North Saskatchewan Regiment Explained

Unit Name:The North Saskatchewan Regiment
Dates:3 July 1905–present
Country:Canada
Branch:Canadian Army
Command Structure:38 Canadian Brigade Group
Type:Line infantry
Size:One infantry battalion and one pipe and drum band
Ceremonial Chief Label:Colonel-in-Chief
March:"The Jockey of York"
Motto:la|Cede nullis|Yield to none
Garrison:Saskatoon and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Battles:
Battle Honours:See
  1. Battle honours
Identification Symbol:N Sask R
Identification Symbol Label:Abbreviation
Identification Symbol 2:MacKenzie Hunting (pipes and drums only)[1]
Identification Symbol 2 Label:Tartan

The North Saskatchewan Regiment (N Sask R) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army, headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with companies in Saskatoon and Prince Albert. Its current commanding officer is Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Graver, and the Regimental Sergeant-Major is Chief Warrant Officer Jason Balcaen. The N Sask R is part of the 3rd Canadian Division's 38 Canadian Brigade Group,[2] with the regiment's mission task being to provide direct fire support.

North-West Rebellion

The Great War

Operational history

North-West Rebellion

The Moose Mountain Scouts were raised for active service on 24 April 1885 and served with the Line of Communication Troops of the North West Field Force until disbanded on 18 September 1885.[3]

The Infantry Company at Battleford was raised for active service on 10 April 1885, and served with the Battleford Column of the North-West Field Force. It was disbanded on 18 September 1885.[3]

The Great War

The 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 12 June 1915. It disembarked in France on 22 September 1915, where it fought as part of the 1st Brigade, Canadian Mounted Rifles, until 1 January 1916. The Battalion was converted to infantry, and allocated to the 8th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division. The Battalion fought in France and Flanders until the end of the Great War.[3]

The 9th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 23 November 1915. There, its personnel were absorbed by the Canadian Cavalry Reserve Depot, CEF, the 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF and the 5th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF on 31 January 1916. The regiment disbanded on 15 November 1920.[3]

The 10th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 28 April 1916. Its personnel were absorbed by the Canadian Cavalry Reserve Depot, CEF on 22 May 1916. The regiment was disbanded on 17 July 1917.[3]

The 5th Battalion (Western Cavalry), CEF, was authorized on 10 August 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 29 September 1915. It disembarked in France on 14 February 1915, where it fought as part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battalion disbanded on 15 September 1920.[3]

The 53rd Battalion (Northern Saskatchewan), CEF was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 29 March 1916. It provided reinforcements for the Canadian Corps until it disbanded on 12 October 1917.[3]

The 65th Battalion (Saskatchewan), CEF was authorized on 20 April 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 18 June 1916. Its personnel were absorbed by various units of the 4th Canadian Division on 30 June 1916. The battalion was disbanded on 12 October 1917.[3]

The 232nd (Saskatchewan) Battalion, CEF was authorized on 15 July 1916 and embarked for Great Britain on 18 April 1917. Its personnel were absorbed by the 15th Reserve Battalion, CEF on 29 April and 9 June 1917 to provide reinforcements for the Canadian Corps. The battalion was disbanded on 12 October 1917.[3]

The Second World War

Details of The Prince Albert and Battleford Volunteers and The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun) were called out on service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939 for local protection duties. These details were disbanded on 31 December 1940.[3]

The 16th/22nd Saskatchewan Horse mobilized for active service on 24 May 1940. It was redesignated as the 20th Reconnaissance Battalion (16/22 Saskatchewan Horse), CAC, CASF, on 26 January 1942 and the 20th Army Tank Regiment (16/22 Saskatchewan Horse), CAC, CASF, on 15 May 1942. On 16 June 1943 it embarked for Great Britain, where it was disbanded on 1 November 1943.[3]

The 1st Battalion, The Prince Albert Volunteers, CASF, mobilized on 5 March 1942. It served in Canada in a home defence role as part of the 15th Infantry Brigade, 7th Canadian Infantry Division and 19th Infantry Brigade, Pacific Command, and disbanded on 30 November 1945.[4]

The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun), CASF, mobilized for active service on 1 September 1939. It was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun), CASF, on 7 November 1940, then as the 1st Infantry Division Support Battalion (The Saskatoon Light Infantry), CIC, CASF, on 1 May 1943 and finally as the 1st Battalion, The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun), CASF, on 1 July 1944. The battalion embarked for Great Britain on 8 December 1939. It participated in the expedition to raid the Norwegian island of Spitzbergen on 25 August 1941, landed in Sicily on 10 July and Italy on 3 September 1943 as part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. The unit landed in France on 4 March 1945, on its way to the North-West Europe theatre of operations in which it served until the end of the war. The overseas battalion was disbanded on 15 October 1945. On 1 June 1945 The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun) mobilized three cannon companies for active service with the Canadian Army Pacific Force, which disbanded on 1 November 1945.[3]

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.[5]

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 emblazoned on regimental colours.[3]

Two of the units which were amalgamated to form this regiment, the 16th Canadian Light Horse and The Prince Albert Volunteers, possessed the battle honour from the Great War, but this honour cannot be perpetuated if a regiment is entitled to the honour or . One of these honours was gained by the regiment upon the amalgamations.[3]

Lineage

The North Saskatchewan Regiment

See main article: 16th/22nd Saskatchewan Horse.

The Saskatchewan Mounted Rifles

See main article: The Saskatchewan Mounted Rifles.

50th Field Squadron, RCE

105th Regiment (Saskatoon Fusiliers)

See main article: article and The North Saskatchewan Regiment (1920-1924).

The Prince Albert Volunteers

See main article: article and Prince Albert Volunteers.

The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun)

See main article: The Saskatoon Light Infantry.

52nd Regiment Prince Albert Volunteers

See main article: article and The North Saskatchewan Regiment (1920-1924).

Lineage chart

Alliances

Notes and References

  1. Book: Canadian Forces Dress Instructions, A-AD-265-000/AG-001 . 2008 . Department of National Defence . Ottawa . 278.
  2. Web site: Defence. National. 2018-10-29. The North Saskatchewan Regiment. 2022-02-02. www.canada.ca.
  3. Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.
  4. Six Years of War: the Army in Canada, Britain and the Pacific / by C.P. Stacey ; maps drawn by C.C.J. Bond PUBLISHER: Ottawa: E. Cloutier, Queen's Printer, 1966.
  5. Web site: South-West Asia Theatre Honours | Prime Minister of Canada . 2014-05-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140512231549/http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/05/09/south-west-asia-theatre-honours . 2014-05-12 .