Sherbrooke Hussars

The Sherbrooke Hussars is a Primary Reserve armoured regiment of the Canadian Forces.

Sherbrooke Regiment
The Sherbrooke Regiment was initially formed in 1866 as the Sherbrooke Battalion of Infantry, becoming the 53rd (Sherbrooke) Battalion in 1867. The regiment perpetuates the Frontier Light Infantry as well as the 1st and 4th battalions of the Eastern Township District (1812-1815) from the War of 1812. As a result the regiment carries the Theatre Battle Honour, Defence of Canada 1812-15, in recognition of the service rendered by the Frontier Light Infantry at the Battle of Lacolle Mills (1814).

The regiment provided volunteers for the 12th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1914. The following year, it provided the bulk of the 117th (Eastern Townships) Battalion, CEF, formed initially as a mounted unit, but quickly converted to infantry. This battalion became the first Empire unit to provide the King's Guard at Buckingham Palace in London. The 117th was then broken up to provide reinforcements for several other Canadian units in France. In 1920, the Sherbrooke Regiment was reformed with two battalions – the 1st Battalion perpetuated the traditions of the 117th CEF. In 1940, parts of the regiment amalgamated with Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke to form the Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment (27th Canadian Armoured Regiment) which was an armoured regiment, while the Sherbrooke Regiment continued as infantry.

After the end of the Second World War, The Sherbrooke Regiment re-roled as armour, becoming the 12th Armoured Regiment (Sherbrooke Regiment), perpetuating the traditions of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers. In 1958, the number was dropped, and the regiment became The Sherbrooke Regiment (RCAC), before, in 1965, it amalgamated with the 7th/XI Hussars to become the Sherbrooke Hussars.

7th/XI Hussars
The 7th/XI Hussars was formed in 1936 through the amalgamation of the 7th Hussars and XI Hussars. In 1940, 400 of its men were mobilised as infantry with the 1st Battalion, Royal Rifles of Canada. The regiment itself became the 16th (Reserve) Armoured Regiment, before being disbanded in 1943, with its personnel absorbed by the 5th Canadian Armoured Division.

In 1946, the regiment was raised again, perpetuating the 16th Armoured Regiment, as 16th Reconnaissance Regiment (7th/XI Hussars). The regiment converted to armour in 1954, and became simply the 7th/XI Hussars in 1958, before amalgamating with the Sherbrooke Regiment to form the Sherbrooke Hussars.

World War I
Details of the 53rd Sherbrooke Regiment were placed on active service for local protective duty on 6 August 1914. The 5th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 18 July 1915, arriving in France on 24 October 1915, where it fought as part of the 2nd Brigade Canadian Mounted Rifles until 3 January 1916. The Regiment was converted to infantry and became part of the 8th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division. The regiment was redesignated the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion, CEF on 24 December 1915. The battalion fought in France and Flanders until the end of the Great War and was disbanded on 30 August 1920.

The 117th Battalion, which was authorized on 22 December 1915 as the 117th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force and embarked for Britain on 14 August 1916. It provided reinforcements for units in the field until 8 January 1917 when its personnel were absorbed by the 23rd Reserve Battalion, CEF, with the battalion being disbanded on 30 August 1920.

The Second World War
The Sherbrooke Regiment mobilized the No. 1 General Base Depot, Canadian Active Service Force, on 1 September 1939, which embarked for Britain on 25 January 1940 where it provided guards for vulnerable points until disbanded on 6 July 1940. The regiment then, in conjunction with Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke, mobilized The Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment, CASF, for active service on 24 May 1940. It was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, The Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment, CASF, on 7 November 1940, then as the 1st Battalion, The Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment, CASF, on 15 November 1940 and upon conversion to an armoured regiment, as the 27th Armoured Regiment (The Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment), CAC, CASF, on 26 January 1942 and 27th Armoured Regiment (The Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment), RCAC, CASF on 2 August 1945. The regiment served ocverseas initially in Newfoundland from 13 August 1941 to 15 February 1942, and embarked for Britain on 27 October 1942. On the afternoon of 6 June 1944 it landed on Juno Beach in Normandy, France as a unit of the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade and it continued to fight in North West Europe until the end of the war. The overseas regiment was disbanded on 15 February 1946.

The most famous regimental artifact is "Bomb" is a Sherman III or M4A2 Sherman Tank, registration T152656. This tank survived from D-Day to VE-Day without being knocked out. Such battlefield longevity is remarkable because of the high casualty rate amongst front line combat equipment. Bomb's crewmembers, originally Troopers A.W. Rudolph, "Red" Fletcher, Trooper J.W. (Tiny) Hall, Lance-Corporal R. (Rudy) Moreault and Sergeant Harold Frutter, crew commander, kept the tank in service, despite firing over 6000 rounds and surviving at least one enemy shell impact. Frutter was wounded in Jul 1944 and one other man were replaced in Normandy by Lieutenant Paul Ayriss and Trooper Ken Jeroux. Lieutenant J.W. Neill replaced Ayriss in August 1944, and was later awarded the Military Cross. Two more officers to command Bomb were Lieutenant Walter White who was wounded in April 1945 and Lieutenant Earnest Mingo who replaced him until war's end. The tank and crewmembers Rudolph, Moreault and Hall were the subject of a Canadian Army Film and Photographic Unit production entitled, "Green Fields Beyond" (number 2090) in 1945. See YouTube (Nov 2012)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVnq9VILgws&feature=youtu.be  The tank was on display at the Champs de Mars park, Queen Boulevard North, Sherbrooke, Quebec and in Sept 2011 was relocated to the front lawns of the William Street Armoury, 315 William Street, Sherbrooke, Quebec.

