The Calgary Highlanders

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The Calgary Highlanders
Cap Badge of The Calgary Highlanders
Active	1 April 1910-
Country	Canada
Branch	Militia
Type	Infantry
Role	Light infantry
Size	One battalion
Part of	Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
Garrison/HQ	Calgary
Motto	Airaghardt (Onward)
Colors	Facing colour yellow
March	Quick - Heilan' Laddie Slow - The Sloedam
Anniversaries	1 April (Regimental Birthday), 22 April (St. Julien's Day), 31 October (Walcheren Causeway)
Battles/wars	St. Julien, Walcheren Causeway
Commanders
Current commander	Lieutenant Colonel Tom Manley, CD
Colonel-in-Chief	HM The Queen
Notable commanders	Colonel J. Fred Scott, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Tennant
Insignia
Tartan	Government

The Calgary Highlanders are a Land Force reserve infantry regiment, headquartered at Mewata Armouries in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The regiment is a part-time reserve unit, under the command of 41 Canadian Brigade Group, itself part of Land Force Western Area (LFWA), one of four land force areas in Canada.

[edit] Armourial Description

Exercise BLACK BEAR 2004

The badge is based on that worn by the 10th Battalion, CEF, whom the Regiment perpetuates. Significantly, a St. Andrew's Cross has been added to the design (this is not a representation of the Roman Numeral ten as is often erroneously reported). The crown is of the reigning monarch; a Tudor Crown was used from the introduction of this badge ^[1] until 1953, and the ascension of Queen Elizabeth II. The crown was then changed to a St. Edward's Crown. These are sometimes referred to as "King's" and "Queen's" Crowns. The beaver and maple leaves are representative of Canada and the scrolls bearing thistles are representative of Scotland. The City of Calgary grew out of Fort Calgary, established in 1875 and so named by Colonel James Macleod after Calgary, Scotland, a location near his sister's home.

The badge appears not only as a cap badge, but is also seen on the Regiment's Drums, as well as the Drum Major's Sash and Regimental Pipe Banners.

[edit] Regimental names

• 1910: Raised as the 103rd Regiment (Calgary Rifles)
• 1914: contributed men to several battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, most notably the 10th, whom they perpetuate.
• 1920: 103rd reorganized into The Calgary Regiment
• 1921: The Calgary Regiment divided into six battalions, the 1st Battalion became The Calgary Highlanders and 2nd Battalion became The Calgary Regiment (later King's Own Calgary Regiment). The 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th battalions were paper units that were never formed; they likely disappeared after the 1936 reorganizations of the Militia.^[2]

[edit] Battle honours

The process for awarding Battle Honours for World War One took over a decade, and The Calgary Highlanders were first awarded Battle Honours for the actions of the Tenth Battalion, CEF, on 15 September 1929.

Oddly, the official granting of Battle Honours to the Tenth Battalion was not done until 15 October of the same year. There was also one minor change; while the Calgary Highlanders were granted "Arras, 1917, '18" as a Battle Honour, the Tenth Battalion's Honour read only "Arras, 1917." ^[3]

To the Calgary Highlanders' dismay, while the overall battle of Saint-Julien was considered worthy of a Battle Honour, the counter-attack at Kitcheners' Wood was not. This led to the introduction of a special Oak Leaf shoulder badge unique in the Canadian armed forces, and worn only by three regiments at the time of adoption in 1938, and today by only two units, The Calgary Highlanders and The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's). ^[4]

The Battle Honours for the First World War and Second World War, as granted to The Calgary Highlanders, are listed below.

WW1: Ypres, 1915–17, Gravenstafel, Saint-Julien, Festubert, 1915, Mount Sorrel, Somme, 1916, Thiepval, Ancre Heights, Arras, 1917, '18, Vimy, 1917, Arleux, Hill 70, Passchendaele, Amiens, Scarpe, 1918, Drocourt-Queant, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders, 1915-18.

WWII: Bourguebus Ridge, Fauborg de Vaucelles, Verrieres Ridge, Tilly-la-Campagne, Falaise, Falaise Road, Clair Tizon, Foret de la Londe, Dunkirk, 1944, Wyneghem, Antwerp-Turnhout Canal, The Scheldt, Woensdrecht, South Beveland, Walcheren Causeway, The Rhineland, The Reichswald, The Hochwald, Xanten, The Rhine, Groningen, Oldenburg, North-West Europe, 1944-45.

