South Alberta Light Horse

The South Alberta Light Horse (SALH) is a Canadian Army armoured reconnaissance regiment of the Canadian Army Reserve. It traces its complicated lineage to the Rocky Mountain Rangers, and claims its direct ancestry to the 15th Light Horse, along with various other Alberta based cavalry units. The "Light Horse" designation comes from its light cavalry and mounted infantry origins.

The South Alberta Light Horse
Regimental cap badge
Active	1885, 1905–present
Country	Canada
Branch	Canadian Militia (1885, 1905-1940) Canadian Army (1940-Present)
Type	Originally light cavalry/mounted infantry, then armoured
Role	now Armoured reconnaissance
Size	Regiment
Part of	Non-Permanent Active Militia (1885, 1905-1940) Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (1940–Present) 41 Canadian Brigade Group
Garrison/HQ	Medicine Hat (A Squadron) and Edmonton (B Squadron); 3 Troop, A Sqn detached to Lethbridge
Nickname(s)	Sally Horse / Alberta's Regiment
Motto(s)	Latin: Semper alacer, lit. 'Always brisk'
Colours	Red, yellow and blue (camp flag) Scarlet with yellow facings (full dress) Scarlet with black facings (mess dress)
March	"A Southerly Wind and a Cloudy Sky"
Mascot(s)	Heine the Pony
Anniversaries	Official birthday 3 July 1905
Engagements	North-West Rebellion First World War Second World War Afghanistan
Battle honours	See #Battle honours
Website	army.gc.ca/en/3-canadian-division/the-south-alberta-light-horse/index.page
Commanders
Current commander	LCol Michael Onieu CD
Colonel-in-Chief	Sophie, Countess of Wessex
Honorary colonel	Angus Watt
Honorary lieutenant-colonel	R. (Ralph) Young, P.Eng, MBA
Regimental sergeant-major	CWO Marcel A.R. Chenier, MMM, CD
Notable commanders	LCol A.H. Bell CMG DSO (31st Bn) 1914 LCol G.D. Wotherspoon DSO ED CD (SAR) 1943 Col James Walker (15th Light Horse) 1905 BGen Tom Putt MSM, CD 2003-05
Insignia
NATO Map Symbol
Abbreviation	SALH

The SALH is part of 41 Canadian Brigade Group of the 3rd Canadian Division, and is based in Medicine Hat, Edmonton and Lethbridge, Alberta.

History

Early history

The South Alberta Light Horse traces its beginnings to the period of the Riel Rebellion of 1885. During this conflict the Rocky Mountain Rangers (RMR) of Fort Macleod, which comprised 150 officers and men, were tasked with the protection of the area ranging from the U.S. border to the High River and from the Rockies to Medicine Hat. The RMR saw no action during their three months of existence during the rebellion, and the SALH carries the battle honour "North West Canada, 1885" on their colours.

This irregular light cavalry unit is seen as the true genesis of the regiment. The 15th Light Horse, the official direct ancestor of the SALH, was raised in Calgary on July 3, 1905. It consisted of four newly organized cavalry squadrons: Calgary (A Squadron), Fort MacLeod (B Squadron), High River (C Squadron), and Cochrane (D Squadron). From this point until the mid-1950s the regiment's history can be described as a series of complicated amalgamations and redesignations of Alberta army reserve units of all arms until the regiment as it is now was formed in Calgary in 1954. At the beginning of the First World War, the Alberta militia units destined to become part of SALH were four cavalry regiments – 15th Light Horse in Calgary, 19th Alberta Dragoons in Edmonton, 21st Alberta Hussars in Medicine Hat and 23rd Alberta Rangers in Fort Macleod – and two infantry regiments (101st Regiment "Edmonton Fusiliers" and 103rd Regiment "Calgary Rifles").^[1]

WWI and interregnum

 

The camp flag of the South Alberta Light Horse.

In the First World War, instead of mobilising the Canadian militia to send overseas, new units were formed from volunteers of the militia and general public. The militia units generally became organizations for recruiting, induction and preliminary training for the new units. The 19th Alberta Dragoons recruited the 1st Divisional Cavalry Squadron, CEF, which landed in France in February 1915. After other divisions joined the 1st Canadian Division in France and the Canadian Corps was formed, the squadron was attached to the corps and became A Squadron, Canadian Light Horse, CEF.^[1] The troopers of this squadron wore 19th Alberta Dragoon badges throughout the war.^[2]

 

Part of 'B' Sqn, 19th AB Dragoons in front of the Connaught Armoury in Edmonton, Nov. 1914

Also recruited by SALH's predecessors were three regiments of Canadian Mounted Rifles (CMR): the 3rd, 12th and 13th.

