This article needs additional citations for verification .(November 2020) |
The Princess Louise Fusiliers (PLF) | |
---|---|
Active | 1867–present |
Country | Canada |
Branch | Canadian Army |
Type | Line infantry |
Role | Light infantry |
Size | Battalion |
Garrison/HQ | Halifax Armoury |
Motto(s) | Fideliter (Faithfully) |
Colours | Green, gold, maroon |
March | The British Grenadiers |
Engagements | |
Battle honours | See #Battle honours |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Lt.-Col. Rhonda Matthews |
Colonel of the Regiment | Col Douglas Ruck, Honorary Colonel |
Insignia | |
Hackle | Grey |
Abbreviation | PLF |
The Princess Louise Fusiliers is a Primary Reserve light infantry regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces. [1] [2] Formed as 66th The Halifax Battalion of Infantry and then named 66th Battalion (Princess Louise Fusiliers) after Princess Louise in 1879, it took its present name in May 1920. The 6th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC amalgamated with the regiment in 1936
Part of a series on the |
Military history of Nova Scotia |
---|
Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, this infantry regiment traces its local roots as a Halifax unit of Militia back to June 18, 1749, when Sir Edward Cornwallis formed a local Militia under his own command during Father Le Loutre's War. Ten companies were formed at the Grand Parade in the city and were made a collective battalion.
As an officially constituted unit of Canada, The Princess Louise Fusiliers were authorized in 1867. During the unit's history, it has undergone several name changes. On November 5, 1869, the regiment was named the 66th The Halifax Battalion of Infantry. Originally consisting of six companies, it later gained two more.
Ten years later, on November 14, 1879, the regiment was once again renamed, this time to the 66th Battalion "Princess Louise" Fusiliers, named for Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria and wife of the Marquess of Lorne, Governor General of Canada at the time. It was shortly after this point in which the regiment received its first battle honour, when they helped suppress the North-West Rebellion of 1885. Soldiers of the unit served in North West Canada with the Halifax Provisional Battalion. Fourteen years later, in 1899, the regiment provided some of its soldiers to a company raised in Nova Scotia for the 2nd (Special Service) Battalion of The Royal Canadian Regiment, which was raised for service in South Africa during the Second Boer War. May 8, 1900 brought about another name change, this time to 66th Regiment "Princess Louise" Fusiliers, and in October 1901 the regiment received new colours from the Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V) during his visit to Canada. The new colours were subscribed for by the ladies of Halifax in honour of their battalion. [3]
During the First World War the 66th Regiment provided soldiers to the locally raised battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). At the end of the war, as a result of the Otter Commission headed by General William Otter, the regiment perpetuated the 64th Canadian Infantry Battalion of the CEF. As a result of the unit's contributions of soldiers and this perpetuation, the regiment holds five battle honours of the First World War. In May 1915 the regiment was renamed to its current name, the Princess Louise Fusiliers.
The onset of World War II saw more action for the Fusiliers, when they were sent to Italy as part of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division. The regiment fielded two machine gun companies, the 11th Independent MG Company in support of the 11th Canadian Infantry Brigade, and the 12th Independent MG Company in support of the 12th Canadian Infantry Brigade. In British and Commonwealth armoured divisions of that period, independent MG companies consisted of an HQ platoon, plus one platoon operating 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) Browning heavy machine guns and a second platoon operating 4.2-inch heavy mortars; they were heavy direct-fire support units. [4]
In February 1945 the 5th Armoured was transferred from Italy to Belgium, and these two companies participated in the liberation of the Netherlands from late March to the German surrender. During the conflict, the regiment received nine more battle honours, bringing their total count to 16.
Following World War II, the PLF converted back to a light infantry unit. Their most recent battle honour, received in 1999 following a lengthy struggle by unit officers to discover the necessary supporting documents, was for the unit's actions at Arnhem in 1945.
In Afghanistan, on Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007, Master Corporal Chris Stannix was killed along with five other Canadian soldiers when their vehicle was hit by an explosive device. Corporal Shaun Fevens was injured in the explosion and transported to a military hospital in Germany.
The PLF performed a ceremonial Trooping the Colour at Citadel Hill in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 23 April 2009. Inspecting the parade was Prince Andrew, Duke of York, the then-Colonel in Chief of the Princess Louise Fusiliers, with a large crowd in attendance.
