Obituary: Mary Munro 1922-2018, WWII veteran and Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) bagpiper
Miss Mary Munro, WWII veteran ATS piper, has passed away at the age of 96.
The funeral takes place today (Wednesday) at 11am at Rutherglen Old Parish Church, with the fitting tribute of a piper to play her favourite lament at the service.
Mary is mourned by her devoted nephew Paul Black, Janine Black and their sons Ian and Stuart, many close friends and Rutherglen communities.
Paul recalls many happy memories with his aunt, especially touring around the Highlands where Mary was able to share with him the Munro Clan history.
Mary met her best friend Mary Murray at a sewing club at Hamilton Library 16 years ago.
The two Marys were close friends ever after and Mary Murray is thanked by the family for all she has done to care for her friend, especially over the past year.
Mary, known as Miss Munro, was very much cherished as part of the Rutherglen community. Miss Munro was part of Rutherglen Old Parish Church congregation for over 50 years, she spoke at The Women’s Guild about her WWII story, and every year knitted 12 beautiful dolls for the church Christmas sale.
Mary was born and grew up in Larkhall until she moved to Rutherglen in 1956 with her mother.
She began playing the bagpipes at the age of 11, inspired by her trained pianist mother and Pipe Major uncle.
During WW2, Mary enlisted in the Auxilliary Territorial Services and became a bagpiper as part of the nationally recruited all-female ATS band.
During 1943, Mary was chosen to train the other pipers in the band, spending months at the ATS training camp in Warrington House, London.
The ATS band played to raise troops’ wartime morale, at munitions factories, and with civilians all over the world, from Glasgow to Paris and Egypt to Israel.
Notably, the ATS band played to 90,000 people during half-time at the England v Scotland match at Wembley in 1944, and in May that year at Windsor Castle the band received the salute from King George VI and the royal family.
In 1945 Mary was awarded the very rare Peter Henderson Piping medal for marching, which she generously donated to her display at Rutherglen library.
After the war Mary returned to Rutherglen and worked for many years as a clerk in the employment office before retiring in 1982.
Rutherglen local author and retired journalist Dorothy Connor met Mary in the library in 2015, as she was contributing her own father’s wartime story to the WWII In Rutherglen display.
Seeing a unique story, Dorothy contacted the Daily Record who met with Mary and ran a two- page feature on her and used her photos.
The Daily Record later chose her story to be part of an advert about inspirational people entitled My Record of The Moment, which was shot in Rutherglen Town Hall. This can be viewed on YouTube via: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqPWqFO6C7M In 1990, aged 68, Mary self-published the booklet They Shall Have Music Wherever They Go, which features her Second World War stories. This fascinating booklet is available at Rutherglen Heritage Centre. Mary Munro’s story and photos are on permanent display in Rutherglen Heritage Centre, along with her treasured donations of her 1946 Marching medal and inscribed Practice Chanter. Enquire at Rutherglen Library main desk for details. With deepest sympathy to the family and closest friends, all in Rutherglen will very much miss the unique Miss Mary Munro. Yes, She Shall Have Music Wherever She Goes.