Charles Davidson Dunbar
July 17th, 1870
In November of 2023, The National Health Service in England gave a £330m contract to the American spy tech firm Palantir to create a ‘new data platform’ to handle its patient records. Apparently, the idea of handing such sensitive records to a foreign spy tech company didn’t raise many alarm bells in the ranks of the then Conservative government and exactly why it didn’t remains a mystery. If you’d like to hazard a guess that it’s because of huge kickbacks going directly into government ministers’ pockets via brown envelopes stuffed full of cash, be my guest. I wouldn’t say that at all. I’d much rather suggest that the kickbacks were channeled via offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands, but what do I know?
It also didn’t raise much of an eyebrow that the name ‘Palantir’ is taken directly from the magical crystal balls in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings that the dark lord Sauron uses to track Frodo and friends across Middle-Earth as he sends the Nazgûl to hack them to pieces. Rumors that Conservative Central HQ was to be renamed Barad-dûr have so far proved to be unfounded.
The Nazgûl were shadowy figures who spread terror among the enemy, and even their allies, by their sheer presence alone. The Black Breath, as Tolkien called it hung around them like a mist affecting anyone caught in its miasma. The Witch-King of Angmar sweeps across the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, trailing gorthu the ‘mist of fear’ around him, rendering men and hobbits senseless and gibbering in his wake. He emerges from the poison fog, screaming a hideous wail, crying with the voice of death.
All this seems very clearly based on Tolkien’s own experiences at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and the smoke barrages, gas attacks and bestial fear of frontline First World War combat. But there was one other person at the Somme in 1916 who Tolkien may have seen emerging from the mustard gas, shadowy and cloaked, making a noise that would strike horror into the very hearts of foe and friend alike and his name was Charles Davidson Dunbar.
And the voice of death, Nazgûl, Witch-King hideous screeching sound he was making came from a set of bagpipes.
Charles Davidson Dunbar was born in Halkirk, Scotland in 1870, although his early life is somewhat unclear. His father’s name is given as either William or Charles Dunbar but his mother was an unmarried needlewoman named Alexandrina Leith Miller.
Though Alexandrina Miller was poor, she ensured her son Charles received an education, teaching him to read and sending him to the Parish School. Charles later adopted the name Charles Davidson Dunbar, possibly to honor his half-brother, Alexander Davidson. He listed his father as William Dunbar on official records, though no direct link between them has been found.
When Alexandrina died on September 8, 1876, at age 48, her death was certified as due to tuberculosis and chronic rheumatism. Her daughter, Margaret H. Budge, was present at her death. Charles, then six, lived with his half-siblings in Halkirk before being taken to Edinburgh by Alexander Davidson, who had become a policeman. Charles was registered at the original Ragged School on September 13, 1879. Though he could read, he could not write at the time.
The Ragged School, established by Rev. Dr. Thomas Guthrie in 1847, provided education, food, and shelter for destitute children. Boys were taught trades like shoemaking and carpentry, while girls were trained to be thrifty wives. Charles learned to write and trained as a carpenter there. It is believed he also learned to play the bagpipes during his time at the school, though it is unclear if this was part of the school’s curriculum or private tuition.
Just before his 16th birthday, Charles Dunbar joined the military. He enlisted with the Seaforth Highlanders as a piper on October 6, 1886. Despite being only 5 feet 3 inches tall, his stance and demeanor made him appear taller. Colonel Guinness, the commander of the Seaforth Highlanders, recognized Charles’ potential and allowed him to take the piping tests, which he passed impressively despite his young age. He was then posted to the pipe band.
After serving in Scotland and Ireland, Charles transferred to the 3rd Royal Scots on January 1, 1894. Within a year, he became a candidate for the pipe major’s position with the Second Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders. He won the competition and joined the battalion on February 11, 1895, being promoted to sergeant piper and assuming the duties of pipe major on March 3.
By 1893, he was performing full pipe programs and had established himself as a top-tier piper. He completed his second-class Army Certificate in May 1895, providing him with a good elementary education.
While stationed in Scotland, Charles met Margaret Dolina Murray, known as “Maggie.” They married on April 30, 1896, in Edinburgh. Their marriage certificate listed Charles as “Pipe Major, Guard in Highlanders, bachelor,” and Margaret as a domestic servant and spinster. Charles’ father was listed as William Dunbar, deceased, and his mother as Alexandrina Dunbar (Miller), deceased.
