The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada is a reserve infantry regiment in 34 Canadian Brigade Group, 2nd Canadian Division, of the Canadian Army. The regiment is at 2067, rue Bleury (2067, Bleury Street) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is currently commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel D.M. Serapins. The regiment's armoury was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2008. They are the senior Canadian-Scottish Regiment.

Lineage and history

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File:RHC Regt Colour.jpg|The regimental colour of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada.

File:RHC Camp Flag.jpg|The camp flag of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada

File:Black Watch (Old Campbell) tartan, tileable.png|Black Watch tartan, also known as the "Government sett".

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Volunteers have served since the regiment's inception in Montreal on 31 January 1862, as the 5th Battalion, Volunteer Militia Rifles of Canada. The rise of American military strength during their Civil War concerned Canada. The government authorized formation of militia regiments. Each of six Montreal Scottish chieftains responded by raising an infantry company for the 5th Battalion. Eventually, eight companies were raised.

The 1st Canadian Highland Battalion

  • Originated 4 May 1951 in Valcartier, Quebec
  • Amalgamated 16 October 1953 with The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada and redesignated as the 1st Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada

Perpetuations

War of 1812

  • 5th Battalion, Select Embodied Militia

On 1 July 1970, when the 1st and 2nd Battalions were reduced to nil strength and transferred to the Supplementary Order of Battle, the Reserve Force battalion automatically relinquished its numerical designation.

Alliances

  • - Royal Regiment of Scotland, 3rd battalion the Black Watch

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. Battle honours in bold type are authorized to be emblazoned on the regimental colours.<gallery>

File:RHC Regt Colour.jpg|The regimental colour

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War of 1812

South African War

Great War

Second World War

War in Afghanistan

Victoria Cross recipients

{| class="wikitable"

|+

|Lance Corporal Frederick Fisher †

13th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force

St. Julien, Belgium

23 April 1915

|-

|Corporal Herman James Good

13th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force

near Amiens, France

8 August 1918

|-

|Private John Bernard Croak †

13th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force

Amiens, France

8 August 1918

|-

|Private Thomas Dinesen

42nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force

Parvillers (near Amiens), France

12 August 1918

|-

|<small>† - Awarded posthumously</small>

|}

Pipes and drums

thumb|Black Watch of Canada Pipes and Drums at the Montreal [[St. Patrick's Day Parade in 2017.]]The Black Watch of Canada Pipes and Drums is the oldest organized pipe band in North America and the Canadian Army. It has, over the years, been consistently ranked among the top Canadian Forces bands in all rated categories. It is officially part of the Black Watch. It is in Montreal. It is a descendant of the 42nd Battalion Royal Highlanders of Canada Pipes and Drums, which was active during the First World War. The Pipes and Drums are currently commanded by Pipe Major, Sergeant Robert Kerr, and Drum Major, Warrant Officer Hugues Vanden Abeele, CD.

Activities

The Pipes and Drums have appeared at many events over the years, with appearances including The Ed Sullivan Show, military tattoos and highland games throughout North America (including games in Fort Ticonderoga, Miami, and the Stone Mountain Highland Games and Tattoo near Atlanta). The Black Watch have played at the United States Bicentennial in 1976 and for Trooping the Colour in London. It was the only foreign band to march in the parade celebrating the Bicentennial of the American Constitution and was one of many bands at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's 90th and 100th birthday celebrations on Horse Guards Parade.

Traditions

As members of a royal regiment, the pipers wear the Royal Stewart tartan, which is the tartan of the current monarch. The regimental drummers wear the Government tartan, which came to be known as the Black Watch tartan due to its dark hue.

Cadet corps

Bishop's College School Cadet Corps #2 has been affiliated with the Royal Highland Regiment of Canada since 1936. In early May each year, the Corps sends two platoons and the colour party to march with the Regiment in their Church Parade.

See also

  • Canadian-Scottish regiment
  • Black Friday (1944)
  • The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Forces
  • List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage

Order of precedence

Notes and references

  • Barnes, RM, The Uniforms and History of the Scottish Regiments, London, Sphere Books Limited, 1972.

Bibliography

  • Earl John Chapman "Black Watch of Canada: The Early Years 1862-1878" Montreal : Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), 2006.
  • Earl John Chapman "Canada's Black Watch: Legacies of Gallantry and Service Canada's Black Watch, 1862-2012" Montreal : Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), 2012.
  • Earl John Chapman "Not Every One A Castle: Regimental Homes of Canada's Black Watch" Montreal : Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), 2006.
  • Brian Cuthbertson "The Black Watch story : Atlantic Canada's Regiment 1951-1970" (Halifax : Brian Cuthbertson, 2007)
  • Simon Falconer "Canada's Black Watch: An Illustrated History of the Regular Force Battalions 1951-1970" (Fredericton, N.B. : Goose Lane Editions, ©2008)
  • R.C. Fetherstonhaugh "The 13th Battalion Royal Highlanders of Canada, 1914-18"
  • Col Paul Phelps Hutchison "The 73rd Battalion: Royal Highlanders of Canada, 1915-1917" (Bloomfield, Ont. : Museum Restoration Service, 1987)
  • Col Paul Phelps Hutchison "The 73rd Battalion: Royal Highlanders of Canada, 1915-1917" (Montreal : Royal Highlanders of Canada, 2011)
  • Col Paul Phelps Hutchison "Canada's black watch : the first 100 years, 1862-1962" (Montreal : Black Watch of Canada, 1987)
  • James Wilson Knox "The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada; the regimental book" (Montreal Regimental Headquarters, the Regimental Armoury: 1965)
  • H. Rees "The Royal Highlanders of Canada allied with the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 1862-1918." (London, H. Rees, 1918.)
  • W W Murray "Black Watch at Ticonderoga: Canadians in Dunsterforce: Military articles by director of military intelligence 1940-1946
  • Brian Pascas "Mud, Blood, and Rum: A Year in the Trenches with the 42nd Bn" (General Store)
  • Victoria Schofield "The Highland Furies: The Black Watch (1739-1899)"
  • Lieut.-Colonel C.B. Topp "The 42nd Battalion, C.E.F. Royal Highlanders of Canada in the Great War"
  • The Black Watch regimental website
  • Regimental Museum and Archives
  • The Black Watch – official lineage
  • History and Uniform of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, 1862 to 1970
  • Black Watch Pipes And Drums &ndash; Ed Sullivan Show