[edit] Battle Honour Descriptions - First World War

Ypres, 1915–17 — The Second Battle of Ypres in 1915 was the first major action for the First Canadian Division, with whom the Tenth Battalion served. It was also the first instance on the Western Front of the use of poison gas as a weapon of war. A wide scale German attack using this gas routed two entire French Divisions, but the First Canadian Division held firm, at a cost of some 6,000 of its 10,000 men. It was during this battle that the St. Julien battle was fought, and the counter-attack at Kitcheners' Wood was mounted, for which the Oak Leaf shoulder badge distinction was eventually granted. St. Julien's Day is commemorated annually by the Regiment, and one of the Regiment's official toasts is "To The Glorious 22nd of April."

The Third Battle of Ypres in 1917 describes very large operations in this area, including the Battle of Passchendaele.

As a note on pronunciation – while the people of Flanders pronounce this name as "ee-pray" (and in fact have changed the spelling to Iepres), to many Canadians who served and died there, it was known more familiarly simply as "Wipers".

Gravenstafel — The Gravenstafel Ridge was a low rise east of Ypres, one of the key features in the German attacks from 24-26 April, 1915. The Tenth Battalion by this point, after suffering heavily in its counter-attacks of 22-23 April, mustered only 174 men but still contributed enough to the defence of the position to merit a Battle Honour for their work.

Saint-Julien — The town of St. Julien was located east of Ypres, in the south-western part of Belgium known as Flanders. The Tenth Battalion was called forward on the night of 22-23 April to counterattack the strong German formation advancing through a large gap in the line created by the rout of two French divisions. Forming up in front of the Sixteenth Battalion, the two units mounted a hasty assault on an oak plantation known as Bois de Cuisineres, or Kitcheners' Wood, so named because the French had located their field kitchens there. The assault cost the life of the Tenth's Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Boyle, and of the 816 men who crossed the start line on 22 April, only some 193 survived. Nonetheless, the German advance was stopped. This action moved the overall commander of the French Army to describe the attack as the single bravest act of the entire war.

Festubert, 1915 — Fought twenty kilometres north of Vimy, France, this unsuccessful attempt to capture K5, a small hill, was stopped short with heavy losses due to wet terrain, strong German defences, and little time to prepare.

Mount Sorrel — Another unsuccessful assault, this counter-attack by the Tenth Battalion was launched on a small knoll in the Ypres Salient on 3 June 1916. Considerable losses were suffered. Despite the relatively low height of this feature, it provided an excellent viewpoint over the otherwise flat terrain in the area and was of considerable strategic importance.

Somme, 1916 — The Canadians were not involved in the opening phases of this campaign, which began on 1 July 1916 – the "July Drive." That first day was the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army, with 20,000 men being killed and 40,000 more being wounded. That opening day was only the beginning of several months of major operations by both the British and French armies. By the time the battle wound down to an official conclusion in November, hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides of the lines had been killed, and thousands more maimed and injured. The Tenth Battalion was involved in a series of operations from 8 September and 17 October, primarily defensive actions which were successful, north of Albert, France near the town of Boiselle.

Thiepval — Thiepval Ridge, near the town of Courcelette, represented a successful offensive operation for the Tenth Battalion, fought on 26 September 1916, at the cost of 241 casualties.

Ancre Heights — Another successful defensive battle fought by the Tenth Battalion, during the Somme Campaign, near the town of Albert, France. Modest casualties were suffered during the action on 10-11 September 1916.

Arras, 1917, '18 — The Arras battles refer to the overall British offensives in that area of Northern France, the first battle (in 1917) of which included the dramatic Canadian capture of Vimy Ridge. The Tenth Battalion fought in the Arras battles of 1917 and 1918.

Vimy, 1917 — Intended as a diversion to draw attention away from French actions farther south, and often serving only as a footnote to the less successful overall Battle of Arras in 1917 waged by the British armies, Vimy was the greatest victory of the war for the Canadian Corps, which by 1917 numbered four divisions. In a dramatic assault on Easter Monday, the 9th of April, and representing the best in Canadian tactical ingenuity, military engineering, and technical innovation, the Canadians seized most of this dominating feature in a few short hours, and finally clearing the entire ridge in three days. The British and French had been unable to clear these heights since the Germans first seized them in 1914, and had lost more men in the process of trying than the Canadians as a whole started out with on 9 April. The Tenth Battalion had its own role to play in this great drama, and reached all its objectives on time, at the cost of 374 casualties.

