8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's)

8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's)
8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) cap badge
Active	1869–present
Country	Canada
Branch	Primary Reserve
Type	Line cavalry
Role	Reconnaissance
Part of	Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
Nickname(s)	The Crazy Eights
Patron	The Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll
Motto	Latin: Regi patriaeque fidelis "Faithful to King and Country"
March	"The 8th Hussars"
Engagements	World War II
Commanders
Colonel-in-Chief	HRH The Princess Royal

The 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) is one of the longest serving armoured regiments in the Canadian Army. A Squadron being Regular Force served in CFB Gagetown and B, C and HQ Squadrons served in Sussex, Moncton and Sackville. In 1998 the Regular Squadron was disbanded and the regiment reverted to reserve status again.

History

Originated on 30 April 1869 in Apohaqui, New Brunswick as the New Brunswick Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry from seven independent troops of cavalry authorized on the following dates: No. 1 Troop (Hampton Troop of Cavalry, 3 January 1866), No. 2 Troop (Assekeag Troop of Cavalry, 30 November 1864), No. 3 Troop (Apohaqui Troop of Cavalry, 3 January 1866), No. 4 Troop (Upham Troop of Cavalry, 3 January 1866), No. 5 Troop (Johnston Troop of Cavalry, 28 February 1866), No. 6 Troop (Shediac Troop of Cavalry, 13 June 1866), and No. 7 Troop (Springfield Troop of Cavalry, 21 June 1865)

• Redesignated 31 May 1872 as the 8th Regiment of Cavalry
• Redesignated 18 July 1884 as the 8th Princess Louise's New Brunswick Regiment of Cavalry
• Redesignated 1 January 1893 8th "Princess Louise's New Brunswick Hussars"
• Redesignated 11 February 1941 as the 2nd (Reserve) Regiment, 8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars
• Redesignated 1 April 1941 as the 5th (Reserve) Armoured Regiment, 8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars
• Redesignated 4 February 1949 as the 8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars (5th Armoured Regiment)
• Redesignated 29 January 1957 as the 2/8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) upon the formation of the Canadian Army (Regular) 1/8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's)
• 1 January 1960 the 2/8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) were redesignated as 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) (Militia) and the 1/8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) were redesignated as the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's)
• 15 April 1993 the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) (Militia) and the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) were amalgamated and redesignated as the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's)

South African War

The camp flag of the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's).

The regiment contributed volunteers for the Canadian Contingents that served in South Africa.

The Great War

The 6th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion, CEF, was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for England on 17 July 1915. It disembarked in France on 24 October 1915, where it continued to train until 2 January 1916 when its personnel were absorbed by the 4th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles and the 5th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF. The regiment disbanded on 18 February 1918.

The Second World War

The Second World War provided the regiment’s first opportunity for active service as a formed unit. The regiment mobilized as the 4th Canadian Motorcycle Regiment, CASF (8 NBH) on 24 May 1940. It was converted to armour and redesignated as the "8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars) CAC, CASF", on 9 February 1941; as the 5th Armoured Regiment (8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars, CASF, on 11 February 1941. The regiment embarked for Britain on 9 October 1941

The regiment and landed in Italy on 19 December 1943 as a unit of the 5th Armoured Brigade, 5th Canadian Armoured Division. It was renamed as the "5th Armoured Regiment (8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars, CAC, CASF", on 15 October 1943. The regiment landed in Italy on 19 December 1943 at Naples and saw action soon and frequently thereafter. The regiment fought in the Liri Valley, the Melfa Crossing, Ceprano, The Gothic Line, Missano Ridge, Coriano, the Lamone River Crossing, and Coventello where it distinguished itself.

It moved to North-West Europe on 17 February 1945 as part of Operation Goldflake. The Hussars sailed from Italy to Southern France, and then moved by rail to Northwest Europe. After refitting the tanks, the regiment went into action in the Netherlands, breaking through to Putten in mid-April. The regiment then moved north for the final actions of the war at the Delfzijl Pocket where 3,000 German soldiers surrendered to the regiment. It was renamed as the "5th Armoured Regiment (8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars, RCAC, CASF", on 2 August 1945.

On 26 January 1946, the regiment arrived in Halifax and the next day reached Sussex, New Brunswick where it was demobilized. The overseas regiment disbanded on 15 February 1946.

Post WWII

In 1950, the regiment was called upon to provide men for service with the Special Force which was raised and deployed to Korea, and in 1951 "Y" Troop was organized for service with the 27th Canadian Infantry Brigade in Germany.

