| Unit Name: | Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders |
| Dates: | 1868–Present |
| Country: | Canada |
| Branch: | Canadian Army |
| Type: | Infantry |
| Role: | Light role |
| Size: | One battalion |
| Command Structure: | 33 Canadian Brigade Group |
| Garrison: | Cornwall Armoury, 505 Fourth St East, Cornwall, Ontario. K6H2J7 |
| Motto: | gd|Dileas gu bas|faithful unto death |
| March: | "Bonnie Dundee" |
| Battles: | |
| Anniversaries: | Regimental Birthday 3 July |
| Battle Honours: | See
|
| Commander1: | Vacant |
| Commander1 Label: | Colonel-in-Chief |
| Commander2 Label: | Honorary colonel |
| Commander3 Label: | Honorary lieutenant-colonel |
| Commander4: | LCol H.G. Scharf, CD |
| Commander4 Label: | Commanding Officer |
| Commander5: | CWO I.D. Port, CD |
| Commander5 Label: | Regimental Sergeant-Major |
| Identification Symbol: | MacDonnell of Glengarry |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Tartan |
Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is part of 33 Canadian Brigade Group, 4th Canadian Division and is headquartered in Cornwall, Ontario.
Superimposed upon a background of thistle, leaves and flowers the letters SDG; below, a raven on a rock superimposed on a maple leaf. A half scroll to the left of the maple leaf is inscribed DILEAS; another to the right inscribed GU BAS;above, a semi-annulus inscribed GLENGARRY FENCIBLES and surmounted by the Crown. The whole superimposed upon a Saint Andrew's cross,
The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders was raised in Cornwall, Ontario, on 3 July 1868, as the 59th "Stormont and Glengarry" Battalion of Infantry. It was redesignated as the 59th "Stormont" Battalion of Infantry on 22 June 1883; as the 59th Stormont and Glengarry Battalion of Infantry on 23 March 1888; and as the 59th Stormont and Glengarry Regiment on 8 May 1900. Following the Great War it was redesignated as The Stormont and Glengarry Regiment on 12 March 1920; as The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders on 15 February 1922; as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders on 7 November 1940; as The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders on 24 May 1946; and as The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders (Machine Gun) on 1 September 1954 before returning to its designation as the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders on 1 August 1959.[1]
In 1866, the various companies in the counties were called out for service along the St Lawrence River frontier, serving at Prescott and Cornwall. The 59th Stormont and Glengarry Battalion was again called out on active service on 24 May 1870. It served on the St. Lawrence River frontier at Prescott and Cornwall until it was removed from active service on 1 June 1870.
Details of the 59th Stormont and Glengarry Regiment were placed on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protection duties.
The 154th (Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry) Battalion, CEF was authorized on 22 December 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 25 October 1916 where it provided reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field until 31 January 1917, when its personnel were absorbed by the '6th Reserve Battalion, CEF'. The battalion was subsequently disbanded on 17 July 1917.
Details from the regiment were called out on service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939, as The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, CASF (Details), for local protection duties. Those details called out on active service were disbanded on 31 December 1940.
The regiment mobilized The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, CASF for active service on 24 May 1940. It was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, CASF on 7 November 1940. The unit embarked for Great Britain on 19 July 1941. On D-Day, 6 June 1944, it landed in Normandy, France, as part of the 9th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, and it continued to fight in North West Europe until the end of the war. The overseas battalion was disbanded on 15 January 1946.
The regiment mobilized the 3rd Battalion, The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, CIC, CAOF on 1 June 1945 for service with the Canadian Army Occupation Force in Germany. This battalion was disbanded on 24 May 1946.
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.[2]
After the surrender at Yorktown, veterans of the King's Royal Regiment of New York and the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants), were given land on the north bank of the Saint Lawrence River so they could defend Upper Canada from the new enemy to the south. In 1804, veterans of the Glengarry Fencibles, a Highland regiment that served in Europe with the British Army, settled just north of the American Revolutionary War veterans. The first militia unit west of Montreal was organized at Cornwall in 1787 under the command of Major John Macdonnell, late of the K.R.R.N.Y.
When the War of 1812 broke out in June 1812, the Militiamen from the area gathered to prevent an invasion of their homeland and the companies were formed into the various county militias. These regiments fought throughout the war, with many men from the regiments being transferred to the Incorporated Battalion of Canadian Militia fighting in the Niagara Peninsula at the Battle of Lundy's Lane.
