The Calgary Highlanders

The Calgary Highlanders
Badge of The Calgary Highlanders
Active	1910–present
Country	Canada
Branch	Militia
Type	Line Infantry
Role	Light infantry
Size	One battalion
Part of	41 Canadian Brigade Group
Garrison/HQ	Mewata Armoury
Motto	Scottish Gaelic: Airaghardt (Onward)
Colors	Facing colour yellow
March	"The Highland Laddie" and "Blue Bonnets over the Border"
Anniversaries	1 April (Regimental Birthday), 22 April (St. Julien's Day), 31 October Walcheren Causeway
Engagements	St. Julien, Walcheren Causeway
Commanders
Current commander	Lieutenant Colonel Michael Owens, CD[1]
Colonel-in-chief	The Queen
Notable commanders	Colonel J. Fred Scott, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Tennant
Insignia
Tartan	Black Watch tartan
Abbreviation	Calg Highrs

The Calgary Highlanders is a Canadian Army Primary 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 3rd Canadian Division, one of four region-based Canadian Army divisions.

Armourial description

Exercise BLACK BEAR 2004

The badge is based on that worn by the 10th Battalion, CEF, which 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 ^[2] 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.

Regimental lineage

• 1 April 1910: Raised as the 103rd Regiment "Calgary Rifles"
• 1914: contributed men to several battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, most notably the 10th Battalion, CEF. Also officially perpetuate the 56th and 82nd Battalions, CEF. The 10th Battalion officially disbanded in 1920.
• 15 March 1920: As part of the Otter Committee reorganizations, the 103rd Regiment was reorganized into The Calgary Regiment^[3]
• 15 September 1921: The Calgary Regiment divided into six battalions, the 1st Battalion became 1st Battalion, Calgary Highlanders, The Calgary Regiment. The 2nd Battalion, The Calgary Regiment later became the King's Own Calgary Regiment. The 3rd, 4th and 5th battalions were paper units that were never formed; they disbanded in the 1936 reorganizations of the Militia.^[3]
• 15 May 1924, The Calgary Regiment reorganized as separate regiments.

Lineage of the Calgary Highlanders:^[4]

(*) In 1940 the Canadian Active Service Force (CASF) was abolished and all active forces, whether in Canada or overseas, became the Canadian Army (Active). The CASF suffix was abolished. Previous to this, the "1st Battalion" designation was implied rather than official, and mobilized units were differentiated from the Militia units that generated them only by the "CASF" suffix.^[5]

Basic facts

Sergeant Ken Crockett, DCM

Sergeant Clarence "Ken" Crockett, DCM of the 1st Battalion, Calgary Highlanders, was nominated for the Victoria Cross for actions in September 1944 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.

The largest peacetime deployment of the regiment occurred during the 2013 Alberta floods when over 100 Calgary Highlanders were mobilized to assist the Calgary Emergency Management Agency with flood relief efforts.

History

History 1910–1938

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. 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.

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.

The process for awarding battle honours for the First World War took over a decade, and The Calgary Highlanders were first awarded battle honours for the actions of the 10th Battalion, CEF, on 15 September 1929.

Oddly, the official granting of battle honours to the 10th 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 10th Battalion's honour read only "Arras, 1917."^[6]

While the overall battle of Saint-Julien was considered worthy of a battle honour, to the dismay of those regiments perpetuating the units involved, the counter-attack at Kitcheners' Wood was not. This counterattack, 22 April 1915, was thrown into the first German gas attack of the war. In recognition of this gallant effort and the persistence of the Winnipeg Light Infantry, the Calgary Highlanders and the Canadian Scottish, a special 'Honorary Distinction' was granted by Order in Council No. 10, 1934, of a special oak leaf shoulder badge now unique in the Canadian armed forces, and worn only by those 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).^[7]

Battle honours inherited from 10th Battalion, CEF

• 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-Quéant
• Hindenburg Line
• Canal du Nord
• Pursuit to Mons
• France and Flanders, 1915–18

The Calgary Highlanders perpetuate the 10th, 56th and 82nd Battalions, Canadian Expeditionary Force.

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 Verrières Ridge, became the scene of much fighting. The Calgary Highlanders launched two attacks on the Bourguébus 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.

Faubourg 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 south of the city during the period 18–21 July 1944, notably at Hill 67.

Verrières Ridge, Tilly-la-Campagne 

Adjacent to the Bourguébus Ridge, Verrières 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 Verrières 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 Verrières and Bourguébus 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.^[8]

Forêt 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 (now spelled Wijnegem) 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 (nl) 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 foray into enemy territory was soon expanded to a company-sized bridgehead, after which the entire 5th 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 northwest 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 fighting 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 the Netherlands. 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 Régiment 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 Emile 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.^[9]

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.^[10]

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 Régiment 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 II 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 were killed during this campaign.^[11]

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^[12] commanded by Lieutenant FJ Reynolds was attached to the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade but stayed offshore during the raid. Sergeants Lyster and Pittaway^[13] 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. In Operation Spring, the Calgary Highlanders were part of the Battle of Verrières Ridge, along with the Black Watch, in which the regiment took heavy casualties. 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 the brigade fought an extended 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.

