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In This Issue
President Message -1
Upcoming Events –1
HLCol Message –2-4
From the Pipes & Drums
–5-6
Childrens Xmas Party –
7
From the Museum—8-9
Golf Tournament –10
Offr/NCO Relationship –
11
Membership—11
Hearldry Lorne Scots –
12-17
Robbie Burns—18
Watch –19
Photo Gallery –20-21
Executive –21
The Lorne Scots Air Son Ar Duthchais
(For our Heritage)
Regimental Association
Brampton Armoury 2 Chapel St
Brampton, Ontario L6W 2H1
Ph: 905 - 451-5724
The LSRA Newsletter
November 2015
Dear Association Membership,
As we enter into the holiday season I would like to take this op-portunity to thank you for all your support this year. The Associa-tion is thriving and this can be attributed to your active participa-tion and the hard work of some of our volunteers and executive committee. Our successful events this year include the first ever curling tournament, a ramped up version of the softball tourna-ment and the very popular golf tournament.
The Regimental association has also sponsored the Regiment's involvement in hockey tournaments as well as the Highland Tug-of-War.
The association was also active in the inclusion of a chapter on the Lorne Scots in a new biog-raphy of His Royal Highness, the Duke of Kent called "HRH The Duke of Kent, A Life of Service By Celia and John Lee". The section includes some pictures of the HRH in his Lorne Scots uni-form as well as some others of his visits here. It also has the history of the Lorne Scots. Thanks to Capt. Sheriff and HLCol Adcock for their work to vet the publication. We should all be honoured that we are now included in this very important historical document. You can buy it on Amazon.com or on iBooks.
We are going into the year of the 150th Anniversary of the Lorne Scots and, with that, we have an opportunity to celebrate and remember our Regiment's history. Now here’s the challenge. You are a member of the association because the Regiment has in some way contributed to your life. I would argue that this is now an opportunity to give back. We need your help in order to make this celebration fantastic! Whether that support is by committing some time to volunteer at one of our events or be it some type of financial support we are asking that you help us in any way that you can. This event needs the entire muscle of the Regimental family behind it. Can we count on you? Send me an email directly if you want to help and we can find a way to include you in whichever way you choose.
Thanking you in advance and wishing you all the best for the holidays,
Daryl Porter
President, Lorne Scots Association
dporter1010@gmail.com
Message from the Regimental Association President
Upcoming Events
Dec 14, 2015 Unit’s Xmas
Dinner
Jan 30, 2016 Robbie Burns
Sep 23/25, 2016 150th
Anniversary
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As the leaves fill my lawns once again and the ducks are feeding off the fish on our river front it
is time to reflect on our most recent visit to England to share an important moment in history
with the Allied Regiment. On Monday the 20th of April we arrived at Pearson International Air-
port counted heads and realized everyone had arrived on time . The Pipes and Drums had all
their equipment and at 2130 we left for England.
On Tuesday we arrived in bright sunny England, quickly cleared through customs , loaded the
bus and headed for the hotel in downtown Bury. The Band was picked up by members of the Fusilier Band and headed for their
quarters at the local cadet camp. In fact things went too smoothly. We arrived at the hotel ahead of schedule and of course our
rooms were not ready. Since the sun was shining brightly we seized the opportunity to take a walk about. We did a quick recce
of the pubs and restaurants and later some of us went to the Fusilier
Museum introduced ourselves to our host for the week Col Mike
Glover. It was Lina and my first visit to the new museum and we
were very impressed by the whole complex. That evening Gary and
Joanne Reamey hosted a dinner at the best Italian Restaurant in
Bury. It was a great start to our visit.
Wed was our only free day so many took the opportunity to explore
the shopping opportunities in Bury and Manchester. It was ru-
moured that the RSM and his lovely wife Nova went to audition for
roles in Coronation Street. It certainly did not take Judy Hendy, Jackie
Dunn and Lina Long to discover a hat shop in the local mall. I took
the opportunity to plan the route to the East Lancashire Rail-
road Station and to confirm the weekend agenda with Col Glov-
er. In the evening once again led by Col Reamey we dined in a
local Pub.
On Thursday we all met in the lobby of the hotel and walked
over to the East Lancashire Railroad station to begin our steam
train pub crawl. On the way we noticed that the pubs were al-
ready full and many were wearing Fusilier Regimental Jackets
and ties. We suddenly realized it was St Georges Day. We intro-
duced ourselves and made a promise to meet up with them in
the evening. This might have been a mistake for some of us.