The militias of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry were on active duty within the counties and fought in battles in Dundas County, Stormont County, and New York. Their principle engagements were:
1812
1813
1814
For a long time, breaks in unit continuity with the pre-Confederation period denied the regiment the "Niagara" battle honour and the status of oldest anglophone militia regiment in Canada.[3] However, on the occasion of the bicentennial of the War of 1812 in 2012, the Government of Canada permitted Canadian regiments to perpetuate and officially commemorate 1812 militia and Fencible units thus awarding the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders three War of 1812 battle honours, including the battle honour NIAGARA which had been awarded to the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles.
After 1814, and Stormont and Dundas counties soon had two militia regiments each and Glengarry County had four.
All units fought the rebels of 1837–1838, two in Lower Canada at the Battle of Beauharnois and three at the 1838 Battle of the Windmill, where 10 militiamen were killed and 13 wounded.
The 1855 Militia Act introduced voluntary service, and the United Counties raised many independent companies in 1862 following the Trent Affair. The volunteer militia regiments raised in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry during the 1850s-60s were:
In 1866, the various companies in the counties were called out for service along the St Lawrence River frontier, serving at Prescott and Cornwall. An attack on Prescott and subsequent advance to Ottawa was prevented by the presence of a considerable force of volunteers from Dundas, Stormont, and Glengarry, and a British gunboat on the river. The Fenians then moved eastward to Malone and vicinity, and an attack on Cornwall was expected, but the presence of three thousand troops there again dissuaded them from attacking.
The following local companies served on active duty during the 1866 raid:
After the 1866 invasion, some of these companies amalgamated in 1868 to form the 59th Stormont and Glengarry Battalion and was again called out on active service on 24 May 1870. It served on the St. Lawrence River frontier at Prescott and Cornwall until it was removed from active service on 1 June 1870.
Nine men from the Stormont and Glengarry Regiment served in the Second Boer War.
At the outbreak of the Great War, the regiment in Highland dress since 1904 guarded the St. Lawrence canals until December 1915, when the United Counties raised the 154th Battalion for the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
The 154th Battalion went overseas but was broken up to reinforce the "Iron Second," the 21st and 38th Battalions and the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles. Of the 154th Battalion soldiers, 143 were killed and 397 wounded; their efforts are commemorated in 24 decorations and six battle honours.
More than 100 members of the 59th Stormont and Glengarry Regiment were killed while serving with the CEF, including Claude Joseph Patrick Nunney, who won the Victoria Cross in 1918. Nunney joined the 59th in 1913 and was transferred to the 38th Battalion, which is perpetuated by The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own), so the Camerons correctly claim him; however, his medals hang today in the Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess of the SD&G Highlanders.
When the Second World War began, the Regiment once again guarded the St. Lawrence canals. Mobilization came in June 1940, and the Regiment absorbed companies from the Princess of Wales' Own Regiment and the Brockville Rifles to form an overseas battalion that went to England in 1941 as part of the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division.
The SD&G Highlanders landed in Normandy on D Day and was the first regiment to enter Caen, reaching the centre of the city at 1300 hours, July 9, 1944.
Fifty-five days later, 112 SD&G Highlanders had been killed in action and 312 more wounded in the Falaise Gap. The Regiment fought across France via Rouen, Eu, Le Hamel and Boulogne, moved into the Netherlands and took part in the amphibious landing across the Savojaardsplaat, and advanced to Knokke by way of Breskens. It moved next to Nijmegen to relieve the airborne troops, and helped guard the bridge while the Rhine crossing was prepared. The Regiment then fought through the Hochwald and north to cross the Ems-River and take the city of Leer.
At dawn on May 3, 1945, German marine-units launched an attack on two forward companies of the SD&G Highlanders, occupying the village of Rorichum, near Oldersum, that was the final action during the war, VE Day found the SD&G Highlanders near Emden.
It was said of the Regiment that it "never failed to take an objective; never lost a yard of ground; never lost a man taken prisoner in offensive action."
Altogether 3,342 officers and men served overseas with the SD&G Highlanders, of whom 278 were killed and 781 wounded; 74 decorations and 25 battle honours were awarded. A total of 3,418 officers and men served in the 2nd Battalion (Reserve); of them, 1,882 went on active service and 27 were killed. A third battalion raised in July 1945 served in the occupation of Germany and was disbanded in May 1946.
In 1968, to mark the regiment's centenary, the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders received the Freedomof the City of Cornwall.
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. Cpl Eric Monnin was awarded the Medal of Military Valour for his actions on 9 July 2010 in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan while serving with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment.[4]
Sgt. Marc Daniel Leger from Lancaster served as a soldier in the Highlanders from March 1991 – February 1993, when he transferred to the PPCLI.