On May 14, 2014, a new passenger transit harbour ferry was christened the Christopher Stannix as it was brought into service as part of the Halifax Metro Transit Ferry System. The Christopher Stannix ferry is the first of five new ferries introduced to modernize the current fleet. The ceremony in honour of the naming of the ferry in the memory of Master Corporal Stannix was well attended by the public as well as members of the Stannix family, the commanding officer, regimental sergeant major, and a number of serving and former-serving members of the regiment.
In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the formation of the regiment, the city of Halifax installed two special displays in its honour. The first was a recreation of the regiment's flaming grenade hat badge in the form of a floral display, prominently displayed in the Public Gardens. A second was installed on the Halifax side of the A. Murray MacKay Bridge, this time displaying a large version of the cap badge, framed in a bed of stones and commemorating 150 years of service to Canada.
In June 2019, the regiment celebrated its 150th anniversary with a Freedom of the City parade, with the regiment parading through the city in their distinct scarlet uniforms. Former members of the regiment were also present on parade as a formed contingent of "The Old Guard".
In early 2013 Halifax Transit announced that they would be purchasing what would be the first of five new harbour passenger ferries to augment the now-aging fleet currently in service. The vessel will be built by A. F. Theriault Shipyard, for a cost of $3,987,400. To maintain compatibility with the existing ferry terminal facilities, the new vessel will use the same hull design first used in the Halifax III in 1979. However, updates are planned for many of the ship's systems as well as the interior. The name of the vessel was chosen by the people of Halifax after a competition conducted by Halifax Transit. At the end of the competition over 12,800 votes were cast with the name Christopher Stannix winning 61% of the votes. MCpl Christopher Stannix was a local army reservist with The Princess Louise Fusiliers. He was killed in April 2007 by an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan.
In early June 2014, the winner of the competition to name the new ferry was announced. Retired Corporal Darrel MacDonald, a former member of The Princess Louise Fusiliers and a resident of Halifax Regional Municipality, was the first person to submit the Christopher Stannix name for voting. He was awarded a full-year transit pass and reportedly donated it to the IWK Health Centre (Women and Newborn Health Social Work Department). The passes were converted to sheets of single-use transit tickets and will be passed out at the discretion of the staff within the department.
As a fusilier regiment, the PLF wear a hackle. In the case of the PLF it is the grey hackle of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. (Affiliated regiment)
The Princess Louise Fusiliers have been awarded 17 battle honours since the unit's inception in 1869. [1] [2]
Battle honour | Conflict | Dates | Emblazoned [lower-alpha 1] |
---|---|---|---|
NORTH-WEST CANADA, 1885 | North West Rebellion | 1885 | Yes |
SOUTH AFRICA, 1899-1900 | Second Boer War | 1899-1900 | Yes |
SOMME, 1916 | World War I | 1 July–18 Nov. 1916 | Yes |
ARRAS, 1917 | World War I | 9 Apr.–4 May 1917 | Yes |
Ypres, 1917 | World War I | 31 July–10 Nov. 1917 | No |
AMIENS | World War I | 8-11 August 1918 | Yes |
Hill 70 | World War I | 15-25 August 1917 | No |
LIRI VALLEY | World War II | 18-30 May 1944 | Yes |
MELFA CROSSING | World War II | 24-25 May 1944 | Yes |
GOTHIC LINE | World War II | 25 Aug.-22 Sept. 1944 | Yes |
CORIANO | World War II | 3-15 September 1944 | Yes |
LAMONE CROSSING | World War II | 2-13 December 1944 | Yes |
MISANO RIDGE | World War II | 3-5 Sept. 1944 | Yes |
ITALY, 1944-1945 | World War II | 1944-1945 | Yes |
DELFZIJL POCKET | World War II | 23 Apr.–2 May 1945 | Yes |
NORTH-WEST EUROPE, 1945 | World War II | 1945 | Yes |
Arnhem 1945 | World War II | 12-14 Apr. 1945 | Approved |
On May 9, 2014 it was announced that the Princess Louise Fusiliers would be among the units to be awarded the “Afghanistan” theatre honour to recognize the dedication and sacrifice made by members of the unit who took part in Canada's operations in Afghanistan, the longest armed conflict in Canadian history.