Arleux — The Arleux Loop was a follow up to the Vimy operation, launched on 28 April 1917, aimed at capturing a major German billeting area at Arleux-en-Gohelle. The operation went in over open ground and produced serious casualties.

Hill 70 — Rising only 15 feet over surrounding terrain, this hill north of Lens, Belgium was the scene of a diversionary attack to relieve pressure on the city of Lens itself. On 15-16 August 1917, a strong German counter-attack was repulsed by the Tenth Battalion. Private Harry Brown, who was killed acting as a courier during this battle, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. In addition to the VC, three DSOs, 7 MC, 9 DCMs and 60 (!) MMs were earned by the Tenth Battalion, giving the Tenth Battalion the distinction of winning more medals than any other Canadian combat unit in a single action in the course of the First World War. Passchendaele — Named for a village located on a low rise in the Ypres Salient, the very word Passchendaele has become synonymous with suffering and waste. Strong German defences in this area, developed over the course of more than two years, gave the British extremely hard going.

The Tenth Battalion were called out of reserve to assist an attack on Hill 52, part of the same low rise Passchendaele itself was situated on. The Battalion was not scheduled to attack, but the CO wisely prepared his soldiers as if they would be making the main assault—a decision that paid dividends when the unit was called out of reserve. On 10 November 1917, the Tenth Battalion took the feature with light casualties.

Amiens — The offensive Allied campaign under the command of Marshall Foch of the French Army cleared the Germans from positions near the important rail centre of Amiens. Consisting of a series of battles fought from August to September of 1918, it signalled the beginning of the end of the war on the Western Front.

Scarpe, 1918 — A defensive operation, finding the Tenth Battalion once again in the Somme sector. A successful defence of the Fampoux area on the Anzain-Arras Road was made beside the Scarpe River, between 27 April and 4 May 1918.

Drocourt-Queant — The D-Q Line, as it was commonly known, was but a part of the famous Hindenberg Line, a large series of German fortifications and defensive positions. During the Amiens campaign mentioned above, the Tenth Battalion was part of a successful advance along the Arras-Cambrai road towards Viller-lez-Cagnicourt. Acting Sergeant Arthur Knight was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his expemplary courage during this action.

Hindenburg Line — The last line of defence for the German Army in the Amiens campaign, broken when Cambrai fell on 9 October 1918, and the beginning of a German retreat that would not end until the Armistice on 11 November.

Canal du Nord — The last major operation of the Tenth Battalion, part of the Battle of Cambrai. The Fighting Tenth mounted a crossing of this obstacle on 27-28 September 1918, suffering heavy losses.

Pursuit to Mons — The fight at Mons in August 1914 had been one of the opening acts of the war on the Western Front, and the city had great sentimental significance to the British, who had lost it to the Germans. The Tenth Battalion entered the newly captured city during the war's last days, when it was a prime objective for the British Army seeking revenge, and were there when the Armistice was declared.

France and Flanders, 1915–18 — This Battle Honour reflects the continuous service by the Battalion from February 1915, when it went into the lines in France, to November 1918. During the First World War, more than 1300 soldiers were killed while serving as members of the Tenth Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force.

[edit] Battle Honour Descriptions - Second World War

Bourguebus Ridge — located to the south of Caen, the capital of lower Normandy and one of the original D-Day objectives, this ridge was the dominating feature crucial to the success of any further movements beyond the city. When Caen finally fell one month after D-Day, this ridge, and the adjacent Verrieres Ridge, became the scene of much fighting. The Calgary Highlanders launched two attacks on the Bourguebus Ridge, a failed attempt on 25 July 1944 to secure the heights, and a successful action from 7-9 August. The cost of these actions was very high.

Fauborg de Vaucelles — A suburb of Caen, south of the city and the Orne River. During Operation Atlantic and Operation Goodwood, the Highlanders launched successful attacks in the vicinity of this city during the period 18-21 July 1944.

Verrieres Ridge, Tilly-la-Campagne — Adjacent to the Bourgeubus Ridge, Verrieres Ridge was another dominating feature of which German possession ensured the British and Canadians in Normandy would be pinned against the sea. On 25 July, 5th Brigade assaults on this feature proved costly for the Calgary Highlanders, and especially for the Black Watch who lost over 300 men in the course of a few hours, making their attack the costliest single day of battle for a single battalion, not counting Dieppe.