 

Signals troops of 13th Canadian Mounted Rifles with soldiers of the PPCLI at Camp Sarcee near Calgary AB, 1915

The 3rd Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, was mobilized at Medicine Hat and landed in France in September 1915 as part of the 1st CMR Brigade. At the end of 1915, the CMR units in France were converted from two cavalry brigades (six regiments) into one infantry brigade (four battalions). The troopers of the 3rd Regiment were split up, half going to the 1st CMR Battalion and half to the 2nd CMR Battalion; both these battalions fought in the 3rd Canadian Division.^[3] The 12th and 13th Regiments CMR were broken up for reinforcements in England.^[1]

The SALH also counts a First World War artillery unit as an ancestor: 22nd (Howitzer) Battery, CFA, CEF. The battery landed in France on 19 January 1916, where it served as part of the 6th Brigade, 2nd Canadian Divisional Artillery until the end of the war.^[1] The battery was demobilized at Hamilton, 25 May 1919, and was disbanded on 1 November 1920. The battery is perpetuated by the 22nd Field Battery, RCA, Gleichen Alberta.^[4]

 

"G" Company, 31st Battalion CEF in Calgary, 1914

Of the eight infantry battalions recruited by the SALH's predecessors, only one entered combat as a unit. The 31st Battalion, CEF, landed in France in September 1915 with the 2nd Canadian Division. It was awarded 22 battle honours, including such notable actions as Vimy and Passchendaele. The other seven battalions – 9th, 66th (Edmonton Guards), 113th Battalion (Lethbridge Highlanders), CEF, 138th (Edmonton), 175th (Medicine Hat), 187th (Central Alberta) and 202nd (Sportsman's) – were broken up for reinforcements in England.^[1]

 

113th Battalion portrait, Lethbridge exhibition grounds, Lethbridge AB

The 31st Battalion (part of the 6th Infantry Brigade) participated in the first tank attack in history at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette on 15 September 1916,^[5] while A Squadron, Canadian Light Horse, made the last cavalry charge in Canadian history at the battle of Iwuy on 10 October 1918.^[6] This means that among the predecessor units of the SALH, one participated in the first military operation involving the tank and another mounted the last cavalry charge in Canadian history.

The period between the world wars saw two major reorganizations of the Canadian Militia, the first from 1920 to 1924 and the second from 1935 to 1936. By the outbreak of the Second World War, the ancestors of the SALH were two cavalry regiments (15th Alberta Light Horse in Calgary and 19th Alberta Dragoons in Edmonton) an independent artillery battery (22nd Field Battery, RCA, in Gleichen) and two infantry battalions (The Edmonton Fusiliers and the South Alberta Regiment in Medicine Hat).^[1]

Second World War

 

Group photo of the R.H.Q. staff of the South Alberta Regiment at Wakesiah Camp, Nanaimo, B.C.

See also: South Alberta Regiment

The 15th Alberta Light Horse contributed to several active service units, including the 31st (Alberta) Reconnaissance Regiment which remained in the Calgary area until the last year of the war. The South Alberta Regiment, recruited an active service battalion in the Medicine Hat area in the summer of 1940. This infantry unit trained in Canada until 1942 when it was reorganized as the 29th Armoured Regiment (The South Alberta Regiment) and moved to England in August.^[1] The SAR was granted 15 battle honours for its service overseas, redesignated the 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (The South Alberta Regiment) in 1944. The unit was selected by Major-General F. F. Worthington to be the reconnaissance regiment of the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division because he wanted "keen-eyed prairie men" as his scouts. The 29th was again converted, with all armoured reconnaissance regiments, to the war establishment of a regular armoured regiment in 1944 and sent to France in July of that year. It fought through Normandy, Belgium, the Scheldt, the Rhineland, the Netherlands and Germany until the end of the war in Europe in May 1945.^{[citation needed]}

 

Currie (left of centre, holding a revolver) accepting the surrender of German troops at St. Lambert-sur-Dives, France, 19 August 1944. This photo captures the actions that would lead to him being awarded the Victoria Cross.