When we reached the station we met the band and took time
for photos with the crew of the train and the mayor of Bury
before boarding the train. Again we were blessed with a beauti-
ful sunny day . We departed the station in a cloud of steam and
began our journey up the Irwell Valley. The country side was just like a post card of rural England. It was a carpet of green ,
hills shimmering in the sunlight and the inevitable flocks of sheep grazing in the fields. A pub lunch was served on the train with
a selection of local beers to choose from. We travelled up the Valley to Rawtanstall a market town steeped in history with cob-
bled streets and original shop fronts. The train turned around and went back down the valley. We stopped at the historic Vic-
torian Mill town of Ramsbottem (our guide suggested that sheep might have something to do with the name of the town). We
spent several pleasant hours visiting the Irwell Brewary and exploring the shops and enjoying the sights . Later in the evening
we had dinner with our old friend Col Brian Gorski and his lovely Lady Helen Smith. After dinner the HCol, Daryl Porter I joined
some of the Fusiliers still celebrating St Georges Day. Some of us (HCol and HLCol) abandoned the President of the Association
around mid-night and left him in the hands of the Fusiliers. The next morning he was not his usual energetic self.
On Friday morning several of us (LCol Duane Hickson, Maj Rob Ryan, Capt Stew Sheriff and HLCol) jumped back on the steam
Message from the Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel W.A. Adcock CD
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train went back out to Ramsbottem and climbed up to the Peel Tower. The Tower was named after Sir John Peel, Prime Minister
of England who was born in Ramsbottem. Peel Tower stands at the top of Holcombe Hill with a beautiful view of the West Pen-
nine Moors. We had a pleasant hike up to the monument without too much huffing and puffing, enjoyed the view then made our
way back to the hotel. In the early afternoon Lina and I visited the famous Bury market voted the best in England. I have never
seen a bigger fish market. Of course the hi-lite of the day was the Gallipoli Dinner held in the main dining room at the Fusilier Mu-
seum. The Dining Room was packed with Fusiliers, former Fusiliers, members of HMS Euryalus and The Lorne Scots . Our Band was
the hit of the Dinner especially after the drum section did their solo number, receiving a standing ovation at the end of the set.
LCol Hickson replied to the toast to the Allied Regiment and presented Brig David Paterson Colonel of the Regiment with a beauti-
ful hand crafted Hat Badge created by RSM Derek Murphy. With the help of Dr Clive Snape who found a local craftsman the cape
badge was mounted on a beautiful piece of wood. It was an excellent evening.
Sat was a busy day . All members of our contingent attended the official opening of the Gallipoli VC exhibition. The exhibition was
very moving with audio visual displays that gave us the minute by minute details of the deeds of all those brave men on that day
100 years ago. We were also able to meet the descendants of all six of the VC recipients and discovered the stories behind the
medal winners. After a quick lunch we made our way to the Parish Church for the Recital of the Gallipoli suite. Gallipoli 100 was
the brainchild of Helen Smith, General Manager of the The Fusilier Museum. The aim of the project was to commemorate the
Centenary and create a lasting legacy for future generations. Each piece of music was matched to the months, days and weeks
leading up to that disastrous day in 2015. The music reflected the mood of the time. It was exciting, sad, depressing and hopeful.
The Band of the Royal Marines was exceptional. We were all impressed and moved by the whole experience.
Sunday Morning dawned wet and rainy but you could feel the excitement in the air as we walked to the Parish Church. The
streets were crowded with marching units from the Ist Bn RRF, Fusilier Cadet Corps and Fusilier Associations. Political leaders
from Manchester and Bury as well as Senior Officers from the British Army flowed into the church. The church was packed to
overflowing. The First Battalion marched their colours into the church and the service began. The sermon focused on that day in
1915. The Padre described the horrors of War and the sacrifice of the men who left the mills of Bury to fight on W Beach. He de-
scribed the actions of those six members of the 1st battalion who won the Victoria Crosses before Breakfast on the 25 of April
1915. The Fusilier story did not end on the 25th of April. As a consequence of this campaign the Lancashire Fusiliers suffered 1816
all ranks killed in action and an estimated 6000 wounded. In this cam-
paign the Fusiliers were awarded six Victoria Crosses, 3 Companion of
the Bath, 8 Distinguished Service Medals, 25 Distinguished Conduct
Medals and 10 Military Crosses. Our band was part of the church ser-
vices and the haunting notes of the pipes made the service complete.
