Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) Regimental Manual Third Edition 2015 LORD STRATHCONA’S HORSE (ROYAL CANADIANS) REGIMENTAL MANUAL Third Edition (First Edition 1990) (Second Edition 2004) (Third Edition 2015) © Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Regimental Society, 2015 REGIMENTAL MANUAL AMENDMENT RECORD Amendment Date of Amendment Amendment Number 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. REGIMENTAL MANUAL FOREWORD FOREWORD Regiments are prolific in the world. Some have numbers to identify them (German Panzer Battalion 393; R22eR; etc.). Others have names from the type of unit and the role played as light or heavy cavalry (Scots Dragoon Guards; French 4e Régiment de Chasseurs). Some are associated with places (The Ontario Regiment; South Alberta Light Horse). We belong to a small group that is identified with an individual (Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; Governor General's Horse Guards). What makes the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) unique is that we are named after an individual who used his own money to raise a unit to fight in a foreign war. That individual had an exceptional impact on Canada’s future. Whether it was his association with the exploration of the west through the Hudson’s Bay Company, his singular vote in Parliament that ousted a government, or his driving of the Last Spike of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, there is no question that Donald Smith, Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal was an extraordinary individual. The soldiers that carried his name into battle in the Boer War were unique in their own right. They were “drawn from the prairie country and British Columbia” with “preference …to be given to good riders and good shots”. 1 What does this background have to do with a Regimental Manual? Everything. A Regiment is not a commodity that can be bought online. It is an entity that embodies combat soldiers who have a common purpose and are bound by traditions and culture. The strength of the Canadian Army has been the regimental system. The strength of the Strathconas stems from our western heritage, our deeply entrenched sense of professionalism, and our spirited ‘can do attitude’ in arduous and often lethal conditions. The Regimental Manual documents who we are and how we are defined. It outlines our history, tradition, and culture. It is our route map of where we have been and how we strive to be relevant. Customs and traditions can and should fittingly change with the times. What was de rigueur in the past may no longer be appropriate now. Hence, the Regimental Manual should be regularly reviewed and updated. As best described in the 2nd edition of the Regimental Manual by former Colonel of the Regiment LGen Jim Fox … “The Regimental Manual … provides a record for all to show how we should conduct ourselves as Strathconas and the reasons why we do so… As such, our customs and traditions contribute in a positive way to the esprit de corps of the Regiment …”. The Strathcona esprit de corps is widely known and highly respected. “Living in an atmosphere of soldierly duty and esprit de corps permeates the soul, where drill merely attunes the muscles.” 2 This Regimental Manual is all about the Strathcona soul. Read it well, and often. Cameron Ross Major-General, CMM, CD (retired) Colonel of the Regiment June 2015 1 Dr. David Bercuson, Strathcona’s Horse; South Africa 1900-1901 (Bunker to Bunker Publishing, 2000); v. 2 Robert Heinl, Dictionary of Military and Naval Quotations (Annapolis, MD, US Naval Institute, 1985); quote of Liddell Hart, Thoughts on War, v 1944; 106 i REGIMENTAL MANUAL FOREWORD INTRODUCTION This manual is meant to be the first and last stop for inquiries into the customs, traditions, and history of Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians). I encourage every member of the Regimental Family, whether you are currently serving, attached, retired, or affiliated, to read through and see yourself within these pages. Every effort has been made to ensure that this most recent edition of the Regimental Manual is as reflective as possible of those currently serving and recently retired. Those involved in the first two editions of the Regimental Manual, notably Colonel (Retired) Keith Eddy and Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Vince Fagnan respectively, should be commended for their diligent research and commitment. Major Peter Beitz initially established the framework and organisation for the updates to the Third Edition. Subsequently, many of the updates themselves were completed by Captain Ryan Lee, Captain Ali Raju, Captain Phillip Webster, and Lieutenant Justin Rice. Their efforts to accurately summarize all of the changes to this edition were often difficult and should not be understated. One of the events that prompted this update was the Regiment’s participation in Canada’s longest armed conflict in Afghanistan from 2002-2014. Although the Second Edition was published in 2004, there was no way of knowing at that time that the Strathcona’s would eventually see tanks return into service for combat operations in Kandahar Province in 2006. From 2006-2010, the Regiment deployed eight consecutive tank squadrons to the Panjwayi District. The updates reflected in this Third Edition are current as of June 2015. Much of the information was provided by our very own Warrant Officer ‘Ted’ MacLeod, the curator of the Strathcona Gallery of The Military Museums in Calgary. The Strathcona Gallery was re-dedicated 25 November 2014 after an extensive five-year renovation and now reflects our status as being the only regiment in the Canadian Army to have participated in every one of our country’s foreign conflicts since Confederation. On a personal note, I was made to read the Second Edition of the Regimental Manual in its entirety before arriving at the Regiment for the first time in October 2007 as a subaltern. Although not a replacement for actual service at the Regiment, it provided me with an excellent picture of what would be expected of me upon my arrival. Since then, I have relied upon it regularly as a guide, as a resource, and as a companion to every aspect of Regimental life. I sincerely hope that this Third Edition provides the future members of our great Regiment the same sense of awe and direction it did for me. The Regimental Society will be responsible for keeping the Regimental Manual up to date and for publishing amendments as approved by the Board of Directors. Comments on the Regimental Manual should be sent to the Regimental Second-in-Command, Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians), Steele Barracks, P.O. Box 10500 Station Forces, Edmonton, Alberta, T5J 4J5. Other contact information can be found at the Regimental Society website at www.strathconas.ca. Perseverance, T.W.F. Day Captain, CD Adjutant June 2015 REGIMENTAL MANUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWARD…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. i INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………….. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………………………... iii TABLE OF FIGURES ………………………………………………………………………………………….. ix LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………………………………… xiv CHAPTER 1 - HISTORY OF THE REGIMENT ................................................................................................ 1-1 ARTICLE 1100 - The Birth of the Regiment ................................................................................................... 1-1 ARTICLE 1101 - Post South Africa.............................................................................................................. 1-2 ARTICLE 1102 - The First World War ......................................................................................................... 1-3 ARTICLE 1103 - Between the Wars................................................................................................................ 1-5 ARTICLE 1104 - The Second World War ...................................................................................................... 1-6 ARTICLE 1105 - The Cold War Period ......................................................................................................... 1-7 ARTICLE 1106 - United Nations Deployments ............................................................................................. 1-9 ARTICLE 1107 - Post Cold War Operations.................................................................................................. 1-9 ARTICLE 1108 - Afghanistan.......................................................................................................................... 1-10 ARTICLE 1109 – Domestic Operations……………………………………………………………………………… 1-11 CHAPTER 2 - GENERAL CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS............................................................................. 2-1 SECTION 1 - REGIMENTAL DESIGNATION................................................................................................. 2-1 ARTICLE 2100 - General .............................................................................................................................. 2-1 ARTICLE 2101 - Title and Abbreviation ...................................................................................................... 2-1 ARTICLE 2102 - Strathcona’s and Strathconas.............................................................................................. 2-1 ARTICLE 2103 - Squadron Designations .................................................................................................... 2-1 ARTICLE 2104 - Troop Designations............................................................................................................