The Perth Regiment was 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 is currently on the

Supplementary Order of Battle In the Canadian Army, a regiment is placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle when the need for the regiment's existence is no longer relevant. When placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle, a regiment is considered "virtually disbanded", and ...

Lineage

Lineage of The Perth Regiment:

The Perth Regiment (Overseas Battalion)

*Originated 22 Dec as 110th (Overseas) Battalion, CEF *Disbanded 17 Jul 1917 *Originated 1 Sep 1939 as The Perth Regiment (Machine Gun), CASF *Redesignated 2 Nov 1940 as 1st Battalion, The Perth Regiment (Machine Gun), CASF *Redesignated 11 Feb 1941 as 1st Battalion, The Perth Regiment (Motor), CASF *Redesignated 31 Jan 1943 as 1st Battalion, The Perth Regiment,

CIC CIC may refer to: Organizations Canada * Cadet Instructors Cadre, a part of the Canadian Armed Forces * Canadian Infantry Corps, renamed in 1947 to Royal Canadian Infantry Corps * Canadian International Council * Canadian Islamic Congress * Chemi ...

, CASF *Disbanded 31 Jan 1946

The Perth Regiment (Reserve Battalion)

*Originated 14 Sep 1866 as 28th (Perth) Battalion of Infantry *Redesignated 8 May 1900 as 28th Perth Regiment *Redesignated 29 Mar 1920 as The Perth Regiment *Amalgamated 15 Dec 1936 with C Company of the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC and redesignated as The Perth Regiment (Machine Gun) *Redesignated 7 Nov 1940 as 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Perth Regiment (Machine Gun) *Redesignated 1 Apr 1941 as 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Perth Regiment (Motor) *Redesignated 1 Apr 1946 as The Perth Regiment *Amalgamated 1 October 1954 with

The Highland Light Infantry of Canada The Highland Light Infantry of Canada was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. In 1965, the regiment was amalgamated with The Scots Fusiliers of Canada to form The Highland Fusiliers of Canada (now The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada). ...

and renamed The Perth and Waterloo Regiment (Highland Light Infantry of Canada) *Amalgamation ceased 1 April 1957 and resumed as The Perth Regiment *Assigned to the Supplementary Order of Battle 28 Feb 1965, and reduced to nil strength

Lineage chart

Perpetuations

* 110th Battalion (Perth), CEF

History

Early history

In 1838, the Third Regiment of Huron was organized in the territory which is now the south part of

Perth County, Ontario Perth County is a county and Census divisions of Canada, census division in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario in Southwestern Ontario, west of Toronto. Its population centres are Listowel, Ontario, Listowel, Mi ...

. This was a paper organization of the compulsory militia, to which every able-bodied male citizen in theory belonged. It did not have equipment, did not train, and while it continued to exist after the voluntary militia was formed, it was distinct from the volunteers. The Stratford Volunteer Rifle Company was formed in 1856, elected its own officers, and carried on entirely at the expense of its members for two years, before it was officially recognized in 1858. In response to the Fenian Raids, a temporary battalion-sized composite unit was formed in 1866 at

Thorold Thorold is a city in Ontario, Canada, located on the Niagara Escarpment. It is also the seat of the Regional Municipality of Niagara. The Welland Canal passes through the city, featuring lock 7 and the Twin Flight Locks. History The first surv ...

, Ontario. It consisted of companies from Stratford, Chatham,

Ingersoll Ingersoll may refer to: People *Ingersoll (surname) *Ingersoll Lockwood (1841–1918), American lawyer and writer Places Canada * Ingersoll, Ontario United States * Ingersoll, Oklahoma * Ingersoll, Wisconsin * Ingersoll Township, Michigan ...

, St. Thomas and

Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as The Royal City, it is roughly east of Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Ontario Highway 6, ...

. A general order of the Militia Department of the

Province of Canada The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in British North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report ...

