The Princess Louise Fusiliers

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Military history of Nova Scotia
Citadel Hill in Halifax
Notable events Battle of Port Royal 1690 Siege of Port Royal 1710 Battle of Winnepang 1722 Northeast Coast Campaign 1745 Battle of Grand Pré 1747 Dartmouth Massacre 1751 Bay of Fundy Campaign 1755 Siege of Louisbourg 1758 Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax 1758 Halifax Treaties 1760–1761 Battle of Fort Cumberland 1776 Raid on Lunenburg 1782 Establishment of New Ireland 1812 Capture of USS Chesapeake 1813 ‪Battle of the Great Redan 1855 ‪Siege of Lucknow 1857 CSS Tallahassee escape 1861 ‪Halifax Provisional Battalion 1885 ‪Battle of Witpoort 1899 ‪Battle of Paardeberg 1899 Imprisonment of Leon Trotsky 1917 Jewish Legion formed 1917 Sinking of Llandovery Castle 1918 Battle of the St. Lawrence 1942–1944 Sinking of Point Pleasant Park 1945 Halifax VE-Day riot 1945
Notable regiments Mi'kmaq militias 1677–1779 Acadian militias 1689–1761 40th Regiment of Foot 1717–1757 Louisbourg Garrison 1717–1758 Gorham's Rangers 1744–1762 Danks' Rangers 1756–1762 84th Regiment of Foot 1775–1784 Royal Fencible American 1775–1783 Royal Nova Scotia Volunteers 1775–1783 King's Orange Rangers 1776–1783 1st Field Artillery from 1791 Royal Nova Scotia 1793–1802 Nova Scotia Fencibles 1803–1816 Halifax Rifles from 1860 Princess Louise Fusiliers from 1867 78th Highland 1869–1871 Cape Breton Highlanders from 1871 Nova Scotia Rifles 1914–1919 No. 2 Construction Battalion 1916–1919 West Nova Scotia from 1916 Nova Scotia Highlanders from 1954
Related topics Captivity narratives Impressment
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Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, this infantry regiment traces its local roots as a Halifax unit of Militia back to June 18, 1749, when Sir Edward Cornwallis formed a local Militia under his own command during Father Le Loutre's War. Ten companies were formed at the Grand Parade in the city and were made a collective battalion.

As an officially constituted unit of Canada, The Princess Louise Fusiliers were authorized in 1867. During the unit's history, it has undergone several name changes. On November 5, 1869, the regiment was named the 66th The Halifax Battalion of Infantry. Originally consisting of six companies, it later gained two more.

Ten years later, on November 14, 1879, the regiment was once again renamed, this time to the 66th Battalion "Princess Louise" Fusiliers, named for Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria and wife of the Marquess of Lorne, Governor General of Canada at the time. It was shortly after this point in which the regiment received its first battle honour, when they helped suppress the Northwest Rebellion of 1885. Soldiers of the unit served in North West Canada with the Halifax Provisional Battalion. Fourteen years later, in 1899, the regiment provided some of its soldiers to a company raised in Nova Scotia for the 2nd (Special Service) Battalion of The Royal Canadian Regiment, which was raised for service in South Africa during the Second Boer War. May 8, 1900 brought about another name change, this time to 66th Regiment "Princess Louise" Fusiliers, and in October 1901 the regiment received new colours from the Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V) during his visit to Canada. The new colours were subscribed for by the ladies of Halifax in honour of their battalion.[1]

During the First World War the 66th Regiment provided soldiers to the locally raised battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). At the end of the war, as a result of the Otter Commission headed by General William Otter, the regiment perpetuated the 64th Canadian Infantry Battalion of the CEF. As a result of the unit's contributions of soldiers and this perpetuation, the regiment holds five battle honours of the First World War. In May 1915 the regiment was renamed to its current name, the Princess Louise Fusiliers.