The 22nd Field Battery became part of the 13th Field Regiment, which landed with the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division on D-Day at Juno Beach.^[1]

The Edmonton Fusiliers raised two active battalions, one for the 6th Canadian Infantry Division and one for the 8th Canadian Infantry Division. Both these divisions were home defence formations that did not go overseas.^[1]

Meanwhile, the 31st (Alberta) Reconnaissance Regiment had served in the Calgary area until January 1945 when it was shipped to England. It was disbanded a month later and broken up for reinforcements.^[1]

Postwar

The end of the war saw the re-emergence of The South Alberta Regiment (infantry) in Medicine Hat and the 15th Alberta Light Horse (armoured) in Calgary. The 15th however, was not to keep its name, and it was united with the 22nd Field Battery and renamed 68th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA. This remained until 1954 when it united with The South Alberta Regiment of Medicine Hat and the 41st Anti-Tank Regiment out of Calgary to become The South Alberta Light Horse (29th Armoured Regiment) out of Calgary. In 1958 "29th Armoured Regiment" was dropped from the name, and two years later, in 1960, the regiment was moved back to its old headquarters in Medicine Hat. The regiment remained an army reserve armoured unit until 1968 when it lost its tanks and was retasked as an armoured reconnaissance unit.

 

Warrant Officers' & Sergeants' Mess, 19th Alberta Dragoons, RCAC (M), 1953

The two Edmonton units (19th Alberta Dragoons and The Edmonton Fusiliers) merged in 1946 as the 19th (Alberta) Armoured Car Regiment, RCAC. This regiment was renamed back to 19th Alberta Dragoons in 1958, but in the 1965 reorganization of the Reserves it was transferred to the Supplementary Order of Battle: it still legally existed, but had no personnel assigned to it.^[1]

Recent history (1970–present)

In 1978 the SALH established an independent B Squadron in Edmonton to train out of Griesbach Barracks, and was originally organized as a reconnaissance unit. Though later, B Squadron transitioned to AVGP and was redesignated as armoured squadron in the early 1980s. In line with this change, the rest of the regiment followed suit and by 1985 the entire regiment returned to being an armoured regiment.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, the AVGP Cougar was retired from service,^[7] and the SALH reroled back to Armoured Reconnaissance, equipped with the Mercedes-Benz G Wagon - Light Utility Vehicle Wheeled (LUVW).^{[citation needed]}

The regiment exercised its Freedom of the City of Medicine Hat^[8] In 2006, the SALH formally amalgamated with the nil-strength 19th Alberta Dragoons,^[1][9][10] a regiment that had been on the Supplementary Order of Battle since 1965,^[11] and now officially maintains the battle honours and traditions of its Edmonton predecessors.

In the Spring of 2015, the regiment sought and received permission to detach 3 Troop, A Squadron from Medicine Hat to Lethbridge, as recruiting in the Lethbridge region had been successful enough to support several troopers travelling to Medicine Hat on a weekly basis for training. As this group grew, it became possible to detach 3 Troop to its own lines co-located with the 20th Independent Field Battery, RCA, at the Vimy Ridge Armoury in Lethbridge.^{[citation needed][neutrality is disputed]}

The regiment is presently training with the new Textron Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle, which was delivered to 3rd Canadian Division units in the Spring to Summer of 2017.^[12][13]

Lineage

1885–1914

Lineage of the South Alberta Light Horse, 1885–1914
1885 Rocky Mountain Rangers 1885 Disbanded 1901 D Sqn, Canadian Mounted Rifles 1905 15th Light Horse Independent sqns of Canadian Mounted Rifles 1906 The Alberta Rangers 1908 23rd Alberta Rangers 21st Alberta Hussars 19th The Alberta Mounted Rifles 101st Regt 1909 101st Regt "Edmonton Fusiliers" 1910 103rd Regt "Calgary Rifles" 1911 19th Alberta Dragoons 1914

1914-1939

CEF units perpetuated by The South Alberta Light Horse^[1]

