Congratulations to The Princess Louise Fusiliers out in Halifax for receiving a Battle Honour for the Battle of Arnhem in WW II.
Documentation stating the deeds were buried in British military records till they were discovered recently by one of the unit's officers when vacationing in England.

Fusiliers finally get war honour
Halifax regiment wins battle for recognition of 1945 effort

By Lois Legge / Staff Reporter Ted Pritchard / Herald Photo

It's been a long time coming, but members of a distinguished Halifax military regiment were finally able to celebrate a war-time battle honour on Saturday.

Members of the Princess Louise Fusiliers were an integral part of a 1945 battle liberating Arnhem, Holland, from Nazi occupation.

The April 12-14 attack against the German-held Dutch city resulted in the capture of 601 German soldiers.

But while the regiment provided machine-gun and mortar support to the British 49th Division throughout the attack, for more than half a century it was denied the Second World War honour called Arnhem 45.

"With the aging of the veterans, they're not going to be around all that much longer," the regiment's commanding officer, Lt.-Col. Jim Bruce, said after a ceremony on Citadel Hill marking the recent awarding of the honour.

"It was important to me and all members of the regiment that we put this right before they were all gone."

Past and present members of the infantry regiment were on hand for the ceremony and a later reception, including at least one veteran who participated in the battle. He didn't want to talk about the experience.

The regiment applied for the honour three times, but the historical section of Canada's army headquarters rejected its claim, questioning the extent of its participation and citing lack of evidence in the war diaries of the 11 Canadian Infantry Brigade.

The regiment claimed it qualified for the award since it was under the command of Britain's 2nd Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment (known as 2 Kens), the machine-gun support unit for the 49th division.

Research done two years ago at the public records office in the United Kingdom uncovered records showing that the regiment had indeed been under the command of 2 Kens and participated in the battle.

After a subsequent recommendation from the Canadian Forces honours committee, Gen. Maurice Baril, chief of defence staff, gave his approval in April 1999.

Lt.-Col Bruce said the Halifax regiment played a vital role in the mission's success.

"There would be no way that the assaulting infantry could have gotten even near the enemy without that support," he said.

Lt.-Col. Leo Van Den Heuvel, military attache for Holland in Canada, agreed.

He said that while recognition of the regiment's role was a long time coming in Canada, the people of Holland "never forgot what the Canadians did for us" in operations throughout that country during the Second World War.

"They liberated us from German tyranny," he said. "They are considered liberators for Holland, and it didn't take us 56 years to recognize what the regiment did.

On Saturday, October 14, 2000, the Princess Louise Fusiliers conducted a Regimental parade within the Halifax Citadel in commemoration of the award of the Battle Honour ARNHEM 1945. This Battle Honour was finally granted to the Regiment last year after newly acquired British Army documents allowed substantiation of the Regiment's original claim.

Highlights of the parade included the attendance of the Honourary Consul of the Netherlands Peter McCreath and the Dutch Military Attach� Lt-Col Leo Van der Heuvel, the invitation of the Regiment's veterans onto the parade for the inspection (they fell in to the right of the line), march pasts by two guards in scarlets and the Regimental Colour and a feu-de-joie. The Reviewing officer was Colonel Rick Parsons, Commander 36 Canadian Brigade Group.

I had the privilege of being the Master of Ceremonies for this parade and all should know that the soldiers, NCOs and officers on parade acquitted themselves admirably. It was a wonderful ceremony including many members of the Regimental family, blessed by superb weather and an unequalled setting used at the gracious allowance of Parks Canada.

An a past soldier of the Princess Louise Fusiliers and now, having returned as their Adjutant, I was very proud to have been part of this memorable ceremony.

The ceremony was recorded by a number of media resources and it may appear on local (Atlantic) or even national (CBC) news this evening. Excerpts from the parade narrative follow to provide some history.

The Princess Louise Fusiliers

ARNHEM 45 � Battle Honour Commemoration Parade

Good afternoon ladies, gentlemen, and distinguished guests. On behalf of the Princess Louise Fusiliers, let me welcome you to this ceremony marking the awarding of the Battle Honour "Arnhem 1945" to the Princess Louise Fusiliers. This is somewhat of a unique event in that the Regiment has earned this battle honour some fifty-five years ago during the Second World War in 1945.

The Princess Louise Fusiliers thanks Superintendent Mart Johensen and Parks Canada for allowing the Regiment to parade within the Citadel. We also thank Alec Simpson, the Honourary Lieutenant Colonel to the 78th Highlanders and a member of the Princess Louise Fusiliers' Advisory Board for his assistance and support.