Falaise — The next significant feature after the Verrierres Ridge was the town of Falaise; a German pocket was created when they counterattacked towards Mortain—the American Armies, moving fast from the south under the command of General George S. Patton Jr., threatened to cut off this pocket of Germans and trap an entire Army. The northern shoulder of the "Falaise Gap" was the scene of much fighting, and the Battle Honour covers all the fighting from the eventual breakout at Verrieres and Bourgebus ridges, to the final collapse of German resistance on 16 August 1944.

Falaise Road — Operations Tractable and Totalize were conducted in the period 7 – 16 August 1944, and The Calgary Highlanders were involved in fighting along the road to Falaise during this period.

Clair Tison — Located near the Falaise Road, this surprise attack by The Calgary Highlanders on the night of 12-13 August 1944 forced a German abandonment of positions during the Falaise Road fighting, and was executed with very few casualties. The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel DG MacLauchlan, was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his handling of this battle. ^[5]

Foret de la Londe — This forest, located on the Bourgtheroulde-Rouen Highway, was nestled in a bend of the Seine River and was an excellent defensive position for German forces retreating to the other side of the river. A blocking position here was assaulted and overwhelmed during a series of actions from 28-30 August 1944, with moderate losses to the unit.

Dunkirk, 1944 — Allied supplies were being sent to France mainly via the open beaches in Normandy; the need to secure a sizeable port facility was thus acute. The port of Dunkirk was put under siege, and the Highlanders joined these actions from 6 to 18 September 1944. The action here was mainly patrol work, though a successful battle to liberate the town of Loon Plage stands out from this otherwise dreary episode. The port never fell, and like many of the French Channel ports, it remained in German hands until May 1945.

Wyneghem — In September 1944, the acute need for a port promised to be alleviated by the capture of Antwerp, with its large port facilities intact. However, the British failed to act quickly to secure the Scheldt Estuary, the waterway leading into Antwerp. No Allied ship could come within miles of Antwerp until the large number of coastal guns lining the Scheldt were silenced. The Germans were aware of the importance of the Scheldt, and hastily organized an amalgam of veteran parachute units and low grade infantry units. The Canadian Army moved to clear the lands east of Antwerp, and south of the Albert Canal. Wyneghem was one of the towns in this area, and was cleared of Germans by the Highlanders in September.

One of the most widely reproduced Canadian photographs of the Second World War. Sergeant Harold Marshall, of the Calgary Highlanders Scout and Sniper Platoon, posed for Army photographer Ken Bell near Fort Brasschaet in Belgium, September 1944. (PAC)

Antwerp-Turnhout Canal — This canal was one of the waterworks connecting with the city and its badly needed port facilities. The Calgary Highlanders arrived in this area on 18 September 1944, and on the 21st a bridgehead over the Albert Canal was created by Sergeant Ken Crockett and a handpicked section of ten men. His brave foray into enemy territory was soon expanded to a company sized bridgehead, after which the entire Fifth Brigade was able to follow. His nomination for a Victoria Cross was turned down at the highest levels of command for a very well deserved Distinguished Conduct Medal instead.

The Scheldt — The Scheldt battles were fought on both sides of this waterway during September, October and the early part of November 1944. All three Canadian divisions in North-West Europe took part in these actions, as well as several other divisions under the command of First Canadian Army. Major features north of the Scheldt Estuary included, from west to east, Walcheren Island, North Beveland, and the South Beveland Peninsula. To the south of the Estuary was the area known as "The Breskens Pocket". The Calgary Highlanders fought many actions in the Scheldt battles, highlighted by the Battle Honours listed next.

Woensdrecht — a village at the base of the South Beveland Peninsula in the southwest of The Netherlands. Any units seeking to gain access to South Beveland had to clear a series of villages in this area of enemy soldiers. From 22-27 October, much mighting was seen in this area between the 5th Brigade and veteran German paratroops of Battle Group Chill.

South Beveland — a long peninsula marking the northern boundary of the Scheldt Estuary, the waterway through which Allied ships would have to sail to reach Antwerp and shorten Allied supply lines, still being traced over land all the way back to Normandy. The failure to secure a port closer to the front line meant the expenditure of thousands of gallons of gasoline trucking supplies through France, Belgium and Holland. The Highlanders fought their way west down the Peninsula with the rest of the 2nd Canadian Division, in order to reach Walcheren Island and silence the many German coastal batteries there.