In July 1940, the 7th/11th Hussars contributed about half its officers and men to The Royal Rifles of Canada which fought in Hong Kong. From the elements not sent overseas, an armoured squadron was mobilized as the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade Headquarters Squadron (7th/11th Hussars) CASF (1941). This subunit was disbanded overseas in 1943 and personnel were reassigned.

The 7th/11th Hussars mobilized an armoured squadron designated known as the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade Headquarters Squadron (7th/11th Hussars), CASF, for active service on 27 February 1941. This unit departed Canada for the United Kingdom on 9 October 1941. The squadron was disbanded on 1 January 1943 and its personnel absorbed by Headquarters, 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade.

Battle honours
Defence of Canada – 1812–1815, Mount Sorrel, Somme 1916, Flers-Courcelette, Ancre Heights, Arras 1917–1918, Vimy 1917, Hill 70, Ypres 1917, Passchendale, Amiens, Scarpe 1918, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, Cambrai 1918, Valenciennes, Sambre, France and Flanders 1915–1918, Normandy Landing, Authie, Caen, The Orne, Bourguebus Ridge, Faubourg de Vaucelles, Saint-André-sur-Orne, Falaise, Falaise Road, Clair Tizon, The Laison, Antwerp-Tournout, The Scheldt, The Lower Maas, The Rhineland, The Hochwald, Xanten, The Rhine, Emmerich-Hoch Elten, Zutphen, Deventer, North-West Europe 1944-1945, Honorary Distinction Hong Kong 1941

Expanded history
This Reserve Force regiment was formed on 21 September 1866 in Melbourne, Quebec, when the Sherbrooke Battalion of Infantry was authorized to be formed. It was redesignated the 53rd Sherbrooke Battalion of Infantry on 15 March 1867. On 22 March 1867, it was reorganized as two separate battalions designated the 53rd Melbourne Battalion of Infantry and the 54th Sherbrooke Battalion of Infantry. It was redesignated as the 53rd Sherbrooke Battalion of Infantry on 10 May 1867 and then the 53rd Sherbrooke Regiment on 8 May 1900. Following the Great War, the Regiment was renamed The Sherbrooke Regiment on 29 March 1920 and re-roled as a machine gun battalion as The Sherbrooke Regiment (MG) on 15 December 1936. Several other changes of name took place during the Seconnd World War as Regiment was designated The Sherbrooke Regiment on 1 February 1941, the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Sherbrooke Regiment on 7 November 1940. The Regiment changed from infantry to armour, becoming the 12th Armoured Regiment (Sherbrooke Regiment), RCAC on 1 April 1946, then The Sherbrooke Regiment (12th Armoured Regiment) on 4 February 1949 and The Sherbrooke Regiment (RCAC) on 19 May 1958. On 15 February 1965, the Sherbrooke Regiment was amalgamated with the 7th/11th Hussars and redesignated The Sherbrooke Hussars.

The 7th/11th Hussars originated in Sherbrooke, Quebec on 21 September 1866, when the Sherbrooke Battalion of Infantry was authorized to be formed. It was redesignated the 53rd Sherbrooke Battalion of Infantry on 15 March 1867. On 22 March 1867, it was reorganized as two separate battalions, designated the 54th Sherbrooke Battalion of Infantry and the 53rd Melbourne Battalion of Infantry. It was redesignated as the 54th "Richmond" Battalion of Infantry on 10 May 1867 and the 54th Richmond Regiment on 8 May 1900. It was converted to cavalry and redesignated the 11th Hussars on 1 August 1903. On 1 April 1936, it was amalgamated with the 7th Hussars and redesignated as the 7th/11th Hussars. It was redesignated the 2nd (Reserve) Regiment, 7th/11th Hussars on 27 February 1941, then the 16th (Reserve) Armoured Regiment, (7th/11th Hussars) on 1 April 194 and then the 16th Reconnaissance Regiment (7th/11th Hussars), RCAC on 1 April 1946 following the Second World War. It was redesignated the 7th/11th Hussars (16th Reconnaissance Regiment) on 4 February 1949, then as the 7th/11th Hussars (16th Armoured Regiment) on 1 September 1954 and finally the 7th/11th Hussars on 19 May 1958. On 15 February 1965, it was amalgamated with The Sherbrooke Regiment (RCAC) to form the Sherbrooke Hussars.

Notable Sherbrookes

 * Brigadier-General Sydney Valpy Radley-Walters CMM, DSO, MC, CD,

Alliances

 * 🇬🇧 – The Queen's Royal Hussars (Queen's Own and Royal Irish)
 * 🇬🇧 – The Royal Anglian Regiment