The Prince Edward Island Light Horse was a cavalry regiment of the

Non-Permanent Active Militia The Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) was the military reserve force of Canada from 1855 to 1940. It was composed of several dozen infantry battalions (redesignated as regiments in 1900) and cavalry regiments. After the withdrawal of British ...

of the

Canadian Militia The Canadian Militia is a historical title for military units raised for the defence of Canada. The term has been used to describe sedentary militia units raised from local communities in Canada; as well as the regular army for the Province of Ca ...

(now 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 ...

). First authorized in 1901 as an independent squadron of

Canadian Mounted Rifles Canadian Mounted Rifles was part of the designation of several mounted infantry units in Canada in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Units of the Permanent Active Militia Permanent Active Militia was the proper name of Canada's full-time ...

, it became a full regiment in 1903 and received its regimental number in 1914. The regiment served until 1946 when it was amalgamated with

The Prince Edward Island Highlanders The Prince Edward Island Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. In 1946, the regiment was amalgamated with The Prince Edward Island Light Horse to form The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC). Lineage The Prince Edward I ...

to form what is now

The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) is a Primary Reserve armoured reconnaissance regiment of the Canadian Forces, 5th Canadian Division, 36 Canadian Brigade Group. The regiment is based in Charlottetown and Summerside, Prince Edward Island. ...

Lineage

* Originated on 1 June, 1901, in

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...

, as ''“L” Squadron, Prince Edward Island Mounted Rifles''. * Redesignated on 1 October, 1901, as “L” Squadron, Canadian Mounted Rifles. * Redesignated on 1 April, 1903, as the ''Prince Edward Island Light Horse'' * Granted full regimental status on 16 February 1914, with the formation of an additional squadron in Summerside, PEI. * Redesignated on 1 April, 1914, as the ''36th Prince Edward Island Light Horse''. * Redesignated on 15 March, 1920, as ''The Prince Edward Island Light Horse''. * Redesignated on 1 April, 1941, as the ''17th (Reserve) Armoured Regiment (Prince Edward Island Light Horse)''. * Amalgamated on 1 April, 1946, with

to form the ''17th (Prince Edward Island) Reconnaissance Regiment''; now

History

Early history

The Prince Edward Island Light Horse was first authorized on 1 June 1901, as an independent squadron in the

component of the

. On 16 February 1914, it was granted full regimental status after an additional squadron was established in Summerside, PEI. A few months later on 1 April 1914, the regiment was redesignated as the ''36th Prince Edward Island Light Horse''. On 15 March 1920, as a result of the Canadian Militia reforms following the

Otter Commission The Otter Commission, or Otter Committee, was established after the First World War to tackle a problem created by the chaotic mobilization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In 1919, units of the CEF, intended as a wartime expeditionary force, ...

, the regiment was simply redesignated as ''The Prince Edward Island Light Horse''.

Second World War

During the Second World War, the PEI Light Horse on 27 February 1941 mobilized an armoured squadron which formed the Headquarters Squadron of the

1st Canadian Armoured Brigade The 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade, later known as 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, was an Armoured warfare, armoured brigade of the Canadian Army, raised during the World War II, Second World War. The brigade was composed of the 11th, 12th and ...

. They would later on 1 November 1943 be reorganized as the ''2nd Canadian Corps Defence Company (The Prince Edward Island Light Horse)''. On 6 July 1944, the PEI Light Horse landed in France and served as part of the

II Canadian Corps II Canadian Corps was a corps-level formation that, along with I (British) Corps (August 1, 1944, to April 1, 1945) and I Canadian Corps (April 6, 1943, to November 1943, and April 1, 1945, until the end of hostilities), comprised the First C ...

until the end of the war in Europe in May 1945. The youngest Canadian soldier to die in the Second World War, 14-year-old

Robert Cyril Claude Brooks Robert Cyril Claude Brooks (27 January 1930 – 23 September 1944) was the youngest Canadian soldier to die in the Second World War. A member of the Canadian Reserve Army, Brooks was killed in a training accident at the age of 14 on Prince Edwar ...

was a member of the 17th (Reserve) Armoured Regiment (Prince Edward Island Light Horse). He was killed in a training accident near

Coleman, Prince Edward Island Coleman is a Canadian rural community in Prince County, Prince Edward Island, Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is located southeast of O'Leary, Prince Edward Island, O'Leary. External links Government of PEI profile
Communities in ...

, at approximately 7:30 pm on 23 September 1944, when a

Universal Carrier The Universal Carrier, a development of the earlier Bren Gun Carrier from its light machine gun armament, was one of a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrongs and other companies. The first carriers – the Br ...

was driven through a guard rail on a bridge, overturning into the water below. He was trapped beneath the overturned vehicle and drowned, along with two fellow members of the regiment, Sergeant D.C. Ramsay and Trooper W.N. Dennis.

Postwar

On 1 April, 1946, The Prince Edward Island Light Horse was amalgamated with

to form the ''17th (Prince Edward Island) Reconnaissance Regiment'' (now

Sub-units

The Prince Edward Island Light Horse (3 March 1920) * Regimental Headquarters (

Charlottetown, PEI Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...

) * A Squadron (Charlottetown, PEI) * B Squadron ( Summerside, PEI) * C Squadron ( Montague, PEI)

Alliances

* -

9th Queen's Royal Lancers The 9th Queen's Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1715. It saw service for three centuries, including the First and Second World Wars. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces, ...

(Until 1946)

Uniform

The officers of the 36th PEI Light Horse in full dress wore a scarlet dragoon tunic with yellow facings and piping, and dark blue trousers with a broad yellow stripe. For regimental headdress, instead of the more expensive metal cavalry helmets, they wore white Canadian-pattern pith helmets with gilt regimental badge, chin strap and spike surmounted by a red over white hair plume. The non-commissioned officers and other ranks of the regiment in full dress on the other hand wore scarlet serge frock with yellow facings and dark blue trousers with a broad yellow stripe. For regimental headdress, they wore peaked caps of dark blue with yellow bands and piping.

Battle honours

Great War

Arras, 1917 The Battle of Arras, also known as the Second Battle of Arras, was a British offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British troops attacked German defences near the French city of Arras on the We ...

, '18 *

Ypres, 1917 The Third Battle of Ypres (; ; ), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele ( ), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by the Allies against the German Empire. The battle took place on the Western Front, from July to November 1917, f ...

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...

Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (, Siegfried Position) was a German Defense line, defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in France during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to ...

Pursuit to Mons Pursuit may refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Pursuit'' (1935 film), a 1935 American action film * ''Pursuit'' (1972 American film), a made-for-TV film directed by Michael Crichton * ''Pursuit'' (1972 Hong Kong film), a Shaw Brot ...

Second World War

* North-West Europe, 1944–1945 Battle honour awarded to regiment's successor, Prince Edward Island Regiment, after the regiment was amalgamated, but for service and actions of the 2nd Canadian Corps Defence Company (The Prince Edward Island Light Horse).

Notable members

John George MacKay John George MacKay (November 6, 1893 – October 21, 1974) was a farmer and political figure on Prince Edward Island. He represented 4th Prince in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1949 to 1966 as a Liberal. MacKay was ...

Notes and references

{{reflist Light Horse regiments of Canada Military units and formations of Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island Regiment Military units and formations disestablished in 1946

Lineage

History

Early history

Second World War

Postwar

Sub-units

Alliances

Uniform

Battle honours

Great War

Second World War

Notable members

See also

Notes and references