After the service all the marching units were organized into Contin-
gents behind their own bands. The parade was led by the Band of the
1st BN RRF . The Lorne Scot Contingent was of course led by our Regi-
mental Pipes and Drums. We were all overwhelmed by the numbers
of people lining the streets of downtown Bury. We estimated that
there were 10,000 cheering and clapping as we marched. Many were
shouting thank-you Canada. It was another hi-lite in a visit that had
many. The parade was followed by a lunch at the Museum. We were
greeted by many well-wishers thanking us for making the effort to
attend this significant event. We said our Good byes to our old friends
as well as many new found comrades. There were promises from
many to see us in 2016.
Early Monday morning the Group led by our dear friend Capt John O’Grady boarded a very large coach and set out for the British
Memorial Arboretum. The British Arboretum is a national site of Remembrance which honours the fallen and recognizes service
and sacrifice not only for the military but the police and fire and rescue. It even recognizes children who have died because of
abuse. John and another old friend of the Regiment Maj Brian Bath had worked very hard to fund and organize this visit. The trip
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to the Arboretum was very relaxing especially with the wine and snacks provided by John and his team. Upon arrival we were
met by Brian Bath who had organized a guided tour of the grounds. We then met our band at the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
Monument. We laid a wreath, observed a moment of silence and marched past the reviewing Officer Col Ian Cartwright. After a
busy morning we had an excellent lunch in the Arboretum Café. Again it was sponsored by the Fusiliers. After presentations to
our hosts we had some time to stroll the grounds. The grounds and the individual monuments are magnificent. Each monument
is truly unique. It felt as if we were on hallowed ground. It was truly a spiritually uplifting place. What a perfect way to end our
visit to the Allied Regiment.
After saying goodbye to Brian at the hotel the HCol’s, their Ladies and the CO met Col Gorski at the hotel and were whisked away
to his beautiful 500 year old country house for a tai dinner prepared by his significant other Helen Smith. We had a delicious din-
ner with copious amounts of wine. We then sampled Brian’s ample scotch selection late into the evening. Before we knew it, it
was mid-night and time to say goodbye. Our wakeup call was for five thirty the next morning. I discovered that my recovery rate
was not what it used to be but we all made it.
At the airport the CO, Lina and I said our goodbyes to the band and the group and headed for London for our meeting with the
Colonel In Chief. On Tues afternoon we had a great visit with Brigadier Ian Liles at the tower of London. Ian is the Regimental Sec-
retary of the RRF. We thanked him for contributing to the success of our visit and invited him to come to Canada and help us cel-
ebrate our 150th Anniversary. On a wet Wed morning at St James palace, the CO and I cleared through security had coffee with
the Colonel in Chiefs personnel secretary then met with His Royal Highness for a 20 minute visit. The CO briefed him on the state
of the Regiment and we formally invited him to the 150th Anniversary Celebrations in Sep 2016. He was very enthusiastic about
our invitation and has tentatively put the date in his diary. Let’s hope he can make it.
I would like to thank the following for their efforts in making the visit to our Allied Regiment such a great success, RSM (Ret’d )
Jim Antrobus, Maj Tom Graham, Mrs Lina Adcock, Mrs Jackie Dunn, LCol (Ret’d) Robin Hesler, LCol Duane Hickson (CO), Maj
(Ret’d) Ian Kirkwood, CWO (RSM) Alex Mckelvey, Mrs Nova Mckelvey, Sgt (Ret’d) Daryl Porter, Regimental Association President,
HCol Gary Reamy, Mrs Joanne Reamy, Maj Rob Ryan (Adjt), Mrs Judy Hendy,Capt Stewart Sherriff (Halton Coy 2i/c), Capt (Ret’d)
Clive Snape, Mrs Mary Snape, LCol (Ret’d) Ross Welsh, Mrs Christine Welsh.
The visit of course would not have had the impact it did without the efforts of our Regimental Pipes and Drums. Please find
attached the band report on the visit
Since the trip the President of the Association, the Honorary's, the CO and his command team have been very busy planning the
150th weekend. The final plans for the monuments are well underway and the fundraising campaign is being launched this
month. In the meantime Maj Ruggle and Capt Steingasner have several projects in the planning stages.
Commemorative Scrolls
Regimental Association Medals
Whiskey Project
Although all our plans are moving forward we still will need many volunteers as we get closer to the main event. The one critical
weakness in our plans is a complete updated mailing list. We need our Regimental Family to reach out to your friends and former
members of the Regiment and have them contact the Association. We do not want anyone left out so please help us in our
efforts.
