Policy for standing up stood down regiments.

[Ex-Dragoon]

I am curious does the military have a set policy to stand up regiments that have been stood down? i.e the Black Watch? Does it go by length of time a regiment has been inactive? the reasons why it was made inactive? You get the idea.

 

[a_majoor]

Short answer, if a regiment was inactivated (i.e. reduced to zero strength), then there should be some administrative mechanism to revive it.

The Minister of National Defense can create "Special Service Force" units out of thin air (This was done during the Boer War and Korea), usually through the use of recalling or allowing veteran soldiers to reenlist, as well as allowing reservists and civvies to join the unit directly. (While not an SSF regiment, the Canadian Mounted Rifles was formed out of soldiers from the Permanent and Non Permanent Militias, as well as the North West Mounted Police). You may also offer to raise a regiment at your own expense for the Crown (LdSH (RC) and the PPCLI were both formed this way), but considering the cost of LAVs and TCCCS radios, you may find yourself a bit strapped for cash when you are through.

A unit which has been "struck" from the order of battle no longer exists, and even if a new unit was raised in the same location and with the same name (i.e. the Perth Regiment), I do not believe that unit would be able to perpetuate any of the battle honours, customs or traditions of the former unit.

We will need an Administrative weenie genius to walk us through the ins and outs of how to do this for real.

What unit are you going to resurrect?

 

[Gunner]

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/commun...tml_view_e.asp?page=Vol4_28____Entrenous14-15

By Buzz Bourdon

Over the years, many distinguished CF regiments boasting long years of service to sovereign and country have been disbanded, amalgamated or reduced to nil strength.

The reasons for these steps include a chronic lack of soldiers and budgetary cutbacks.

When a regiment is disbanded, it loses its lineage, which can never be regained, says Major Paul Lansey of Director History and Heritage. In other words, the unit ceases to exist.

Reducing a regiment to nil strength means it is dormant and placed on the supplementary order of battle. If that regiment is ever needed again, soldiers are posted to it.

An example of both disbandment and reduction to nil strength can be found in the Regiment of Canadian Guards. Established by Queen Elizabeth II on October 16, 1953, the Canadian Guards originally had four battalions.

The 3rd and 4th Battalions were disbanded in 1957. During the 1960s, both the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Canadian Guards impressed many with their ceremonial skills during the changing of the guard ceremony on Parliament Hill. In 1962 the 1st Battalion won the Prix Le Clerc, a prestigious small arms competition held in Europe.

Despite these accomplishments, the 1st Battalion was disbanded effective October 31, 1968. The 2nd Battalion was reduced to nil strength effective July 6, 1970. On June 6, 1970, then governor general Roland Michener accepted the battalion colours and the company colours from both battalions for safekeeping. They are on display in Rideau Hall.

Other Regular Army units disbanded from 1968 to 1970 because of massive cutbacks included two battalions of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada and two battalions of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada. Their Reserve components, almost a century older than the regular battalions, remain active in Toronto and Montréal.

Reserve regiments were not immune from the cutbacks of the 1960s. On March 12, 1965, 12 infantry and armoured Reserve regiments were made dormant by being placed on the supplementary order of battle, including the Victoria Rifles of Canada, The Halifax Rifles (RCAC), 14th Canadian Hussars, le Régiment de Joliette and The Royal Rifles of Canada.

 

[TCBF]

My interest was peaked in this several years ago, when I started wondering what units perpetuated the battalions that were awarded the battle honour of "SIBERIA 1919" and similar.  I think it went to the Yukon Regt, or some such, though a "political" decision had been made to ensure they would NEVER see the light of day on a set of colours. Or so I have been led to believe.

Can anyone else add to this?

Mr. Dorosh, I think this may be more up your alley than mine.

Tom

 

[xFusilier]

I dont think they went to the Yukon Regt.  The Yukon Regt wasn't around long enough to have colours presented to it.  The RCMP does have SIBERIA 1918-19 emblazoned on it's Guidon however, the most likely reason that it is the only one is that it is the only unit that survived to present day.

 

[Gunner]

See link to Legion magazine:

http://www.legionmagazine.com/features/militarymatters/03-07.asp#5

There were two notable, and rather exotic exceptions to the France and Belgium battle honours. The first was Siberia 1918-19, awarded to the 259th and 260th Batallions., CEF, for the campaign against the Bolsheviks. Sadly, no existing regiment perpetuates either of these units. The other exception was honours won by the Royal Newfoundland Regt., not then a Canadian unit, and are carried by today's perpetuated unit of the same name. These honours are Gallipoli 1915-16 and Egypt 1915-16.

 

[Gill557]

I know of another good regiment that was cut-off.  The plaque of the Princes Louise Dragoon Guards is up in the Cartier Square Drill Hall in Ottawa.  It's too bad that good units must be cut off, we loose a lot of our heritage that way.

 

[Jungle]

A unit which has been "struck" from the order of battle no longer exists, and even if a new unit was raised in the same location and with the same name (i.e. the Perth Regiment), I do not believe that unit would be able to perpetuate any of the battle honours, customs or traditions of the former unit.

Not so sure about this: the CAR was perpetuating the Battle honours from the 1st Cdn Para Batt and the 1st SSF. Both these units were disbanded, or "struck" from the order of battle, during or immediately after WWII. So there is a precedent...