The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa - Regimental History Project

Regimental Foundation

Regimental history launched!

The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Foundation is pleased to announce that the Regimental History "Capital Soldiers: The History of The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa" by Dr. Kenneth Reynolds was launched on Friday, October 14, 2011, at the Wine & Cheese event during the Association's 66th Annual Reunion Weekend. The book is now available for purchase.

"Capital Soldiers" is a story 150 years in the making--the history of the national capital’s Highland regiment. In 2006 the regiment celebrated its 125th anniversary, but one of its rifle companies dates to a generation before that. This book recounts the regiment’s story from 1856 to the early part of the Afghan campaign.

The pre-published cost of the book is $35.00. Shipping will only be applied to books requested to be sent by mail to the purchaser. The Foundation is pleased to offer this pre-published price to the Regimental family and we encourage you to place an order for your copy to the Regimental Kit Shop as soon as possible.

Read a brief history of the Camerons and enjoy an excerpt from Capital Soldiers.

The History

The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa date their history back to 3 April 1856, when the government formed The 1st Volunteer Militia Rifle Company of Ottawa.
The original 43rd "Carleton" Battalion of Infantry - popularly known as the Carleton Blazers - was formed with headquarters in Bell's Corners in October 1866 and companies in Bell's Corners, Huntley, Metcalfe, North Gower, Richmond, and Goulbourn.
Both the Carleton Blazers and the Ottawa Rifle Company participated in the Prescott area defences against the Fenian raiders in May 1870. The original 43rd Battalion was disbanded in December 1875 only to be resurrected in August 1881 as the 43rd "Ottawa and Carleton" Battalion of Rifles with three rifle companies in Ontario and three in Quebec.
The regiment suffered its first combat fatality on 2 May 1885 when Private William Osgoode was killed at the Battle of Cut Knife Hill while serving with the Ottawa Sharpshooters.
The 43rd Battalion raised most of "D" Company, 2nd (Special Service) Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, for service during the South African War - five members of the 43rd Battalion were killed in action or died during the war.
The regiment was renamed the 43rd Regiment Duke of Cornwall's Own Rifles in March 1902 .
During the First World War the regiment contributed numerous soldiers to overseas units, especially the 38th and 207th Canadian Infantry Battalions - Captain MacDowell and Private Nunney were each awarded the Victoria Cross while serving with the 38th Battalion.
In 1920 the regiment was renamed The Ottawa Regiment (The Duke of Cornwall's Own) and converted from a rifle regiment to a highland regiment.
Two years later, in September 1922, the regiment was renamed The Ottawa Highlanders and, in August 1933 The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa with "(M.G.)" being added in 1936.
During the Second World War the regiment served on garrison duty in Iceland, trained in the United Kingdom, was the only Ottawa unit to land in Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and, as part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, fought its way through France, Holland, and into Germany in 1944 and 1945.
Over the last nearly sixty years the regiment has continued to train, carry out various operational functions (especially peacekeeping), support domestic operations, and fulfill ceremonial duties as the City of Ottawa's regiment.

Excerpt

Capital Soldiers:
The History of the Camerons Highlanders of Ottawa

Capital Soldiers is a story 150 years in the making – the history of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa, the national capital’s highland regiment. In 2006 the regiment celebrated its 125th anniversary, but the existence of one of its rifle companies dates back a generation before that.

This book recounts the regiment’s story from 1856 to the early part of the Afghan campaign, beginning with local rifle and infantry companies formed in the mid-19th Century and the life and death of the original 43rd Battalion, the “Carleton Blazers”. The rebirth of the regiment in 1881 follows, including service in small numbers during the North-West Rebellion of 1885 and larger numbers during the South African War. Several chapters are devoted to the stories of the 38th and 207th Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War, the interwar highland transformation of the regiment, and the three battalions the Camerons contributed to the Second World War. One of the latter fought in Northwest Europe in 1944-45 and was the only Ottawa regiment to land on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Finally, the book details the postwar years, the ups and downs of budgets, recruiting, and retention leading up to the present campaign in Afghanistan. All of this, naturally, takes place in the context of peacetime activities such as training, marksmanship, ceremonial duties, social activities, and music.

Capital Soldiers is also the story of a relationship, the connection of the Cameron Highlanders with the city of Ottawa and the unit’s status as Ottawa’s Regiment. The cap badge worn by current Camerons prominently bears the word “ADVANCE” – the motto of the regiment as well as the city of Ottawa – and has been part of each of the regimental cap badge designs used since 1882.

This beautifully-designed volume contains numerous photographs, drawings, paintings, and maps. Many of the archival images have rarely, if ever, been publicized. The appendices in this book cover a wide ground as well, and include a Roll of Honour, the unit’s Battle Honours, wartime honours and awards, individual regimental appointments, and the service of recent generations of Camerons on United Nations and NATO duties overseas.

Although the goal of the book is to tell the story of one regiment, this history is told within the context of the development of the Canadian Army from the mid-19th Century – with its accomplishments, its sacrifices, and its soldiers being part of that narrative.

Camerons…Advance!

Last Updated:
September 20, 2011