The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
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| The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada | |
|---|---|
 Cap badge of The Black Watch of Canada |
|
| Active | 31 January 1862- |
| Country | Canada |
| Branch | Militia |
| Type | Line Infantry |
| Role | Light Role |
| Size | One battalion |
| Part of | Royal Canadian Infantry Corps |
| Garrison/HQ | Montreal |
| Motto | Nemo Me Impune Lacessit (No one Provokes me with Impunity) |
| March | Quick - Heilan Laddie Slow - The Red Hackle |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel in Chief | HRH The Prince of Wales |
| Insignia | |
| Hackle | Red |
| Tartan | Government |
The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada is a reserve infantry regiment in 34 Brigade Group, Land Force Quebec Area. The regiment is located on rue de Bleury in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is currently commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas MacKay.
Contents |
[edit] History
The regiment was originally formed as 5th Battalion, Royal Light Infantry, in 1862. As the senior Highland regiment in Canada they were associated with the Black Watch of the British Army, eventually taking the same name and later the red hackle that all Black Watch soldiers wear on their headdress.
The regiment has participated in the following battles:
[edit] Early years
- South Africa
[edit] First World War
The regiment contributed many men to several battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, most notably the 13th Battalion (which fought in the First Division), the 42nd Battalion (of the 2nd Division) and the 73rd Battalion.
- Ypres
- Vimy
- Gravenstafel
- Arleux
- St. Julien
- Scarpe
- Festubert
- Hill 70
- Mount Sorrel
- Passchendaele
- Somme
- Amiens
- Pozieres
- Drocourt-Queant
- Flers-Courcelette
- Hindenburg Line
- Thiepval
- Canal du Nord
- Ancre Heights
- Pursuit to Mons
- Ancre
- France and Flanders
- Arras
 Black Watch, 1925 |
 Black Watch Pipers 1925 |
 Black Watch, 1925 |
[edit] Second World War
The Black Watch raised several battalions again for the Second World War, only one (the First) of which went overseas as part of the Canadian Active Service Force/Canadian Army (Overseas). The 1st Battalion, Black Watch was brigaded with Le Regiment de Maisonneuve and Les Fusiliers Mont Royal of the Second Canadian Division, however the FMR were replaced with the Calgary Highlanders in the 5th Brigade in 1940. The Black Watch served in Newfoundland from June 1940 to 11 August 1940, after which it traveled to England where it trained for several years. One company of the Black Watch was attached to the Royal Regiment of Canada during the Dieppe Raid. In the first week of July 1944, the battalion landed in Normandy and served in action until VE-Day in May 1945.
The 1st Battalion suffered more casualties than any other Canadian infantry battalion in Northwest Europe according to figures published in The Long Left Flank by Jeffrey Williams. Disaster seemed to follow the unit; on the voyage to France on the day of the Dieppe Raid, casualties were suffered by the unit during a grenade priming accident onboard their ship. During the Battle of Verrierres Ridge on July 25, 1944, 325 men left the start line and only 15 made it back to friendly lines, the others being killed or wounded by well entrenched Waffen SS soldiers and tanks. On 13 October 1944 - known as Black Friday by the Black Watch - the regiment put in an assault near Hoogerheide during the Battle of the Scheldt in which all four company commanders were killed, and one company of 90 men was reduced to just four survivors.
- Bourguebus Ridge
- Woensdrecht
- Faubourg de Vaucelles
- South Beveland
- Verrieres Ridge -- Tilly-La-Campagne
- Walcheren Causeway
- The Rheinland
- Falaise
- The Hochwald
- Clair Tizon
- Xanten
- Forte de la Londe
- The Rhine
- Dunkirk, 1944
- Groningen
- Antwerp-Turnhout Canal
- Oldenburg
- The Scheldt
- North-West Europe
[edit] Korea
As part of the expansion of the Canadian Army after the Korean War, the Black Watch was raised to the status of a regular infantry regiment. This was achieved by renaming and regimenting the 1st and 2nd Canadian Highland Battalions. These were formed in 1951 by volunteers from each of the Canadian militia regiments of highlanders. The militia element became the 3rd Battalion. This arrangement continued until 1970, and the reduction in the Canadian armed forces, when the two regular battalions were reduced to nil strength.
[edit] Victoria Cross recipients
- Lance Corporal Frederick Fisher †
- 13th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force
- St. Julien, Belgium
- April 23, 1915
- Corporal Herman James Good
- 13th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force
- near Amiens, France
- August 8, 1918
- Private John Bernard Croak †
- 13th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force
- Amiens, France
- August 8, 1918
- Private Thomas Dinesen
- 42nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force
- Parvillers (near Amiens), France
- August 12, 1918
† - Awarded posthumously
[edit] Order of precedence
| Preceded by: The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada |
The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada | Succeeded by: Les Voltigeurs de Québec |
[edit] Alliances
[edit] References
- (1992) Ducimus, The Regiments of the Canadian Infantry. St. Hubert, Quebec, Canada: Mobile Command Headquarters, Canadian Armed Forces, 248p. ISBN 0-9696421-0-5.