The Militia in Halifax traces its lineage back to 1749, the same year in which the City of Halifax was founded. Following Confederation, on 18 June 1869, the local Militia Regiment was designated the "66th Halifax Volunteer Battalion of Infantry." In one of its first ceremonial appearances, the Battalion formed a Guard of Honour at the Dockyard for the arrival of the Marquis of Lorne, who was Canada�s first Governor General. Accompanying the Marquis was his consort Her Royal Highness Princess Louise. The following year, with the Princess�s gracious consent, the Regiment was re-named the "66th Battalion, The "'Princess Louise Fusiliers'".

The Regiment was first on active service in 1885, when the Regiment provided three companies of soldiers to serve in North West Canada. Later, during the South African War from 1899 to 1902 the Regiment provided more volunteers for service in the Canadian Contingents in South Africa than any other Canadian Militia regiment. During the Great War it provided a military presence in Halifax, manning the Halifax's harbour defences, as well as providing officers and men for service overseas. To recognize its contribution to the Canadian Expeditionary Force of the First World War, the Princess Louise Fusiliers perpetuates the 64th Infantry Battalion, CEF, as well as the 6th Machine Gun Battalion of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps.

During the Second World War the Regiment deployed to England in October 1942. It first engaged in operations after landing in Italy on the 10th of November 1943. The Regiment continued in the Italian campaign until February 1945, following which it sailed from Italy, landing in Marseilles, France, to join the liberation of the "low countries".

The Princess Louise Fusiliers were represented overseas during the Second World War by the 11th and 12th Independent Machine Gun Companies (Princess Louise Fusiliers). These Independent Companies provided mortar and medium machine gun support to the infantry brigades of the Canadian Army.

During April 1945, the 11th Canadian Infantry Brigade, supported by the 11th Independent Machine Gun Company, was tasked in support of Operation ANGER, the British 49th Division attack on Arnhem. The 11th Company was placed in direct support of the Second Battalion, The Kensington Regiment, and vigorously participated in the attack during the period 12 to 14 April 1945.

Following the examination of recently acquired British Army documents, which provided substantiation for a renewed claim, the Canadian Forces Honours Committee recommended that The Princess Louise Fusiliers be allocated the Second World War Battle Honour "ARNHEM, 1945." This recommendation was approved by General J.M.G Baril, the Chief of Defence Staff, on the 13th of April 1999.

Since the Second World War the Princess Louise Fusiliers have continued to serve Canada as part of the Reserves. The Regiment has sent many of its officers and soldiers on United Nations peacekeeping missions around the world, serving in such countries as Cyprus, Egypt, Syria, Israel, Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo and Croatia. The Regiment has also provided personnel to assist in the efforts to recover the Ice Storm which devastated parts of central Canada, the Swiss Air disaster, and most recently in anticipation of Canada�s needs for Y2K.

The Princess Louise Fusiliers train regularly throughout the year, on Thursday nights, weekends and in the summer months. The Regiment continues to meet its obligations to Canada through peacetime training, augmenting Canada�s Regular Forces and providing personnel for United Nations peacekeeping missions.

Today, The Princess Louise Fusiliers parade in honour of the deeds of the veterans of the Second World War. The Battle Honour which this parade commemorates is an official recognition of their contribution 55 years ago.

The reviewing officer for today's ceremony is Colonel Rick Parsons, the Commander of 36 Canadian Brigade Group. 36 Brigade Group is comprised of all of the reserve units within the provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Honourary Consul of the Netherlands to Canada, the Honourable Peter McCreath and the Military Attach� from the Netherlands to Canada Lieutenant Colonel Van Den Heuvel will now present the Flag of the City of Arnhem to the Regiment. In addition, they will affix their signatures to a parchment marking the presentation and this ceremony. Representing the Princess Louise Fusiliers are the Honourary Colonel, Colonel Leo Simmonds, one of the Regiment's Second World War Veterans, and the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel James Bruce.

The Regimental padre will now bless the parade.

In honour of this occasion, the Regiment's Colonel-in Chief, Her Royal Highness, The Princess Margaret has requested that the following passage be read to her Regiment:

"I have recently been informed that The Princess Louise Fusiliers have been awarded a further Battle Honour for the Unit's activities during the Second World War."

"Soldiers of the 11th and 12th Independent Machine Gun Companies helped liberate the City of Arnhem fifty-five years ago, and so the Award of "ARNHEM 1945" is a fitting tribute to the bravery of those who took part in this action in the last days of the War."

"I send you all my warmest good wishes"

<<signed>> Her Royal Highness, The Princess MARGARET, Countess of Snowdon, Colonel in Chief

The Regiment will now render a fue-de-joie, or ceremonial rifle salute, in honour of the Veterans of the Regiment. Please be aware that the firing of the rifles can be startling to small children or those unprepared for the noise. Please stand.