Walcheren Causeway — After South Beveland was secured, the only land route to Walcheren Island—last holdouts on the Scheldt Estuary—was a long causeway just 40 metres wide and over 1000 metres long. The Slooe Channel through which the Causeway ran was too shallow for assault boats, and the salt marshes and mud made the way impassable to land vehicles or marching infantry. On Hallowe'en Night, the Calgary Highlanders followed up a disastrous attack by the Black Watch on the Causeway, and managed to force a shallow bridgehead on the far end. Fierce fighting ensued, and the Highlanders were relieved by Le Regiment de Maisonneuve on 1 November. Sixty-four Highlanders were killed or wounded in the action; the ferocity of the fighting was testified to by the actions of Sergeant Emil Laloge, who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for, among other things, picking up German grenades and throwing them back at the enemy before they could explode among his men. This battle is commemorated each year by the Regiment with a drumhead ceremony and visit from the Dutch community.

The Rhineland — After the Battle of the Scheldt, the Canadian Army spent the winter of 1944-45 in static positions in the Nijmegen Salient. The next big offensive action was in February and Operation Veritable, when all remaining land west of the River Rhine—the last great barrier between the Allies and the heart of Germany—was to be cleared in anticipation of a massive assault crossing of the great obstacle itself. The fighting in the Rhineland was fought in terrible conditions of terrain and weather, and the Calgary Highlanders' part in that fighting is exemplified by the other Battle Honours, listed below, earned in that campaign.

The Reichswald — a small forest by the Hochwald which needed to be cleared to make possession of the Hochwald possible. The fighting here was part of Operation Blockbuster. ^[6]

The Hochwald — A small national forest just east of the Dutch border, south of the River Rhine. This forest blocked access to the town of Xanten, which was a key German defensive position on the Allied side of the river. Several difficult and costly actions were fought here, also as part of Operation Blockbuster, which commenced 26 February 1945 and ended with the capture of Xanten on 7 March.

Xanten — Key defensive position defending the approaches to the River Rhine, and ultimate objective of Operation Blockbuster. Xanten was completely ruined in the bitter fighting there. ^[7]

The Rhine — The bitter fighting in the Rhineland paved the way for the much anticipated assault crossing of the Rhine which went ahead on 23 March 1945. Units of the Third Canadian Division participated in the earliest battles on the far side of the Rhine, with units of the Second Canadian Division crossing over after the bridgehead was formed. One of the major battles of this phase was in Doetinchem in which the Calgary Highlanders played a major part.

Groningen — Capital city of the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands, this city was held by a mixed force of Germans, stiffened with Dutch SS who felt compelled to fight to the death. The Calgary Highlanders participated in the assault on the city, attacking from the west on 14 April 1945, penetrating the Oranje Kwartier (Orange Quarter) and paving the way for the Black Watch and Regiment de Maisonneuve to advance into the inner city.

Oldenburg — Final battle fought by The Calgary Highlanders in the Second World War, on German soil once again just east of the Dutch border, on 3-4 May 1945. The Regiment was in place in Oldenburg on VE Day, 8 May 1945. "Betsy', the only surviving 6-pounder gun of the original 6-gun platoon, fired the last shot of the Regiment in World War Two here. During the approach to Oldenburg, heavy fighting took place at Gruppenbühren, for which several awards for valour were made.

North-West Europe, 1944–45 — An all encompassing Battle Honour reflecting the long march of the Regiment from the initial landing in Normandy on 6 July 1944 to the final shots in May 1945. Over 400 Calgary Highlanders sacrificed their lives during this campaign. ^[8]

[edit] Basic Facts

Sergeant Ken Crockett, DCM

Two soldiers of this Regiment were awarded the Victoria Cross, Private Harry Brown and Acting Sergeant Arthur Knight.

Three soldiers of this Regiment were nominated for the Victoria Cross, but had lesser awards substituted; in the First World War these were Lance Corporal George William Allan, DCM, and Captain Charles Costigan, DSO, MC, both of the Tenth Battalion, and in the Second World War Sergeant Clarence "Ken" Crockett, DCM of the 1st Battalion, Calgary Highlanders, was nominated for the VC and instead received the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

The Calgary Highlanders adopted many dress distinctions of the allied regiment in Scotland in the 1920s and continue to cherish those distinctions into the 21st Century, including the red and white diced glengarry worn by all ranks (except pipers), the badger head sporran worn by officers, warrant officers, and senior NCOs, the six point horsehair sporran worn by junior NCOs (except pipers), and the striped necktie of the 2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, also worn by officers, warrant officers, senior NCOs, pipers and drummers of The Calgary Highlanders. It is unclear if any of these dress distinctions will continue to be worn in Scotland now that the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) have been amalgamated into the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

[edit] History

[edit] History 1910-1914

The regiment dates back to 1 April 1910 and the creation of the 103rd Regiment, Calgary Rifles, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel WCG Armstrong.

