“The Heroes of the Hook” was written by Pipe Major Sandy Hain, formerly of the Black Watch regiment, who lived much of his life in Cleveland Ohio. The tune is a tribute to Black Watch comrades of his killed or wounded in 1952 in Korea defending a vital hill known as “The Hook.”
The website pipetunes.ca is the first large-scale site of its kind to provide individual pieces of bagpipe sheet music and recorded demonstrations for download. The work, experience and finances that have gone into creating it would surprise you. The efforts required by composers to create this music would inspire you. The site will continue to operate and evolve and provide unparalleled access to new and old pipe music if and only if clients follow the following simple guidelines:
1) Download files for your own personal use; print multiple copies only for tunes being learned within your pipe band or taught to your student.
2) PLEASE do not email files or transfer them to other computers. Insist that fellow pipers and students support this site. The site will be easy to use as long as I don't have to incorporate unwieldy security.
3) Do not post any of these files to a website of any sort.
While I hope it will never come to this, I will not tolerate abuses to these guidelines. A system in in place for pipetunes.ca to pursue legal action. Thanks for your support. I look forward to enhancing and expanding the bagpipe sheet music and recording services offered by pipetunes.ca.
The website pipetunes.ca is the first large-scale site of its kind to provide individual pieces of bagpipe sheet music and recorded demonstrations for download. The work, experience and finances that have gone into creating it would surprise you. The efforts required by composers to create this music would inspire you. The site will continue to operate and evolve and provide unparalleled access to new and old pipe music if and only if clients follow the following simple guidelines:
1) Download files for your own personal use; print multiple copies only for tunes being learned within your pipe band or taught to your student.
2) PLEASE do not email files or transfer them to other computers. Insist that fellow pipers and students support this site. The site will be easy to use as long as I don't have to incorporate unwieldy security.
3) Do not post any of these files to a website of any sort.
While I hope it will never come to this, I will not tolerate abuses to these guidelines. A system in in place for pipetunes.ca to pursue legal action. Thanks for your support. I look forward to enhancing and expanding the bagpipe sheet music and recording services offered by pipetunes.ca.
Here is the story behind this lovely retreat march:
The 1st Battalion Black Watch was dispatched to the Korean War in 1952. On the night of 18/19 November of that year it fought a fierce battle defending a prominent and vital hill feature known as The Hook. There were many Black Watch casualties amongst the trenches and dugouts of the position, but at dawn The Hook was still in Black Watch hands. The many gallantry awards earned during that night included an immediate Distinguished Service Order for the commander of A Company (Major Angus Irwin, MC), a Military Cross for both Lieutenant Richard Haw and 2nd Lieutenant Donald Black, a Distinguished Conduct Medal for Sergeant Brian Gait, Military Medals for Sergeants Alexander Hutchison and William Kerry and Lance Corporal Robert Manning, and mentions in dispatches for Corporal Strachan, Privates Walker and Coley (Royal Leicester), Lance Corporal McKay (Seaforths) and Corporal Allen (RAMC). During the battle the Battalion’s pipe major, Dick Erickson, lost a leg and the fingers of both hands after being hit by a mortar bomb.
Hi there, I am one of Dick Erickson’s grand daughters. I know very little about his time in Korea, indeed very little about his army life,
and would like to know more.
My late piping teacher Jimmy Greig was taught by Dick Erickson while the battalion was stationed in Duisburg, Germany from the end of WW2 until it deployed to Korea in 1952. Jimmy’s time with the colours was completed and he didn’t re-enlist and consequently did not go to Korea. Erickson’s time was also up, but he was asked by the battalion c.o. to take over the Pipe Major position, as P.M. Jenkinson had also completed his service and was to be demobbed. Erickson agreed with the understanding that the Pipes and Drums would be confined to rear eschelon duties. While in Korea, the new c.o. Lt. Col. Rose told Erickson that he had never been party to that arrangement and that the deal was off. Sadly, Pipe Major Erickson was wounded by an air burst from a “friendly” artillery round when the c.o. had to call in a fire mission on the battalion’s position in order to halt a Chinese assault. To make matters worse, the ambulance in which Erickson and other casualties were being evacuated was also struck by an artillery shell. Terrible luck.
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Here is the story behind this lovely retreat march:
The 1st Battalion Black Watch was dispatched to the Korean War in 1952. On the night of 18/19 November of that year it fought a fierce battle defending a prominent and vital hill feature known as The Hook. There were many Black Watch casualties amongst the trenches and dugouts of the position, but at dawn The Hook was still in Black Watch hands. The many gallantry awards earned during that night included an immediate Distinguished Service Order for the commander of A Company (Major Angus Irwin, MC), a Military Cross for both Lieutenant Richard Haw and 2nd Lieutenant Donald Black, a Distinguished Conduct Medal for Sergeant Brian Gait, Military Medals for Sergeants Alexander Hutchison and William Kerry and Lance Corporal Robert Manning, and mentions in dispatches for Corporal Strachan, Privates Walker and Coley (Royal Leicester), Lance Corporal McKay (Seaforths) and Corporal Allen (RAMC). During the battle the Battalion’s pipe major, Dick Erickson, lost a leg and the fingers of both hands after being hit by a mortar bomb.
Hi there, I am one of Dick Erickson’s grand daughters. I know very little about his time in Korea, indeed very little about his army life,
and would like to know more.
My late piping teacher Jimmy Greig was taught by Dick Erickson while the battalion was stationed in Duisburg, Germany from the end of WW2 until it deployed to Korea in 1952. Jimmy’s time with the colours was completed and he didn’t re-enlist and consequently did not go to Korea. Erickson’s time was also up, but he was asked by the battalion c.o. to take over the Pipe Major position, as P.M. Jenkinson had also completed his service and was to be demobbed. Erickson agreed with the understanding that the Pipes and Drums would be confined to rear eschelon duties. While in Korea, the new c.o. Lt. Col. Rose told Erickson that he had never been party to that arrangement and that the deal was off. Sadly, Pipe Major Erickson was wounded by an air burst from a “friendly” artillery round when the c.o. had to call in a fire mission on the battalion’s position in order to halt a Chinese assault. To make matters worse, the ambulance in which Erickson and other casualties were being evacuated was also struck by an artillery shell. Terrible luck.