The Nova Scotia Highlanders

The Nova Scotia Highlanders
The Nova Scotia Highlanders
	;
Active	1871–present
Country	Canada
Branch	Primary Reserve
Type	Light infantry
Role	Light role
Size	One battalions
Part of	Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
Garrison/HQ	Truro
Motto	Siol Na Fear Fearail (Breed of Manly Men)
March	The Sweet Maid of Glendaruel (Regiment); The Atholl Highlanders (1Bn)
Abbreviation	NS Highrs (as seen on rank slip on); Official-NSH

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The Nova Scotia Highlanders is a reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces.

[edit] Creation

The regiment was formed in 1954 by the amalgamation of The North Nova Scotia Highlanders, The Cape Breton Highlanders, and The Pictou Highlanders.

The regiment was composed of two separate units, officially designated as the 1st Battalion, The Nova Scota Highlanders (North), and 2nd Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders (Cape Breton), both of which were part of Land Force Atlantic Area's 36 Canadian Brigade Group. The 1st Battalion was headquartered in Truro with individual companies located in Amherst, Pictou, New Glasgow, Springhill, and Truro. The 2nd Battalion was headquartered in Sydney, and in 2011 it was renamed back to its pre-1954 designation, the Cape Breton Highlanders.^[1]^[2] This leaves The Nova Scotia Highlanders as a one-battalion regiment.

[edit] Headdress

Although the 2nd Battalion continued the proud tradition of wearing balmorals, the traditional headdress of the regiment, the 1st Battalion did not. There was a strong movement within the unit by the majority of the troops to replace the beret with the balmoral once again as it marked out the highland unit as distinctive and showed the ties with the unit's heritage that contributed to its ésprit de corps. As of January 1, 2011, the balmoral once again became the official headdress of the 1st Battalion as well.

[edit] History of predecessor regiments

The regiment's original constituents participated in many operations, including the Vimy, the Hindenburg Line in World War I and the Normandy landing, Boulogne, and the Gothic Line in World War II. Members of the regiment volunteered for service in the Canadian Contigents that served in South African War (1899–1902).

[edit] Perpetuations

The Nova Scotia Highlanders perpetuate the following battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force of the First World War:

[edit] Battle honours

The Nova Scotia Highlanders have received 56 battle honours since the unit's inception.

They are:

Early history

South Africa, 1899–1900

First World War

Ypres, 1915, '17
Festubert, 1915
Mount Sorrel
Somme, 1916, '18
Flers-Courcelette
Thiepval
Ancre Heights
Arras, 1917, '18
Vimy, 1917
Arleux
Scarpe, 1917, '18
Hill 70
Passchendaele
Amiens
Drocourt-Quéant
Hindenburg Line
Canal du Nord
Cambrai, 1918
Valenciennes
Sambre
France and Flanders, 1915–18

Second World War

Liri Valley
Melfa Crossing
Ceprano
Gothic Line
Montecchio
Coriano
Lamone Crossing
Fosso Munio
Conventello-Comacchio
Italy, 1944–1945
Normandy Landing
Authie
Caen
The Orne
Bourguébus Ridge
Faubourg de Vaucelles
Verrières Ridge–Tilly-la-Campagne
Falaise
The Laison
Chambois
Boulogne, 1944
Calais, 1944
The Scheldt
Savojaards Plaat
Breskens Pocket
The Rhineland
Waal Flats
The Hochwald
The Rhine
Zutphen
IJsselmeer
Leer
Delfzijl Pocket
North-West Europe, 1944–1945.

NOTE: The honours in bold appear on the Nova Scotia Highlanders regimental colours.

[edit] Armouries

Site	Date(s)	Designated	Location	Description
Col Welsford MacDonald Armoury 31 Union Street			Pictou, Nova Scotia	Housing The Nova Scotia Highlanders, this centrally located building has a flat roof
New Glasgow Armoury 10 Riverside Parkway			New Glasgow, Nova Scotia	Housing The Nova Scotia Highlanders, this centrally located building has a flat roof
Col J Layston Ralston Armoury, Acadia Street	1914-1915 David Ewart	Canada's Register of Historic Places; Recognized - 1990 Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings	Amherst, Nova Scotia	Housing The Nova Scotia Highlanders, this large, centrally-located stone and brick Baronial style building features two sturdy towers, a triple arched entrance way and a large drill hall
LCol Daniel J Murray Armoury 72 North Street			Springhill, Nova Scotia	Housing The Nova Scotia Highlanders, this centrally located building has a flat roof
Truro Armoury 126 Willow Street,	1874 Thomas Seaton Scott	Canada's Register of Historic Places; Recognized - 1991 Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings	Truro, Nova Scotia	Housing 1st Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders, this centrally located box-like Dominion style Neo-Gothic style building with a flat roof was designed with classical inspiration.