Piper James Richardson

My name is Ian Williams. I am both a piper and a professional filmmaker. It is the combining of these two passions that bring me here today. My father, an Academy Award winning filmmaker, and myself are currently in production on a feature length documentary/motion picture about Piper James Richardson, VC. When I was an 11 year old kid, I began bagpipe instruction from a local pipe major. In addition to the lessons, he would recount stories about famous pipers who led men into battle. One such story was that of James Richardson, his story wold never leave me and would serve as a source of inspiration for years to come. When the discovery of the mud-caked pipes in the Scottish School came to light, I followed it closely. When the pipe were finally authenticate and brought home to Canada, we were there with our cameras. In fact over the last year we have been throughout Canada, France, Belgium, and Scotland filming grave sites, battlefields, schools, homes, etc.. We have interviewed all those close to the story of the pipes themselves, and then those close to Richardson himself. We have been favored with the blessing and participation of the Richardson family, James's descendants. We have received the support of military officials, heads of government, and many others. In the process we have uncovered a number of lost or forgotten documents and photographs. Our project will be a feature length film about James himself, the pipes being a small part of the bigger story. We intend to paint an personal portrait of a young man, a piper, who stood when other men would not and turned the tide of battle. As part of this process we will be reenacting a large number of scenes, including the battle at Regina Trench that took place on 8/9, October 1916. We wish to be as accurate as possible. To that end I am seeking your help. We are looking for any information that you may be willing to share in regards to the 16th Battalion CEF covering a period from October 1914 - October 1916. Letters, journals, photos, etc... Anything that would give light to the men and their activities. We of course have been through the Official War Diaries, The History of the 16th by Urquhart, and some letters from individuals in the regiment, but the more the merrier. The more information that we can review and compare the more accurate the film can be in its reenactments.