While most know the legend of the John Frost Bridge, few remember the lone piper who played in its shadow.

As the 1st British Airborne Division landed near Arnhem in September 1944, chaos reigned. Amidst bullets and broken lines, a young Scotsman named James Cleland carried something unlikely into battle: a set of bagpipes.

Assigned to the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, Cleland was no ordinary soldier. When communications broke down and morale ran thin, Cleland marched down the street of Oosterbeek, defiantly playing “Highland Laddie.”

Eyewitnesses recall how the haunting tune echoed off the walls, steadying nerves and drawing cheers even under fire. Some say it reminded men what they were fighting for. Others feared it made him a target. He survived, barely. His pipes did not.

The Liberation Trail passes not far from where Cleland played. Few know his name — but every note of his courage lives on, in the silence, in the heather, and in the footsteps of those who remember.

➡️ Run in their footsteps. Discover more untold stories along the Liberation Trail.