|
|
The 48th Highlanders of
Canada
|
The 48th
Highlanders of Canada was an infantry regiment of the
Canadian Army during the 20th Century that continued its
service into the 21st.
Lineage
-
48th Battalion (Highlanders) authorized 16 October
1891
-
Redesignated 48th
Regiment "Highlanders" 8 May 1900
-
Redesignated The 48th
Regiment (Highlanders) 15 May 1920
-
Redesignated The 48th
Highlanders of Canada 1 August 1930
History
The regiment was raised in
Toronto in the 19th Century and provided volunteers for the
2nd (Special Service) Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment for service
in South Africa during the Second Boer War (1899-1902). |
|
The
48th Highlanders of Canada |
|
 |
|
Headquarters:
Toronto, ON
Raised: 16 October 1891
Predecessors: None
Perpetuates: 15th, 92nd, and 134th Battalions, CEF
Status on 31 December 1999: Active Militia
Regiment |
|
First World War
The 15th Battalion, CEF was unique in that it went overseas with an
identity firmly established by one of the Militia units that raised
it. The battalion wore the Davidson tartan kilt and adopted cap and
collar badges associated it with the 48th Highlanders of Canada. The
battalion served in France and Flanders as a component of the 3rd
Infantry Brigade of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. The 48th
Highlanders also perpetuated the 92nd and 134th Battalions, which
wore the Davidson tartan and were strongly associated with the 48th,
but were broken up overseas for reinforcements.
Otter Committee
After the First World War, the 48th
Regiment "Highlanders" emerged from the massive reorganizations of
the Otter Committee relatively intact, with only a slight change in
redesignation to become The 48th Regiment (Highlanders) on 15 May
1920, and then ten years later, "The 48th Highlanders of Canada".
Second World War
The 48th Highlanders mobilized a battalion for the Canadian Active
Service Force on 1 September 1939. The battalion moved to the United
Kingdom with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, arriving on 16
December of the same year. The unit was a component of the 1st
Canadian Infantry Brigade for the duration of the war. An abortive
move to France was made in June 1940, but all troops were withdrawn
from the Continent before contact was made with the Germans. The 1st
Division landed on Sicily on 10 July 1943 and remained in the
Mediterranean until February 1945; they, as part of 1st Canadian
Corps, was repatriated to 1st Canadian Army in March and served in
North-West Europe until V-E Day on 8 May 1945. The 1st Battalion,
48th Highlanders of Canada, as the active service unit came to be
known, returned to Canada and disbanded on 31 December 1945. A 2nd
Battalion served in Canada as part of the Reserve Army throughout
the war.
A 3rd Canadian Infantry Battalion (48th
Highlanders of Canada) was mobilized on 1 June 1945 for service with
the Canadian Army Pacific Force, and trained for the invasion of
Japan, before being disbanded on 1 November 1945.
Post War
On 4 May 1951, the regiment
mobilized two temporary Active Force companies designated "E"
and "F" Company (CAO 110-2, Pt 'B', Supp Issue No. 245/51; and
SD 1 Letter No. 4237, 5 May 1951). "E" Company was reduced to
nil strength upon its personnel being incorporated into the '1st
Canadian Highland Battalion' for service in Germany with the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (SD 1 Letter No. 4365, 12
November 1951). It was disbanded on 29 July 1953 ( CAO 78-2, Pt
'B', Supp Issue No. 352/53). "F" Company was initially used as a
reinforcement pool for "E" Company. On 15 May 1952, it was
reduced to nil strength, upon its personnel being absorbed by
the newly formed '2nd Canadian Highland Battalion' for service
in Korea with the United Nations (SD 1 Letter No. 4452, 22 April
1952; and CAO 110-2, Pt 'B', Supp Issue No. 283/52). "F" Company
was disbanded on 29 July 1953 (CAO 78-2, Pt 'B', Supp Issue No.
352/53).2
Battle Honours
|
South Africa, 1899-1900 |
Ypres '15, '17
St. Julien
Mount Sorrel
Pozières
Ancre Heights
Vimy, 1917
Scarpe, 1917, '18
Passchendaele
Drocourt-Quéant
Canal du Nord
France and Flanders, 1915-18
Valguarnera
Agira
Regalbuto
Landing at Reggio
Torella
The Gully
San Nicola-San Tommaso
Gustav Line
Hitler Line
Lamone Crossing
Rimini Line
Fosso Vecchio
Apeldoorn |
Gravenstafel
Festubert, 1915
Somme, 1916
Thiepval
Arras 1917, '18
Arleux
Hill 70
Amiens
Hindenburg Line
Pursuit to Mons
Landing in Sicily
Assoro
Adrano
Sicily, 1943
Campobasso
San Leonardo
Ortona
Cassino II
Liri Valley
Gothic Line
Misano Ridge
San Martino-San Lorenzo
Italy, 1943-1945
North-West Europe,1944-45 |
| |
|
Insignia
Cap Badge
The first pattern shown by Daniel Mazeas
for the Regiment shows a falcon's head completely enclosed by a
belt, with the numeral 48 as shown at right. The pattern was changed
by 1904 to that shown below with the falcon displaced upwards to
accommodate a scroll with the word HIGHLANDERS.
|
 |
|
The cap badge is described by the
Directorate of History and Heritage as:
On a torteau the number 48 Argent
above a scroll Azure edged and inscribed HIGHLANDERS in letters
Argent, all encircled by a belt Azure edged buckled and
inscribed DILEAS GU BRATH in letters Argent, overall in chief on
a wreath Argent and Gules a falcon's head couped Argent.
|
The use of
the belted annulus in the design of the badge has been
controversial; cap badges in the Second World War had the
belt removed as it was considered an element of heraldry
inappropriate to unit cap badges. The badge was described in
Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army in 1964 as:
Within
an annulus inscribed "DILEAS GU BRATH", the numeral
"48"; above the numeral and resting on a bar, a falcon's
head, couped; below the numeral a curved scroll
inscribed "HIGHLANDERS".
|
|
|
 |
Notes
-
A-AD-267-000/AF-003
Official Lineages, Volume 3, Part 1: Armour,
Artillery and Field Engineer Regiments – Armour Regiments.
Directorate of History and Heritage. June 11, 2010 accessed
online at
http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-3/par2/doc/ar.pdf
-
Ibid
|