Theatre honours are a type of battle honour given to publicly recognize a Canadian Armed Forces unit for participation in a theatre of armed conflict. Such honours have been awarded after every major conflict in which Canada has been engaged.
Lineage chart [5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The regiment's armoury is the Halifax Armoury 2667 North Park Street, North Central Halifax Regional Municipality which is a Romanesque Revival drill hall, built for the active militia, of red rough faced brick.
The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the primary reserve. The RCR is ranked first in the order of precedence amongst Canadian Army infantry regiments, but in a quirk of the rules of seniority, its 4th battalion is ninth.
The Nova Scotia Highlanders is an infantry regiment in the primary reserve of the Canadian Army. It is part of 36 Canadian Brigade Group, 5th Canadian Division.
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's), or A & SH of C, is a Primary Reserve Highland infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces, based at John W. Foote VC Armoury in Hamilton, Ontario.
The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment (PWOR) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army.
The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada is a Primary Reserve light infantry regiment of the Canadian Army, with companies in Cambridge and Kitchener, and is an infantry sub-unit of 31 Canadian Brigade Group, headquartered in London, Ontario. The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and The Prince Andrew, Duke of York, as members of the Canadian Royal Family, acted as Colonel-in-Chief.
The West Nova Scotia Regiment is a line infantry regiment of the Canadian Army, part of the Primary Reserve, and is part of the 5th Canadian Division's 36 Canadian Brigade Group. The regiment recruits volunteers from the South-Western part of the province of Nova Scotia and has its headquarters at LFAATC Aldershot, near the community of Aldershot, Nova Scotia.
The North Saskatchewan Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army, headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with companies in Saskatoon and Prince Albert. Its current commanding officer is Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Graver, and the Regimental Sergeant-Major is Chief Warrant Officer Jason Balcaen. The N Sask R is part of the 3rd Canadian Division's 38 Canadian Brigade Group, with the regiment's mission task as of 2024 being to provide direct fire support.
The North Nova Scotia Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army founded in 1936. In 1954, it was amalgamated with The Pictou Highlanders and 189 LAA RCA Battery to form 1st Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders (North).
The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army based on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.
The Winnipeg Grenadiers was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army.
The Royal Regina Rifles is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. Prior to 1982 the regiment was known as The Regina Rifle Regiment. The Royal Regina Rifles are part of 3rd Canadian Division's 38 Canadian Brigade Group.
The Irish Regiment of Canada is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army based in Sudbury, Ontario. It is part of the 4th Canadian Division's 33 Canadian Brigade Group. Currently one battalion of the regiment exists.
The 19th Alberta Dragoons was a cavalry regiment and later an armoured regiment of the Canadian Militia and later the Canadian Army. It was placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle in 1965. In 2006, it was taken off the Supplementary Order of Battle and amalgamated with the South Alberta Light Horse.
All units of the Canadian Armed Forces have an order of precedence that determines seniority; it often decides such matters as which unit forms up to the right of other units on a ceremonial parade, or the order in which marches or calls are played at a mess dinner.
The Edmonton Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia and later the Canadian Army. First raised in 1908 as part of the 101st Regiment Edmonton Fusiliers, it became a separate regiment in 1924 when The Edmonton Regiment was split into two separate regiments. In 1946, the regiment was Amalgamated with the 19th Alberta Dragoons.
The 56th Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery is a Canadian Army Reserve artillery regiment based in Brantford, Ontario. The regiment is currently part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group.
The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia (now the Canadian Army). In 1954, the regiment was amalgamated with The Oxford Rifles to form The London and Oxford Fusiliers (now the reserve battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment).
The Saint John Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. In 1946, the regiment was amalgamated with The New Brunswick Rangers to form the South New Brunswick Regiment which was later renamed as The New Brunswick Scottish. They now form part of the 1st Battalion, The Royal New Brunswick Regiment.
The Cumberland Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. In 1936, the regiment was amalgamated with The Colchester and Hants Regiment to form The North Nova Scotia Highlanders.
The Colchester and Hants Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. In 1936, it was amalgamated with The Cumberland Highlanders to create The North Nova Scotia Highlanders.