Alexander Reid Keith was born on September 16th, 1879 at Arboarth, Forfarshire, Scotland. Like his father, James Keith, Alexander’s occupation was that of an engineer. His grandfather was ex-Provost Keith of Arbroath.
His military record shows that he served with the London Scottish for 13 years, volunteering as a piper for the South African War with the London Scottish Volunteer Rifles. However, he was attached for service with the Pipe Band of the 2nd Gordon Highlanders in South Africa for 18 months. Keith earned the QSA, KSA & Territorial Long Service medals.
Upon coming to Canada, Alexander signed with the 97th Algonquin Rifles for two years before joining the 48th Highlanders on August 22nd, 1914. On Sept 22nd, 1914, he was promoted to Sergeant Piper and appointed Pipe Major of the 15th Battalion Pipe Band.
Alexander sailed with the 15th Battalion aboard the SS Megantic from Quebec City to Devonport, October 2nd, 1914.Trained at Salisbury Hill, he proceeded to France with the battalion, serving for the duration of the war and was never a casualty.
He held the rank of Pipe Major until the end of the war, and this is noted on his military discharge dated May 10th, 1919 in Toronto, Ontario.
The photographic record shows Pipe Major Keith leading the band with the battalion on the march from 1914 to 1919.
A remarkable period film clip ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFeCyssGK_Q ) showing the 15th Battalion parading through Toronto upon its return, shows Alexander leading the band in its final parade.
Alexander’s nickname was “Sandy” and he was noted as the photographic contributor to the book, “The Red Watch, With the First Canadian Division in Flanders”. The book was written by Colonel James Arthur Currie, the 15th’s Commanding Officer, and records the battalion’s journey from Canada into the front lines at the Second Battle of Ypres. Alexander survived Ypres and a newspaper account provides a letter of this experience, and also retrieving his bagpipes and mementos in the days that followed under fire.
Another newspaper account notes that he and two other pipers (unidentified) played the 15th Battalion forward under fire during the Battle of Amiens, 1918. This account has recently been confirmed from the 48th Highlander of Canada Museum records. Alexander was put forward in January 1919 for a Military Medal for this action by the Commanding Officer, Colonel C. E. Bent, although this did not go forward. This would have occurred August 8-9th, 1918 in the advance from Hangard Wood on August 8th, 1918, down to Warvillers on August 9th, 1918.
He was also known for looking after Bruno, the battalion’s Belgian sheepdog mascot, in the absence of the Commanding Officer.
The 15th Battalion returned to England on March 23rd/24th, 1919. On April 29th, the battalion sailed from Liverpool aboard the SS Baltic, landing at Halifax on May 7th, 1919.
Alexander’s last known address is recorded as 101 Wells Hill Road, Toronto, Ontario. He traveled a couple of times overseas to Scotland postwar; to visit relatives and maintain this connection. Alexander Reid Keith passed away on May 25th, 1929 and is buried in Prospect Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario.
His medals were donated to the 48th Highlanders of Canada museum by Mr. Jeremy Hodgkinson of Sussex, UK in 2014.