History 1945–2009

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 détente between the United States and the Soviet Union 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, and Sudan. Recently, they have contributed soldiers to the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, including the deployment in early 2008 of 55 soldiers.^[14]

History 2010 to present

Mewata Armouries

The regiment observed its centennial in 2010, an anniversary shared with its sister unit, The King's Own Calgary Regiment, as well as fellow unit in the Calgary garrison, 14 (Calgary) Service Battalion, as well as the Canadian Navy (represented in Calgary by HMCS Tecumseh). The centennial was marked by several unique events, including the last ever military parade at Currie Barracks in Calgary, and an overseas pilgrimage to battlefield sites and places of regimental significance which included the dedication of plaques at Hill 67 and Clair Tison.^[15] Also originally part of the centennial events was the announcement of a Calgary Soldiers' Memorial, which was later dedicated on the anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge in 2011.^[16]

Uniform

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

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, and senior NCMs, officers, and pipe band musicians all wear a nickel-plated cap badge. Tradesmen wear the badge of their branch, as appropriate.

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 scarlet doublets with crown lace for drummers. Pipers wear a black cock feather in their glengarries in full dress, with drummers wearing the feather bonnet.

Highland dress

"Government sett", also known as the Black Watch or Grant tartan.

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 (i.e. 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 (commanding officer's parade dress), corporals and master corporals wear the six-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 three-point sporran. Hose tops and diced hose are in red/white dice, with pipers wearing Rob Roy tartan (red/black dice).

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. Pipers in the 2nd Battalion (Calgary) continued to wear Royal Stewart tartan until 1947.

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.

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.

Regimental order

The regiment created its own order, the Clan of the Gallant Canadians, in 1992.

Regimental association

The 10th Battalion Association was merged with The Calgary Highlanders Association in 1956 to become the 10th 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 10th Battalion Calgary Highlanders Association. The Glen is published semi-regularly.

CDS General de Chastelain (left), 30 June 1990

Notable members

• Lieutenant Colonel J.G. McQueen was the first commander of the Canadian contingent of the First Special Service Force (The Devil's Brigade).^[17]
• 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.
• Sergeants Lyster and Pittaway were decorated with a Mention in Despatches for their part in shooting down two German aircraft during the Dieppe Raid.
• 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.^[18]
• 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.
• Brigadier-General G.J.P. O'Brien, OMM, MSC, CD, served in the ranks of the Calgary Highlanders from 1976 to 1979, including a tour of duty with UNDOF. He later transferred to 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, where he was commissioned, went on to command the regiment as a lieutenant colonel, then commanded 31 Canadian Brigade Group, and was appointed Director General Land Reserve in 2006. He is currently the Chief of Staff Land Reserve.^[19]

Mark Tennant as a junior officer during the World War II

Regimental monuments

Mark Tennantplantsoen in Doetinchem

As part of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of VE Day, a special celebrations committee in Doetinchem, 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 50th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands, 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.

The Calgary Soldiers' Memorial bears the names of all Calgary area soldiers who died in war from 1914, with separate sections for both the 10th Battalion, CEF and The Calgary Highlanders.

Alliances

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 officially ended as the Imperial Argylls were 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.

•  United Kingdom – The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders ^[20]

Order of precedence

Regimental museum

The Military Museums

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 though a voiceover indicates that all three enlisted together in Calgary.
• Passchendaele (2008). This film project, announced by Paul Gross, filmed in Alberta in the autumn of 2007; Gross depicts a character inspired by his grandfather, Sergeant Michael Dunne, who served in the 10th Battalion, CEF. The film opened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 4, 2008, and was released in Canada on October 17, 2008. Historical figures are referenced in the film, for example characters named Colonel Ormand and RSM Watchman are named after living historical counterparts that served with the 10th Battalion.^[21]

Associated Army Cadet Corps

• 2137 RCACC (Calgary Highlanders)
• 3125 Chestermere RCACC (Calgary Highlanders)
• 3016 Airdrie RCACC (Calgary Highlanders)

2383 Foothills RCACC (Calgary Highlanders)

See also

• Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders
• Eswyn Lyster - warbride author, married to Captain Bill Lyster, Calgary Highlanders

References

Further reading

• 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 Calgarians: The Story of the 10th Battalion Calgary Highlanders Association Heritage Section, 1995-2006 (Published by the 10th Battalion Calgary Highlanders Association Heritage Section) 98 pages, illustrated with 200 colour photographs ISBN 978-0-9782646-6-6
• 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)
• "A Bloody Miracle: A Calgary Highlander Mortar Platoon at the Dieppe Raid" by Eswyn Lyster (Legion Magazine 1989, also in True Canadian War Stories, Jane Dewar, ed., Lester, Orpen and Denny 2002 : ISBN 978-0-88619-140-5)

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

v t e Canadian Army infantry regiments in order of precedence The Royal Canadian Regiment Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Royal 22e Régiment Governor General's Foot Guards The Canadian Grenadier Guards The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Les Voltigeurs de Québec The Royal Regiment of Canada The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment The Lincoln and Welland Regiment The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada The Grey and Simcoe Foresters The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) The Brockville Rifles Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal The Princess Louise Fusiliers The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders Les Fusiliers du St-Laurent Le Régiment de la Chaudière The Royal New Brunswick Regiment The West Nova Scotia Regiment The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment The Nova Scotia Highlanders Le Régiment de Maisonneuve The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) The Royal Winnipeg Rifles The Essex and Kent Scottish 48th Highlanders of Canada Le Régiment du Saguenay The Cape Breton Highlanders The Algonquin Regiment The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's) The Lake Superior Scottish Regiment The North Saskatchewan Regiment The Royal Regina Rifles The Rocky Mountain Rangers The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Royal Westminster Regiment The Calgary Highlanders Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) The Royal Montreal Regiment The Irish Regiment of Canada The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) Royal Newfoundland Regiment