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appointed to command
a force of 32,882 officers and soldiers. The intention was to advance
into the Chagru valley on 20 October but the Alikhel tribesmen had
seen the preparation of a mountain road by the army working parties.
They anticipated the route to be taken by the army and occupied the
village of Dargai and the Narik spur. This formed the western boundary
of the valley and completely dominated the road along which the
Expeditionary Force was to descend. It was therefore necessary to
dislodge the tribesmen from their position. The water supply of Dargai
was some distance away from the village and General Palmer saw that
adjacent heights would have to be taken if it were to be reached. The
tribesmen were not expected back and the order to retire was given.
Two companies of the Gordon Highlanders were left to hold the
tribesmen in check till the other regiments had taken up a new
position. First one company was ordered to retire and then the other.
Only half of the last company remained when the enemy appeared behind
them from over a hill only thirty yards away. The Gordon Highlanders
promptly formed up as the enemy fired and rushed them thinking them
defeated. The men stood their ground and killed six of the tribesmen
only yards from them. The other tribesmen turned and ran.
General Kempster’s brigade was ordered to storm the Heights and the
1st Division was strengthened by the 2nd Derbyshires and the 3rd
Sikhs. They were to be supported by three batteries with another on
Samana Sukh if required. The Gurkhas, Dorsets and Derbys all suffered
terrible casualties and were met by such intense fire, from only 200
yards away, that those who were not cut down in the charge could do no
more than hold onto the position they had reached. Over 100 men lay
dead and wounded. The tribesmen rejoiced, waving their standards and
beating their drums as victory seemed assured. General Kempster
ordered the Gordon Highlanders to the front. The Gordon Highlanders
advanced. The dead and wounded of the other regiments were brought
back. On getting to the spot reached by the Derbys and Dorsets, the
Gordons lay under cover for three minutes as the guns again
concentrated their fire on the summit.
The moment came to advance. The Pipe-Major of the Gordon Highlanders
was superintending the bringing up of the reserve ammunition when the
order to advance came through and he was still doing so when the order
to charge was given. Lance-Corporal Piper Milne was the next most
senior piper and he led Pipers Findlater, Fraser, Wills, and Kidd into
action. In his despatch to the Adjutant-General in India on 9 December
1897, Sir William Lockhart recalled that, "The Gordon Highlanders went
straight up the hill without check or hesitation. Headed by their
pipers, and led by Lieut-Colonel Mathias, CB, with Major Macbean on
his right and Lieutenant A F Gordon on his left, this splendid
battalion marched across the open. It dashed through a murderous
fire…" As the Gordon Highlanders burst into the field of fire Major
Macbean fell almost immediately, shot through the thigh. He dragged
himself to the shelter of a boulder and cheered on his men as they
passed. A bullet hit Piper Milne in the chest and he fell, unable to
continue. Three-quarters of the way across the exposed strip of land
Piper Findlater was shot in the ankles. He fell and, leaning against a
rock, continued to play his pipes as blood ran from his wounds, dying
his kilt red. Of the five pipers who led the charge only Piper Kidd
made it to the Heights.
The first division reached the sheltering rocks and paused for breath.
As their numbers increased to 400 they started again up the
precipitous path to the crest of the hill. Reaching the top they
rushed along the succession of ridges as the tribesmen took flight.
The position was won at 3.15pm. The Gordon Highlanders gave three
cheers for Colonel Mathias. As he came over the last ascent the
Colonel had rather breathlessly commented to a colour-sergeant, "Stiff
climb, eh, Mackie? Not quite - so young - as I was - you know." With a
friendly slap on his commanding officer’s back the sergeant replied,
"Never mind, sir! Ye’re ga’un vara strong for an auld man!"
Major-General Yeatman-Biggs reported favourably on several Gordon
Highlanders. "Major F Macbean, who was the first to spring out of
cover and lead his company to the attack... Piper Findlater, who after
being shot through both feet and unable to stand, sat up under heavy
fire playing the regimental march to encourage the charge... Private
Lawson, who carried Lieutenant Dingwall, when wounded and unable to
move, out of a heavy fire, and subsequently returned and brought in
Private Macmillan, being himself wounded in two places in so doing...
