The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa

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The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa
Cap Badge of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa
Active	1881-present
Country	Canada
Branch	Militia
Type	Line Infantry
Role	Light Role
Size	One battalion
Part of	Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
Garrison/HQ	Ottawa
Motto	Advance
March	The March of The Cameron Men and Pibroch O' Donuil Dubh
Commanders
Colonel in Chief	HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
Insignia
Tartan	Cameron of Erracht

The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa is a reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces.

1 History
2 The Regimental Identity
3 Training
4 Operations
5 Alliances
6 Order of precedence
7 External link

[edit] History

In 1866, the 43rd Battalion of Infantry (otherwise known as the Carleton Blazers) was formed in Bells Corners (now part of Ottawa) with companies in many of the surrounding communities. The unit's first call to service came in 1870 when they were deployed to the Prescott area to defend Canada against Fenian raids. They saw no action there and quickly returned to Ottawa. Because they were so spread out, maintaining troop strength was difficult and in 1875, the regiment was disbanded. In 1881, the unit was stood up again but this time as the 43rd "Ottawa and Carleton" Battalion of Rifles. Over the next 20 years, its members would see action in the North-West (Riel) Rebellion and in the Second Boer War. However, the battalion sent only volunteers and never formed units. It was in the Boer War that Private R.R. Thompson won a Queen's Scarf (a scarf knitted by Queen Victoria for bravery) for his actions saving wounded soldiers.

In 1902, the regiment so impressed the Duke of Cornwall (later King George V) that he became the Camerons' first honorary colonel and allowed the regiment to bear his name. The new name for the regiment was the 43rd Regiment, Duke of Cornwall's Own Rifles.

In 1914, when World War I began, the unit was mobilized for action. However, once again, the unit did not go overseas as a unit. Instead, the unit was used to recruit and train soldiers mostly for the 2nd, 38th, and 207th battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The Camerons perpetuate the 38th and 207th battalions. The 38th saw action in France from 1916 to 1918 and received many battle honours. The members who served were also well decorated. The 207th left in June 1917 for France and were used as a reserve force for many units.

Between the two wars, the Camerons were repeatedly reorganized and ended up in 1933 as the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (M.G.), the name they hold to this day. "M.G." stands for machine gun, as they were then a machine gun regiment.

In July 1940, the unit (as the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa) left for garrison duty in Iceland, which ended in April 1941 when they sailed to England. On 6 June 1944, the Camerons were the only Ottawa regiment to land on D-Day. The 1st Battalion of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa consisted of three machine gun companies and one mortar company. Following the landing on D-Day, the regiment fought in almost every battle in the northwestern Europe campaign. However, the soldiers were often attached as platoons and companies in support of other units, so the regiment never fought as an entire entity. During this time, the 2nd Battalion of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa recruited and trained soldiers in Canada for overseas duty. The 3rd Battalion of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa was formed in July 1945 as a part of the Canadian Army Occupation Force in Germany.

Since World War II, the regiment has remained in Ottawa. It is now a light infantry regiment. Starting in 1985, the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa have sent soldiers on many UN and NATO missions such as those in Cyprus, Croatia, Israel, Lebanon, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Congo, Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan.

[edit] The Regimental Identity

The regimental Motto is "Advance". The 43rd Ottawa and Carleton Battalion of Rifles was first permitted to adopt the motto "Advance" and to bear the same upon its appointments in accordance with General Order - 82 dated 13 January 1882. This motto has been perpetuated by all successors to the 43rd, including the regiment today. It is also the motto of the City of Ottawa. The Camerons are proudly known as Ottawa's regiment, and they hold the Freedom of the City of Ottawa.

The Regimental Badge or crest is laid out as follows: within a wreath of thistles and maple leaves, the figure of St Andrew with cross is shown standing on a mount charged with a plaque inscribed ADVANCE. On the lower bend of the wreath there are two rolls, the upper inscribed THE CAMERON HIGHLANDERS the lower OF OTTAWA (M.G.). A new recruit to the regiment is given their Balmoral headdress and their Camerons cap badge upon completion of their Soldier Qualification course. Following the completion of their DP1 Infantry course, they are given the blue hackle that sits between the tartan patch and the cap badge, and extends out the top of the badge. The badging ceremony is the point at which the soldier can truly consider themselves a part of the regiment.

As a Highland regiment, the dress uniform of the Camerons differs from most Canadian Forces regiments. The Camerons wear traditional Scottish Kilts in a tartan unique to the Cameron Highlanders of the Canadian and British forces. The Canadian Forces tunic is cut in a manner that the tunic curves outwards and downwards above where a belt buckle would rest. In addition to the kilt, the soldiers of the Camerons wear a leather sporran, and oxford shoes and lovat hose with red tabs in lieu of ankle boots. Higher orders of dress include white spats worn over drill boots, a white sporran, and a white belt. The regiment also possesses traditional scarlet uniforms and feather bonnets that are worn for ceremonial purpose such as guard formations, and the annual remembrance day parade.

[edit] Training

The Camerons train regularly at Connaught Ranges in West Ottawa and at CFB Petawawa. Members of the unit can expect to train a minimum of one night a week (at the Cartier Square Drill Hall in downtown Ottawa) and one weekend a month. Often, the pace of training requires soldiers to parade more often.

Training consists of basic soldier skills, individual battle task standards, and more advanced training operations based on contemporary training doctrine, much of which has been developed in recent years in Afghanistan.

In 2006 the unit underwent a noticeable shift in training focus. New training was conducted in cordon and search operations, urban patrolling, and vehicle checkpoints. There has also been an increased emphasis on high intensity urban fighting.

[edit] Operations

Currently, a number of Camerons are or will be undergoing training for deployment to Afghanistan. Previously, Camerons have served in Kabul and Kandahar Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, The Congo, Cyprus, Israel, Somalia, and Syria, among other deployments. The unit prepares soldiers to be trainable and employable as members of regular force contingents going overseas for periods of up to six months.