Just a bit of stick ?

On the 4th May 2002 a member of Derriaghy LOL 135 travelled over from Lisburn to present the band with a Staff to accompany us on parade. This Staff has a tremendous history which is detailed below in the speech made before the presentation.

The band have gratefully received this Staff and will endeavour to carry it with us at all parades. We thank the members of Derriaghy LOL 135 for this show of appreciation, we know and understand what the Staff means to them, and we promise to look after it.

Below we have the speech and a picture of the Staff on parade with the band.

Just a bit of Stick ?

Peter Thomson was born in 1930 in Belfast and lived out his childhood on the outskirts of Belfast in a place called Glengormely.

After the Second World War in 1951, he with several other men from Ulsters shore chose to join the elite fighting men of the Royal Marine Corps, rather then serve in the regular Army. He became close friends with Phillip Lucas (sen) his fire arms instructor, and when both men returned home after the Communist War in the mid to late 1950's they kept in touch regularly.

As well as fighting side by side their other great interest was marching bands, flutes, pipes, silver or brass it didn't matter. So in 1962 when Phillip joined a local pipe band and asked Peter to join also, he didn't need to be asked twice.

They went on to become World Champions, with Phillip drumming and Peter piping. When Phillip left left the band due to other commitments Peter continued and became the Pipe Major.

Peter was living in Belfast and when the call came to recruit men into the newly formed Ulster Defence Regiment in 1971, he joined as a part-time member. This was to replace the recently disbanded Ulster special Constabulary (the 'B' Specials) a totally voluntary force. The UDR paid wages!!.

He was unique in that the band was made up of full time men and he was still part-time.

In 1981, Arthritis in his hands made it impossible to continue to pipe. This devastated him, and for six months he suffered with severe bouts of depression. His friends and comrades in the U.D.R. wanted to help him, so in October 1981 they commissioned one of their members from the 4th Battalion (Peter's Battalion) to have a Blackthorn Staff made.

The Staff was trained and cut from a hedge at the side of the road near Tynan in Co. Armagh, where Pte Margaret Hearst, a 24 year old part-time soldier in the U.D.R. was shot and killed by the I.R.A. on Saturday 8th October 1977.

It was presented to Peter Thomson at a special presentation dinner, held in Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn, along with the title of Honorary Pipe Major, and the freedom to retain his uniform and parade with the pipes and drums, if and when he chose.

This honour was one which he chose to regularly use and when offered to go to the Falkland Isles in 1982, following the Falklands War, to pipe the U.D.R. Battalions on arrival, he did without hesitation. Such was the esteem his colleagues held in him, that they let him disembark from the plane first, to be the first of them to set foot on the Falklands soil.

The following year, 1983, the pipes and drums of the Ulster Defence Regiment played at the Royal Albert Hall at the remembrance commemoration, Sergeant Peter Thomson marched proudly at their side, Staff in hand, as always.

Sergeant Peter Thomson died on 18th May 1994 and was buried with Military Honours, with a lone piper playing (his wish). He never married and his only living kin was his Sister Liz.

His medals are the proud possessions of Phillip Lucas (sen).

His Staff is now the possession of the County Flute band, Motherwell, Scotland. Presented to them by the members of Derriaghy LOL 135 on behalf of Phillip Lucas (sen).

As he watches down from above you can almost feel the warmth of his smile as he sees the Staff march proudly on.