What was the significance (value) of military marching songs and music even during battle? I am surprised to read about them during ww1 and of course there is that famous bagpipes at Normandy ... I know these were anachronisms ... What were they trying to re-create?

From what I've read, a lot of it was to keep up morale. If you think about how music impacts your mood now, this would have been exactly the same for the soldiers during World War One. Music really does have the power to brighten your mood when you're low.

I think you might be referring to the bagpipes that were played on the first day of the Somme. It was supposed to symbolise patriotism and rally the men as they went over the top, although I'm not sure how effective this actually was.

There's actually been some news about bagpipes in the news recently. A bagpipe that was played on the first day of the Somme was actually uncovered late last year. Here's a news article about it.

You might also be interested in a young man named James Cleland Richardson, who was a member of the 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion. His bagpipes that he played on the first day of the Somme as the Newfoundland Regiment went over the top were unearthed in 2002. He also earned a Victoria Cross.

If you have any other specific questions, I can try to answer them. :-)