Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
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Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) is a armoured regiment of the Canadian Forces. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, the regiment is normally part of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. When deployed overseas however, the regiment is placed in ad hoc formations that report directly to National Defence Headquarters and not to 1 CMBG. Members of the regiment are called Strathconas or Straths for short. Often called Fat Straths by other units because majority of members are overweight.
The main vehicles operated by Lord Strathcona's Horse are the Leopard tank, the Coyote APC reconnaissance vehicle, and the Cougar AFV fire support vehicle.
Recent deployments include two six-month missions in Bosnia: 1994 with the United Nations and 1997 with NATO. In 2002 the Reconnaisance Squadron fought as part of the Canadian battle group during the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.
Volunteers from the regiment form the Mounted Troop, a ceremonial cavalry troop equipped with scarlet tunics, brass helments, lances and sabres. The regiment has the honour of being the only unit other than the Household Cavalry and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery to mount the guard at Horse Guards in London.
History
The regiment was one of the last in the British Empire to be created and raised by a private individual. During the Boer War, Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal, recruited and equipped the cavalry regiment at his own expense for service in South Africa. Many skilled horsemen (cowboys and North West Mounted Police members) enlisted, allowing for a short training period and rapid deployment to Africa. Along with The Royal Canadian Dragoons, the regiment won renown for their scouting skills.
Supposedly General Kitchener was astonished at the size of the newly arrived Canadian soldiers. Their commander, Sam Steele, is said to have replied "My apologies, sir. I combed all of Canada and these are the smallest I could find."
After the war, the regiment was disbanded, but it was recreated as regiment of the Permanent Force in 1909. In the First World War, the regiment served dismounted during the long static portion of the war, but when the front lines began to move back and forth in 1918, it fought as cavalry again and was one of keys in halting Germany's Operation Michael in late March.
In the 1930s the regiment was converted from cavalry to armoured. During the Second World War, it fought first in Italy, and then later in the Netherlands and Germany.
During the Cold War, the regiment was deployed on serveral rotations to West Germany, and some of the regiment's squadrons fought in the Korean War as part of the 1st Commonwealth Division.
Battle honours
The Strathconas have the following battle honours embroidered on their guidon:
- South Africa, 1900–01
- Festubert, 1915
- Somme, 1916, ’18;
- Cambrai, 1917, ’18
- St. Quentin
- Amiens
- Hindenburg Line
- St. Quentin Canal
- Beaurevoir
- Pursuit to Mons
- France and Flanders, 1915–18
- Liri Valley
- Melfa Crossing
- Torrice Crossroads
- Gothic Line
- Pozzo Alto Ridge
- Italy, 1944–45
- IJsselmeer
- North-West Europe, 1945
- Korea, 1951–53
