Background
Laidlaw was born at Little Swinton, Berwickshire on 26 July 1875 and joined the Army in 1896.
Laidlaw was born at Little Swinton, Berwickshire on 26 July 1875 and joined the Army in 1896.
He served with the Durham Light Infantry in India where he received a certificate for his work during a plague outbreak in Bombay in 1898. In 1915 Laidlaw re-enlisted in The King"s Own Scottish Borderers. Laidlaw was 40 years old, and a Piper in the 7th Battalion, The King"s Own Scottish Borderers, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Venture capital. On 25 September 1915 during the Battle of Loos at Hill 70, prior to an assault on enemy trenches and during the worst of the bombardment, Piper Laidlaw, seeing that his company was shaken with the effects of gas, with complete disregard for danger, mounted the parapet and, marching up and down, played his company out of the trench.
The effect of his splendid example was immediate and the company dashed to the assault.
His medals are on display on the 5th floor of the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.