, dated 14 September 1866 authorized a regimental headquarters. Robert Service of Stratford was promoted to Lt Col and appointed to command. The Stratford Volunteer Rifle Company became No. 1 Company of the regiment. Other

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...

were in

Listowel Listowel ( ; , ) is a heritage market town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is on the River Feale, from the county town, Tralee. The town of Listowel had a population of 4,794 according to the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, the third large ...

and St. Marys The principle of Militia units was voluntary service and year-round training while carrying on with civilian life. The Perth Regiment maintained this principle throughout its peacetime service.

First World War

On 6 August 1914, during events which led to the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, details of the regiment were placed on active service for local protection duties. The

Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF; French: ''Corps expéditionnaire canadien'') was the expeditionary warfare, expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed on August 15, 1914, following United Kingdom declarat ...

(CEF) was organized in 1914 and 1915 using numbered battalions, which had little connection with the existing militia regiments. The 110th Battalion (Perth), CEF was authorized on 22 December 1915. The Perth Regiment recruited the 110th Battalion from Perth county. The 110th Battalion embarked for

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

on 31 October 1916 with a strength of 679 all ranks. On 2 January 1917, personnel of the 110th Battalion were absorbed by the 8th Battalion, CEF to provide reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field. The 110th Battalion was disbanded on 17 July 1917.

Second World War

The 1st Battalion, The Perth Regiment, was mobilized 1 September 1939 for service in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The 1st Battalion embarked for Great Britain on 9 October 1941. It landed in Italy on 8 November 1943, as part of the 11th Infantry Brigade,

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 ...

. The 1st Battalion transferred with the

I Canadian Corps I Canadian Corps was one of the two corps fielded by the Canadian Army during the Second World War. History From December 24, 1940, until the formation of the First Canadian Army in April 1942, there was a single unnumbered Canadian Corps. I Ca ...

North-West Europe Northwestern Europe, or Northwest Europe, is a loosely defined subregion of Europe, overlapping Northern and Western Europe. The term is used in geographic, history, and military contexts. Geographic definitions Geographically, Northwestern ...

in March 1945, where it fought until the end of the war. It returned home under command of a Perth militia officer, Lt Col MW Andrew and was disbanded on 31 January 1946. The 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, headquartered in Stratford, was authorized in 1940 and trained recruits for the 1st Battalion.

Post War

In 1954, as a result of the

Kennedy Report on the Reserve Army The Kennedy Report on the Reserve Army was a report released in 1954 that reorganized the reserve forces of the Canadian Army. The report was issued by a three-person board, invoked by Chief of the General Staff Guy Simonds, and chaired by Major ...

, this regiment was amalgamated with

to form The Perth and Waterloo Regiment (Highland Light Infantry of Canada). This was not a successful amalgamation, and in 1957 the two units reverted to their former designations. In June 1964, The Commission on the Reorganization of the Canadian Army (Militia), commonly called the Suttie Commission, issued its report. The Commission proposed the

to maintain the name of deactivated units and to facilitate reactivation. The commission further recommended that the Perth Regiment be transferred to the

and that the regiment's personnel be absorbed by 3 RCR (now 4 RCR). On 28 February 1965, The Perth Regiment was reduced to nil strength and placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle. At the time it was inactivated, The Perth Regiment consisted of a company in Stratford and a support platoon in St Marys. Before being moved to the Supplementary Order of Battle, The Perth Regiment its final

Order of Precedence An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of importance applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. For individuals, it is most often used for diplomats in attendance at very formal occasions. It can also be used in the context of ...

as 16.

Alliances

The Perth Regiment was allied to the Cameronians, the Otago Regiment of

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, 26th Battalion of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, and the Witwatersrand Rifles of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

Uniform

They wore

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...

kilt, green

glengarry The Glengarry bonnet is a traditional Scots cap made of thick-milled woollen material, decorated with a toorie on top, frequently a rosette cockade on the left side, and ribbons hanging behind. It is normally worn as part of Scottish military ...

with green & white diced border, grey

sporran The sporran (; Scottish Gaelic for ' purse'), a traditional part of male Scottish Highland dress, is a pouch that functions as a pocket for the kilt. Made of leather or fur, the ornamentation of the sporran is chosen to complement the formality ...

with three black points, Douglas hose, and green garter flashes.