The Second Battalion moved to Aldershot, where Margaret gave birth to their first son, William Charles Dunbar, on May 8, 1897. That same year, Charles played for Queen Victoria during her visit to inspect the Highlanders.
Within two years, Charles Dunbar and his family were on a ship to India, where their second son, Colin Murray Dunbar, was born on January 3, 1900. Before this, Charles was posted to South Africa to serve in the Boer War, his first combat experience. The Second Battalion was among the first units sent to South Africa, earning numerous battle honors.
At the Battle of Elandslaagte on October 21, 1899, Charles piped the Gordons into battle, was wounded in the head, but continued to lead, earning the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for his valor. He was cited for bravery three more times, including at the Relief of Ladysmith on February 28, 1900. He transferred to the Third Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders on July 23, 1901, earning six clasps for his South Africa medal. At Pretoria, he won a piping prize presented by Lord Kitchener.
After the war, the Gordons returned to Scotland, and the family settled in Aberdeen. His reputation as a piper grew, and he became an instructor for the Aberdeen Amateur Piper’s Society.
Charles and Maggie had two more sons in Aberdeen: George, born on January 8, 1906, and Percy Gordon, born on January 10, 1909.
After 24 years in the Army, he emigrated to Canada in 1911 with his family, settling in Hamilton, Ontario. Their last child, Margaret (“Peggy”), was born shortly after their arrival. Charles joined Hendrie and Company as a clerk, a cartage business, and lived at 18 Hilton Street, a home they kept until Margaret’s death in 2004.
Charles was invited to join the 91st (later the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, Princess Louise’s) and enlisted as pipe major on September 15, 1913. He declined an offer from the 48th Highlanders of Toronto to avoid replacing their current pipe major, James Fraser. Charles taught his sons to play the pipes, though none matched his skill.
At the outbreak of World War I, Sergeant Charles Dunbar was among the first to enlist on September 24, 1914, as a staff sergeant. He traveled to Valcartier, Quebec, and, suddenly remembering that he was married and that he might be missed, sent a telegram to his wife, telling her that, at the age of 44, he was on his way to France and could she please send his belongings. Her reaction is not recorded.
He went to France with Colonel William Hendrie, who commanded the Canadian remount depot. During a tour in England, Charles secured a transfer to the 19th Battalion (91st unit) of the Canadian Expeditionary Force as pipe-major and took command of the pipe band.
Charles volunteered to pipe the troops into battle, despite the dangers of trench warfare and machine guns. In Belgium and France, he led his battalion at Ypres and the Somme. During the Battle of the Somme at Courcelette on September 14, 1916, he was seriously wounded by shrapnel in the stomach and left leg. After months of recuperation in England, he returned to Hamilton on July 4, 1917, and rejoined the 91st Canadian Highlanders.
While stationed on Salisbury Plain in England, Charles was recommended for an officer’s commission on January 6, 1915. On November 7, 1917, he was commissioned as a lieutenant, becoming the first pipe-major in British and Canadian forces to hold a commission while retaining command of a pipe band. He served as pipe-officer of the 91st Canadian Highlanders regimental pipe band until his retirement in 1937.
Under Charles Dunbar’s leadership, his band gained international acclaim, winning numerous awards. He was dedicated to duty, shaping young soldiers in the traditions of service. During the 1920s, he won many prizes for piping and dancing in Canada, Britain, and the U.S. Notable victories included championship prizes in Pictou, Nova Scotia, premier honors in Buffalo and Toronto, and a gold medal at Banff, Alberta. He also won strathspey and reel competitions in Oban and Inverness, Scotland.
Charles commanded the band that played for the Duke of Windsor in 1919 and for the Governor General of Canada in 1925. His last parade was in 1936. His medals included the Distinguished Conduct Medal, Volunteer Decoration, Victory Medal, South Africa Medal, Mons Star, Service Medal, Allies Medal, King George V Jubilee Medal, Efficiency Decoration, Imperial Long Service Decoration, and Canadian Long Service Decoration.
Upon retiring in 1937, Charles was honored with a banquet and a silver tea set. He was praised for his dedication and influence.
Charles Dunbar passed away on January 25, 1939. His funeral at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Hamilton was attended by a large crowd, with a pipe band playing in his honor. He was buried with full military honors at Woodland Cemetery, Hamilton, Ontario.
One commanding officer described him as “one of the finest officers in the Canadian Militia today,” while another called him “one of the most important officers in this unit.” Major Archie Cairns remembered that “the only time I ever saw my father weep was when he learned that his friend and mentor, Charlie Dunbar, had passed away.”