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Bury 2015
Submitted by: Cpl Jeremy Federico (Pipes & Drums)
In April of this year, I was given the privilege to take part in a nine day unit trip to Bury, England to aid our sister regiment in com-
memorating the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli Landing. This was my third trip to the UK with the band, and it was wonderful
to see old friends and new experiences.
From the moment we landed in Manchester, we hit the ground running. A few hours to get settled into the barracks at Hol-
combe Moor Training Centre, then out onto the parade square to begin rehearsal. Thankfully the weather was not that different
from home (meaning the bagpipes wouldn’t need to acclimatise too much), and within no time we were in the circle, running
through our repertoire. With the rest of the day left for uniform prep, it was then time to relax in anticipation of the busy week
ahead. Those of us who had been there before were quick to show our newer members the local amenities down the road in
Ramsbottom, AKA The Hare and Hound, which soon became the end of day haunt for our group.
Our first day began with a concert at the for-
mer Wellington Barracks. Arriving early grant-
ed us the ability to tour the buildings, which
had been converted into offices while retaining
elements of the original interior. The renova-
tions were fantastic, and each of the band
members were gifted pens made of wood from
one of the original crossbeams, over 200 years
old. After an excellent reception laid on for us,
it was then time to rush back to the camp to
change for a combined rehearsal with the Fusi-
lier Band.
Rehearsal at Castle Armoury meant meeting
up with old friends, and after some technical
tweaks we were all ready to play as a combined
band. Everyone was playing in top form, and one
could feel the excitement in the room that comes
from a good rehearsal.
The next day was our sightseeing adventure, con-
sisting of a Pub Train tour. It was at this point that
with a slightly less full day, the jet lag began to hit,
and the band was happy for the relaxing event. The
classic steam train began at Bury Station and
stopped at various small villages along the way to
Ramsbottom, offering interesting craft brews en
route. Everyone enjoyed sampling the myriad liq-
uid refreshments available, and certainly found
their favourites.
The following days were a whirlwind of performances. Band showcases at the Armoury and Fusilier Museum (twice!) were
packed and well received, and helped to make up for those performances cancelled due to typical English weather.
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Sunday was the big day; the Church Parade in Bury. After a quick tuning up in a close-by parking lot, we were ready to begin. I
have never been in a parade that was so well attended by the public, determined to show their respect and support for the
armed forces. The streets were packed so full that the band had to collapse on a few tight corners. It is certainly an experience
that I will not forget.
On Monday, our last day, our group went to the National
Memorial Arboretum for our final performance. After some
inconvenient GPS issues, we arrived to the beautiful
grounds. All over the expanse of well-manicured greenery
were monuments and cenotaphs commemorating the sacri-
fice of soldiers from all reaches of the globe. It created an
interesting duality of the gorgeous environment with the
solemnity of the stories being told.
In the centre of the Arboretum
sits the grand monument, the
Wall of Names. On the wall is the
name of every UK soldier who has died in combat. One cannot but feel humbled upon entering this
place, and the silence is deafening. Our performance there was an excellent bookend to an im-
portant trip.
After an early rise the next morning, we were homeward bound, hav-
ing seen old friends, made new ones, and taken part in an important
milestone in the history of our sister Regiment. I for one, am thankful
for the opportunity, and I will treasure the memories I have made.
Cpl Jeremy Federico—
Pipes and Drums
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You are invited to
The Annual Kids Under 12 Christmas Party
13 Dec 15
Brampton Armouries
12 Chapel St
Brampton
1300-1700 Please RSVP to:
2LT Cameron Howe
cam.howe@hotmail.com
NLT 11 Dec 15
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FROM THE MUSEUM
Submitted by Maj Rick Ruggle
Searching for a World War II vet - the Karn brothers
We have a list of Lorne Scots who served during the second world war, but very little detail about most of them. So we’re
always glad to learn anything more.
We received a photo of Emmanuel William Karn from his niece, who wondered if we could confirm that he was a Lorne
Scot.
His grave marker in the Coldsprings cemetery on Manitoulin Island shows that he was
a corporal in the Saskatchewan Light Infantry (Machine Gun).
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~murrayp/manitoul/coldspri/
public/karn1.jpg
A starting point was to check the index of Lorne Scots who served during the second
world war, on the Halton Hills Public Library website. It’s not complete, but it does
contain thousands of entries. It’s found here - http://www.halinet.on.ca/localhistory/
forms.htm - put in the last name, and click on ‘military records’ (or enter one letter,
and find everyone whose last name begins with that initital).
That showed two soldiers named Karn - E.W. and R.J. Their service numbers were
two numbers apart, so they probably joined on the same day, and they served in the
same sub-unit.
