The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) is a
Primary Reserve
The Primary Reserve of the Canadian Armed Forces (french: links=no, Première réserve des Forces canadiennes) is the first and largest of the four sub-components of the Canadian Armed Forces reserves, followed by the Supplementary Reserve, the ...
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
of the
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the 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 respo ...
. It is part of
4th Canadian Division
The 4th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army. The division was first created as a formation of the Canadian Corps during the First World War. During the Second World War the division was reactivated as the 4th Canadian Infantr ...
's
32 Canadian Brigade Group.
Lineage
File:Tor Scots Colour.jpg, The regimental colour of The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own).
File:Tor Scots Camp Flag.jpg, The camp flag of The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own).
The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own)
*Originated in Toronto, 1 May 1920 as The Mississauga Regiment
*Redesignated 1 September 1921 as The Toronto Scottish Regiment
*Amalgamated 15 December 1936 with "B" and "C" Companies of the 1st Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC and redesignated as The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Machine Gun)
*Redesignated 7 November 1940 as the 2nd Battalion, The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Machine Gun)
*Redesignated 19 June 1947 as The Toronto Scottish Regiment
*Redesignated 19 October 2000 as The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own)
[Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.]
Lineage chart
Perpetuations
The Great War
*
75th Battalion (Mississauga), CEF
The 75th Battalion (Mississauga), CEF was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the Great War. The 75th Battalion was authorized on 10 July 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 29 March 1916. It disembarked in Franc ...
*
84th Battalion, CEF
Operational history
The Great War
The
75th Battalion (Mississauga), CEF
The 75th Battalion (Mississauga), CEF was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the Great War. The 75th Battalion was authorized on 10 July 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 29 March 1916. It disembarked in Franc ...
was authorized on 1 July 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 29 March 1916. It disembarked in France on 12 August 1916. There it fought as part of the 11th Infantry Brigade,
4th Canadian Division
The 4th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army. The division was first created as a formation of the Canadian Corps during the First World War. During the Second World War the division was reactivated as the 4th Canadian Infantr ...
in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battalion disbanded on 15 September 1920.
The
84th Battalion, CEF was authorized on 10 July 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 18 June 1916. There, on 30 June 1916, its personnel were absorbed by the
73rd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada), CEF
The 73rd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada), CEF was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the Great War. The 73rd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada) organized in June 1915, initially commanded by Lieutenant- ...
,
75th Battalion (Mississauga), CEF
The 75th Battalion (Mississauga), CEF was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the Great War. The 75th Battalion was authorized on 10 July 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 29 March 1916. It disembarked in Franc ...
and other units of the 4th Canadian Division, to provide reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field. The battalion disbanded on 11 April 1918.
The Second World War
The regiment mobilized as The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Machine Gun), CASF for active service on 1 September 1939. It was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Machine Gun), CASF on 7 November 1940; as the 2nd Infantry
Division Support Battalion (The Toronto Scottish Regiment), CIC, CASF on 1 May 1943; and as the 1st Battalion, The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Machine Gun), CIC, CASF on 24 February 1944. On 7 December 1939, it embarked for Great Britain.
The battalion took part in OPERATION JUBILEE, the raid on Dieppe, on 19 August 1942. It landed again in France on 6 and 7 July 1944, as part of the
2nd Infantry Division. The battalion continued to fight in North-West Europe until the end of the war. The overseas battalion disbanded on 31 December 1945.
Afghanistan
The regiment contributed an aggregate of more than 20% of its authorized strength to the various Task Forces which served in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2014.
Alliances
* -
Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)
The Highlanders, 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Prior to 28 March 2006, the Highlanders was an infantry regiment in its own right; The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons ...
, 4th Battalion,
Royal Regiment of Scotland
The Royal Regiment of Scotland is the British Army Order of Precedence, senior and only Scottish regiment, Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry. It consists of three regular (formerly five) and two Army Reserve (United ...
* -
The London Scottish
The London Scottish was a reserve infantry regiment then a company of the British Army. In its final incarnation it was A (The London Scottish) Company, the London Regiment until, on 1 April 2022, soldiers in the company transferred to foot ...
Battle honours
Battle honours in small capitals are for large operations and campaigns and those in lowercase are for more specific battles. Bold type indicates honours authorized to be emblazoned on regimental colours.
File:Tor Scots Colour.jpg, The regimental colour of The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own).
On 26 October 2015 the Afghanistan battle honour was presented to the regiment and added to the regimental colour by
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibl ...
.
History
The First World War
The 75th (Mississauga) Battalion, the predecessor to The Toronto Scottish Regiment was raised on July 1, 1915, by Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Beckett. Within three weeks more than 1,500 personnel had been recruited. By March 1916 the battalion was fully trained and sailed for Liverpool. Over 5,500 soldiers served in the battalion during the First World War, of whom 1,049 were killed, including Lieutenant-Colonel Beckett. The 75th Battalion CEF was awarded 16
battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
s, and Captain Bellenden Hutcheson, the medical officer, was awarded the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
. In 1921 the regiment was renamed The Toronto Scottish Regiment by the commanding officer of the day, Lieutenant-Colonel Colin Harbottle, CMG, DSO, VD.