Unit	Formed	Arrived France	Disbanded or Absorbed	Notes	Perpetuation
1914: 1st Divisional Cavalry Squadron, CEF 1916: A Squadron, Canadian Corps Cavalry Regiment, CEF 1917: A Squadron, Canadian Light Horse, CEF	August 10, 1914	February 12, 1915	November 6, 1920	Part of the Canadian Corps	19th Alberta Dragoons
1914: 22nd Battery, CEF 1915: 30th (Howitzer) Battery, CFA, CEF 1915: 22nd (Howitzer) Battery, CFA, CEF	August 10, 1914	January 19, 1916	October 23, 1920	In March 1915, absorbed by the Canadian Reserve Artillery Brigade, CEF, then re-formed in September. Part of 6th (Howitzer) Brigade, CFA, CEF	22nd Battery, CFA
1914: 9th Battalion, CEF 1915: 9th Reserve Infantry Battalion, CEF	August 10, 1914	N/A	September 15, 1917		The Edmonton Fusiliers
3rd Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF	November 7, 1914	September 22, 1915	December 31, 1915	Part of the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles Brigade. Absorbed by the 1st and 2nd Battalions, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF	1st Regiment, The Alberta Mounted Rifles
31st Battalion, CEF	November 7, 1914	September 18, 1915	August 30, 1920	Part of 6th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division	The Alberta Regiment
12th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF	March 15, 1915	N/A	February 3, 1916	Absorbed by the Canadian Cavalry Depot, CEF	15th Canadian Light Horse
1915: 13th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF 1916: 13th "Overseas" Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion, CEF	March 15, 1915	N/A	July 19, 1916	Absorbed by various units	2nd Regiment, The Alberta Mounted Rifles
66th "Overseas" Battalion, CEF	April 20, 1915	N/A	July 7, 1916	Absorbed by the 9th Reserve Battalion, CEF	The Edmonton Fusiliers
113th "Overseas" Battalion, CEF	December 22, 1915	N/A	October 8, 1916	Absorbed by the 17th Reserve Battalion, CEF	The South Alberta Regiment
138th "Overseas" Battalion, CEF	December 22, 1915	N/A	December 8, 1916	Absorbed by the 128th "Overseas" Battalion, CEF	The Edmonton Fusiliers
175th "Overseas" Battalion, CEF	July 15, 1916	N/A	January 10, 1917	Absorbed by the 21st Reserve Battalion, CEF	The South Alberta Regiment
187th "Overseas" Battalion, CEF	July 15, 1916	N/A	January 20, 1917	Absorbed by the 21st Reserve Battalion, CEF	The South Alberta Regiment
202nd "Overseas" Battalion, CEF	July 15, 1916	N/A	May 27, 1917	Absorbed by the 9th Reserve Battalion, CEF	The Edmonton Fusiliers

Lineage of the South Alberta Light Horse, 1918–1939

1918 103rd Regt "Calgary Rifles" 15th Light Horse 23rd Alberta Rangers 21st Alberta Hussars 19th Alberta Dragoons 101st Regt "Edmonton Fusiliers" 1920 The Calgary Regt The Alberta Regt 22nd Bty, CFA 15th Canadian Light Horse The Alberta Mounted Rifles 1st Bn, The Edmonton Regt 2nd Bn (Edmonton Fusiliers), The Edmonton Regt 1921 1st Bn, The Alberta Regt 2nd Bn, The Alberta Regt 1922 2nd Regt, The Alberta Mounted Rifles 1st Regt, The Alberta Mounted Rifles 1924 "The South Alberta Regt" The North Alberta Regt The Edmonton Regt The Edmonton Fusiliers 1925 22nd Field Bty, CA 1931 The South Alberta Horse The Alberta Mounted Rifles 1935 22nd Field Bty, RCA 1936 15th Alberta Light Horse 19th Alberta Dragoons The Edmonton Fusiliers (MG) 1939

1945-present

Lineage of the South Alberta Light Horse, 1945–present

1945 2nd (Reserve) Bn, The South Alberta Regt (MG) 41st (Reserve) Field Regt, RCA 22nd Field Bty, RCA 15th (Reserve) Alberta Light Horse 19th (Reserve) Alberta Dragoons 2nd (Reserve) Bn, The Edmonton Fusiliers 1946 The South Alberta Regt 41st Anti-Tank Regt (Self Propelled), RCA 68th Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, RCA 19th (Alberta) Armoured Car Regt, RCAC 1949 19th Alberta Armoured Car Regt 1954 The South Alberta Light Horse (29th Armoured Regt) 19th Alberta Dragoons (19th Armoured Car Regt) 1958 The South Alberta Light Horse 19th Alberta Dragoons 1965 Supplementary Order of Battle 1985 The South Alberta Light Horse (RCAC) 1997 The South Alberta Light Horse 2006 The South Alberta Light Horse 2023