PAMA (the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives) has the records of the Peel War
Board, index cards for the men and women of Peel who served during WW II. They
can be searched here - http://www.peelregion.ca/scripts/phc-ww2.pl - and that yield-
ed a bit more information about them.
Finally we checked our collection of attestation cards for the second world war. Library and Archives Canada has the at-
testation cards for soldiers of the first world war online - http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-
world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/search.aspx - but we are fortunate to have rescued some from the sec-
ond world war. We didn’t find Emmanuel’s but we did find his brother Russell’s card.
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Col. Frank Ching Memorial Golf Tournament 2015
Reported submitted by: CWO Derek Murphy
The Regimental Association Annual Golf Tournament was held at Acton Golf Course on Monday September 7th, 2015. This fundraising event was in direct support of the 150th anniversary of the Regiment. It gives our members a chance to get to-gether and network in a fun environment! The golfers were excited as they gathered to hear Derek Murphy give the rules of the day. We got underway at precisely 10 a.m. with the format being a scramble. About Four hours later everyone had re-turned with their score card filled out appropriately. We then enjoyed a meal of barbecue steak with all the trimmings. The tournament was a huge success as we were able to raise over $6000! The association would like to give a special thank you to all of our sponsors, who year after year help make the annual golf tournament a success and support our fundraising efforts. Through your generosity we are able to support and help our regiment and regimental family. Special thanks to our Golf Com-mittee that worked tirelessly over the past year to help make this event such a success.
Gold Sponsors: LCol (Ret’d) Jerry Derochie, RCL Branch 15, JRA, Lorne Scots Pipes and Drums, HLCol Bill Adcock, HCol Gary Reamey
Silver Sponsor: Al Garbutt
Hole Sponsors: 1188 Cadets Oakville, Major John Wylie, Officers Mess, Sergeants Mess, CWO Derek Murphy, the Shepherds Crook,
The winners this year included:
• Low Total – Al Garbutt, Andy Garbutt, Joe Garbutt, and Tyler Wilson
• Closest to the Pin (Hole 14) – George “Bud” Young
• Women’s Longest Drive (Hole 13) – Carole Jones
• Men’s Longest Drive (Hole 6) – Matt Piccioni
Thank you again for all your support!
Derek Murphy
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The Relationship between Officers and NCM’s
Submitted by: CWO Derek Murphy
A strong relationship between officers and Non Commissioned Members (NCMs) is essential to the success of the Canadian Forces (CF) and remains one of the most important initiatives in NCM development. In the future the relationship will continue to evolve as NCMs assume more non traditional roles such as working with non-governmental organizations while on opera-tions. The current variety of training and deployments requires us to adjust the way we do things as leaders. The increasing de-mands of training, maintaining, and fighting a military unit ex-ceed the grasp of one individual and these must now be a shared responsibility. A strong officer/NCM team is essential for operational effective-ness and the well-being of the profession of arms as a whole. Officers and NCMs must share a common vision for the CF and its mission, with reciprocal confidence, respect and trust. NCMs and WOs will coach and contribute to the development of junior officers. As well, WOs often share with senior officers the re-sponsibilities and challenges of leadership. The leadership team will continually inspire and motivate their subordinates. The changes in the education and social structure of our sol-diers, as well as the increase in information technology and the overall technological environment only increase the importance of the officer-NCM relationship. This will require the intellectual gap between officer and NCM to be lessened so that there will be a greater capacity to rapidly implement the commander's decisions. With this in mind we must ensure that the develop-ment systems for officers and the NCMs complement each other so that we can build an effective team that works together co-
operatively and transmits a positive impression to the soldiers. The system must also be flexible so that it can offer broad and general training to both parties which is interrelated and mutu-ally supporting, as this will ensure that there is much less stress on the structure and that the leadership will continue to inspire and motivate their subordinates. The team of officer and NCM should embody the ideal working relationship at every level of the organization. The officer-NCM relationship represents the nexus between the officers and the troops and the quality of this relationship determines the overall success of the hierarchy. If the officer and NCM can work togeth-er co-operatively and transmit a positive impression to the sol-diers and to those higher in the hierarchy, there is much less stress on the structure. We must ensure that we are all a cohesive team. There is the feeling by some-on both the officer and the NCM side-that some things are only done by officers and other things only done by sergeants, what we sometimes refer to as officer or NCM "business," as if there was some imaginary boundary line im-posed due to the rank we wear. There is only one kind of busi-ness “leader business” and all ncm’s and officers alike are lead-ers and as such must be concerned with all things that occur. I don't believe in the concept of NCM or officer business. This is usually the carte blanche excuse for one to deflect something that needs to be done or corrected elsewhere. Of course, this is almost always a mistake. Any business in the military, especially is the responsibility of all. Both the success and failure of the unit is a result of the relationship between the officers and the NCM’s.
