He joined the Territorial Army in Fort William, where his family had moved, and played in the pipe bands of the Highland Light Infantry and the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders before volunteering as a commando and training with Lovat at Achnacarry along with French, Dutch, Belgian, Polish, Norwegian, and Czechoslovak troops.

When Private Millin demurred, citing the regulations, he recalled later, Lord Lovat replied: "Ah, but that's the English War Office.

[5] Millin played "Highland Laddie", "The Road to the Isles", and "All The Blue Bonnets Are Over the Border" as his comrades fell around him on Sword Beach.

[6] Millin, whom Lovat had appointed his personal piper during commando training at Achnacarry, near Fort William in Scotland, was the only man during the landing who wore a kilt – it was the same Cameron tartan kilt his father had worn in Flanders during World War I – and he was armed only with his pipes and the sgian-dubh, or "black knife", sheathed inside his kilt-hose on the right side.

[2] Lovat and Millin advanced from Sword to Pegasus Bridge, which had been defiantly defended by men of the 2nd Bn the Ox & Bucks Light Infantry (6th Airborne Division) who had landed in the early hours by glider.

[15] Millin presented his pipes to Dawlish Museum prior to the 60th anniversary of the D-Day Landings in 2004, along with his kilt, bonnet and dirk.

Broadcast live, from Weston-super-Mare, Larry Lamb explained that Bill Millin's pipes and uniform are on display at Dawlish Museum in Devon.

[19] Canadian Celtic-punk band The Real McKenzies recorded a song about Bill Millin ("My Head Is Filled with Music") on their 2012 album Westwinds.

British folk band Police Dog Hogan refer to him in their song "Fraserburgh Train", from the 2012 album "From the Land of Miracles".