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The Black Watch (Royal
Highland Regiment) of Canada
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The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada was an infantry regiment of the
Canadian Army during the 20th Century that continued its
service into the 21st. The regiment was briefly on the order
of battle as a Regular Force infantry regiment during the
1950s and 1960s, and reverted back to a one-battalion
Militia unit in 1970.
Lineage
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5th
Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles, Canada formed
on 31 Jan 1862 at Montreal from six volunteer Militia
companies
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Redesignated The Royal Light Infantry of Montreal on
7 November 1862
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Redesignated 5th Battalion Fusileers Montreal
(sic) on 19 November 1875
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Redesignated 5th Battalion, "Royal Fusiliers"
Montreal on 14 January 1876
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Redesignated 5th Battalion, "Royal Scots Fusiliers"
on 27 February 1880
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Redesignated 5th Battalion, "Royal Scots of Canada"
on 29 February 1884
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Redesignated 5th Regiment, "Royal Scots of Canada"
on 8 May 1900
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Redesignated 5th Regiment "Royal Scots of Canada,
Highlanders" on 2 May 1904
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Redesignated 5th Regiment "Royal Highlanders of
Canada" on 1 October 1906
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Redesignated The Royal Highlanders of Canada on 1
April 1920
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Redesignated The Black Watch (Royal Highland
Regiment) of Canada on 1 July 1935
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The
Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada |
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Headquarters:
Various, see article
Predecessors: none
Perpetuates: 13th, 42nd and 73rd Battalions, CEF
Raised: 31 January 1862
Status on 31 December 1999: Active Militia
Regiment |
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Early History
The regiment had provided personnel to
guard the Canadian border during the Fenian Raids in 1866 and 1870,
and contributed volunteers for South Africa during the Second Boer
War in 1899-1902. The 5th Regiment, Royal Highlanders of Canada were
expanded to a two-battalion Regiment on 1 August 1906 by General
Order 125/06. Both battalions remained on the order of battle of the
Non-Permanent Active Militia (i.e. were not regular, full-time
battalions).
First World War
The regiment raised three kilted battalions for the Canadian
Expeditionary Force, all of which served in the front line with the
Canadian Corps. The 13th Battalion served with the 1st Division, the
42nd Battalion with the 3rd Division and the 73rd Battalion with the
4th Division. Three soldiers of the 13th Battalion (Lance Corporal
Frederick Fisher, Corporal Herman Good, Private John Bernard Croak)
and one of the 42nd (Private Thomas Dinesen) were awarded the
Victoria Cross.
On 12 March 1920, as part of the
reorganizations of the Otter Committee, the regiment was reorganized
as a four-battalion regiment. The 1st and 2nd Battalions, The Royal
Highlanders of Canada remained on the order of battle of the
Non-Permanent Active Militia while the 3rd and 4th Battalions were
reserve battalions. The latter were disbanded on 14 December 1936
during the reorganization of that year.
Second World War
Details of the regiment (designated The Black Watch (Royal Highland
Regiment) of Canada in 1935) were placed on active service on 26 August
1939 for local protective duties.
At this time the regiment consisted of regimental headquarters and
two N.P.A.M. battalions. The regiment mobilized a battalion for the Canadian Active Service
Force (C.A.S.F.) on 1 September 1939. Components of the regiment as
of 2 September thus included:
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Regimental Headquarters, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, NPAM
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1st Battalion, The Black Watch
(Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, CASF
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1st Battalion, The Black Watch
(Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, CASF, Depot
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1st Battalion, The Black Watch
(Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, NPAM
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2nd Battalion, The Black Watch
(Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, NPAM
The C.A.S.F. unit was a component of the 5th
Canadian Infantry Brigade of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division and
moved to the United Kingdom in August 1940 after a short tour of
duty in Newfoundland. Three platoons were sent to Dieppe on 19
August 1942. The battalion landed in Normandy in July 1944, served
throughout the Northwest Europe campaign, and was disbanded on 30
November 1945.
On 25 July 1940, the
1st Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada,
CASF, Depot, was absorbed into No. 4 District Depot. The N.P.A.M.
was redesignated to become the Canadian Army (Reserve) and the two
existing battalions of the N.P.A.M. were redesignated on 7 November
1940 to become the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion and 3rd (Reserve)
Battalion while the C.A.S.F. unit was designated 1st Battalion, The
Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada as part of the
redesignation of the C.A.S.F. to become the Canadian Army (Active).
The Black Watch
regimental structure after these changes on 7 November 1940:
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Regimental Headquarters, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada (Reserve), Canadian
Army
(Reserve)
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1st (Active) Battalion, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Canadian Army
(Active)
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2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Canadian Army
(Reserve)
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3rd (Reserve) Battalion, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Canadian Army
(Reserve)
A 2nd (Active) Battalion was placed on
active service with effect 18 March 1942, serving with the 6th
Division of Atlantic Command for home defence. The regimental
structure then consisted of:
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Regimental Headquarters, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada (Reserve), Canadian
Army
(Reserve)
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1st (Active) Battalion, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Canadian Army
(Active)
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2nd (Active) Battalion, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Canadian Army
(Active)
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3rd (Reserve) Battalion, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Canadian Army
(Reserve)
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4th (Reserve) Battalion, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Canadian Army
(Reserve)
The 2nd (Active) Battalion was disbanded
on 15 August 1943, and the reserve battalions were again renumbered,
the 4th Battalion becoming the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion.
