The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)

The Halifax Rifles (RCAC) is a Canadian Army regiment that served between the years of 1860 and 1965 before being reduced to nil strength and placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle. The regiment was reactivated on May 10, 2009, as a reserve force unit performing the role of armoured reconnaissance. It is the first and so far only regiment to be reactivated from the Supplementary Order of Battle.

History
In the wake of the Crimean War and the rise of the Volunteer Force in Britain, the regiment was raised 14 May 1860 as the Halifax Volunteer Battalion and later became the Halifax Volunteer Battalion of Rifles on 28 May 1869. Later, on 5 November 1869, they were redesignated the 63rd The Halifax Battalion of Rifles. It was redesignated the 63rd Halifax Battalion of Rifles in December 1869 and authorized as the 63rd Regiment (Halifax Rifles) on 8 May 1900. The regiment joined the Halifax Provisional Battalion in the North West Rebellion.

During the First World War, the regiment contributed volunteers to the 14th Battalion (Royal Montreal Regiment), CEF, on its formation in September 1914 and then later raised the 40th (Nova Scotia) Battalion, CEF.

During the Second World War, 1939–1945, the regiment was placed on local protective duty in Canada. It was later sent to England, where the regiment was broken up to provide reinforcements for other regiments.

On 1 April 1946, the regiment was redesignated the 23rd Armoured Regiment (Halifax Rifles), then The Halifax Rifles (23rd Armoured Regiment) on 4 February 1949. It received its final designation on 19 May 1958. The regiment served in Halifax until reduced to nil establishment in on 31 March 1965.

Supplementary Order of Battle
In 1964, Paul Hellyer, Minister of National Defence, announced sweeping changes to be carried out in the organization and establishments of the Canadian Army. The army itself would be integrated into a new entity called the Canadian Forces (CF). Overall the manpower would be reduced both because of the greater efficiency of the CF organization and in order to free up money needed for new capital projects. The Militia, likewise was to be reorganized and revitalized. As a first step, several regiments of the RCAC were converted to non-armoured roles and several more were reduced to nil establishment and placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle.

The revitalization of the Militia was not achieved, and the corps was left the poorer by the loss of these historic regiments.

In the late 1960s, the Regular component of the corps was subject to a restructuring and the end result was the loss to the Regular Force of The Fort Garry Horse. In the 1990s, a similar restructuring, again saw the loss of a Regular Force Armour unit, the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's). Both of these units still live on in their Reserve Force units.

Lineage

 * 1860: Halifax Volunteer Battalion
 * 1869: Halifax Volunteer Battalion of Rifles
 * 1869: 63rd The Halifax Battalion of Rifles
 * 1869: 63rd Halifax Battalion of Rifles
 * 1900: 63rd Regiment (Halifax Rifles)
 * 1920: The Halifax Rifles
 * 1946: 23rd Armoured Regiment (Halifax Rifles)
 * 1949: The Halifax Rifles (23rd Armoured Regiment)
 * 1958: The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)
 * 1965: Placed on Supplementary Order of Battle
 * 2009: Returned to active status as The Halifax Rifles