The Cape Breton Highlanders is an
infantry
Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation.
In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
of the
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also re ...
. It was established in 1871, merged into
The Nova Scotia Highlanders in 1954, and re-established as a distinct regiment in 2011. It is part of the
5th Canadian Division
The 5th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of most army units in the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador; as well as some un ...
's 36 Canadian Brigade Group and is headquartered at
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a former city and urban community on the east coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Sydney was founded in 1785 by the British, was incorporated as a city in 1904, and dissolv ...
.
Lineage
The Cape Breton Highlanders
*Originated 13 October 1871 in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, as the Victoria Provisional Battalion of Infantry, named after
Victoria County
*Redesignated 2 December 1879 as the Victoria "Highland" Provisional Battalion of Infantry
*Redesignated 9 April 1880 as the Victoria Provisional Battalion of Infantry "Argyll Highlanders"
*Redesignated 12 June 1885 as the 94th "Victoria" Battalion of Infantry, "Argyll Highlanders"
*Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 94th Victoria Regiment "Argyll Highlanders"
*Redesignated 29 March 1920 as The Cape Breton Highlanders
*Redesignated 7 November 1940 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Cape Breton Highlanders
*Redesignated 15 February 1946 as The Cape Breton Highlanders
*Reorganized and redesignated 15 September 1954 as the 2nd Battalion of The Nova Scotia Highlanders
*Reorganized and redesignated 9 December 2010 as a separate regiment, The Cape Breton Highlanders
[Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.]
On January 16, 2011, Canadian Defence Minister
Peter MacKay
Peter Gordon MacKay (born September 27, 1965), a Canadian lawyer and politician, served as Member of Parliament (Canada), Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2015 and as Minister of Justice (Canada), Minister of Justice and Attorney General (20 ...
announced that the name of the 2nd Battalion Nova Scotia Highlanders (Cape Breton) would revert to the Cape Breton Highlanders. The regiment's rebadging ceremony was held on September 10, 2011, and MacKay presented the regiment its camp flag on October 2, 2011.
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Lineage chart
Perpetuations
* 85th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders), CEF
* 185th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Cape Breton Highlanders), CEF
Operational history
Great War
Details of the 94th Victoria Regiment "Argyll Highlanders" were called out on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protection duties.4th Canadian Division
The 4th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army. It is currently responsible for Canadian Army operations in the Canadian province of Ontario and is headquartered at Denison Armoury in Toronto. The division was first created as ...
in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battalion was subsequently disbanded on 15 September 1920.Canadian Corps
The Canadian Corps was a World War I corps formed from the Canadian Expeditionary Force in September 1915 after the arrival of the 2nd Canadian Division in France. The corps was expanded by the addition of the 3rd Canadian Division in December 19 ...
in the field until 15 February 1918, when its personnel were absorbed by the 17th Reserve Battalion, CEF. The battalion was subsequently disbanded on 29 November 1918.
Second World War
Details of The Cape Breton Highlanders were called out on service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939, as The Cape Breton Highlanders, CASF (Details), for local protection duties. The details called out on active service were disbanded on 31 December 1940.5th Canadian Armoured Division
Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five.
Fifth or The Fifth may refer to:
* Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth"
* Fifth Avenue
* Fifth column, a political term
* Fifth disease, a cont ...
. The battalion moved to North-West Europe from 20 to 26 February 1945 as part of Operation Goldflake
Operation Goldflake was the administrative move of I Canadian Corps (in essence, almost all Canadian combatant units) and the British 5th Infantry Division from Italy to Northwestern Europe during the Second World War. British-led forces had been ...
, where it continued to fight until the end of the war. The overseas battalion was disbanded on 15 February 1946.
War in Afghanistan
The regiment contributed an aggregate of more than 20% of its authorized strength to the various task forces which served in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2014, first as the 2nd Battalion of The Nova Scotia Highlanders, and later on as a separate regiment.
File:USMC-120221-M-EY704-254.jpg, Dave P. Standings, left, A Platoon, 2nd in command with Cape Breton Highlanders attached to the 36th Canadian Brigade
Battle honours
In the list below, battle honours in capitals were awarded for participation in large operations and campaigns, while those in lowercase indicate honours granted for more specific battles.
Great War
Second World War
War in Afghanistan
*
Media
* The Breed of Manly Men : The History of the Cape Breton Highlanders by Alex Morrison, Ted Slaney (2003)
Order of precedence
Notable people
* Daniel J. MacDonald
See also
* Canadian-Scottish regiment
Notes
References
*Barnes, RM, ''The Uniforms and History of the Scottish Regiments'', London, Sphere Books Limited, 1972.
External links
* {{official website
Cape Breton Highlanders Association Regimental Catechism
Cape Breton HighlanderI
Cape Breton Highlanders
Infantry regiments of Canada in World War II
Military units and formations established in 1871