient. It was very poignant & we gained unforgettable experiences that will live with us forever 🌺♥️

🇫🇷 On Tuesday night, it was a privilege to meet the Mayor of Arras and to be granted permission to parade around Heroes Square.

On Wednesday morning, we had the honour of playing at the Hearts Memorial at Contalmaison, followed by the privilege of parading up to the amazing Thiepval Memorial, which carries the names of 72,000 men who have no known grave.

After holding a service there, we paraded onwards to the stunning Ulster Memorial Tower, erected in memory of the famous attack by the 36th Ulster Division on 1st July 1916.

Thursday morning saw us have the honour of parading and holding a service at the breathtaking Canadian Vimy Ridge Memorial 🇨🇦

That evening, we had the privilege of playing the first of our two sets at the magnificent Menin Gate Memorial, which carries the names of 54,000 men who have no known grave 🌺

On Friday, we paraded up to the grave of fallen Shieldhill RNVR Peter Cairns and played a set in one of the memorial bays at Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial to the Missing.

Friday evening saw us playing a set at the Cloth Hall before parading up to the Menin Gate for our second performance of the tour. An incredible experience and one we will never forget 🇧🇪

On behalf of the band, I would like to thank all of our visitors. You were all magnificent and showed the utmost respect at every place we visited.

A special mention to Beth and David Turner, Gavin and Robert — fantastic job by all, thank you ☺️ 👏

And what can I say about our Piper, George McNeil — amazing performances on both nights❗️👏

A huge thank you to the Mayor of Arras and the Canadian authorities for granting us permission to parade.

Thanks also to the Somme Association for permission to parade and for the tour of Thiepval Wood — the guys really enjoyed that — and to Jo and Rocky for arranging lunches at the Ulster Tower, as well as Johan at the De Dreve Cafe for lunch.

Thanks to the Last Post Association for giving us permission to take part in their unique ceremony at the Menin Gate. An absolute honour.

🚌 A massive thanks to our coach driver, Alan Chown of Debonair Coach Travel Limited. Absolutely first class job — friendly, helpful and comedian! 🪪🪪🪪😂😂
If you know, you know!

And of course, our tour guide, Mr Tom Saunders.
Once again, a first class job. Everyone has come home with a much greater understanding of what the boys endured, thanks to the incredible knowledge Tom passed on to everyone on the coach. We just can’t thank him enough for the time and effort he put into organising this tour for us all 👏

If anyone is thinking about putting a Battlefield Tour together, get in touch with the Somme Association and request Tom’s services — you won’t be disappointed.

An unforgettable tour, incredible memories and a privilege to have been able to pay our respects at so many special places.

We Will Remember Them.

Lest We Forget 🌺

S.Y.D. F.B. 1981 💂

06/09/2026

Battlefields — Round 2 🇫🇷🇧🇪

From Arras to the Somme, through Flanders we went,
Six days of remembrance, with honour well spent.
From Vimy to Thiepval, the names we called out,
Remembering the fallen — without fear or doubt.

Lochnagar, Newfoundland, the Ulster Tower too,
Each field had a story, each name led us through.
From France into Belgium, through Messines we came,
At every cemetery, we honoured their name.

We marched to the Menin Gate, with music and pride,
Two unforgettable evenings, standing side by side.
As the Last Post sounded, the silence was clear,
A moment to remember the men we hold dear.

For family and friends, there were names of our own,
Men who left loved ones but never came home.
From Shieldhill to Falkirk, their stories remain,
And we stood on the ground where they suffered their pain.

Six days, countless stories, but one thing is true:
The debt that we owe them will always be due.
We came to remember, and remember we shall,
Their sacrifice lives on — through us, one and all
With pride in our hearts and the poppies beneath.
We Will Remember Them, wherever we go.

🇧🇪🌺 Lest We Forget. 🌺🇨🇵

05/09/2026

Day 6 of our Battlefield Tour 🇧🇪➡️🇫🇷➡️🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Home time — but there were still a few important stops to make before we began our journey back.

