Wellington Scottish Pipes and Drums

WSPD History
Introduction / The Wellington Regiment / The Pipes & Drums 1932-1945 /
New Zealand Pipers in WWII / The Pipes & Drums 1946-1964 / WSPD 1965-Present / WSPD Archives

History: - A "Fair Dinkum" Pipe Band
Wellington Scottish Pipes & Drums is a civilian band, but it was originally formed as the Pipes & Drums of the 1^st Battalion, Wellington Regiment (City of Wellington’s Own) in 1932. The photo of the Pipes & Drums below is one of the oldest in the band's possession, and shows the band's first (and long serving) Pipe Major, George MacLennan, seated on the far left, with Officers of the Wellington Regiment, including Captain Andrew VC seated second from the right who was later to command the 22^nd Battalion at Maleme airfield in the battle for Crete.

Pipes and Drums 1937
The Pipes & Drums 1937

The history of WSPD is very much intertwined with that of the Regiment and this factor, and the close association between WSPD and the City of Wellington, have been dominant influences in shaping WSPD today. On the following pages, divided into several sections,

is a short history of the Regiment and a more detailed history of the Pipes & Drums. Some of the band's historial "artifacts" can be seen in the archives section.

Page 1

The Wellington Regiment

WSPD History
Introduction / The Wellington Regiment / The Pipes & Drums 1932-1945 /
New Zealand Pipers in WWII / The Pipes & Drums 1946-1964 / WSPD 1965-Present / WSPD Archives

Acknowledgements: The information and quotes used in the history sections are from the Wellington Regiment’s Official History, P A Lea "Sunday Soldiers: A Brief History of the Wellington Regiment - City of Wellington’s Own", 1982. The Neville Lodge cartoon is used with the kind permission of Mrs Pat Lodge. Photographs are from the band's collection with the exception of the photo of Piper P Taylor at the 1938 Annual Camp which is from the Official History.