The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment

The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment is part of 33 Canadian Brigade Group, one of four brigade groups of 4th Canadian Division. The regimental headquarters and one company (A Coy/Assoro Coy) are located at 187 Pinnacle Street in Belleville, with additional companies in Peterborough and Cobourg. The Peterborough Armoury houses what was traditionally "B Company" or "Moro Company", and "C Company" or "Cassino Company" is housed in an industrial mall unit on Willmott Street in Cobourg. Normally, the regiment deploys as a composite, Ortona Company, while the HQ/Admin forms Somme Company.
The Commanding Officer is LCol Roy van den Berg, who took over from LCol Chris Comeau in March, 2020. Commanding officers normally hold the position for a term of three years. The Regimental Sergeant Major is Chief Warrant Officer Dean Stokes. The Colonel-in-Chief is Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex; who visited the regiment in June 2005 and received a guard of honour from the regiment during his visit to Old Fort Henry in Kingston in June, 2008.
Perpetuations.
War of 1812.
Prior to the War of 1812 Upper Canada passed the Militia Act of 1808 in anticipation of threats coming from the Americans.
Operational history.
The Fenian Raids.
The 15th Battalion Volunteer Militia (Infantry), Canada was called out on active service during the 1866 raids by the Fenian Brotherhood on 8 March 1866. The Battalion was removed from active service on 27 March 1866 at the conclusion of the emergency.
North West Rebellion.
The 15th Battalion Argyll Light Infantry, the 40th Northumberland Battalion of Infantry, the 46th East Durham Battalion of Infantry and The 49th Hastings Battalion of Rifles mobilized a company each for active service with The Midland Battalion on 10 April 1885. The Midland Battalion served in the Alberta Column of the North West Field Force until it was demobilized on 24 July 1885.
The Great War.
The 9th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, CEF, was authorized on 20 January 1916 and embarked for Great Britain on 15 February 1916. The Brigade arrived in France on 14 July 1916, where it fought as part of the 3rd Canadian Divisional Artillery in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The brigade was disbanded on 1 November 1920.
The 39th Battalion, CEF, was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 17 June 1915. It provided reinforcements to Canadian units in the field until 4 January 1917, when its personnel were absorbed by the 6th Reserve Battalion, CEF.
The 80th Battalion, CEF, was authorized on 10 July 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 20 May 1916. It provided reinforcements to Canadian units in the field until 30 September 1916, when its personnel were absorbed by units of the 4th Canadian Division.
The 155th (Quinte) Battalion, CEF, was authorized on 22 December 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 17 October 1916, where it provided reinforcements to Canadian units in the field until 8 December 1916, when its personnel were absorbed by the 154th (Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry) Battalion, CEF. The 39th, 80th and 155th Battalions were all disbanded on 17 July 1917.
The 136th (Durham) Battalion, CEF authorized on 22 December 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 25 September 1916, where its personnel were absorbed by the 39th Reserve Battalion, CEF on 6 October 1916 to provide reinforcements to Canadian units in the field. The 136th Battalion was disbanded on 22 May 1917.
The 139th (Northumberland) Battalion, CEF, was authorized on 22 December 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 27 September 1916 where its personnel were absorbed by the 36th Reserve Battalion, CEF on 6 October 1916 to provide reinforcements to Canadian units in the field. The battalion was disbanded on 21 May 1917.
The 254th Battalion (Quinte's Own), CEF, was authorized on 1 May 1917 and embarked for Great Britain on 2 June 1917, where its personnel were absorbed by the 6th Reserve Battalion, CEF, on 10 June 1917 to provide reinforcements to Canadian units in the field. The battalion was disbanded on 15 September 1917.
On 12 March 1920 the 16th Battalion Volunteer Militia (Infantry) Canada was amalgamated with the 49th Regiment Hastings Rifles to form The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment.
The Second World War.
The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, CASF, mobilized for active service on 1 September 1939 and was redesignated the 1st Battalion, The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, CASF, on 7 November 1940. The unit embarked for Great Britain on 22 December 1939, and on 13 June 1940 it went to France as part of the Second British Expeditionary Force, reaching a point beyond Laval before being ordered back to the United Kingdom. It landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943, and in Italy on 3 September 1943, as part of the 1st Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Infantry Division. On 10 March 1945, the battalion moved with the I Canadian Corps to northwest Europe, where it fought until the end of the war. The overseas battalion was disbanded on 15 October 1945. On 1 June 1945, a second Battalion of the regiment was mobilized for service in the Pacific theatre of operations as the 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion (The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment), CASF. The 2nd Battalion was disbanded on 1 November 1945.
