| THE KOSB AT WAR 1939-45 A Second World War Historical Reenactment Unit in Texas, commemorating the service and sacrifice of the 6th King's Own Scottish Borderers in Northwest Europe 1944-45 |
| IN MEMORIAM |
The KOSB at War 1939-45 website is dedicated to two men we met over the years who profoundly influenced our unit and typified the honor and humility of The Greatest Generation. We were honored to know both these men. Each year, 6th KOSB Historical Reenactment Unit will lay a wreath honoring Pipe Major MacPherson and Lt-Col Fendick for their service and the service of all British, Canadian and Commonwealth service personnel. |
Pipe Major Iain MacPherson, M.M. Pipe Major Iain Macpherson, M.M. was born in Glasgow in 1920 and was a well respected bagpipe performer, composer, teacher and judge. He and his younger brother, Donald were taught by their father, also named Iain, as boys to play the bagpipes.
(HLI) and was awarded the Military Medal. He later served in the Parachute Regiment. He judged piping throughout the UK and Sweden before moving to the USA in 1985 where he performed at Clan Macpherson Association events. Iain composed over 100 recorded pipe tunes which are now played around our world. It is reported that when playing a tune for an event, he used to just add another part or two and when asked what that new tune was he said he just thought it needed a few more parts. Unfortunately, for the pipers of our world, if the event was not recorded those new parts where only played on this earth once. Iain taught piping workshops all across the U.S., notably in Alaska and Texas and Oklahoma. Iain died in 1995. I met Iain in 1992 when he came to Houston to give a piping and band seminar for the Houston Highlanders Pipe Band. He taught me many things about being a pipe band drum major and instilled in me (and our band) the need to "drill, drill, drill" not uncommon for such a man as Iain who was also a respected RSPBA adjudicator. Iain won the M.M. for piping two understrength companies of 9th HLI over the Rhine in 1945 while under intense German counter- battery fire. He then left the safety of his slit trench on the German side and piped up and down the company lines with no thought to his own safety, only to encourage his men. Iain remained, like most men of The Greatest Generation, very humble about his exploits. The one trait I will remember most was a most charitable smile and that ubiquitous slap on the back he would give you, "aye laddie!" when you were within range. -Mick Stewart, webmaster, The KOSB at War 1939-45.
McKeown and the Alaska Highlanders. |
| Piper Iain MacPherson 9th Bn., Highland Light Infantry (HLI), c. 1943. PHOTO COURTESY CLAN MACPHERSON ASSOCIATION |
Rex Fendick served the Canadian and British armies during The Second World War (1939-45), the Korean War (1950-53) and the Vietnam War (1955-75) as well as during peacetime. Rex was born on 11 April 1924 in Saint John, the only child of Reginald "Dick" Fendick and Lily Alfretta Wilson. Rex graduated from Saint John High School and attended the University of New Brunswick for Engineering for one year. Very active in the Army Cadets before World War II, he left UNB to join the Canadian Officer Training Corps (COTC) in 1942. While serving with the Saint John Fusiliers, he volunteered for CANLOAN, a program where Canadian Army officers were loan- ed to the British Army to fill a shortage in their officer ranks. On June 29, 1944, at the age of 20, he served with 6th KOSB, then given command of a machine gun platoon in the Middlesex regiment and commanded it through the fighting in France, Holland and Ger- many until the end of the War. His CANLOAN and wartime ex- perience were highlights of his service and his life, and he published a book "A CANLOAN Officer" about the experience when he was in his 70s. After the war he returned to the Canadian army, where he was a career officer with the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME). He graduated from Royal Military College and later taught there. He was a staff officer at National Defense Headquarters in Ottawa and Deputy Secretary-General of the International Commission for Supervision and Control in Viet- nam. He retired in 1975 as a Lieutenant Colonel. An avid outdoors- man, Rex was an accomplished target shooter and won the King's Medal in 1948 for top shot in the Canadian Forces. He was three times a member of Canada's National shooting team at competitions at Bisley, England, once as commandant of the Cadet corps. He was a long time member of the Byng Boys club in Saint John. Rex was predeceased by his wife of 50 years, Jean Elizabeth Pringle of Stanley, NB. He leaves behind one son, Reginald James, Chicago, a daughter in law, Dr. Sara Gordon and one granddaughter, Grace.
CANLOAN officer during the war, here, from Memory Project Canada ].
viewed him by email and phone for several weeks in 2007. He was a gracious man, very honorable and answered all of our questions about uniformity, weapons and his experiences during the war inclu- ding the short time he spent in 6th KOSB. His laughter (over the phone) was infectious. His son Reginald was wonderful - sending Col Fendick's emails, etc. We were very sad to hear of his passing. Information courtesy Lt-Col Fendick's obituary. |
| Lt.-Col. Reginald "Rex" Fendick CD PHOTO COURTESY REGINALD FENDICK |
| A CANLOAN OFFICER by Lt.-Col. Reginald Fendick CD Lt.-Col. Fendick's book is available through MLRS Books. PHOTO COURTESY LIBRARY.CA |
| Learn more about The CANLOAN Program during the Second World War (1939-45) PHOTO COURTESY THE SECOND WORLD WAR EXPERIENCE CENTRE / LE CENTRE SECONDE GUERRE MONDIALE L'EXPERIENCE |
| This page updated 26 Oct 2011. (c) Copyright. 2008. The King's Own Scottish Borderers at War (1939-45). A Second World War Historical Reenactment Unit. All Rights Reserved. Read our Disclaimer. Questions or Comments? Contact the webmaster. |
