CELEBRATING CANADA DAY
1st July 2011

The 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales Own (Yorkshire Regiment), Wellington Barracks, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1881

The Green Howards have had a long association with Canada, having been posted there in 1881 in Wellington Barracks, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Today we are marking Canada Day by recounting our alliance with Canada's proud military history and our links to two of its regiments.

The Rocky Mountain Rangers and the Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment, Green Howards formed a special bond resulting from the Second World War. When the 1st Battalion Rocky Mountain Rangers arrived in England in 1944, they found themselves camped near the home station of the Green Howards in Richmond, near the Catterick Training Area. Our boys were very gracious in their welcome and helped the Rangers adjust to life under canvas on the Yorkshire moors. The two units soon became close friends and as the relationship developed, Lieutenant-Colonel Ken MacIntyre, CO of the Rangers, sought permission to create a formal alliance between the two Regiments. Approval for the alliance was granted by King George VI in 1948.

The Green Howards were presented a certificate from Rocky Mountain Rangers to commemorate the tercentenary of the formation of our Regiment on 19th June 1989.

Another alliance is with the Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) which dates from April 1927. Descended from the famous Rogers' Rangers that was raised during the Seven Years War against France, it was reformed during the American Revolution as the Queen's Rangers and granted the title '1st American Regiment' by King George III. Today the Regiment has the role of medium reconnaissance, scouts for the field army just as were Rogers' Rangers. In the aftermath of the Great War, General Sir Edward Bulfin suggested this alliance and it was confirmed by King George V in February 1928.

The chandeliers in the Normanby room of the museum were kindly donated by both the Rocky Mountain Rangers and the Queen's York Rangers and were installed in 1973.

We send our best wishes to all Canadians celebrating today with a line from their national anthem:

God keep our land glorious and free!

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