Dunkirk Boatman, The

2 Comments

• mjbryson01@hotmail.com

  September 27, 2017 at 12:26 pm

  I’d love to see some harmonies posted for this.

• iaindewar

  February 26, 2019 at 11:23 am

  The Dunkirk Gallant Boatman was first published in the United States Bicentennial Collection Vol 1 and much later entitled The Dunkirk Boatmen in Scots Guards Bk 3. It was composed by P/M John Balloch who spent his retirement years living in Port Bannatyne, Isle of Bute where he died in 1949. He was known by the locals simply as ‘the Pipe Major’.

  The tune was composed for Alistair MacMillan of Port Bannatyne who was a sailor with the Caledonian Steam Packet Company and who took part in the Dunkirk evacuation rescuing British and French forces in 1940 under constant attack from the Luftwaffe. When informed of the tune Alistair told the Pipe Major that he had not been alone and therefore the title should refer to ‘Boatmen’, not ‘Boatman’.