The onset of World War II saw more action for the Fusiliers, when they were sent to Italy as part of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division. The regiment fielded two machine gun companies, the 11th Independent MG Coy. in support of the 11th Infantry Brigade, and the 12th Independent MG Coy. in support of the 12th Infantry Brigade. In British and Commonwealth armoured divisions of that period, independent MG coys. consisted of a HQ platoon, plus one platoon operating Browning .50 cal. heavy MGs and a second platoon operating 107mm heavy mortars; they were heavy direct-fire support units.

In February 1945 the 5th Armoured was transferred from Italy to Belgium, and these two companies participated in the liberation of the Netherlands from late March to the German surrender. During the conflict, the regiment received nine more battle honours, bringing their total count to 16.

Following World War II, the PLF converted back to a light infantry unit. Their most recent battle honour, received in 1999 following a lengthy struggle by unit officers to discover the necessary supporting documents, was for the unit's actions at Arnhem in 1945.

In Afghanistan, on Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007, Master Corporal Chris Stannix was killed along with five other Canadian soldiers when their vehicle was hit by an explosive device. Corporal Shaun Fevens was injured in the explosion and transported to a military hospital in Germany.

The PLF performed a ceremonial Trooping the Colours at Citadel Hill in Halifax Nova Scotia on 23 April 2009. Inspecting the parade was His Royal Highness Duke of York Prince Andrew, The Colonel in Chief of the Princess Louise Fusiliers, with a large crowd in attendance.

On May 14, 2014, a new passenger transit harbour ferry was christened the "Christopher Stannix" as it was brought into service as part of the Halifax Metro Transit Ferry System. The Christopher Stannix ferry is the first of five new ferries introduced to modernize the current fleet. The ceremony in honour of the naming of the ferry in the memory of Master Corporal Stannix was well attended by the public as well as members of the Stannix family, the CO, RSM, and a number of serving and former-serving members of the regiment.

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the formation of the regiment, the city of Halifax installed two special displays in its honor. The first was a recreation of the regiment's flaming grenade hat badge in the form of a floral display, prominently displayed in the Public Gardens. A second was installed on the Halifax side of the A. Murray McKay bridge, this time displaying a large version of the famous hat badge, framed in a bed of stones and commemorating 150 year of service to Canada.

In June 2019, the regiment celebrated its 150th anniversary with a Freedom of the City parade, with the regiment parading through the city in their distinct scarlet uniforms. Former members of the regiment were also present on parade as a formed contingent of "The Old Guard".

The unit ranks 2nd in Atlantic Reserve Units behind none other than the infamous Nova Scotia Highlanders.

Celebrating 150 years of service of the Princess Lousise Fusiliers. A. Murray McKay Bridge, Halifax.

The Princess Louise Fusiliers have been awarded 17 battle honours since the unit's inception in 1869. (See listing below)
(Emblazoned=Yes indicates that the battle honour has been emblazoned on the Regimental Colour)

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  Regimental Colour of the Princess Louise Fusiliers
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  Camp Flag of the Princess Louise Fusiliers

On May 9, 2014 it was announced that the Princess Louise Fusiliers would be among the units to be awarded the “Afghanistan” Theatre Honour to recognize the dedication and sacrifice made by members of the unit who took part in Canada’s operations in Afghanistan, the longest armed conflict in Canadian history.

Theatre Honours are a type of Battle Honour given to publicly recognize a Canadian Armed Forces unit for successful participation in a theatre of armed conflict. Such honours have been awarded after every major conflict in which Canada has been engaged.

•  United Kingdom - The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)

As a fusilier regiment, the PLF wear a hackle. In the case of the PLF it is the grey hackle of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. (Affiliated regiment)

• From Farm Boy to Soldier: Experiences of a World War II Vetern Princess Louise Fusiliers by Gordon P. Hogan (2005)

• The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Forces
• Military history of Nova Scotia
• List of armouries in Canada
• Military history of Canada
• History of the Canadian Army
• Canadian Forces

• Battle Honours of the Princess Louise Fusiliers
• The Princess Louise Fusiliers Trooping the Colour