Lorne Scots Regimental Association Membership Application.
By Sean Parkin (Membership Chairman)
Thank you for visiting the Lorne Scots PD&H Regimental website and your interest in learning how to become a member. First and foremost, the Lorne Scots Association Membership is committed to keeping our and your heritage alive. In order for the membership to succeed in doing so we need your help. If you are interested in becoming a member, please fill out the Lorne Scots Association Membership Application form on line and please be sure to fill in as many of the fields as possible. If you are an active or past member, please be sure to include your experience(s) during your time with the Lorne Scots. The experi-ences can be, but not limited to; any tours of duty you may been a part of. Often, as time passes, past members take a trip down memory lane and wish to reconnect with members they may have served with. By providing the membership with as much detail as possible, should one reach out to the association, we will be able to assist with tracking members down and help you reconnect. The membership also recommends that as your information changes, please continue to update the membership with those changes in details. The Association has already been contacted by past family and friends wishing to reach out to past members after decades of losing touch with one another. On that note, the membership wants to ensure you that whatever personal details you do provide will be kept confidential. Should someone reach out to have the membership assist with reconnecting, we will contact that member being sought and indicating the name of the individual seeking to reconnect. The membership will then leave it up those individuals to reconnect. With the purchase of your membership, you will be provided with a code where you can go online and activate your Perkopolis account and immediately benefit from discounts from a variety of locations on a number of items. Also, you will receive a letter keeping you informed with up to date Lorne Scots News and Events. A One Year membership can be purchased online via PayPal for a value of $20. Life Memberships can also be purchased online via PayPal for a one-time payment of $250. Please visit the Lorne Scots Website at LorneScots.ca for more information.
“Air-Son-Ar-Duthchais”
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SOME HERALDRY OF THE LORNE SCOTS By
Captain David Rumball, CD, Ma, FRHSC(Hon)
Presented at a dinner 18 November 2015 Good evening, and thank you for asking me to speak tonight. I was approached to brief everyone on some of the aspects of heraldry in the Lorne Scots, but must admit that although I am versed in matters of heraldry I knew little of this regiment. Thankfully there is Google, and yours is a regiment with a proud history. It is beyond my scope to teach the history of your fine regiment this evening. Rather, I will relate how your Colours came to be and what their significance is. This relates to the monumental event happening next year when you receive new Colours. When the forerunners of the Lorne Scots were created in September 1866, Canada was not yet a country – although Confederation was less than a year away. Great Britain had let it be known that it would no longer cover the expense of its colonies and the four provinces of Canada would have to form their own political body and start to regulate and defend themselves. The price of Empire was high, and with a well-trained and well-equipped army south of our border who had just finished a civil war, London was loathe to get into a war with the United States. This is surprising, as the Americans have been afraid to attack Canada since we defeated them in the War of 1812! Leading up to 1866, the Canadian economy was sound. Politically the colony of Ontario (also called Upper Canada by some) had a strong elected legislature. Confederation was all but a fait accompli. But the Ameri-cans to our south were seen as a potential threat, with war hawks in Washington calling for the invasion of Canada and Fenian excursions into our province creating fear in the populace. The only military presence locally were British troops, who were spread thinly across the region. These troops were being recalled to Britain, and the last would leave in 1871. The Militia Act of 1855 allowed for every able-bodied man be-tween the ages of 15 and 65 to be called up for short-term service only if the country was attacked, but no regular formal drills or parades were held. The Militia Act of 1867, as part of the British North America Act that created the country of Canada, called for the creation of a standing military force of two batteries of artil-lery and one school of infantry instruction with no naval capacity. Hardly a military presence to be proud of for a new country.
In the early years of the eighteenth century, the in-
troduction of a uniform dress for soldiers came
about as part of Prussian King Frederick the Great’s
military reforms. Prior to that, men wore whatever
they wanted into action, although the cavalry had
some uniformity of dress. Suddenly, men could dis-
tinguish friend from foe by means of their uniform.