Battle Honours

In the list below, battle honours in small capitals were awarded for participation in large operations and campaigns, while those in lowercase indicate honours granted for more specific battles. The battle honours written in bold are emblazoned on the regimental colour.

Colours

The first set of colours was presented by the 28th Regiment Chapter IODE, on 15 June 1927 at Queen's Park Stratford, Ontario. The second set of colours was presented by the Honourable

John Keiller MacKay Lieutenant-Colonel John Keiller MacKay (July 11, 1888 – June 12, 1970) was a Canadian soldier, lawyer and jurist. MacKay served as the 19th lieutenant governor of Ontario from 1957 to 1963. Early life and education John Keiller MacKa ...

Lieutenant Governor of Ontario The lieutenant governor of Ontario (, in French: ''Lieutenant-gouverneur'' (if male) or ''Lieutenante-gouverneure'' (if female) ''de l'Ontario'') is the representative in Ontario of the monarch, who operates distinctly within the province but i ...

on 30 June 1962 at Queen's Park Stratford, Ontario. Both sets of colours are laid up at St. James' Anglican Church, Stratford, Ontario.

Commanding Officers

Overseas Battalion

Source: *1915 - LCol JL Youngs *1917 - Disbanded *1939 - LCol SH McComb, ED *1940 - LCol (later

Col A col is the lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks; a mountain pass or saddle. COL, CoL or col may also refer to: Computers * Caldera OpenLinux, a defunct Linux distribution * , an HTML element specifying a column * A collision sig ...

) GW Little, MVO, OBE, MC, ED *1942 - LCol (later BGen) ISH Lind, DSO, ED *1943 - LCol (later Col) HET Doucet, OBE, ED (May - Sep) *1943 - LCol (later BGen) WS Rutherford, ED *1944 - LCol (later BGen) ISH Lind, DSO, ED (Mar - May) *1944 - LCol (later BGen) WW Reid, DSO *1944 - LCol MW Andrew, DSO, ED, QC *1946 - Disbanded

Reserve Battalion

*1866 - LCol Robert S Service *1872 - LCol WM Smith, VD *1881 - LCol D Scot *1885 - LColl RS McKnight *1898 - LCol AAW Whight *1903 - LCol WG Moscrip, VD *1908 - LCol GT Cooke *1912 - LCol WM Lawrence, VD *1920 - LCol JL Youngs, MC *1923 - LCol AW Deacon, MC *1928 - LCol RM Trow *1933 - LCol H Denroche *1933 - LCol A Garrod, MC, ED *1939 - LCol SH McComb, ED *1940 - LCol GDL Rice, ED *1944 - Maj TW Orr *1946 - LCol John S Whyte, ED *1950 - LCol (later B Gen) WH Hempell, CD *1954 - LCol EM Hutchinson, CD *1959 - LCol FW Savage, CD *1962 - LCol EB Burnett, ED *1964 - LCol EC Skowby, CD *1965 - Assigned to Supplementary Order of battle and reduced to nil strength

Photo Gallery

File:Private of the Canadian Perth Regiment advancing through forest north of Arnhem with Bren gun 1945.jpg, Private H.E. Goddard of The Perth Regiment, carrying a

Bren gun The Bren gun (Brno-Enfield) was a series of light machine guns (LMG) made by the United Kingdom in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. While best known for its role as the British and Commonwealth forces' primary infantry LMG in Worl ...

while advancing through a forest north of Arnhem, Netherlands, April 1945 File:PteKOEarlPerthRegimentArnhem15April1945.jpg, Private K.O. Earl of The Perth Regiment resting in the forest north of Arnhem, Netherlands, April 15, 1945 File:Houtsnijwerk Perth Regiment.jpg, ''Audax et Cautus''

Notes and references

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Perth Regiment Infantry regiments of Canada Scottish regiments of Canada Military units and formations of Ontario Military units and formations established in 1866 Military units and formations disestablished in 1965 1866 establishments in Canada Infantry regiments of Canada in World War II Supplementary Order of Battle