[edit] History 1914-1938

The regiment did not mobilize for the First World War; however, the 103rd Regiment contributed men to several overseas battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force beginning in 1914, including the 10th Battalion.

Gallantry and Leadership Awards - Tenth Battalion, CEF
Award	VC	DSO & 2 Bars	DSO & Bar	DSO	MC & Bar	MC	DCM & Bar	DCM	MM & 2 Bars	MM & Bar	MM	MSM	MiD	For
Numbers	2	1	3	14	12	51	1	65	1	21	269	18	83	22

 

In 1921, the Canadian Militia was reorganized and the 103rd Regiment became simply "The Calgary Regiment". The 1st Battalion of this new unit became known as the Calgary Highlanders. The regiment was permitted to perpetuate the history of the 10th Battalion, CEF, and inherited that units battle honours (granted in 1929) as well as inheriting the memory of two Victoria Cross holders, Acting Sergeant Arthur George Knight and Private Harry Brown, both of whom were awarded the VC posthumously in the last year and a half of the Great War.

In the mid 1920s, the regiment formed an official alliance with The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) of the British Army. In 2006, that affiliation will officially end as the Imperial Argylls are absorbed into the Royal Regiment of Scotland. It is unclear if previous affiliations will be permissible between single battalions of the new Regiment, or if any future affiliations will be with the Regiment as a whole. In either event, all Canadian regiments now affiliated with British regiments scheduled for amalgamation will need to be renewed separately.

In the late 1930s, a special oakleaf shoulder badge was bestowed to the regiment in honour of the first combat action of the 10th Battalion, at Kitcheners' Wood during the Battle of St. Julien, part of the Second Battle of Ypres fought in April of 1915 in the area of Belgium known as Flanders.

[edit] History 1939-1945

On 1 September 1939, the Calgary Highlanders were ordered to mobilize for the Second World War. The regiment trained in Calgary until the summer of 1940 when it departed for CFB Shilo, Manitoba. The Calgary Highlanders, CASF (Canadian Active Service Force) joined the Second Canadian Division there, and the 2nd Battalion was raised in Calgary for part time service.

In September 1940, the 1st Battalion arrived in England.

During the Dieppe Raid of August 1942, the mortar platoon commanded by Lt. FJ Reynolds was attached to the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade but stayed offshore during the raid. Sergeants Lyster and Pittaway were decorated with a Mention in Despatches for their part in shooting down two German aircraft during the raid, and one officer of the regiment was killed while ashore with a brigade headquarters.

The Calgary Highlanders pioneered battle drill for the Canadian Army, which was a realistic system of training infantry for the hardships of modern war. They themselves learned battle drill from the British 47th Division.

On 6 July 1944, one month after the Normandy landings, the regiment landed in France. The unit saw extensive action in Normandy, marched through Dieppe with the 2nd Division in September 1944 as liberators, then moved on to the fighting for the Channel Ports. By the end of September the regiment was in Belgium and forced a crossing of the Albert Canal, northeast of Antwerp.

The regiment saw extensive fighting in the Netherlands in October 1944, opening the way to South Beveland, and then west to the Walcheren Island Causeway where it fought an epic battle beginning on Hallowe'en night.

From November to February 1945 the regiment wintered in the Nijmegen Salient, then was back in action in the Rhineland fighting, clearing the last approaches to the River Rhine itself. Fighting resumed on the far bank in March, and city fighting in Doetinchem and Groningen followed. The regiment ended the war on VE Day on German soil.

The Victory Campaign had cost The Calgary Highlanders over 400 men killed, from a war establishment of just over 800 men. Several times that many were wounded in action.

Gallantry and Leadership Awards - The Calgary Highlanders
Award	DSO	MC	DCM	MM	MiD	For.
Number	5	2	7	15	13	13

[edit] History 1945-Present

The Calgary Highlanders continued to train infantry soldiers in the late 1940s and into the 1950s, with some soldiers volunteering on an individual basis for service in Korea. The Regiment was not asked to contribute subunits to the brigades serving in West Germany. In the 1960s, as nuclear detente between the US and the USSR mounted, Militia units in Canada moved away from warfighting roles into national disaster training, a role not very well liked. By the 1970s, the Militia had once again focussed its training activities on war fighting.

