Lorne Scots celebrate 140 years

The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) is a reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces. It has armouries located in Brampton, Georgetown, and Oakville. The current commanding officer of the regiment is LCol Ross Welsh.

John, who is well-known in Brampton as a former MP and Cabinet Minister in the Mulkroney government, thanked our club for supporting the Pipe and Drum band.

On 14 September 1866 the 36th Peel Battalion was authorized and on 28 September the 20th Halton Battalion of Infantry was formed. These two regiments, some 70 years later, were to be reorganized to form The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment).

The first Scottish connection was made on 27 September 1879 when the Halton Rifles were reviewed by His Excellency The Marquis of Lorne and permission was received in 1881 to redesignate the 20th Halton Rifles as the 20th Halton Battalion Lorne Rifles. In addition, the wearing of tartan trews and the diced Glengarry were authorized and a Pipe Band was formed.  
   
During the Boer War the regiment, as a unit, did not go to war; however, many officers and men from both regiments served there. During the First World War, regiments as such were not mobilized but drafts from various units were called up and formed into numbered battalions.

After the war, the 36th Peel Regiment was reorganized becoming the Peel and Dufferin Regiment in 1923. The regimental badge adopted was the Demi Lion which was the personal crest of Sir Robert Peel.

In 1936, following a general reorganization of the Militia, the Lorne Rifles and the Peel and Dufferin Regiment were amalgamated to form the present regiment, The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment).

The Lorne Scots was one of the first units in Canada to be mobilized in 1939, proceeding overseas in January 1940.

The Regiment's first ever Colonel-in-Chief, Field Marshall His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent visited the Regiment in 1979 and 1983 and presented the unit with a new Regimental and Queen's colour on 14 September 1991 in Brampton on the occasion of the regiment's 125th birthday.

The Regiment has also provided troops to many of the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces that Canada has contributed to. These include Cyprus, Cambodia, Namibia and, most recently, the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. A number of troops recently participated in the clean up of activities during the Ice Storm of 98 in Eastern Ontario.

For more informastion on the Lorne Scots visit The Lorne Scots