Battle honours

North West Rebellion

• North West Canada, 1885

The Great War

• Ypres, 1915, '17
• Gravenstafel
• St. Julien
• Festubert, 1915
• Mount Sorrel
• Somme, 1916, '18
• Flers–Courcelette
• Thiepval
• Ancre Heights
• Arras, 1917, '18
• Vimy, 1917
• Arleux
• Scarpe, 1917
• Hill 70
• Passchendaele
• Amiens
• Drocourt–Quéant
• Hindenburg Line
• Canal du Nord
• Cambrai, 1918
• Pursuit to Mons
• France and Flanders, 1915–18

Second World War

• Falaise
• Falaise Road
• The Laison
• St Lambert-sur-Dives
• Moerbrugge
• The Scheldt
• Woensdrecht
• The Lower Maas
• Kapelsche Veer
• The Rhineland
• The Hochwald
• Veen
• Twente Canal
• Bad Zwischenahn
• North-West Europe, 1944–1945

War in Afghanistan

• Afghanistan^[14]

Alliances

•   United Kingdom – The Light Dragoons
•   United Kingdom – The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)

Regimental organization

The regiment has soldiers in Edmonton, Medicine Hat, and Lethbridge. With the advent of the Land Force Reserve Restructuring project, The South Alberta Light Horse was organized as an armoured reconnaissance regiment on September 1, 2004.^{[citation needed]}

The commanding officer of the SALH is Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Onieu. The regimental sergeant-major is Chief Warrant Officer Gerry D. Olsen.^[15]

Cadet units

There are several Royal Canadian Army Cadets units spread across Alberta that are affiliated to the South Alberta Light Horse.

Corps	Location
2051 RCACC	Edmonton
2313 RCACC	Medicine Hat
3068 RCACC	Camrose
3053 RCACC	Lac Ste. Anne (Onoway)

Cadet units affiliated to the South Alberta Light Horse receive support and also are entitled to wear traditional regimental accoutrements on their uniforms.

Order of precedence

Preceded by The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own)

South Alberta Light Horse

Succeeded by The Saskatchewan Dragoons

References

• Century of Service: The History of the South Alberta Light Horse by Donald E. Graves, ISBN 1-896941-43-5
• South Albertas: A Canadian Regiment at War by Donald E. Graves

1. "DHH - Armour, Artillery and Field Engineer Regiments - Armour Regiments - The South Alberta Light Horse". Official Lineages. Directorate of History and Heritage. 11 June 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
2. Chartrand, René (2007). The Canadian Corps in World War I. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-84603-186-1.
3. Nicholson, G.W.L. (1964). Official History of the Canadian Army in the First World War: Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1919 (2nd ed.). Ottawa: Duhamel, Queen's Printer and Controller of Stationery. pp. 134, 545, 550. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
4. http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/Documents/artillery.pdf^{[bare URL PDF]}
5. Nicholson, G.W.L. (1964). Official History of the Canadian Army in the First World War: Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1919 (2nd ed.). Ottawa: Duhamel, Queen's Printer and Controller of Stationery. p. 169. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
6. Nicholson, G.W.L. (1964). Official History of the Canadian Army in the First World War: Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1919 (2nd ed.). Ottawa: Duhamel, Queen's Printer and Controller of Stationery. p. 458. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
7. . South Alberta Regimental Association. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
8. Freedom of the City Archived 2013-06-15 at archive.today
9. "Amalgamation of the 19th Alberta Dragoons". Retrieved 2009-04-07.
10. "Ministerial Organization Order 2006009". Retrieved 2009-04-07.^{[permanent dead link]}
11. "Unit Listings - 1965". Retrieved 2009-04-07.
12. . Canadian Army. 8 April 2016. Archived from the original on 9 March 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
13. . Government of Canada. 18 August 2021. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
14. . Office of the Prime Minister of Canada. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
15. "The SALH - The Command Team". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2022-01-26.

Media

• Century of Service: The History of the South Alberta Light Horse by Donald E. Graves (May 15, 2005)

External links

• Official website  
• South Alberta Light Horse Foundation page
• South Alberta Light Horse Cadets page

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Alberta Light Horse.