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The New Brunswick Scottish
The decision to amalgamate the units came from discussions between Brigadier D.R. Agnew (officer commanding Military District No. 7) and the two unit commanders. The unit was to be one of three infantry units in Eastern Command alongside the Carleton and York and The North Shore Regiment. The South New Brunswick Regiment was to include headquarters company, support company and a rifle company in Saint John with three additional rifle companies at Hampton, Sussex and Petitcodiac. According to the Saint John Telegraph Journal, "the former New Brunswick Rangers drew their personnel largely from Kings and Westmorland counties, hence the decision to have company headquarters located at the three provincial points."4
In
September 1947 "B" Company had a headquarters at Clifton
with platoons at Rothesay and Kingston, "C" Company in the
Sussex-Chipman area and "D" Company in the
Petitcodiac-Salisbury area.5 The redesignation to a Scottish unit came just over three months after the creation of the regiment. Scottish units in the British Army were distinct from Highland units in wearing tartan trews rather than the kilt. A request to perpetuate the affiliation with the KOSB was submitted in 1947, reportedly "welcomed by that unit" and made official on 15 Sep 1947 with Ottawa's approval.8 The brass band kept up a busy schedule even after the redesignation. The regiment had its first attendance at a summer camp since 1939 in July 1947.9 In Nov 1947 "C" Company was reportedly headquartered in Saint John with "A" Company and the total strength of the entire battalion was 32 officers and 150 other ranks - including a unit Pipe Major.10 J.Norman Stuart Leslie, a prominent citizen of Kingston, Ontario, and retired officer of the Royal Canadian Artillery, was named the honorary colonel of the regiment in May 1948.11 In September 1948 the regiment reportedly broke down as follows:12
A concerted effort to expand a regimental pipe band was underway by September 1948 when John McLeod (late of The Seaforth Highlanders) was brought to Canada to take the role of Pipe Major.13 The band wore kilts in the Leslie Dress Tartan and quickly recruited to a strength of 6 pipers and 6 drummers.14
New Brunswick Scottish officers talk on a land line in the field as two other officers look on, 1951. Photo and Caption Credit: RNBR Digital Archive The regiment lost its identify effective 1 Oct 1954 when the three infantry regiments in New Brunswick were amalgamated to become The New Brunswick Regiment. The 1st Battalion, New Brunswick Regiment (Carleton & York) was headquartered in Saint John while the 2nd Battalion, New Brunswick Regiment (North Shore) headquartered at Bathurst. The reorganization became official on 31 Oct 1954. Battle Honours and Perpetuation The regiment inherited the battle honours and perpetuations of The New Brunswick Rangers and The Saint John Fusiliers.
Insignia
The regimental cap badge was approved in 1949 in white metal and brass. The cap badge has the St. Andrew's Cross typical of Scottish/Highland unit badges, as well as the flaming bomb of the St. John Fusiliers. The collar badge of the New Brunswick Rangers was adopted for the service dress uniform. The Tudor pattern crown on the cap badge was never replaced with a St. Edward pattern crown after the ascension of Queen Elizabeth II, as the regiment lost its identity in 1954. According to Chris Brooker existing stocks of badges were buried in a mixture of cement and in the 1970s some were recovered and find their way to the collector's market.15
The regiment had two different styles of battle dress shoulder flash during its existence. In December 1946 a proposed pattern in dark blue with yellow letters and a border was submitted for approval. Two years later Army Headquarters requested sample titles for review, and a second pattern was submitted, slightly smaller and without the border.
The second pattern was approved in June 1949 and was worn until 1954 when the regiment was amalgamated into the Royal New Brunswick Regiment.16
Notes
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History