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Regimental Headquarters, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada (Reserve), Canadian
Army
(Reserve)
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1st (Active) Battalion, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Canadian Army
(Active)
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2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Canadian Army
(Reserve)
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3rd (Reserve) Battalion, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Canadian Army
(Reserve)
On 30 November 1945, the 1st (Active)
Battalion returned from duty overseas with the 2nd Canadian Infantry
Division and was disbanded. The 3rd (Reserve) Battalion was
redesignated to become the 1st Battalion once more and the 2nd
(Reserve) Battalion was once more simply the 2nd Battalion.
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Regimental Headquarters, The Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Canadian Army
(Reserve)
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1st Battalion, The Black Watch
(Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Canadian Army (Reserve)
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2nd Battalion, The Black Watch
(Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Canadian Army (Reserve)
On 31 March 1946, Regimental
Headquarters and the 2nd Battalion were disbanded, and the 1st
Battalion lost its numerical designation.1
Post War
The Black Watch provided a company to
the 1st Canadian Highland Battalion raised for NATO service in West
Germany on 4 May 1951, and on 10 April 1952 provided a second
company for the 2nd Canadian Highland Battalion. On 16 October 1953,
both battalions were redesignated the 1st and 2nd Battalions, The
Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, with the Militia
unit based in Montreal becoming the 3rd Battalion. A regimental
depot at Gagetown, New Brunswick was authorized on 16 October 1953.
As a Regular Force regiment, the Black
Watch served on NATO duty and peacekeeping missions overseas,
notably Cyprus. Three soldiers of the unit were killed on duty
serving with UNFICYP:
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Cpl V.J. Perkin,
Black Watch (RHR) of C, 18 Oct 1965
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Pte J.P.E. Bernard,
2 Black Watch (RHR) of C, UNFICYP, 09 Jul 1966
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Pte J.A. Lerue, 2
Black Watch (RHR) of C, UNFICYP, 09 Feb 19702
On 1 July 1970, the
1st and 2nd Battalions were reduced to nil strength and transferred
to the Supplementary Order of Battle, and the Reserve Force
battalion automatically surrendered its numerical designation,
becoming simply "The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of
Canada" once again.
Battle Honours
The Regiment was awarded Battle Honours
for South Africa and both World Wars (bold type indicates honours selected for
emblazonment):
General Order No. 110 of 1929 granted honours for the First World
War.
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South Africa, 1899-1900 |
Ypres 1915, '17
St. Julien
Mount Sorrel
Pozières
Thiepval
Ancre, 1916
Vimy, 1917
Scarpe, 1917, '18
Passchendaele
Drocourt-Quéant
Canal du Nord
France and Flanders, 1915-18
Faubourg de Vaucelles
Falaise
Forêt de la Londe
Antwerp-Turnhout Canal
Woensdrecht
Walcheren Causeway
The Hochwald
The Rhine
Oldenburg |
Gravenstavel
Festubert, 1915
Somme, 1916
Flers-Courcelette
Ancre Heights
Arras, 1917, '18
Arleux
Hill 70
Amiens
Hindenburg Line
Pursuit to Mons
Bourguébus Ridge
Verrières Ridge-Tilly-la-Campagne
Clair Tizon
Dunkirk, 1944
The Scheldt
South Beveland
The Rhineland
Xanten
Groningen
North-West Europe,1944-45 |
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Traditions
- Regimental Alliances
Motto
Nemo Me Impune
Lacessit (Latin: No one assails me with impunity)
Regimental March
The Highland Laddie
Insignia
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Cap Badge
The cap badge is described in "Regiments and Corps of the Canadian
Army" as:
Superimposed upon a diamond cut
Star of the Order of the Thistle, a wreath of thistles; within
the wreath, an oval inscribed "NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT"; within
the oval, on a recessed seeded ground, St. Andrew and Cross;
above the oval, a scroll inscribed "THE BLACK WATCH";
superimposed upon the scroll and surmounting the oval, the
Crown; below the oval, two scrolls, the upper inscribed "ROYAL
HIGHLAND REGIMENT", the lower bearing the inscription "OF
CANADA".3
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Red Hackle
The Black Watch (Royal Highland
Regiment) of the British Army had jealously guarded its
right to wear a red hackle on its headdress. The tradition
was granted to the Canadian regiment in homage to its
service in the First World War. The hackle was worn on tam
o'shanters and balmorals in place of the metal cap badge,
and during the Second World War a red hackle insignia
marking was seen on steel helmets during the 1st Battalion's
time in the United Kingdom. A tall red hackle was also worn
on the feather bonnets of the Regimental Pipes and Drums. |
Notes
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Thanks to Mark Tonner for his research and advice
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http://www.cavunp.org/honour.html
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The Regiments and Corps of the Canadian
Army, Queen's Printer, Ottawa,
1964, pp.122-125
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