Halifax Rifles (RCAC)

The Halifax Rifles (RCAC) is a Canadian Army regiment that served between the years of 1860 and 1965 before being reduced to nil strength and placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle.^[1] The regiment was reactivated on May 10, 2009,^[2] as a reserve force unit performing the role of armoured reconnaissance. It is the first and only regiment since the 1960s to be reactivated from the Supplementary Order of Battle.

The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)
Active	1860–1965, 2009–present
Country	Nova Scotia 1860–1867 Canada 1867–present
Branch	Canadian Forces Primary Reserve
Type	Cavalry
Role	Armoured reconnaissance Influence activities including psychological operations and civil-military co-operation
Part of	Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
Garrison/HQ	Willow Park Armoury, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Motto(s)	Cede nullis (Latin for 'Yield to none')
March	"Huntsman's Chorus"
Engagements	Fenian Raids North-West Rebellion Second Boer War First World War Second World War War in Afghanistan
Battle honours	See #Battle honours
Insignia
NATO Map Symbol

The unit draws its history from the 19th century Halifax Volunteer Battalion which was active at the time of the Fenian Raids. It received its current name in May 1958.

History

Fenian Raids

Regimental camp flag

The Halifax Volunteer Battalion was called out on active service on 6 June 1866. The battalion, which guarded the Halifax Dockyard, was removed from active service on 31 July 1866.^[3]

North West Rebellion

Non commissioned members of the 63rd The Halifax Battalion of Rifles ca. 1890, several of them wearing medals from the North-West Rebellion

The 63rd The Halifax Battalion of Rifles mobilized three companies for active service on 10 April 1885 which served with the Halifax Provisional Battalion in the Alberta Column of the North-West Field Force. The companies were removed from active service on 24 July 1885.^[3]

South African War

The 63rd The Halifax Battalion of Rifles contributed volunteers for the Canadian Contingents during the South African War.^[3]

Great War

The uniform and drums of a bugler with the regimental band of the Halifax Rifles in the Army Museum of the Halifax Citadel.

Details of the 63rd Regiment "Halifax Rifles" were placed on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protective duty.^[3]

The 40th Battalion (Nova Scotia), CEF, was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 18 October 1915. The battalion provided reinforcements to the Canadian Corps in the field until 4 January 1917, when its personnel were absorbed by the 26th Reserve Battalion, CEF. The battalion was disbanded on 17 July 1917.^[3]

Second World War

Details from the regiment were called out on service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939 as The Halifax Rifles, CASF (Details), for local protection duties. which were disbanded on 31 December 1940. The regiment mobilized the 1st Battalion, The Halifax Rifles, CASF for active service on 1 January 1941. It was converted to armour and redesignated as the 23rd Army Tank Battalion (The Halifax Rifles), CAC, CASF, on 26 January 1942 and the 23rd Army Tank Regiment (The Halifax Rifles), CAC, CASF, on 15 May 1942. It embarked for Britain on 17 June 1943 as a unit of the 2nd Army Tank Brigade, 4th Canadian Armoured Division, where it provided reinforcements to units of the Canadian Corps in the field. The overseas regiment was disbanded on 1 November 1943.^[3]

War in Afghanistan

The regiment contributed personnel to the various task forces which served in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2014.^[4]

Mission task

Since 2015, Army Reserve units have been assigned specific mission tasks,^[5] in addition to traditional military duties. Trained and promoted in the traditional officer and non-commissioned member streams of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, regiment members are additionally trained to be fully integrated, as a formed entity, into similarly assigned Regular Force units. The mission task for the Halifax Rifles is called Influence Activities. By their Canadian Forces organization order (CFOO),^[6] a squadron of up to 52 members will be trained in the employment of population group influence techniques, including psychological operations and civil-military co-operation, to provide behavioural and psychological effects on those populations in support of a commander’s intent or mission.

Lineage

The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)

Source:^[1]

• Originated 14 May 1860 in Halifax, Nova Scotia as the Halifax Volunteer Battalion
• Redesignated 28 May 1869 as the Halifax Volunteer Battalion of Rifles
• Redesignated 5 November 1869 as the 63rd The Halifax Volunteer Battalion of Rifles
• Redesignated 13 May 1870 as the 63rd The Halifax Battalion of Rifles
• Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 63rd Regiment "Halifax Rifles"
• Redesignated 15 May 1920 as The Halifax Rifles
• Redesignated 1 January 1941 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Halifax Rifles
• Redesignated 15 September 1944 as The Halifax Rifles (Reserve)
• Redesignated 30 November 1945 as The Halifax Rifles
• 1 April 1946 converted to armour and redesignated as the 23rd Armoured Regiment (Halifax Rifles), RCAC'
• Redesignated 4 February 1949 as The Halifax Rifles (23rd Armoured Regiment)
• Redesignated 19 May 1958 The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)
• Reduced to nil strength and transferred to the Supplementary Order of Battle on 31 January 1965
• Removed from the Supplementary Order of Battle and reactivated as a Canadian Army Reserve Force regiment on 28 July 2009^[3]