On 29 January 1957, it was decided that a third armoured regiment would be formed in the Canadian Army. As a result the regiment was honoured with the privilege of providing its name to the new regiment. This resulted in the change of the regiment’s name to the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise’s). The Regular Regiment served in Gagetown, New Brunswick, Petawawa, Ontario, the Sinai, Cyprus, Iserlohn (Fort Beausejour), Soest and Lahr, West Germany.

Cpl. Paul R. Wallace and Tpr. Adrian A. Bons died while deployed to the Sinai as part of the United Nations Emergency Force on 27 November 1964.

In the summer of 1965, the regiment was deployed from their base at Petawawa, Ontario on a peacekeeping mission for the United Nations to the island nation of Cyprus. Tpr. Lennard W. Nass died on 27 September 1966 while deployed to Cyprus as part of the United Nations Force in Cyprus.

The regiment has participated in several "aid to the civil authority" missions in recent history. In the summer of 1990 the regiment sent a troop sized force to the province of Quebec in Cougars to assist in Canadian Forces Operations in the Oka Crisis. In the 1998 Ice Storm, the regiment provided a platoon-sized force to assist in the maintenance of infrastructure in the community of St. Stephen, New Brunswick. In the fall of 1998, the regiment provided soldiers to the recovery effort for Swiss Air Flight 111.

In 2004, 8CH became an armoured reconnaissance unit, in place of its previous designation as simply an armoured unit. Along with this trade change the unit was given the new Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, a Jeep-like vehicle more suited to their new role as reconnaissance. The unit is stationed at the Moncton and Sussex detachments of CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick. Its Colonel-in-Chief is HRH The Princess Royal.

War in Afghanistan

The regiment contributed an aggregate of more than 20% of its authorized strength to the various Task Forces which served in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2014.

Lineage chart

Lineage of the units of the 8th Canadian Hussars:

Lineage
Abbreviations used in the chart Abbreviation Phrase Armd Armoured Bn Battalion CAC Canadian Armoured Corps CASF Canadian Active Service Force Cavy Cavalry CEF Canadian Expeditionary Force RCAC Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Regt Regiment

Battle honours

The Guidon of the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's).

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: the non-emblazonable honorary distinction DEFENCE OF CANADA – 1812-1815 – DÉFENSE DU CANADA.

The Great War

• MOUNT SORREL 2–13 June 1916+
• SOMME, 1916 1 July-18 November 1916+
• FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1915-16+)

The Second World War

• LIRI VALLEY 18–30 May 1944
• Melfa Crossing 24–25 May 1944
• Ceprano 26–27 May 1944
• GOTHIC LINE 25 August-22 September 1944
• Montecchio 30–31 August 1944
• Tomba di Pesaro 1–2 September 1944
• LAMONE CROSSING 2–13 September 1944
• Coriano 3–15 September 1944
• Misano Ridge
• Conventello-Comacchio 2–6 January 1945
• ITALY, 1944-1945
• IJsselmeer 15–18 April 1945
• Delfzijl Pocket 23 April-2 May 1945
• NORTH-WEST EUROPE, 1945

Afghanistan

Afghanistan

8th Hussars Regimental Museum

8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) Museum

File:SussexStationStreetside.jpg
Location	former train station in Sussex, New Brunswick Kings New Brunswick
Coordinates
Website	8th Hussars Regimental Museum

The regiment's museum is located in a former train station in Sussex, New Brunswick. Exhibits focus on the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) military history and activities, and include uniforms, medals, weapons and artifacts from different wars.

Perpetuations

War of 1812

• 1st Battalion, Westmorland County Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, Westmorland County Regiment)

The Great War

• 6th Regiment Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF

Alliances

• United Kingdom - The Queen's Royal Hussars (Queen's Own and Royal Irish)
• United Kingdom - Yorkshire Yeomanry

See also

• The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Forces

References

• http://www.8chassociation.com/Regiment1.html

Further reading

• The 8th Hussars: A History of the Regiment, Sussex, NB: Maritime Publishing, 1964 by Douglas How.
• The 8th (Eighth) Hussars (Princess Louise's) 1962-1987 by Major G.H. - Editor-In-Chief; Lawson, Captain R.J. - Editor MacDonald (1987)
• New Brunswick Hussar: Corporal Harold Jorgen Skaarup, G753, 5th Armored Regiment, 8th Princess Louise's New Brunswick by Harold A. Skaarup (Jul 1 2001)
• 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

• 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) Official Home Page
• [1] 8th Hussars Regimental Museum
• History and Uniform of the 8th Canadian (Princess Louise's) Hussars, 1848 to 1970

Preceded by The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)

8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's)

Succeeded by The Ontario Regiment (RCAC)