B72635 Pte Rennie, Kenneth Herbert enlisted with the 48th Highlanders in Sept 1939 as a Piper.  Following training he embarked at Halifax on 12 May 40 and disembarked at Liverpool on 22 May 40.  Rennie remained with the battalion in England and after a 5 day leave from 3 to 8 June 1943 embarked on 14 June 43 on the Troopship Derbyshire for the landings at Pachino, Sicily on 10 July. He was wounded on 09 December 1943 as the battalion crossed the Moro River on the advance toward Ortona. Dileas our regimental history states: ” The muleteers had a rugged test trip. On the night of the 9th, the first mule got through by 7:00 in the evening, but the  train had been struck by such fierce shelling that the balance did not arrive until 2:00 in the morning. Muleteers L/Cpl Jimmie Samson and Piper Ken Rennie had much to say about that shelling: Piper Rennie lost part of an ear, and both were covered by mule blood after one smash of shells. The mules suffered most; it was claimed by the pipers that even the piece of Kennie’s ear was salvaged for patching. “Records show him returning to the battalion from the x-4 (wounded) list on 3 March 44 when the 1st Battalion was north of Ortona doing aggressive patrolling.

Members of the Pipe Band were stretcher-bearers, assigned to companies and combining as a band only when the battalion was out of combat. He was granted Tradesman rate of pay as Piper Group “C” on 4 August 43.

NOK: