History
Operational History
Chronicles of the Regiment’s military contributions
1885
Fenian Raids
The 15th Battalion Volunteer Militia (Infantry), Canada was called out on active service during the 1866 raids by the Fenian Brotherhood on 8 March 1866. The battalion was removed from active service on 27 March 1866 at the conclusion of the emergency.
The Battle of Ridgeway, near Niagara, Canada West, on June 2, 1866
1866
Northwest Rebellion
The 15th Battalion Argyll Light Infantry, the 40th Northumberland Battalion of Infantry, the 46th East Durham Battalion of Infantry and The 49th Hastings Battalion of Rifles mobilized a company each for active service with The Midland Battalion on 10 April 1885. The Midland Battalion served in the Alberta Column of the Northwest Field Force until it was demobilized on 24 July 1885.
Battle of Batoche Print by Sergeant Grundy
1914 – 1920
The Great War
The military history of Canada during the First World War began on 04 August 1914, when Great Britain declared war on Germany. The British declaration automatically brought Canada into the war, due to Canada's status as a dominion of the United Kingdom. However, the Canadian government had the freedom to determine the country's level of involvement in the war. On 5 August 1914, the Governor General declared a state of war existed between Canada and Germany.
At the end of the war in 1918 Canada's total casualties stood at over 66,000 killed and more than 173,000 wounded, out of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) strength of approximately 620,000 people (39% of those mobilized were casualties).
In the eastern Ontario region, the 49th Hastings Rifles, the 16th Prince Edward Regiment, the Argyll Light Infantry, the 40th Northumberland (Ontario) Regiment, the 46th Durham Regiment and the 57th Regiment (Peterborough Rangers), continued to exist throughout the war, but most of their strength was on paper because so many men of these regiments were on active service in the numbered battalions of the CEF.
The Battle Honours of the 39th, 80th and 254th Battalions of the CEF were awarded to this Regiment upon its formation in 1920 by authority of General Order Number 71 of 1930. These Honours are Somme 1916; Arras 1917; Hill 70; Ypres 1917; Amiens; Arras 1918; Pursuit to Mons; Mount Sorrel; and the Hindenburg Line. All First World War Battle Honours, except Mount Sorrel are inscribed on the Regimental Colour.
1914 Canadian Parliamentary Recruiting Committee Poster
39 Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force at Belleville Armories on parade ready to leave for overseas
Units raised in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties
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The 39th Battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 17 June 1915. It was raised as a depot battalion and was not intended for service in France as such. The 39th Battalion recruited in eastern Ontario and was mobilized at Belleville, Ontario. The 39th had one commanding officer, LCol A.V. Preston from 24 June 1915 to 4 January 1917. Nine militia regiments contributed volunteers including the 40th Northumberland Regiment which sent about 200 men. The 39th provided reinforcements to the Canadian Corps in the field until 04 January 1917, when its personnel were absorbed by the 6th Reserve Battalion, CEF. A total of 921 'Originals' from the 39th were drafted to eleven different battalions in France with the largest drafts going to the 18th Battalion (105 men), 21st Battalion (150 men) and 26th Battalion (112 men). The 39th Battalion was subsequently disbanded on 17 July 1917. The 39th Battalion CEF is perpetuated by The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment. Strength at its highest was 1003 officers and men. Regimental Motto, Praest Ut Praestum, Nothing Succeeds Like Success.
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Based in Barriefield, Ontario, the unit began recruiting in the late summer of 1915 in Belleville, Picton (D Coy) and Napanee (C Coy). After sailing to England in May 1916, the battalion was absorbed into the 51st Battalion, CEF on September 30, 1916. The 80th Battalion, CEF had one commanding officer: LCol William G. Ketcheson of Sidney Township whose family paid for the original colours that were laid up in St Thomas Anglican Church in Belleville, April 28, 1918. Strength at its highest: 1041 officers and men. Regimental Motto: Paratus.
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The 155th (Quinte) Battalion, CEF, was authorized on 22 December 1915. The unit began recruiting in late 1915 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties and embarked for Great Britain on 17 October 1916, where it provided reinforcements to Canadian units in the field until 08 December 1916, when its personnel were absorbed by the 154th (Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry) Battalion, CEF. The 155th (Quinte) Battalion, CEF had one commanding officer, LCol M. K. Adams. Strength at its highest: 826 officers and men.
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The 254th (Quinte's Own) Overseas Battalion, CEF was raised in Belleville, Ontario. Three regiments in the area recruited for the 254th Battalion, including the 15th Regiment (Argyll Light Infantry), 16th Prince Edward Regiment, and 49th Regiment, Hastings Rifles. (After the war, the three regiments were eventually amalgamated into The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment (the 16th and 49th amalgamated in 1920 to become The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment and The Argyll Light Infantry, as the 15th became known in 1920, was amalgamated with the Hastings in 1954). The unit recruited in Military District 3 (Hastings County). The unit began recruiting in the autumn of 1916 in Hastings County. After sailing to England in June 1917, the battalion was absorbed into the 6th Reserve Battalion, CEF upon arrival. The 254th (Quinte's Own) Battalion, CEF had one commanding officer: LCol A. P. Allan. Strength at its highest: 243 officers and men.
80th Battalion, Belleville 1916
39th Battalion, Belleville, 1915
Units raised in Northumberland and Durham Counties
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The 136th Battalion (Durham), CEF was authorized on 22 December 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 25 September 1916, where its personnel were absorbed by the 39th Reserve Battalion, CEF on 06 October 1916 to provide reinforcements to Canadian units in the field. The 136th Battalion was disbanded on 22 May 1917. They recruited primarily in the Port Hope area and had one commanding officer, LCol R.W. Smart. Strength at its highest: 402 officers and men. Regimental Motto: Semper Paratus.
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The 139th Overseas Battalion (Northumberland), CEF, was authorized on 22 December 1915. Based in Cobourg, Ontario, the unit began recruiting in late 1915 in Northumberland County. After sailing to England in September 1916, the battalion was absorbed into the 3rd and 36th Reserve Battalions on 06 October 1916. It was disbanded 21 May 1917. The 139th Battalion, CEF had one commanding officer: LCol W. H. Floyd. Strength at its highest – 495 officers and men.
139th Battalion Downtown Cobourg 1914
Units raised in Peterborough City and County
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The 21st Battalion (Eastern Ontario) was authorized on 07 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 06 May 1915. It landed in France on 15 September 1915, where it fought as part of the 4th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division in France and Flanders. The battalion was disbanded on 30 August 1920. The 21st Battalion recruited in Eastern Ontario and was mobilized at Kingston, Ontario. The 21st Battalion had five commanding officers: LCols W.St.P. Hughes, E.W. Jones, DSO, T.F. Elmitt, and H.E. Pense, DSO. The 21st Battalion was awarded eighteen Battle Honours. Strength at its highest: 826 officers and men.
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The 93rd Battalion, which was authorized on 22 December 1915 as the '93rd "Overseas" Battalion, CEF embarked for Britain on 15 July 1916. The battalion provided reinforcements to the Canadian Corps in the field until 06 October 1916, when its personnel were absorbed by the 39th Reserve Battalion, CEF. The battalion was disbanded on 21 May 1917. Its sole commanding officer was LCol I.J. Johnston.
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The 247th Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Peterborough, Ontario, the unit began recruiting in the late summer of 1916 in the townships of Peterborough, West Hastings, and Cavan. The unit was absorbed into the 235th Battalion, CEF while still in Canada. The 247th Battalion, CEF had one commanding officer: LCol C. H. Ackerman.
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The 254th (Quinte's Own) Overseas Battalion, CEF was raised in Belleville, Ontario. Three regiments in the area recruited for the 254th Battalion, including the 15th Regiment (Argyll Light Infantry), 16th Prince Edward Regiment, and 49th Regiment, Hastings Rifles. After the war, the three regiments were eventually amalgamated into The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment (the 16th and 49th amalgamated in 1920 to become The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment and The Argyll Light Infantry, as the 15th became known in 1920, was amalgamated with the Hastings in 1954). The unit recruited in Military District 3 (Hastings County). The unit began recruiting in the autumn of 1916 in Hastings County. After sailing to England in June 1917, the battalion was absorbed into the 6th Reserve Battalion, CEF upon arrival. The 254th (Quinte's Own) Battalion, CEF had one commanding officer: LCol A. P. Allan. Strength at its highest: 243 officers and men.
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Belleville’s 34th Battery saw service in the First World War as part of the 9th Brigade Canadian Field Artillery (CFA). In later years it was re-designated the 34th Anti-Tank Battery (Self-Propelled) then amalgamated with The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment on 01 September 1954. Also seeing action overseas was Peterborough’s 24th Field Battery, CA, and Cobourg’s 4th Field Regiment (Self-Propelled), Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) which originated in Cobourg, Ontario on 09 May 1905 as the 10th Brigade of Field Artillery, Canadian Artillery (CA).
Pte William McKinstry (circled) of the 93rd Battalion in front of the Peterborough Armoury 19 May 1916. Pte McKinstry died in 1917 of wounds received on the battlefield.
21st Battalion crossing the Bonn Bridge December 1918
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The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, CASF, mobilized for active service on 1 September 1939 and was redesignated the 1st Battalion, The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, CASF, on 7 November 1940. The unit embarked for Great Britain on 22 December 1939, and on 13 June 1940 it went to France as part of the Second British Expeditionary Force, reaching a point beyond Laval before being ordered back to the United Kingdom. It landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943, and in Italy on 3 September 1943, as part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Infantry Division.
On 10 March 1945, the battalion moved with the I Canadian Corps to northwest Europe, where it fought until the end of the war. The overseas battalion was disbanded on 15 October 1945.
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On 1 June 1945, a second Battalion of the Regiment was mobilized for service in the Pacific theatre of operations as the 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion (The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment), CASF. The 2nd Battalion was disbanded on 1 November 1945.
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Details from The Midland Regiment were called out on service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939, for local protection duties under the designation The Midland Regiment (Northumberland and Durham), CASF (Details). These details were disbanded on 31 December 1940. The regiment then mobilized The Midland Regiment (Northumberland and Durham), CASF, for active service on 24 May 1940 and was redesignated the 1st Battalion, The Midland Regiment (Northumberland and Durham), CASF, on 7 November 1940. The 1st Battalion served in Canada in a home defence role as part of the Prince Rupert Defences, 8th Canadian Infantry Division. The Battalion embarked for Great Britain on 10 January 1945, where it was disbanded on 18 January 1945 to provide reinforcements to the Canadian Army in the field.
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The 34th Field Battery, RCA, and the 32nd (Kingston) Field Battery, RCA, mobilized the 32nd/34th Field Battery, RCA, CASF, for active service on 24 May 1940. This unit was subsequently reorganized as two separate batteries on 1 January 1941, designated as the 32nd (Kingston) Field Battery, RCA, CASF, and the 34th Field Battery, RCA, CASF. On D-Day, 6 June 1944, it landed in Normandy, France, as part of the 14th Field Regiment, RCA, CASF, which fought as a unit of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division in North-West Europe until the end of the war.
The overseas battery was disbanded on 2 November 1945. The battery later mobilized the 2nd/34th Field Battery, RCA, CAOF, on 1 June 1945 for service with the Canadian Army Occupation Force in Germany. This battery was disbanded on 28 March 1946.
1939-1945
Second World War
The military history of Canada during the Second World War began on 03 September 1939, when Canada's Parliament declared war on Germany, following the invasion of Poland. Canada's entry into the war was determined by its close ties to Britain, as well as its commitment to defending democracy and opposing fascism. The Canadian government quickly mobilized its military forces, contributing significantly to the Allied war effort in various theaters of operation, including the Battle of the Atlantic, the D-Day invasion of Normandy, and the Pacific campaign. Canadian soldiers distinguished themselves in battles such as Dieppe, Ortona, and the Battle of the Scheldt.
Canada's total casualties in the Second World War numbered over 45,000 killed and more than 118,000 wounded, out of a total force of approximately 1.1 million Canadians who served in uniform (33% of those mobilized were casualties). Canada's contributions to the war effort helped to secure Allied victory and establish the country's reputation as a reliable and valued ally.
The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment made significant contributions to the war effort, earning several Battle Honours including Sicily 1943; Motta Montecorvino; The Gully; Ortona; Gustav Line; Liri Valley; Hitler Line; and Northwest Europe, 1944-1945.
Having secured the island of Sicily, members of The Regiment hold a swim parade in the Straits of Messina (Photo from The Pictorial History of Canada’s Army Overseas 1939-1945, p. 71).
One of the Regiment’s Bren gun carriers receives some much-needed maintenance by its crew to remove mud and ensure the tracks continue working while on the drive to the Moro River and Ortona in late 1944 (Photograph from The Pictorial History of Canada’s Army Overseas 1939-1945, p. 95)
July - August 1943
Sicily Campaign
The Regiment played a crucial role in the Allied invasion of Sicily. They engaged in intense combat, including the famous Battle of Assoro, where they scaled the mountain of Assoro, securing a key position. Their determined efforts in capturing and holding key strategic positions were instrumental in the success of the campaign, marking the early but impactful involvement in the Mediterranean theatre of the war.
‘Assault on Assoro’ by Canadian war painter Ted Zuber
September 1943 - December 1944
Italian Mainland Campaign
The Regiment contributed significantly to the Italian Mainland Campaign, participating in intense battles in Ortona and Liri Valley. Faced with challenging terrain & fierce enemy resistance, their tenacity & determination were instrumental in the Allied advance to liberate mainland Italy from Axis forces.
April – September 1945
Northwest Europe Campaign
The Regiment played a pivotal role in the liberation of the Netherlands; their efforts in the region were instrumental in pushing back German forces. Their push to liberate the town of Apeldoorn marked a significant turn in the campaign to free the Netherlands from Nazi occupation & the broader Allied effort to bring freedom and relief to the Dutch people.
Officers of The Regiment at Duin en Kruidberg in Santapoort, Netherlands in the spring of 1945
“I love my country and I serve it in The Regiment. To serve is to know discipline and be a leader and a good comrade. So that is what I am - a very ordinary person. Duty and honour and discipline give life a meaning.”
— Angus B. Duffy, CM, OStJ, CD, Honourary-Colonel
May 3, 1981, Belleville, Ontario
1950-1953
Korean War
"F" Company of the the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment Active Force was initially used as a reinforcement pool for "E" Company. On 15 May 1952, it was reduced to nil strength, upon its personnel being absorbed by the newly formed 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion for service in Korea with the United Nations.
The 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion, also known as "The Royal Canadian Regiment," deployed in November 1950, as part of the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade. They engaged in numerous battles, including the Battle of Kapyong in April 1951, where Canadian and other UN forces successfully defended against a Chinese offensive. They faced formidable challenges such as harsh weather and rugged terrain in frontline combat. After the armistice in July 1953, they returned to Canada, leaving behind a legacy of pride for their contributions to the UN's mission to restore peace in Korea.
"F" Company was disbanded on 29 July 1953. In 1953 the 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion became the 4th Battalion, The Canadian Guards.
Korea, 1952. (L-R) Lt. Claude McKinney RCR, Capt. Cliff Bowering Hast & PER, Capt. George McElroy Hast & PER
1950s-1980s
Cold War
On 4 May 1951, the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment mobilized two temporary Active Force companies designated "E" and "F". "E" Company was reduced to nil strength upon its personnel being incorporated into the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion for service in Germany with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It was disbanded on 29 July 1953.
The 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion was one of several Canadian units that were deployed to West Germany as part of Canada's NATO commitment. During their time in West Germany, the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion was stationed in various locations, including the cities of Soest and Werl. The battalion's soldiers were involved in a range of activities, including training exercises, patrols, and border surveillance. They also participated in various NATO exercises, such as the annual "Maple Leaf" exercises, which were designed to test NATO's readiness and ability to respond to a hypothetical Soviet attack.
Bonnland, West Germany , 1989
2002-2014
Afghanistan War
The Regiment contributed personnel to the various Task Forces which served in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2014. The Regiment received the Battle Honour Afghanistan in 2022.
A Canadian Forces soldier from A Company; Zjarey district, Afghanistan, 8 July 2006
The Regiment’s Continued Service
At Home & Abroad
In 1970 The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment was organized with Battalion Headquarters and “A:” Company in Belleville and with “B” Company in the Peterborough Armoury. In 1989 a platoon was raised in Cobourg, who trained at the old Armoury which was also the local police station. In December 1992 the platoon was raised to the official status as “C” Company and in April 1993 received a permanent location elsewhere in town.
By 1993 each of the companies had adopted a Battle Honour name: “A” Company used Assoro; “B” Company used Moro; and “C” Company Cassino; with Headquarters Company using Somme.
1993 also began an affiliation for several years with 3RCR through the new Total Force concept. The Regiment supplied one Rifle Company to Oscar Company, a Combat Support Mortar Platoon and elements of a Combat Service Support Company to 3RCR.
Continuing a long tradition of service, the Regiment continues to send individual soldiers to augment the Regular Force units on duty with United Nations Peacekeeping tasks worldwide. Soldiers have served in Cyprus, Bosnia, and the Golan Heights.
In 2017, the Canadian Army assigned the Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment the mission task to raise, train, and maintain the assault pioneer combat support capability within the 4th Canadian Division.
Since taking on the task, the Regiment has trained more assault pioneers than any other unit outside of the Canadian Army’s Combat Training Centre.
20th Anniversary St. Patricks Day Parade Peterborough, 2023