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In this area, the two units formed in the rush by paper-pushers in Ottawa to create a Canadian military were part of a paper tiger that spread across the new country. To be in the Militia was as much a social endeavour as it was a part-time military occupation. Sons followed fathers into their local regiments. Businessmen trad-ed goods and services with fellow regimental members. All prospered in this new-found family format. And these new regiments needed identifiers. Since ancient times, armies have carried flags, pennants, and/or banners into battle. Their purpose was to identify individual units and to be used as a rallying point in the din of battle. The two-Colour system was introduced in England in 1747 by Royal Warrant, in an attempt to make it easier to identify the various regiments. Occasionally authority to carry a third Colour was granted as a form of bat-tle honour or special recognition. In some cases the third Colour was specially made by/for the regiment, in which case it is usually called the Colonel's or Captain's Colour as it was pre-1747. In other cases, it was actually a Colour captured in battle from an opposing force, in which case it is usually called an Honorary Colour. This custom was seen as flaunting the loss at the enemy while raising the morale of your own troops, but quickly passed as being “ungentlemanly.” In the British army from which we get so many of our customs and traditions, two flags were carried into bat-tle. The first was the King's or Queen's Colour (depending obviously on the gender of the Monarch). It sym-bolized the Regiment's loyalty to the Crown. The second was the Regimental Colour, which identified the unit and generally carried emblazoned on it the major battles in which it had fought and won distinction.
The Lorne Scots’ Colours
The Queen’s Colour (or the King’s Colour, depending on the gender of the Crown) marks the regiment’s alle-giance to the monarch and is therefore accorded a higher standing in precedence. In Canada each Queen’s Colour follows a similar pattern: the flag of our country with the name of the regiment on the central maple leaf. The Regimental Colour carries the cap badge of the regiment, along with major Battle Honours won by the regiment on active service. Here the history of the regiment can be shown, in addition to these Battle Hon-ours.
The Colours of the old 36th Regiment (formed by merging local units together in 1900) and the Colours of the 74th Battalion of the CEF (raised in 1915) were laid up in Christ Church in 1924. The 164th Battalion CEF was raised in 1916, and disbanded in 1918. Its Colours were subsequently deposited in Saint Jude's Church,
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Oakville for safekeeping.
When your unit was called the Peel and Dufferin Regiment from 1923 through 1936, new Colours were need-ed, to which the King’s Colour was presented in 1925 and the Regimental Colour in 1930 by the Viscount Willingdon, Governor General at that time. These Colours rest in Christ Church in Brampton. On 15 December 1936, following a general reorganization of the Militia, the Lorne Rifles and the Peel and Dufferin Regiment were amalgamated to form the present regiment, The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Hal-ton Regiment). The previous stand of Colours was presented in 1963 by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and now rest outside the Council Chambers in Brampton City Hall. These present Colours were presented to the Lorne Scots on 14 September 1991, the 125th Anniversary of the Regiment by your first Colonel in Chief, Field Marshall, His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, KG, GCMG, GCVO, CD, AdeC. The Colours rest in the Officers Mess when not on parade. The Lorne Scots perpetuates all these units. Many military units have what they call a “Battle Flag,” which is taken into areas of threat. I note that the regiment has a Camp flag of the Lorne Scots, used for non-ceremonial occasions such as summer exercises.
This is the flag of The Galley of Lorne,
an appropriate symbol for a regiment
named after the Marquis of Lorne who
was this country’s fourth governor
general. I saw this online photo of two
Lorne Scots’ soldiers holding it while
deployed in Afghanistan. This is a fine
example of a third Colour which I
mentioned earlier – unofficial, yet still
accorded honour and respect by mem-
bers of the regiment.
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Colours suffered grievous destruction in battle and many times were captured by the enemy. As a result of this, Colours have not been carried into battle since the late 1800s. Anyone who has seen the movie Zulu Dawn will note a romanticized version of the actual loss by the 1st Battalion of the 24th Regiment of both their Colours to the attacking Zulu impis, and the heroic but futile attempt by two subalterns to save the Col-ours. Both Colours were lost, although the Queen’s Colour was later recovered.
.
John George Edward Henry Douglas Sutherland Camp-
bell, 9th Duke of Argyll KG KT GCMG GCVO VD PC,
usually better known by the courtesy title Marquis of
Lorne, Canada’s fourth governor general.
HM Queen Victoria and HRH Prince Albert
In 1846, Prince Albert consort of Queen Vic-toria said the following of Colours: "Receive these Colours; one called the Queen's. Let it stand as a pledge of your loyalty to the Sover-eign, and of obedience to the laws of the country. The more especially the Regimental one; let that be a pledge of your determina-tion to maintain the honour of your Regiment. In looking at one you will think of your Sov-ereign; in looking at the other you will think of those who fought, bled, and conquered be-fore you."