Lineage chart

Lineage chart[3]

1859 Independent rifle coys 1860 Halifax Volunteer Bn 1869 Halifax Volunteer Bn of Rifles 1869 63rd The Halifax Volunteer Bn of Rifles 1870 63rd The Halifax Bn of Rifles 1885 Halifax Provisional Bn 1885 Disbanded 1900 63rd Regt "Halifax Rifles" 1914 40th Bn, CEF 1917 Absorbed by 26th Reserve Bn, CEF 1920 1st Bn (40th Bn, CEF), The Halifax Rifles 2nd Bn,[a] The Halifax Rifles 1936 The Halifax Rifles Disbanded 1941 1st Bn, The Halifax Rifles, CASF 2nd (Reserve) Bn, The Halifax Rifles 1942 23rd Army Tank Bn (The Halifax Rifles), CAC, CASF 1942 23rd Army Tank Regt (The Halifax Rifles), CAC, CASF 1943 Disbanded 1944 The Halifax Rifles (Reserve) 1945 The Halifax Rifles 1946 23rd Armd Regt (Halifax Rifles), RCAC 1949 The Halifax Rifles (23rd Armd Regt) 1958 The Halifax Rifles (RCAC) 1965 To Supplementary Order of Battle 2009 To Primary Reserve

Perpetuations

Great War

• 40th Battalion (Nova Scotia), CEF^[3]

Alliances

• United Kingdom - None at present

Battle honours

The guidon of The Halifax Rifles (RCAC).

In the list below, battle honours in capitals were awarded for participation in large operations and campaigns, while those in lowercase indicate honours granted for more specific battles.^[3]

War of 1812

• Honorary distinction: The non-emblazonable honorary distinction DEFENCE OF CANADA – 1812–1815 – DÉFENSE DU CANADA (awarded in commemoration of the Nova Scotia Fencible Infantry).

North West Rebellion

• NORTH WEST CANADA, 1885^[b]

South African War

• SOUTH AFRICA, 1899–1900^[b][8][9]

Great War

• MOUNT SORREL^[b] 2–13 June 1916^[10]
• SOMME, 1916^[b] 1 July–18 November 1916
• ARRAS, 1917, '18^[b] 8 April–4 May 1917 and 26 August–3 September 1918
• YPRES, 1917^[b] 31 July–10 November 1917
• HILL 70^[b] 15–25 August 1917
• AMIENS^[b] 8–11 August 1918^[11]
• HINDENBURG LINE^[b] 12 September–9 October 1918
• PURSUIT TO MONS^[b] 28 September–11 November 1918

See also

• Canada portal

• Military history of Nova Scotia

Order of precedence

Preceded by The Governor General's Horse Guards

The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)

Succeeded by 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's)

Notes and references

1. Reserve order of battle
2. Emblazoned on the guidon^[7]

1. "The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)". www.canadiansoldiers.com. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
2. "Historic Canadian military unit reactivated". CTV.ca. 10 May 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-05-12.
3. "The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)". www.canada.ca. 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
4. "South-West Asia Theatre Honours | Prime Minister of Canada". Archived from the original on 2014-05-12. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
5. Accessed 27 November 2021, http://www.army-armee.forces.gc.ca/en/star/index.page
6. Accessed 27 November 2021, per paragraph 15 of http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/pub/200/chapter-6-badges-and-mottoes.pdf Archived 2020-03-07 at the Wayback Machine
7. "The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)". Office of the Secretary to the Governor. The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
8. http://www.canadiansoldiers.com CanadianSoldiers.com accessed 12 August 2014
9. http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/wars/boerwar.htm ^{[bare URL]}
10. http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/westernfront/mountsorrel.htm ^{[bare URL]}
11. http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/westernfront/amiens.htm ^{[bare URL]}

• Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.

Further reading

• A Century of Rifles 1860 – 1960. The Halifax Rifles (R.C.A.C) (M) 'Cede Nullis' by John Gordon Quigley (Jan 1 1960)

External links

• The Halifax Rifles (RCAC) Official Home Page