The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada
Encyclopedia
The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada is a Primary Reserve infantry
regiment
of the Canadian Forces
. Prince Andrew
, as a member of the Canadian Royal Family, acts as Colonel-in-Chief
. Previously, this post was held by Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
.
, the unit merged with the Royal Scots Fusiliers of Canada. (The latter regiment was reorganized after the Second World War as the 54th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA. Years later it was designated as infantry once again and took back its old name, Royal Scots Fusiliers of Canada.) RHFC has numerous battle honours from both of the World Wars, all won in North-West Europe. RHFC continues to exist to this day with companies in Cambridge
and Kitchener
, and is a unit of 31 Canadian Brigade Group
, headquartered in London, Ontario
.
landings, disembarking at Nan sector on Juno Beach
on June 6, 1944 with the rest of the 9th Brigade, which consisted of the The Highland Light Infantry, the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, and the North Nova Scotia Highlanders. These regiments were not in the first wave assault, but landed later in the morning and advanced through the lead brigades. The 9th Brigade belonged to the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
.
in September 2006 in the Panjwaye District
of Afghanistan. Cpl. Pagnacco was wounded by friendly fire
from an American A-10 Thunderbolt II
on September 4, 2006.
| align="center" colspan="8"|Lineage
|-
| width="50%" rowspan="20" align="center" | Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada
| width="70%" align="center"| Royal Scots Fusiliers of Canada
|-
| width="50%" rowspan="5" align="center"| Highland Light Infantry of Canada
| width="50%" align="center" | Highland Light Infantry of Canada
|-
| width="50%" align="center" | The Perth Regiment
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
. Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, as a member of the Canadian Royal Family, acts as Colonel-in-Chief
Colonel-in-Chief
In the various Commonwealth armies, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its patron. This position is distinct from that of Colonel of the Regiment. They do not have an operational role. They are however kept informed of all important activities of the regiment, and pay occasional visits to its...
. Previously, this post was held by Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
.
History
Formerly known as the Highland Light Infantry of CanadaHighland Light Infantry of Canada
The Highland Light Infantry of Canada was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. Founded in 1886 as the 29th Waterloo Battalion of Infantry it went through several name changes including, in 1900, the 29th Waterloo Regiment and in 1915, the 29th Regiment . It acquired its present title in 1920...
, the unit merged with the Royal Scots Fusiliers of Canada. (The latter regiment was reorganized after the Second World War as the 54th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA. Years later it was designated as infantry once again and took back its old name, Royal Scots Fusiliers of Canada.) RHFC has numerous battle honours from both of the World Wars, all won in North-West Europe. RHFC continues to exist to this day with companies in Cambridge
Cambridge, Ontario
Cambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
and Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
, and is a unit of 31 Canadian Brigade Group
31 Canadian Brigade Group
31 Canadian Brigade Group is part of Land Force Central Area, under Land Force Command of the Canadian Forces. It encompasses the southwestern portion of Ontario, and is headquartered in London, Ontario. The 31 CBG area of responsibility stretches from St. Catharines to Windsor. The Brigade has...
, headquartered in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
.
Normandy landings
The Highland Light Infantry regiment participated in the D-DayD-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
landings, disembarking at Nan sector on Juno Beach
Juno Beach
Juno or Juno Beach was one of five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. The sector spanned from Saint-Aubin, a village just east of the British Gold sector, to Courseulles, just west of the British Sword sector...
on June 6, 1944 with the rest of the 9th Brigade, which consisted of the The Highland Light Infantry, the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, and the North Nova Scotia Highlanders. These regiments were not in the first wave assault, but landed later in the morning and advanced through the lead brigades. The 9th Brigade belonged to the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
3rd Canadian Infantry Division
The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Canadian Army from 1940 to c.1945.- History :The formation of the division was authorized on 17 May 1940...
.
Soldiers of the RHFC wounded while serving in Afghanistan
Cpl. Grubb and Cpl. Pagnacco were the first WIA from RHFC since the end of the Second World War. They were both wounded during Operation MedusaOperation Medusa
Operation Medusa was a Canadian-led offensive by major elements of the International Security Assistance Force, Afghan National Army and an A-Team from the 3rd Special Forces Group, as part of the ongoing war in Afghanistan. It aimed to establish government control over an area of Kandahar...
in September 2006 in the Panjwaye District
Panjwaye District
Panjwai is a district in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. It is known as the birthplace of the Taliban. It is located about west of Kandahar city...
of Afghanistan. Cpl. Pagnacco was wounded by friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
from an American A-10 Thunderbolt II
A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
on September 4, 2006.
Lineage
|-style="text-align: center; background: #F08080;"| align="center" colspan="8"|Lineage
|-
| width="50%" rowspan="20" align="center" | Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada
| width="70%" align="center"| Royal Scots Fusiliers of Canada
|-
| width="50%" rowspan="5" align="center"| Highland Light Infantry of Canada
Highland Light Infantry of Canada
The Highland Light Infantry of Canada was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. Founded in 1886 as the 29th Waterloo Battalion of Infantry it went through several name changes including, in 1900, the 29th Waterloo Regiment and in 1915, the 29th Regiment . It acquired its present title in 1920...
| width="50%" align="center" | Highland Light Infantry of Canada
Highland Light Infantry of Canada
The Highland Light Infantry of Canada was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. Founded in 1886 as the 29th Waterloo Battalion of Infantry it went through several name changes including, in 1900, the 29th Waterloo Regiment and in 1915, the 29th Regiment . It acquired its present title in 1920...
|-
| width="50%" align="center" | The Perth Regiment
The Perth Regiment
The Perth Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. Originally founded in 1866 as the 28th Perth Battalion of Infantry the regiment went through several name changes including: 1900 - 28th Perth Regiment; 1920 - The Perth Regiment; 1936 - The Perth Regiment ; 1941 - The Perth Regiment...
See also
- List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage
- Highland Light Infantry of CanadaHighland Light Infantry of CanadaThe Highland Light Infantry of Canada was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. Founded in 1886 as the 29th Waterloo Battalion of Infantry it went through several name changes including, in 1900, the 29th Waterloo Regiment and in 1915, the 29th Regiment . It acquired its present title in 1920...
- Highland Light InfantryHighland Light InfantryThe Highland Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. In 1923 the regimental title was expanded to the Highland Light Infantry ...
Order of precedence
External links
- Juno Beach Centre
- Juno Beach – The Canadians On D-Day
- Canadian battle plan at Juno Beach, at stormpages.com
- Canadians take Juno! Complete battle overview, photos, video, audio and lots of info.
- D-Day: Etat des Lieux: Juno Beach