The West Nova Scotia Regiment is a
line infantry
Line infantry was the type of infantry that composed the basis of European land armies from the late 17th century to the mid-19th century. Maurice of Nassau and Gustavus Adolphus are generally regarded as its pioneers, while Turenne and Monte ...
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 ...
, part of the
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 ...
, and is part of the
5th Canadian Division's
36 Canadian Brigade Group
36 Canadian Brigade Group (french: 36e Groupe-brigade du Canada) is a reserve component brigade of the Canadian Army, which Commands reserve units in 5th Canadian Division
The 5th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsibl ...
. The regiment recruits volunteers from the South-Western part of the province of
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
and has its headquarters at
LFAATC Aldershot
5th Canadian Division Support Group Detachment Aldershot (also 5 CDSG Det Aldershot) is a training facility for 5th Canadian Division of the Canadian Army. It is located in Kings County, Nova Scotia.
5 Cdn Div Support Group Det Aldershot is locat ...
, near the community of
Aldershot, Nova Scotia
Aldershot is a community in Nova Scotia, Canada, in Kings County.
A quasi-suburb of Kentville, Aldershot developed as a farming community along the Cornwallis Valley Railway branchline of the Dominion Atlantic Railway in the 19th century, served ...
.
Lineage
File:West NSR Colour.jpg, The regimental colour of the West Nova Scotia Regiment.
File:West NSR Camp Flag.jpg, The camp flag of The West Nova Scotia Regiment.
The West Nova Scotia Regiment
*Originated 8 October 1869 in Paradise, Nova Scotia, as The First Regiment of Annapolis County Volunteers
*Redesignated 5 November 1869 as 69th The 1st Regiment of Annapolis County
*Amalgamated 1 September 1898 with The 72nd or Second Annapolis Battalion of Volunteer Militia and redesignated as the 69th "Annapolis" Battalion of Infantry
*Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 69th Annapolis Regiment
*Redesignated 29 March 1920 as The Annapolis Regiment
*Amalgamated 15 December 1936 with The Lunenburg Regiment and redesignated The West Nova Scotia Regiment
*Redesignated 7 November 1940 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The West Nova Scotia Regiment
*Redesignated 1 November 1945 as The West Nova Scotia Regiment
*Redesignated 1 October 1954 as The West Nova Scotia Regiment (Machine Gun)
*Redesignated 11 April 1958 as The West Nova Scotia Regiment
[Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.]
72nd or Second Annapolis Battalion of Volunteer Militia
*Originated 14 January 1870 in Wilmot, Nova Scotia, as The 72nd or Second Annapolis Battalion of Volunteer Militia
*Amalgamated 1 September 1898 with the 69th The 1st Regiment of Annapolis County
The Lunenburg Regiment
*Originated 12 August 1870 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, as the 75th Lunenburg Battalion of Infantry
*Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 75th Lunenburg Regiment
*Redesignated 29 March 1920 as The Lunenburg Regiment
*Amalgamated 15 December 1936 with The Annapolis Regiment
Chart
Perpetuations
War Of 1812
*1st Battalion, East Annapolis Regiment
*2nd Battalion, East Annapolis Regiment
*1st Battalion, King's County Regiment
*2nd Battalion, King's County Regiment
*1st Battalion, West Annapolis Regiment
*2nd Battalion, West Annapolis Regiment
The Great War
*
112th Battalion (Nova Scotia), CEF
*
219th Highland Battalion (Nova Scotia), CEF
The 219th (Highland) Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War.
Based in Aldershot, Nova Scotia, the unit began recruiting in early 1916 as part of a four-battalion "Nova Scotia Highland Brigade". Th ...
Operational history
The Great War
Details of the 69th Annapolis Regiment and 75th Lunenburg Regiment were placed called out on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protection duties.
The 112th Battalion (Nova Scotia), CEF was authorized on 22 December 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 23 July 1916. There it provided reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field until 7 January 1917, when its personnel were absorbed by the 26th Reserve Battalion, CEF. The battalion was subsequently disbanded on 15 August 1918.
The
219th Highland Battalion (Nova Scotia), CEF
The 219th (Highland) Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War.