I recommend Piper Findlater and Private Lawson for the Victoria
Cross."
Later, Findlater wrote, "I remember the Colonel addressing the
regiment, telling them what they were expected to do. I remember again
the order for the regiment to attack, and the order "Pipers to the
front". I am told that the ‘Cock of the North’ was the tune ordered to
be played, but I didn’t hear the order, and using my own judgement I
thought that the charge would be better led by a quick strathspey, so
I struck up ‘The Haughs o’ Cromdale’. The ‘Cock o’ the North’ is more
of a march tune and the effort we had to make was a rush and a charge.
The battle fever had taken hold of us and we thought not of what the
other was feeling. Our whole interest being centred in self. Social
positions were not thought of, and officers and men went forward with
eagerness shoulder to shoulder. When I got wounded the feeling was as
if I had been struck heavily with a stick. I remember falling and
playing on for a short time; but I was bleeding profusely and in a few
minutes sickened. I am told that the time I continued playing after
falling was about five minutes. After the position was won, and the
wounded taken to the rear, my first thoughts on recovery were how
lucky I had been in getting off so easily. It never occurred to me
that I had done anything to merit reward. What I did I could not help
doing. It was a very great surprise when I was told that my action had
been brave, and a recommendation had been made to award me the
soldier’s prize - the VC."
George Findlater was invalided home and offered a position, probably
at Balmoral. He declined this because of the poor pay. He then took up
a concert career for some time, much to the distress of the War
Office. Returning from his travels Piper Findlater settled at
Mountblairy in the parish of Alvah, Banffshire. Both of his parents
were dead but he was not far from many of his family who lived in the
surrounding countryside. On Wednesday, 2 August 1899 George Findlater
married his cousin, Nellie Findlater. Nellie’s late father, John, was
the brother of George’s father. She was 23 years of age and lived at
South Brownside, Forglen. The wedding took place at St Congan’s
Episcopal Church near Mill of Turriff where Piper Findlater had been
born. The Revd George Lawson, minister at Forglen, performed the
ceremony. Nellie Findlater’s sister Jessie was bridesmaid and Piper
Findlater’s brother James, from Birmingham, was best man. When the
Findlaters returned from their honeymoon they settled in a newly-built
cottage near the banks of the Deveron at Mountblairy. Piper
Findlater’s ambition had always been to find a small farm and by June
1900 he had secured the tenancy of a holding at Bridgend, Forglen on
the estate of Mr Harvey of Carnousie. George and Nellie Findlater had
four children at Bridgend. John Alexander was born in 1900; Frances
Harvey in October 1900; Mary Ann in November 1901, and Frederick
George in April 1904. The Findlaters moved to a 30-acre farm in
Forglen, Cairnhill, and in September 1909 Helen Kennedy was born
there. George and Nellie were to live at Cairnhill for the rest of
their lives.
When war broke out in 1914 George Findlater was a 42 year old farmer.
The 9th Battalion of The Gordon Highlanders was formed at Aberdeen in
September 1914. Findlater volunteered for service. In January 1915 the
battalion was made a Pioneer battalion providing labouring jobs for
low-grade medical men. He travelled to France with the battalion in
July 1915 as a Sergeant Piper and was wounded at Loos. Invalided out
of the army he returned to Aberdeenshire to his farm. He received the
1914-15 Star medal and the British War and Victory medals. For the
next 27 years George Findlater farmed Cairnhill and was active in the
Turriff pipe band as Pipe-Major.
On 4 March 1942 George Frederick Findlater, VC, the Piper of Dargai,
died of a heart attack aged 70 years. His widow, Nellie Findlater,
died on 15 December 1949, at Cairnhill, aged 74 years. George and
Nellie Findlater are buried in Forglen cemetery a short distance from
Turriff. The cemetery is hidden away at the bottom of a steep track on
the left-hand side of the road to Forglen, just past the second farm
on the left after passing over the bridge at Turriff. A tiny sign
points down the track to "Kirkside". The Findlater gravestone is about
three-quarters of the way along the east wall of the cemetery. |