Details from The Midland Regiment were called out on service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939, for local protection duties under the designation The Midland Regiment (Northumberland and Durham), CASF (Details). These details were disbanded on 31 December 1940. The regiment then mobilized The Midland Regiment (Northumberland and Durham), CASF, for active service on 24 May 1940 and was redesignated the 1st Battalion, The Midland Regiment (Northumberland and Durham), CASF, on 7 November 1940. The 1st Battalion served in Canada in a home defence role as part of the Prince Rupert Defences, 8th Canadian Division. The Battalion embarked for Great Britain on 10 January 1945, where it was disbanded on 18 January 1945 to provide reinforcements to the Canadian Army in the field.
The 34th Field Battery, RCA, and the 32nd (Kingston) Field Battery, RCA, mobilized the 32nd/34th Field Battery, RCA, CASF, for active service on 24 May 1940. This unit was subsequently reorganized as two separate batteries on 1 January 1941, designated as the 32nd (Kingston) Field Battery, RCA, CASF, and the 34th Field Battery, RCA, CASF. On D-Day, 6 June 1944, it landed in Normandy, France, as part of the 14th Field Regiment, RCA, CASF, which fought as a unit of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division in North-West Europe until the end of the war. The overseas battery was disbanded on 2 November 1945. The battery later mobilized the 2nd/34th Field Battery, RCA, CAOF, on 1 June 1945 for service with the Canadian Army Occupation Force in Germany. This battery was disbanded on 28 March 1946.
The Cold War.
On 4 May 1951, the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment mobilized two temporary Active Force companies designated "E" and "F". "E" Company was reduced to nil strength upon its personnel being incorporated into the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion for service in Germany with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It was disbanded on 29 July 1953. "F" Company was initially used as a reinforcement pool for "E" Company. On 15 May 1952, it was reduced to nil strength, upon its personnel being absorbed by the newly formed 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion for service in Korea with the United Nations. "F" Company was disbanded on 29 July 1953.
In 1953 the 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion became the 4th Battalion, The Canadian Guards.
War In Afghanistan.
The regiment contributed personnel to the various Task Forces which served in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2014.
Battle honours.
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. Those battle honours followed by a "+" are emblazoned on the regimental guidon.
The War of 1812.
Honorary Distinction:
Customs and traditions.
Fallen members of the regiment are said to have transferred to the White Battalion.
The regiment's mascot is a wooden Indian named Chief Petawawa-Much, who was taken on strength to replace Little Chief, a massive pewter Indian taken from the roof of a canning factory in Picton prior to the regiment's departure for England in 1939. Little Chief was lost during the Battle of France while the regiment evacuated. An unknown individual, in the interest of securing Chief Petawawa-Much's future, got him a Social Insurance Number.
The regiment celebrates Pachino Day on 10 July every year with a spaghetti dinner, traditionally served with the cheapest red wine available. This is to commemorate the unit's participation in the landings in Sicily on 10 July 1943 as part of Operation HUSKY.
In the Warrant Officers' & Sergeants' Mess in Belleville, the footprints of commanding officers can be found on the ceiling of the games room. After a change of command, a pyramid is formed with junior officers on the bottom to hoist the new CO up to the ceiling to make his mark.
The former regimental colour was stolen from its case in the Belleville Armouries in 1960. The staff for it was laid up with the queen's colour at Saint Mary Magdalene Anglican Church in Picton on 4 October 1964. The CO at the time, Lieutenant Colonel Angus Duffy, refused to wear his cap badge after the theft up until his death, as the colours were his personal responsibility. The former regimental colour has never been located. The current colours were granted to the regiment in 1970.
Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment Museum.
The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment Museum is located in the Belleville Armoury in Belleville. The museum preserves the history of the militia, specifically the
Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, through the collection and preservation of military artifacts and documents of historical significance to the Regiment and its antecedent units.
The museum displays and illustrates in an appropriate manner the dress, weapons, and military equipment, and customs of the Regiment's heritage. It serves as a training medium to teach regimental history and to provide a scholarly basis for those studying the history of the militia, the Regiment and its antecedent units, and their historical significance in the Midland District of Ontario. The museum fosters in the local community an interest and sense of pride in the Regiment and its accomplishments.
The museum focuses on the history of the regiment, its activities in different wars, and the effect on area counties. Exhibits include uniforms, weapons, medals, equipment, photographs, and other military and regimental memorabilia. The museum is open several days a week.
The museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, OMMC and Virtual Museum of Canada.