File:75th Bn CEF.svg, The Great War distinguishing patch of the 75th Battalion (Mississauga), CEF.
The Second World War
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the regiment initially mobilized a
machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
battalion for the
1st Canadian Infantry Division
The 1st Canadian Division (French: ''1re Division du Canada'' ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short ...
. Following a reorganization early in 1940, the battalion was reassigned to the
2nd Canadian Infantry Division
The 2nd Canadian Division, an infantry division of the Canadian Army, was mobilized for war service on 1September 1939 at the outset of World War II. Adopting the designation of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, it was initially composed of vo ...
, where it operated as a support battalion, providing machine-gun detachments for the
Operation Jubilee
Operation Jubilee or the Dieppe Raid (19 August 1942) was an Allied amphibious attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France, during the Second World War. Over 6,050 infantry, predominantly Canadian, supported by a regiment ...
force at Dieppe in 1942, and then with an additional company of mortars, it operated in support of the rifle battalions of the 2nd Division in northwest Europe from July 1944 to VE Day. In April 1940, the 1st Battalion also mounted the
King's Guard
The King's Guard and King's Life Guard (called the Queen's Guard and the Queen's Life Guard when the reigning monarch is female) are the contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in the ...
at
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
. The 2nd Battalion served in the reserve army in Canada.
File:Torontoscottishkingsguard.jpg, The Toronto Scottish mount the King's Guard in London, 1940
Post War to the Present Day
In 2000, the regiment added a secondary title in recognition of
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...
's long association as colonel-in-chief. She had held the position since 1938. The regiment was now referred to as "The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own)." The regiment was part of the escort at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in April 2002. The regimental
tartan
Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...
is
Hodden
Hodden or wadmel is a coarse kind of cloth made of undyed wool, formerly much worn by the peasantry of Scotland. It was usually made on small hand-looms by the peasants. Hodden grey was made by mixing black and white fleeces together in the pro ...
Grey.
On September 12, 2009, the regimental headquarters, A Company and Administration Company moved to the Captain Bellenden Seymour Hutcheson VC Armoury, which is shared with the
Toronto Police Service
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) is a municipal police force in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the primary agency responsible for providing law enforcement and policing services in Toronto. Established in 1834, it was the first local police ser ...
.
The armoury is a green building, earning a
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a
green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...
(LEEDS) silver rating. On May 8, 2012, 75th Company moved from its previous location in Mississauga to a new shared government facility, The Garry W. Morden Centre, with the City of Mississauga Emergency Training Services.
File:Presentation of Colours March Past TSR.JPG, Toronto Scottish Regiment Presentation of Colours March Past
File:Presentation of Colours March Off TSR.JPG, Toronto Scottish Regiment Presentation of Colours March Off
Toronto Scottish Regiment Museum
The regiment's museum was formerly located at the
Fort York Armoury
Fort York Armoury is a Canadian Forces facility located near the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the intersection of Fleet Street and Fort York Boulevard, close to the historic Old Fort York ...
in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
. The museum was opened in 1984 by
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...
. In September 2009, the museum was relocated to the Captain Bellenden Seymore Hutcheson VC Armoury in
Etobicoke
Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district of, and one of six municipalities amalgamated into, the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west-end, Etobicoke was first settled by Europeans in the 1790s, and the municipalit ...
and officially re-opened on 1 May 2010. The museum includes uniforms, weapons, artifacts and military memorabilia. The museum is open by appointment and during regimental events.
Media
*"Carry on." The History of the Toronto Scottish Regiment (M.G.) 1939-1945 by Major D. W. Grant (1949)
*"Toronto's Fighting 75th in the Great War 1915 - 1919," by Regimental Historian Timothy J. Stewart CD (2017)
See also
*
Canadian-Scottish regiment
*
The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Forces
The relationship between the Canadian Crown and the Canadian Armed Forces is both constitutional and ceremonial with the King of Canada being the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces and with the King and other members of the Canadian Royal ...
* -
5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment
The 5th/6th Battalion ("5/6 RVR") is one of two battalions of the Royal Victoria Regiment, and is an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. The battalion traces its lineage back to many units that existed prior to Federation, as well as units ...
Notes and references
* Barnes, RM, ''The Uniforms and History of the Scottish Regiments'', London, Sphere Books Limited, 1972.
External links
*
The Toronto Scottish Regiment The Toronto Scottish Regiment Pipes and DrumsProfile at The Canadian Army site
Order of precedence
{{coord missing, Ontario
The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own)
Toronto Scottish Regiment
The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group.
Lineage
File:Tor Scots Colour.jpg, The regiment ...
Toronto Scottish Regiment
The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group.
Lineage
File:Tor Scots Colour.jpg, The regiment ...
Toronto Scottish Regiment
The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group.
Lineage
File:Tor Scots Colour.jpg, The regiment ...
Military units and formations of Ontario
1920 establishments in Canada