Maj. Darby Bergin as the first Commanding Officer,
| Name | Years of Command | Photo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1868 (first) – 1885 | |||
| Lieutenant Colonel James Henry Bredin | 1885–1897 | ||
| 1897–1900 | |||
| Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Baker VD | 1900–1903 | ||
| Colonel Hiram A. Morgan | 1903–1908 | ||
| 1908–1910 | |||
| 1910–1920 Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel 1925–1942 Honorary Colonel 1942–1948 | |||
| Lieutenant General Archibald C. MacDonell | Honorary Colonel 1921–1940 | ||
| Colonel William H. Magwood | 1920–1924 | ||
| Colonel John A. Gillies VD | 1924–1929 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel Frederick G. Robinson MC, VD | 1929–1932 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel William J. Franklin | 1932–1934 C.O. 1st Battalion 1940 C.O. 2nd Battalion 1940–1945 Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel 1956–1961 Honorary Colonel 1961–1974 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel Gordon N. Phillips ED | 1934–1938 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel George D. Gillie MC, ED | 1938–1940 | ||
| Colonel Richard T.E. Hicks-Lyne MC, ED | C.O. 1st Battalion 1940–1942 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel W. S. Rutherford ED | C.O. 1st Battalion January 1942 – August 1942 | ||
| Brigadier Michael S. Dunn OBE, CD | C.O. 1st Battalion September 1942 – December 1942 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel G.H. Christiansen | C.O. 1st Battalion December 1942 – August 1944 | ||
| Colonel R. Rowley DSO, ED | C.O. 1st Battalion August 1944 – March 1945 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel N.M. Gemmell DSO | C.O. 1st Battalion March 1945 – May 1945 | ||
| Colonel Donald C. Cameron | C.O. 3rd Battalion 1945–1946 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel Donald R. Dick | 1945–1949 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel Arthur M. Irvine MBE, CD | 1949–1952 | ||
| General H.D.G. Crerar CH,CB,DSO,CD | Honorary Colonel 1951–1956 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel J.P. Donihee CD | 1952–1957 | ||
| Lionel Chevrier PC, CC, QC | Honorary Lieutenant Colonel 1948–1956 Honorary Colonel 1956–1961 | ||
| Colonel Frederick M. Cass CD, QC | Honorary Lieutenant Colonel 1961–1974 Honorary Colonel 1974–1983 | ||
| Lucien Lamoureux QC | Honorary Lieutenant Colonel 1974–1980 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel D.C. Stewart MC, CD | 1957–1962 Honorary Lieutenant Colonel 1983–1986 Honorary Colonel 1986–1989 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel George E. Edgerton ED, CD | 1962–1964 Honorary Lieutenant Colonel 1980–1983 Honorary Colonel 1983–1986 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel John Mullineux CD | 1964–1967 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel Donald R. Fitzpatrick CD | 1967–1970 Honorary Lieutenant Colonel 1986–1989 Honorary Colonel 1989–1993 | ||
| Brigadier General William J. Patterson OMM, CD | 1970–1974 Honorary Lieutenant Colonel 1989–1993 Honorary Colonel 1993–present | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel Thomas J. O'Brien CD | 1974–1977 Honorary Lieutenant Colonel 1993–present | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel William J. Shearing | 1977–1980 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel J.R.W. McLauchlan CD | 1980–1982 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel William L. Masson CD | 1982–1985 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel James F.C. Sheflin CD | 1985–1987 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel J. Keith Simpson CD | 1987–1990 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel Robert J. Brooks CD | 1990–1994 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel Brent L. Lafave CD | 1994–1998 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel A.F. Robertson CD | 1998–2000 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel S.L.D. Julien CD | 2000–2003 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel A.J.G Rochette CD | 2003–2007 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel W.R. Clarke CD | 2007–2010 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel R.C. Duda CD | 2010–2013 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel S.J. Young CD | 2013–2016 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel C.E. French CD | 2016–2019 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel R. Hartman CD | 2019–2023 | ||
| Lieutenant Colonel H.G. Scharf CD | 2023–present |
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 in bold type are emblazoned on the regimental colour.[1]
Cornwall Armoury; 505 Fourth Street East,Cornwall, Ontario K6H 2J7
Coordinates:
The museum collects, preserves and exhibits military artifacts and archival material related to the Regiment and its predecessor units in the three counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry as well as material related to the military experiences of the residents of the three counties.[5]
The 59th Battalion Colours are laid up in the Officers' Mess and the 154th Battalion Colours are laid up in the Trinity Anglican Church, Second Street, Cornwall, Ontario.[6]