In the 1980s, the Regiment trained as Mechanized Infantry using the Grizzly Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Militiamen and even Army Cadets were routinely flown to NATO exercises in Germany, Norway and Alaska to participate in realistic training, as the perceived threat of Warsaw Pact military aggression was felt to be high. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, the emphasis on training throughout Force Mobile Command moved away from large scale armoured formations fighting Soviet tank formations in central Europe. The Grizzlies were withdrawn by the mid 1990s and the Regiment resumed training in a Light Infantry role.

Most significantly, The Calgary Highlanders have contributed hundreds of soldiers to peacekeeping missions in the years since 1945, including peacekeeping, peace enforcing, and observation missions in Cambodia, the Persian Gulf, the Middle East, the former Yugoslavia, Sudan and Afghanistan.

[edit] Uniform Distinctions

In addition to the cap badge and oak leaf shoulder titles mentioned above, the Regiment wears several other notable distinctions of dress.

[edit] Headdress

The red and white diced glengarry of the Aryglls is worn by all ranks (except pipers, who wear black). In combat dress, the khaki tam o'shanter is worn by Junior NCMs with the balmoral worn by Senior NCMs and Officers. A cap badge in yellow metal is worn by trained privates who are not yet infantry qualified. Infantry qualified Junior NCMs wear a bronze cap badge, Senior NCMs, Officers, and pipe band musicians all wear a nickel plated cap badge. Tradesmen wear the badge of their branch, as appropriate.

[edit] Ceremonial Dress

The theoretical full dress uniform for the Regiment would be a scarlet jacket and feather bonnet; this uniform has never been worn in actuality. The Regiment did adopt a green coatee in the 1950s, and has retained it as the standard ceremonial uniform; they are worn only by the Regimental Colour Party or by small parties for special occasions (such as weddings, etc.). The Pipes and Drums have always retained full ceremonial band dress, consisting of green doublets for pipers and red doublets with crown lace for drummers. Pipers wear a blackcock feather in their glengarries in full dress, with drummers wearing the feather bonnet.

[edit] Highland Dress

The Government tartan kilt is worn, with pleats arranged in box style according to the pattern worn by the Argylls. Several types of sporran are worn. All ranks wear a brown leather purse when in Walking Out Dress (ie with green Lovat Hose); NCMs wear a simpler version with brass stud closure, officers wear a separate pattern with hidden snap fastener. For dress parades (CO's Parade Dress), corporals and master corporals wear the 6-point horsehair sporran while Senior NCMs and Officers wear a badger head sporran. Pipers wear three point horsehair sporrans while the Pipe Major and Drum Major wear a separate pattern of 3 point sporran. Hose tops and diced hose are in red/white dice, with pipers wearing Rob Roy tartan (red/black dice).

Pipes and Drums lead the battalion in Royal Stewart tartan, route march, Calgary, 1940

Honorary Colonel Richard Bennett originally outfitted the Pipes and Drums with Royal Stewart tartan kilts and plaids in the 1920s; when the band of the 1st Battalion arrived in England in 1940 they were very quickly informed that Royal Stewart was the prerogative of Royal Regiments only and they were to cease wear of that tartan at once. Some musicians in the 2nd Battalion continued to wear the tartan for the duration of the war.

[edit] Mess Dress

Mess Dress for Officers and Senior NCMs is based closely on that worn by the Argylls; Honorary Colonel Mannix approved a new distinctive pattern officers' mess jacket in the 1980s which featured buttons on a turn back cuff which differed from the Argylls pattern.

[edit] Combat Dress

Other than regimental headdress (when not wearing the CADPAT field cap or helmet), the only distinction a Calgary Highlander has in combat dress are the CALG HIGHRS titles on his slip-ons and his deportment.

[edit] Regimental Association

The Tenth Battalion Association was merged with The Calgary Highlanders Association in 1956 to become the Tenth Battalion Calgary Highlanders Association.

During the Second World War, "The Glen" was the regimental newspaper of the overseas battalion beginning in September 1939, and "The Glen" continues to be the Regimental Journal of the Tenth Battalion Calgary Highlanders Association. "The Glen" is published semi-regularly.

