Scots Fusiliers of Canada facts for kids

The Scots Fusiliers of Canada was an infantry regiment in the Canadian Army. An infantry regiment is a group of soldiers who fight on foot. This regiment was active from 1914 to 1965.

In 1965, it joined with another regiment, The Highland Light Infantry of Canada. Together, they became The Highland Fusiliers of Canada. Today, this unit is known as The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada.

What was their Badge Like?

Every military unit has a special badge. The badge for The Scots Fusiliers of Canada had a cool design. It showed a grenade with thirteen flames. A maple leaf was on the grenade's ball. On top of the maple leaf was the royal badge of Scotland, which is a thistle with a crown.

A Look Back: The Regiment's History

How the Regiment Started

The Scots Fusiliers of Canada began on September 21, 1914. It was first called the 108th Regiment. Its main office was in Berlin, Ontario, which is now known as Kitchener.

Over the years, the regiment changed its name several times:

• In 1920, it became The Waterloo Regiment.
• Later in 1920, it was renamed the North Waterloo Regiment.
• On September 15, 1928, it finally became The Scots Fusiliers of Canada.

Serving in the First World War

During the First World War, a special group called the 118th (North Waterloo) Battalion, CEF was formed on December 22, 1915. This battalion was part of the Scots Fusiliers family.

On January 22, 1917, the soldiers sailed to Great Britain. When they arrived, they joined another unit, the 25th Reserve Battalion, CEF. This helped provide new soldiers for the Canadian Corps fighting in Europe. The 118th Battalion was officially ended on July 17, 1917.

Serving in the Second World War

On March 5, 1942, a new group called the 1st Battalion, The Scots Fusiliers, CASF was created for active service. This battalion helped defend Canada at home. They were part of Military District No. 2. This battalion was ended on October 15, 1943.

Changes After the Wars

After the wars, the regiment went through more changes:

• On April 1, 1946, it changed from infantry to artillery. It was renamed the 54th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Scots Fusiliers of Canada), RCA. This meant they used big guns to shoot down enemy planes.
• On December 1, 1959, it changed back to infantry and became The Scots Fusiliers of Canada again.
• Finally, on February 26, 1965, the regiment joined with The Highland Light Infantry of Canada. Together, they formed The Highland Fusiliers of Canada.

What Uniform Did They Wear?

Before 1946, when they became an artillery unit, The Scots Fusiliers of Canada wore a special uniform for formal events. This was called their Full Dress uniform.

It included a Fusilier cap with a white feather, called a hackle. They also wore a blue Glengarry hat with a checkered border. Their jacket was a scarlet doublet with blue parts. For their trousers, they wore special Scottish pants called trews, which had a pattern called the 42nd Tartan. The pipers, who played bagpipes, wore trews with the Erskine Tartan.

Battle Honours

Battle honours are special awards given to military units for their bravery and success in battles. The Scots Fusiliers of Canada earned one battle honour:

• The Great War, 1917

Alliances

Military units sometimes form alliances with units from other countries. This means they have a special friendship and connection. The Scots Fusiliers of Canada had alliances with two British regiments:

• From 1928 to 1959, they were allied with The Royal Scots Fusiliers.
• From 1959 to 1965, they were allied with The Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment).

See also

• Canadian-Scottish regiment