The King's Canadian Hussars were a cavalry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the

Canadian Militia The Canadian Militia is a historical title for military units raised for the defence of Canada. The term has been used to describe sedentary militia units raised from local communities in Canada; as well as the regular army for the Province of Ca ...

(now the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), 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 re ...

). In August 1939, the regiment was converted to artillery and currently exists today as the 87th Field Battery, RCA.

Lineage

* Originated on 12 June 1874 in Kentville, Nova Scotia as the ''King's Canadian Hussars''. * Organized on 1 December 1903 as a full regiment. * Reorganized on 1 April 1904 as the ''14th King's Canadian Hussars''. * Redesignated on 15 March 1920 as ''The King's (Nova Scotia) Mounted Rifles''. * Redesignated on 1 December 1925 as the ''King's Canadian Hussars''. * Amalgamated on 1 December 1936 with C Company of The Colchester and Hants Regiment and B Company of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC, and redesignated as the ''King's Canadian Hussars (Armoured Car)''. * Converted on 1 August 1939, from light armour to artillery and formed the ''87th Field Battery, RCA'' and the ''88th Field Battery, RCA''.

Perpetuations

Great War

* 6th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles The King's Canadian Hussars were first granted the perpetuation of the 6th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles after the First World War. After the regiment was converted to artillery in 1939, the perpetuation was continued by the

8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) The 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) (VIII CH) is a reserve armoured reconnaissance regiment in the Canadian Army, with two squadrons. It was formed on 4 April 1848 in the then-colony of New Brunswick, which remains the regiment's home to ...

that continues this to the present day.

History

King's Canadian Hussars

Early history

The King's Canadian Hussars were first authorized on 12 June 1874. After expansion to squadron strength in 1897, a number of soldiers of the regiment volunteered for the Boer War two years later. Major Harold Lithrop Borden, son of Minister of Militia Frederick William Borden, commanded the squadron and accepted a reduction in rank to lieutenant in order to serve overseas with the Second Canadian Contingent. He was killed in action with the Canadian Mounted Rifles on 16 July 1900. On 1 December 1903, the Hussars were organized as a full regiment. They were reorganized on 1 April 1904 as the ''14th King's Canadian Hussars''.

First World War

On 7 November 1914, the ''6th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles'' was authorized, and on 17 July 1915, the regiment embarked for the United Kingdom. On 24 October 1915, the 6th Regiment, CMR, disembarked in France where it continued to train until early 1916. On 2 January 1916, the Canadian Mounted Rifles regiments were converted to infantry and the personnel from the 6th CMR were absorbed by the 4th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, and 5th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, of the

8th Canadian Infantry Brigade The 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Canadian Army that saw active service during World War I and World War II as part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. The brigade fought on the Western Front during World War I ...

3rd Canadian Division The 3rd Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of all army units in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as Northwestern Ontario including the ...

. On 18 February 1918, the 6th Regiment, CMR, was disbanded.

1920s–1930s

On 15 March 1920, as a result of the post-war Canadian Militia reforms following the

Otter Commission The Otter Commission, or Otter Committee, was established after the First World War to tackle a problem created by the chaotic mobilization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In 1919, units of the CEF, intended as a wartime expeditionary force, ...

, the 14th King's Canadian Hussars were redesignated as ''The King's (Nova Scotia) Mounted Rifles''. On 1 December 1925, they were again redesignated as the ''King's Canadian Hussars''. On 1 December 1936, as part of the 1936 Canadian Militia reorganization, the King's Canadian Hussars were amalgamated with "C" Company of The Colchester and Hants Regiment and "B" Company of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC, and redesignated as the ''King's Canadian Hussars (Armoured Car)''. On 15 August 1939, the King's Canadian Hussars were converted from light armour to artillery and became the ''87th Field Battery, RCA'' and the ''88th Field Battery, RCA'' respectively.

87th Field Battery, RCA

Second World War

First serving as part of the 14th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA, the 87th Field Battery was placed on active service and on 26 January 1942, became the 87th Medium Battery, part of the 3rd Medium Regiment, RCA. After first serving in England with the I Canadian Corps, the 87th Medium Battery along with the rest of the 3rd Medium Regiment were transferred to the II Canadian Corps and served in

Northwest Europe Northwestern Europe, or Northwest Europe, is a loosely defined subregion of Europe, overlapping Northern Europe, Northern and Western Europe. The term is used in geographic, history, and military contexts. Geographic definitions Geography, Geo ...

until later being assigned to the Artillery Group of the

First Canadian Army The First Canadian Army () was a field army and a formation of the Canadian Army in World War II in which most Canadian elements serving in North-West Europe were assigned. It served on the Western Front from July 1944 until May 1945. It was Cana ...

. On 16 November 1945, The 87th Medium Battery was disbanded and the 87th Field Battery returned to being a reserve unit.

Post-war

After having served as a reserve anti-aircraft battery in Dartmouth since 1946, on 1 November 1960, the 87th Battery was again converted back to field artillery under the name ''87th Field Battery, RCA'' and assigned to the 1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, RCA.

Battle honours

* Mount Sorrell * Somme, 1916 * France and Flanders, 1915–16{{Cite web, last=Defence, first=National, date=2019-07-22, title=WWI - France and Flanders, url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/battle-honours-honorary-distinctions/france-and-flanders.html, access-date=2021-12-25, website=www.canada.ca

Notable members

* Major Harold Lothrop Borden

References

Hussar regiments of Canada British colonial regiments Military units and formations established in 1874