Canadian Scottish

[Bill A]

Along with the Calgary Highlanders and Winnipeg Light Infantry, the Canadian Scottish were granted the metal oak leaf shoulder title distinctive in 1934. In the Second World War, the Canadian Scottish carried on the honour by adding the oak leaf and acorn to their cloth shoulder titles.
Some examples of the title as worn by the Canadian Scots:

[Phillip Herring]

Only the 1st Battalion Canadian Scottish Regiment was granted the oak leaf distinction because they perpetuated the 16th Battalion CEF. The 2nd Battalion, authorised in 1930, perpetuated the 88th Battalion and were not entitled to the oak leaf.
The oak leaf was granted under General Order 63 of 1934 (GO 64 and GO 65 for the Calgary Highlanders and Winnipeg Light Infantry respectively.)
The 2nd Battalion Canadian Scottish Regiment were mobilized for home defence during the Second World War and wore the Canadian Scottish flash without the oak leaf.
I have attached the 2nd Battalion flash.

Phil

[Bill A]

Hi Phil, Good clarification on the oak leaf.
The Canadian Scottish were an anomaly in the organization of the army in Canada during the Second World War. Most units were organized on a two battalion basis during the war. There was the Active battalion and the reserve army battalion. There were a few units, like the Regina Rifles, Régiment de Maisonneuve, Fusiliers Mont Royal, Irish Fusiliers among others that had three battalions. In their cases, the 3rd Bn was an active battalion, and the 2nd was a reserve army battalion. Only active battalions were entitled to wear coloured embroidered shoulder titles. The reserve battalions were only authorized to wear the worsted or khaki drill slip ons. (Though a couple of exceptions exist. Sometimes the reserve Bn's received titles intended for the active unit, and sometimes they acquired titles at their own expense, but without permission.) So, for most units the first battalion was the active battalion and the second was the reserve battalion. However the Canadian Scottish was one of the few units which had two active battalions. This explains the issue of the two patterns of coloured embroidered shoulder titles. The Canadian Scottish 1st Bn was overseas, and the Canadian Scottish 2nd Bn was mobilized for service in Canada Jan 1, 1941, served with the 6 Division and was disbanded October 15, 1943. A third battalion existed, and was the reserve army battalion. The 2nd Battalion Canadian Scottish, as an active battalion in Canada, were entitled to a coloured title, but not to the pattern of the 1st Bn. Thus the THE/ CANADIAN SCOTTISH pattern.

[Darrell]

Hi

Not being a "Cloth" guy, I was just wondering where this CanScot badge fits into the picture.

Thx.

regards
Darrell

[Phillip Herring]

Originally Posted by Darrell

Hi

Not being a "Cloth" guy, I was just wondering where this CanScot badge fits into the picture.

Thx.

regards
Darrell

Post second world war.

Phil

[Bill A]

The Canadian Scottish received the honour "Princess Mary's" in 1948. The design of the title is unique in that it reflects the wartime 1st Bn and 2nd Bn designs plus the additional honour. The unit had a bit of resistance from AHQ due to the use of five colours in the construction. The policy was to be three colours.

[Darrell]

Hi Phil and Bill

Thank you both for that. I was thinking it was post war but perhaps not too long after, based solely on the construction.

It was, after reading above, the inclusion of the "The" but still with the Acorn and Oak Leaf, that got me wondering.

Thank you both again.

regards
Darrell

[ddaydodger]

Interesting, under unification they drop the "THE". From what I have seen there are no left and right badges, unlike The Calgary Highlanders, but I could be wrong.

[Bill A]

Hi Bruce, I have never seen pairs in the Cdn Scottish CF titles. There is also the small acron tablet that was worn under the C SCOT R tabs.

[Michael Dorosh]

Originally Posted by Bill A

Hi Phil, Good clarification on the oak leaf.
The Canadian Scottish were an anomaly in the organization of the army in Canada during the Second World War. Most units were organized on a two battalion basis during the war. There was the Active battalion and the reserve army battalion. There were a few units, like the Regina Rifles, Régiment de Maisonneuve, Fusiliers Mont Royal, Irish Fusiliers among others that had three battalions. In their cases, the 3rd Bn was an active battalion, and the 2nd was a reserve army battalion. Only active battalions were entitled to wear coloured embroidered shoulder titles. The reserve battalions were only authorized to wear the worsted or khaki drill slip ons. (Though a couple of exceptions exist. Sometimes the reserve Bn's received titles intended for the active unit, and sometimes they acquired titles at their own expense, but without permission.) So, for most units the first battalion was the active battalion and the second was the reserve battalion. However the Canadian Scottish was one of the few units which had two active battalions. This explains the issue of the two patterns of coloured embroidered shoulder titles. The Canadian Scottish 1st Bn was overseas, and the Canadian Scottish 2nd Bn was mobilized for service in Canada Jan 1, 1941, served with the 6 Division and was disbanded October 15, 1943. A third battalion existed, and was the reserve army battalion. The 2nd Battalion Canadian Scottish, as an active battalion in Canada, were entitled to a coloured title, but not to the pattern of the 1st Bn. Thus the THE/ CANADIAN SCOTTISH pattern.

You will note in most of the "official" Army histories that the overseas unit is referred to as "1st Battalion Canadian Scottish" while the battalion numerals are excluded from the other units - i.e. see Stacey. I presume this was a legacy of the fact that the C.A.S.F. had two Canadian Scottish battalions while the other units did not, and that the historians felt obliged to include the ordinal as part of their "official" designation.

[ddaydodger]

Originally Posted by Bill A

Hi Bruce, I have never seen pairs in the Cdn Scottish CF titles. There is also the small acron tablet that was worn under the C SCOT R tabs.

I'm not sure what you mean by that. The short titles are usually worn on slip-ons, with the title at the edge, where would the acorn go? Or are talking about something else?

[Phillip Herring]

I think that the separate cloth acorns might be for The Calgary Highlanders.

Phil

[Bill A]

Hi Phil, The titles with the separate acorn came from the Canadian Scottish in the early 1990's. I have attached an image of my accumulation of Cdn Scottish CF, DEU, and GD cloth. In comparison, there is an image of the Calg H CF titles. I don't know if the Calg H ever had abbreviated titles. I was not able to record or obtain any.
Hi Bruce, the two piece title for the Cdn Scottish is the one in the upper right corner.

[Phillip Herring]

Bill,
I stand corrected. Thanks.
Phil

[Bill A]

Just a note on the Calg H titles. As observed, they were issued in matched pairs.
Does anyone know (Michael Dorosh?) if the Calg H had / wore abbreviated titles of the CF / DEU orders of dress?