Leaving the hotel, we started making our way towards Calais for the train, stopping first to pay our respects to Second Lieutenant E. S. Pool of the West Yorkshire Regiment, aged 31, who was one of the soldiers executed by firing squad during the First World War.

From there, we travelled into Poperinge to visit the death cells and ex*****on post — a sombre and thought-provoking reminder of another side of the war and the experiences endured by the men who served.

Our final cemetery visit of the tour took us to Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, where we held a service in memory of Shieldhill man Pte William Anderson of the Northumberland Fusiliers, who was just 25 years old.

While there, we also visited the grave of Staff Nurse Nellie Spindler, who died aged only 26 while caring for wounded soldiers during the war.

And with that, our Battlefield Tour comes to an end.

Six days filled with parades, services, personal family connections and visits to the final resting places of men and women whose stories deserve to continue to be told.

Now it’s time to make our way home, taking with us the memories of an unforgettable few days.

We Will Remember Them.

Lest We Forget 🌺

05/09/2026

Day 5 of our Battlefield Tour 🇧🇪

A relatively quiet final day, but another one filled with some incredibly moving visits as our Battlefield Tour drew to a close.

We began at Menin Road South Military Cemetery, where we visited the grave of Pte Anthony O’Neill of the Royal Irish Rifles, who was just 15 years old.

From there, we travelled to Vancouver Corner to visit the striking Brooding Soldier Memorial, before continuing on to Poelcapelle British Cemetery to pay our respects at the grave of John Condon of the Royal Irish Regiment.

Our next stop was Dochy Farm New British Cemetery, where we visited the grave of Jimmy Speirs of the Cameron Highlanders.

We then travelled to Tyne Cot Cemetery, where we held a service in memory of Shieldhill man Pte Peter Cairns, RNVR, Howe Battalion.

Our final evening in Belgium ended in the most fitting way possible, with our second performance at the Menin Gate Memorial.

As you’ll see from the photographs, the sunset over the Menin Gate was absolutely stunning and made an already special evening even more memorable.

We would also like to say a huge thank you to our tour guide, Tom Saunders, for his knowledge and guidance throughout the trip, and to the Last Post Association for giving us permission to perform at the Menin Gate on both Thursday and Friday evenings. It was a privilege we will not forget.

Videos from the trip will be posted once we are home.

A fitting end to five unforgettable days of remembrance, history and honouring those who came before us.

Lest We Forget 🌺

04/09/2026

04/09/2026

Day 4 of our Battlefield Tour 🇫🇷➡️🇧🇪

Today saw us leave France behind and make our way into Belgium, with another full day of remembrance along the route.

Our first stop was the magnificent Vimy Ridge Memorial, where we paraded and held a service in memory of those who fought and fell there.

From Vimy, we travelled on to the Ploegsteert Memorial, where we held a wreath-laying service and remembered James Mackenzie VC of the Scots Guards.

We then continued to Messines, stopping at the memorial plaque dedicated to Slamannan man Samuel Frickleton VC, before visiting the Christmas Truce Memorial — a powerful reminder of one of the most remarkable moments of humanity during the First World War.

Our next stop was Wytschaete Military Cemetery, where we held a service for Carronshore man Pte John Sneddon.

From there, we travelled to Buttes New British Cemetery for a service in memory of Pte John Hunter of the 49th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, before visiting the striking Brothers in Arms Memorial.

Our final battlefield service of the day was held at Black Watch Corner, bringing another moving day of remembrance to a close.

We then continued on to our new base at the Novotel in Ypres.

But the day wasn’t quite finished…

In the evening we had the privilege of taking part in the first of our two performances at the Menin Gate — an incredibly special and poignant way to round off Day 4 of our Battlefield Tour.

Another day of names remembered, stories shared and sacrifices honoured.

Lest We Forget 🌺

03/09/2026

Fantastic experience on both days spent at the Ulster Memorial Tower, and Thiepval Wood,