CDS General de Chastelain (left), 30 June 1990

[edit] Notable Personalities

• Victoria Cross holder Harry Brown
• Victoria Cross holder Arthur George Knight
• Lieutenant Colonel J.G. McQueen was the first commander of the Canadian contingent of the First Special Service Force (The Devil's Brigade). ^[9]
• General John de Chastelain, who served two terms as Chief of the Defence Staff, began his military career as a private in the Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders. On 30 June 1990, while serving as CDS, he paraded as a piper with the band during the Presentation of Queen's Colour at McMahon Stadium.

• Lieutenant Colonel Mark Tennant rose from the rank of private in 1939 to the rank of Major in 1944, and commanded the peacetime regiment after the Second World War. He was also appointed Honorary Lieutenant Colonel. In civilian life he served for many years as an Alderman of the City of Calgary.
• Four Calgary Highlanders officers served in the CANLOAN project during the Second World War, two were captured at Arnhem, one was killed in Normandy with the Royal Scots, and one became the last CANLOAN to die in action when he was killed with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in April 1945. ^[10]

[edit] Regimental Monuments

As part of the celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, a special celebrations committee in the City of Doetinchem, The Netherlands, recommended that the City Park be renamed in honour of Lieutenant Colonel Mark Tennant and that a monument for the Calgary Highlanders who were killed in the fighting there be established. Tennant distinguished himself during the battle for Doetinchem where the Highlanders fought to clear the city between 1 and 3 April 1945.

As a measure of thanks on the fiftieth anniversary of Holland's liberation, the City of Doetinchem named the park "Mark Tennantplantsoen - Een Canadese bevrijder" - "Mark Tennant Park, A Canadian Liberator." Trees in the park still contained shrapnel; mute evidence of the fighting that raged there in April 1945.

[edit] Alliances

•  United Kingdom - The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders ^[11]

[edit] Order of Precedence

[edit] Contact information

The Calgary Highlanders Mewata Armouries
801, 11th Street SW Calgary, AB T2P 2C4

[edit] Regimental Museum

The Military Museums

[edit] Published Histories and Memoirs

• The History of The Calgary Highlanders 1921- 1954 by Major Roy Farran, DSO, MC (Bryant Press, 1954) 221 pages, no ISBN, now out of print
• Battalion of Heroes: The Calgary Highlanders in World War Two by Doctor David Jay Bercuson (Calgary Highlanders Regimental Funds Foundation, 1994) 297 pages, 48 pages of illustrations and maps. ISBN 0-9694616-1-5
• Gallant Canadians : The Story of the Tenth Canadian Infantry Battalion, 1914-1919 by Daniel G. Dancocks (Calgary Highlanders Regimental Funds Foundation, 1990) 251 pages, lavishly illustrated throughout with photos and maps ISBN 0-9694616-0-7
• The Brigade: The Fifth Canadian Infantry Brigade, 1939-1945 by Dr. Terry Copp (Fortress Publications, Stoney Creek, ON, 1992 ISBN 0-919195-16-4
• Far From Home: A Memoir of a 20th Century Soldier by Jeffery Williams. (University of Calgary Press, 2003) 374 pages, many illustrations. ISBN 1-55238-119-6
• A Backward Glance: The Personal Story of an Infantry Signaller with the Calgary Highlanders in World War Two by Frank Holm (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario: Self Published, 1989)

[edit] Film Portrayals

• The Devil's Brigade (1968). Two main characters can be seen wearing the insignia of the Calgary Highlanders, Corporal Peacock and Private MacDonald (Richard Dawson).
• Legends of the Fall (1994). The character of Samuel Ludlow (Henry Thomas) very clearly wears the insignia of the 10th Battalion, CEF. It is presumed that Tristan Ludlow (Brad Pitt) and Alfred Ludlow (Aidan Quinn) also belong to the same battalion, but neither costume nor dialogue confirm this.
• Passchendaele (2007). This film project, announced by Paul Gross, will film in Alberta in 2007; Gross will depict his grandfather, Sergeant Michael Dunne, who served in the 10th Battalion, CEF.

[edit] External links

• Calgary Highlanders
• Tribute to Sgt's Bill Lyster and Bert Pittaway, Calgary Highlanders
• Calgary Highlanders at the Dieppe Raid, incl. Eswyn Lyster's, "Bloody Miracle", based on Sgt's Bill Lyster and Bert Pittaway's account of the day

[edit] References