Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada

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The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada
RHFC cap badge.jpg
Regimental badge
Active14 September 1866–present
CountryCanada
Branch Canadian Army
Type Line infantry
Role
SizeOne battalion
Part of 31 Canadian Brigade Group
Garrison/HQCambridge and Kitchener, Ontario
MottoDefence not defiance
March
  • Quick: "Seann Triubhas"/"The Highland Laddie"
  • Slow: "74ths Slow March"
Anniversaries
  • Regimental Birthday – 14 September
  • Battle of Buron– 8 July
Engagements
Battle honours See #Battle honours
Website canada.ca/en/army/corporate/4-canadian-division/the-royal-highland-fusiliers.html OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Commanders
Commanding officerLCol Jason Robinson, CD
Regimental sergeant majorCWO Colin Hock, CD
Insignia
TartanMacKenzie
Identification
symbol		RHFC

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. Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and the then Prince Andrew, Duke of York, as members of the Canadian royal family, acted as Colonel-in-Chief.

Contents

Lineage

The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada

The Scots Fusiliers of Canada

Lineage chart

Lineage chart [3]
1862Independent infycoys
186629th "Waterloo Bn of Infy"
190029th Waterloo Regt
191434th Bn, CEFRegt of infy authorized
191529th Regt (Highland Light Infy of Canada)111th "Overseas" Bn, CEF118th "Overseas" Bn, CEF108th Regt
191634th Boys' Bn, CEFAbsorbed by 35th "Overseas" Bn
1917DisbandedAbsorbed by 25th Reserve Bn
19201st Bn (34th Bn, CEF), The Highland Light Infy of Canada2nd Bn (111th Bn, CEF), [a] The Highland Light Infy of Canada1st Bn (118th Bn, CEF), The Waterloo Regt
19201st Bn (118th Bn, CEF), North Waterloo Regt
19281st Bn (118th Bn, CEF), The Scots Fusiliers of Canada
1936The Highland Light Infy of CanadaDisbandedThe Scots Fusiliers of Canada
1940The Highland Light Infy of Canada, CASF
19401st Bn, The Highland Light Infy of Canada, CASF2nd (Reserve) Bn, The Highland Light Infy of Canada
19421st Bn, The Scots Fusiliers, CASF2nd (Reserve) Bn, The Scots Fusiliers of Canada
1943DisbandedThe Scots Fusiliers of Canada (Reserve)
19453rd Bn, The Highland Light Infy of Canada, CIC, CAOFThe Scots Fusiliers of Canada
1946DisbandedThe Highland Light Infy of CanadaDisbanded54th Light Anti-Aircraft Regt (Scots Fusiliers of Canada), RCA
The Perth Regt
1954The Perth and Waterloo Regt (Highland Light Infy of Canada)
1957The Highland Light Infy of CanadaThe Perth Regt
1959The Scots Fusiliers of Canada
1965The Highland Fusiliers of Canada
1998The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada

History

The Great War

The 34th Battalion, CEF, was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 23 October 1915, where it provided reinforcements to Canadian units in the field until 27 November 1916, when it was reorganized as the 34th Battalion (Boys'), CEF. The battalion was subsequently disbanded on 17 July 1917. [1]

It was recruited in Guelph, Ontario, and district and was mobilized at Guelph. [4] It had one Officer Commanding, Lt.-Col. A.J. Oliver, who commanded the battalion from 23 October 1915 to 6 July 1916. [4]

The 111th Battalion (South Waterloo), CEF was authorized on 22 December 1915 and embarked for Britain on 25 September 1916 where on 13 October 1916 its personnel were absorbed by the 35th Battalion, CEF to provide reinforcements for Canadian units in the field. The 111th Battalion was disbanded on 21 May 1917.

The 118th (North Waterloo) Battalion, CEF was authorized on 22 December 1915 and embarked for Britain on 22 January 1917 where on 6 February 1917, its personnel were absorbed by the 25th Reserve Battalion, CEF, to provide reinforcements for Canadian units in the field. The 118th Battalion was disbanded on 17 July 1917.

The regiment perpetuates all these three battalions.

The Second World War

The Highland Light Infantry of Canada mobilized the Highland Light Infantry of Canada, CASF, for active service on 24 May 1940. It was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry of Canada, CASF, on 7 November 1940 and embarked for Britain on 20 July 1941. On D-Day, 6 June 1944, it landed on Juno Beach in Normandy as part of the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, and it continued to fight in North-West Europe until the end of the war. The overseas battalion was disbanded on 15 January 1946. The regiment subsequently mobilized the 3rd Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry of Canada, Canadian Infantry Corps, Canadian Army Occupation Force on 1 June 1945 for service in Germany. The 3rd Battalion was disbanded on 1 May 1946. [1]

The Scots Fusiliers mobilized the 1st Battalion, The Scots Fusiliers, CASF, for active service on 5 March 1942. It served in Canada in a home defence role as part of Military District No. 2 until the battalion was disbanded on 15 October 1943. [1]

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, the regiment disembarking at Nan sector on Juno Beach with the rest of the 9th Brigade, the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, and the North Nova Scotia Highlanders. These regiments were not in the first wave assault, but landed later in the morning and advanced through the lead brigades. [5]

The Highland Light Infantry continued to serve throughout Europe. From D-day to the end of war of Europe the regiment became one of the most battle hardened units in the Canadian army.

War In Afghanistan

The regiment contributed an aggregate of more than 20% of its authorized strength to the various Task Forces which served in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2014. [6]

Alliances

Battle honours

Battle honours in small capitals are for large operations and campaigns and those in lowercase are for more specific battles. Bold type indicates honours emblazoned on the regimental colour.

First World War
Second World War
South-West Asia
Afghanistan [7]

Armoury

SiteDate(s)DesignatedLocationDescriptionImage
Cambridge Armoury Ainslie Street South,1914-51987 Recognized - Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings Cambridge, Ontario
  • Housing The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada, this centrally located, brick and stone structure features a façade, flanking towers and a low-pitched gable roof; it projects a solid, fortified appearance

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Reserve

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Canadian Forces.
  2. ↑ "www.canadiansoldiers.com". www.canadiansoldiers.com. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  3. ↑ "The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada". www.canada.ca. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  4. 1 2 Meek, John F. Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War. Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971. ISBN   0906158109
  5. ↑ webpage about Juno Beach
  6. ↑ "South-West Asia Theatre Honours | Prime Minister of Canada". Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  7. ↑ "South-West Asia Theatre Honours". Office of the Prime Minister of Canada. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
Preceded by The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada Succeeded by
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