Based in Aldershot, Nova Scotia, the unit began recruiting in early 1916 as part of a four-battalion "Nova Scotia Highland Brigade". Th ...
was authorized on 15 July 1916 and embarked for Great Britain on 12 October 1916. There it provided reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field until 23 January 1917, when its personnel were absorbed by the 17th Reserve Battalion, CEF. The battalion was subsequently disbanded on 15 September 1917.
The Second World War
The regiment mobilized as The West Nova Scotia Regiment, CASF for active service on 1 September 1939. The unit then embarked for Great Britain on 21 December 1939. It was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, The West Nova Scotia Regiment, CASF on 7 November 1940. It landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943, and in Italy on 3 September 1943, as part of the 3rd Infantry Brigade,
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 ...
. On 19 March 1945, the battalion moved with the I Canadian Corps to North West Europe, where it fought until the end of the war. The overseas battalion was disbanded on 15 October 1945.
On 1 June 1945, a second Active Force component of the regiment was mobilized for service in the Pacific theatre of operations designated as the 3rd Canadian Infantry Battalion (The West Nova Scotia Regiment), CASF. Following
VJ-Day
Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...
the battalion was disbanded on 1 November 1945.
Post war
Individual members of the West Nova Scotia Regiment with Canadian Contingents on United Nations and NATO peacekeeping missions in countries such as the former
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
,
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
and the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
.
War In 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
* —
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. Those battle honours followed by a "+" are emblazoned on the regimental colour.
War Of 1812
* Honorary distinction: the non-emblazonable honorary distinction .
The Great War
*+
*+
*Ypres 1917
Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...
+
*+
*+
*+
Second World War
*+
* Valguarnera
*
*Catenanuova
Catenanuova ( Sicilian: ''Catinanova'') is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Enna, in the region of Sicily in southern Italy.
Geography
Catenanuova is located in the Dittaino valley, East from its provincial capital Enna and west fr ...
+
*Centuripe
Centuripe (Latin: Centuripae; Sicilian: Centorbi) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Enna (Sicily, southern Italy). The city is from Enna in the hill country between the Rivers Dittaìno and Salso.
The economy is mostly based on agricu ...
*
* Landing at Reggio
*Potenza
Potenza (, also , ; , Potentino dialect: ''Putenz'') is a ''comune'' in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata (former Lucania).
Capital of the Province of Potenza and the Basilicata region, the city is the highest regional capital and one ...
+
*Gambatesa
Gambatesa is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about southeast of Campobasso.
Gambatesa borders the following municipalities: Celenza Valfortore, Macchia Valfortore, Pietracatella, ...
*+
*Castel di Sangro
Castel di Sangro (locally ''Caštiéllë'') is a city and '' comune'' of 6,461 people (as of 2013) in the Province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo, Central Italy. It is the main city of the Alto Sangro e Altopiano delle Cinque Miglia area.
Geography
Ca ...
* The Gully+
*
*Gustav Line
The Winter Line was a series of German and Italian military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt and commanded by Albert Kesselring. The series of three lines was designed to defend a western section of ...
*
*Hitler Line
The Hitler Line was a German defensive line in central Italy during the Second World War. The strong points of the line were at Piedmonte, Pontecorvo and Aquino. In May 1944, the line was renamed the Senger Line, after General von Senger und E ...
+
* Melfa Crossing
*+
*+
*+
* San Martino–San Lorenzo
* San Fortunato
* Savio Bridgehead
*
*Apeldoorn
Apeldoorn (; Dutch Low Saxon: ) is a municipality and city in the province of Gelderland in the centre of the Netherlands. It is located about 60 km east of Utrecht, 60 km west of Enschede, 25 km north of Arnhem and 35 km south of Zwolle. The ...
*+
War in Afghanistan
*
See also
*Military history of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia (also known as Mi'kma'ki and Acadia) is a Canadian province located in Canada's Maritimes. The region was initially occupied by Mi'kmaq. The colonial history of Nova Scotia includes the present-day Canadian Maritime provinces and th ...
Media
* West Novas : A History of the West Nova Scotia Regiment by Thomas H, Raddall (1986)
Notes
References
* Thomas Radall. West Novas: A History of the West Nova Scotia Regiment
External links
Official Website for the West Nova Scotia Regiment
Order of precedence
{{Canadian Forces Land Force Command
Infantry regiments of Canada
Military regiments raised in Nova Scotia
Military units and formations established in 1936
Military units and formations of Nova Scotia
Infantry regiments of Canada in World War II