For the past number of weeks I have used every minute available to study a part of WWII/D-Day history for my current book project. I’ve checked out nearly everything available from my library, clicked on countless weblinks, listened to 2 audiobooks, watched videos, and worked the indexes of nearly a dozen books. It’s been a fascinating study, I’ve learned loads, and even grown to where I seriously need a break from this focus. All of this has been to write 2 short essays for my next book — which is intended to be a fundraiser for a veteran’s group I am a member of. Last night I finally had a break-through! RESEARCH
Yesterday I must have hit a critical mass in my research — I finally completed 1 of these 2 writings! These 2 essays are on Bill Millin — a Scottish soldier who was asked by his Brigade Commander to defy the stipulations of the British Army and play his bagpipes during the Normandy invasion. The playing of bagpipes on the battlefield had been officially ceased after WWI due to the high rate of loss of these soldiers. On D-Day Bill Millin wore a kilt and carried no modern weapon short of a small traditional knife called a sgian dubh. He play near the shoreline as his fellow commandos fought. He never got shot or injured. Later he learned from captured German snipers that they didn’t target him because they thought he had gone mad! Millin and his Brigade along with other Allied forces then moved inland. First liberating the port town of Ouistreham then relieving the 6th Airborne Division who had captured strategically important bridges over the Caen Canal and River Orne.
WOW — weeks of research and I can now sum that up in one long paragraph! In any case … for the last number of things to accomplish and complete this book, this aspect has been the most daunting. I thought I would write the longer essay and then shorten it to what I wrote last night, but it seems I’ve gone the other way around — now I can build the long one off of the short one!
The rest of the project is downhill from here — last night’s development was a big relief & an IMPORTANT Step Toward Completion! RESEARCH
~ Don