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The Colour Party of the 1st/24th Foot prior to presenting the Queen's Colour recovered from the Tugela River after the 1879 Battle of Isandlwana to HM Queen Victoria. The Queen's Colour is on the left. The soldiers on the far right and fourth from the right fought at Rorke's Drift. The Colour was presented to Queen Victoria who placed a wreath of silver immortelles on the tip of the staff. Lieutenants Melville and Coghill were awarded posthumous Victoria Crosses for their attempt to save the Colours. This was the last time that a British regiment would lose its Colours in action, but not the last time that Colours would be carried into bat-tle. The last British Regiment to carry its colours into action was the 58th Regiment in 1881 at the Battle of Laing’s Nek in Natal, South Africa during the First Boer War. The officers holding them were easy targets for the Boer marksmen, five of the six officers being killed and the other being awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroism. Never again would a British regiment carry its Colours into combat. As a result of this tactical defeat and the near-loss of the set of Colours to an enemy, especially a victorious enemy composed mainly of rural farmers, the British Secretary of War announced in The House of Commons in London on 29 July 1891 "That, in consequence of the altered formation of attack and the extended range of fire, the Colours should not in future be taken with the battalion on active service." When Colours were first introduced on the battlefield centuries ago, the vast majority of soldiers could nei-ther read nor write. They needed a rallying symbol that was easy to identify, so a badge was created to help them identify fellow regimental soldiers. Over the years this badge has become a recognized symbol of the regiment and is worn on your headdress. Please note it is called a badge, not a crest. A crest is on the very top of something, like the crest of a hill or a wave. A badge denotes membership in a group, be it a regiment or social organization.
Badge: Issuant from a torse Argent and Azure a demi-lion Or gorged with a collar Azure charged with a frieze of bezants, holding between its paws a shuttle Argent, all ensigned by the Royal Crown proper and within a wreath of maple leaves Argent and thistles proper, issuant from two scrolls Sable inscribed AIR SON AR DUTHCHAIS and THE LORNE SCOTS (PEEL, DUFFERIN AND HALTON REGT) in letters Argent; Motto: AIR SON AR DUTHCHAIS;
Badge: The maple leaves represent service to Canada, and the Crown, service to the Sovereign. The wreath of
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thistles (the national flower of Scotland) is a common device among badges of highland infantry regiments. The lion and shuttle crest was approved as a badge for The Peel Regiment by Sir William Robert Wellesley Peel, 2nd Viscount Peel, whose grandfather was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom when Peel Coun-ty was organized. “THE LORNE SCOTS” and “(PEEL, DUFFERIN AND HALTON REGT)” are a form of the regimental title, and “AIR SON AR DUTHCHAIS” is the motto of the regiment, meaning “For our herit-age”.
The announcement of the Letters Patent was made on March 21, 2009, in Volume 143, page 693 of the Cana-da Gazette. Colours are the most prized possession of infantry units, with The Regimental Colour the most prized of all. It symbolizes The Regiment and its accomplishments. Colours never appear on parade without an armed es-cort. Historically the senior subaltern carries the Queen's Colour and the junior subaltern, the Regimental Colour while senior NCOs form the escort. Colours are always paid compliments on parade and are never dipped except in the presence of the Sovereign.
You have a regiment in which to be proud. I am honoured to have been asked to speak this evening on a
small but important part of it, and thank you for your attention.
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Photo Gallery
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Newsletter Input
Got news about the regimental family, a suggestion,
comment, or article for the newsletter? Send it to the
Editor, Jerry Derochie at lsregtlassoc@hotmail.com.
Or put pen to paper and snail mail to
The Lorne Scots
The Regimental Association
2 Chapel St
Brampton, Ontario, L6W 2H1
Executive
President Sgt (Ret’d) Daryl Porter
Vice President, Sgt (Ret’d) Andrew Harris, CD
Secretary Capt (Ret’d) Diana Darling-Mitchell, CD
Treasurer Maj (Ret’d) Ian Kirkwood, CD
Members
Membership Cpl Sean Parkin
Newsletter LCol (Ret’d) Jerry Derochie, CD
Museum Maj (Ret’d) Rick Ruggle, CD
Capt Stew Sherriff, CD
CWO Derek Murphy, CD
Some Links
http://www.lornescots.ca/association/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lorne-Scots-Regimental-Association/158012577639664
https://www.facebook.com/groups/146923842093667/
http://lornesmuseum.ca/index.html
http://www.lornescotspipesanddrums.org/
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