The North Saskatchewan Regiment

The North Saskatchewan Regiment (N Sask R) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces, headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with companies in Saskatoon and Prince Albert. Its current commanding officer is Lieutenant-Colonel Tony Engelberts, who took over from Lieutenant-Colonel Dan Whittaker. The N Sask R is part of 3rd Canadian Division's 38 Canadian Brigade Group.

The N Sask R (as it is abbreviated) holds 46 battle honours.

Lineage
The North Saskatchewan Regiment originated in Regina, Saskatchewan on 3 July 1905, when The 16th Mounted Rifles was authorized. It was redesignated The 16th Light Horse on 1 October 1908 and the 16th Canadian Light Horse on 15 March 1920, following the Great War. On 15 December 1936, it was amalgamated with The Saskatchewan Mounted Rifles and redesignated the 16th/22nd Saskatchewan Horse. It was redesignated the 16th/22nd Saskatchewan Horse (Reserve) on 7 November 1940 On 1 April 1941, the regiment was converted to infantry and redesignated the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, 16th/22nd Saskatchewan Horse. It was redesignated the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Battleford Light Infantry (16th/22nd Saskatchewan Horse) on 1 May 1941 and The Battleford Light Infantry (16th/22nd Saskatchewan Horse) (Reserve) on 15 September 1944. On 1 April 1946, it was amalgamated with the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Prince Albert Volunteers and redesignated The Prince Albert and Battleford Volunteers. On 1 September 1954, it was amalgamated with the 50th Field Squadron, RCE, and redesignated The Prince Albert and Battleford Volunteers (Machine Gun). On 17 February 1955, it was amalgamated with The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun) and redesignated The North Saskatchewan Regiment (Machine Gun). It was redesignated The North Saskatchewan Regiment on 11 April 1958.

On 1 September 1970, the 1st Battalion, The North Saskatchewan Regiment (The Prince Albert and Battleford Volunteers) and the 2nd Battalion, The North Saskatchewan Regiment (The Saskatoon Light Infantry) were amalgamated.

The Saskatchewan Mounted Rifles originated in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan on 2 March 1908 as the Saskatchewan Light Horse. It was redesignated the 22nd Saskatchewan Light Horse on 1 April 1908 and The Saskatchewan Mounted Rifles on 15 March 1920. On 15 December 1936, it was amalgamated with the 16th Canadian Light Horse.

The 50th Field Squadron, RCE originated in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan on 5 June 1947. On 1 September 1954, it was amalgamated with The Prince Albert and Battleford Volunteers.

The Prince Albert Volunteers and the Saskatoon Light Infantry  originated in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on 1 April 1912 as the 105th Regiment. It was redesignated the 105th Regiment Fusiliers on 16 September 1912, and the 105th Regiment (Saskatoon Fusiliers) on 15 April 1914. Following the Great War, on 15 March 1920, it was amalgamated with the 52nd Regiment Prince Albert Volunteers and redesignated The North Saskatchewan Regiment. On 15 May 1924, it was reorganized as four separate regiments, designated as The Yorkton Regiment (now the 64th Field Battery, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA); The Saskatoon Light Infantry'; The Battleford Light Infantry and The Prince Albert Volunteers.

On 15 December 1936, The Prince Albert Volunteers and The Battleford Light Infantry were amalgamated and redesignated The Prince Albert and Battleford Volunteers. It was redesignated The Prince Albert Volunteers on 1 May 1941 and the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Prince Albert Volunteers on 5 March 1942. On 1 April 1946, it was amalgamated with The Battleford Light Infantry (16th/22nd Saskatchewan Horse) (Reserve).

On 15 December 1936, the Saskatoon Light Infantry was amalgamated with C Company of the 12th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC (now The Royal Regina Rifles) and redesignated The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun). It was redesignated the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun) on 7 November 1940 and The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun) on 1 November 1945. On 17 February 1955, it was amalgamated with The Prince Albert and Battleford Volunteers (Machine Gun).

On 17 February 1955, The Prince Albert and Battleford Volunteers (Machine Gun) and The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun) were amalgamated and organized as a two battalion unit with the 1st Battalion, The North Saskatchewan Regiment (The Prince Albert and Battleford Volunteers) (Machine Gun) and the 2nd Battalion, The North Saskatchewan Regiment (The Saskatoon Light Infantry) (Machine Gun) on the Reserve Force order of battle.

The 52nd Regiment Prince Albert Volunteers originated in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan on 2 January 1913 as an "Infantry Corps, consisting of 8 companies." It was designated the 52nd Regiment Prince Albert Volunteers on 1 February 1913. On 15 March 1920, it was amalgamated with the 105th Regiment (Saskatoon Fusiliers).

Perpetuations
The North Saskatchewan Regiment perpetuates the Moose Mountain Scouts of 1885; the Infantry Company, Battleford, Saskatchewan of 1885; the 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, the 9th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, 10th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, the 5th Battalion (Western Cavalry), CEF, the 53rd Battalion (Northern Saskatchewan), CEF, the '''65th Battalion (Saskatchewan), CEF, and 232nd Battalion (Saskatchewan), CEF.

North West Rebellion
The Infantry Company at Battleford was raised for active service on 10 April 1885, and served with the Battleford Column of the North West Field Force. It was disbanded on 18 September 1885.

The Moose Mountain Scouts were raised for active service on 24 April 1885 and served with the Line of Communication Troops of the North West Field Force until disbanded on 18 September 1885.

The Great War


The 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 12 June 1915. It disembarked in France on 22 September 1915, where it fought as part of the 1st Brigade, Canadian Mounted Rifles, until 1 January 1916. The Battalion was converted to infantry, and allocated to the 8th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division. The Battalion fought in France and Flanders until the end of the Great War.

The 5th Battalion (Western Cavalry), CEF, was authorized on 10 August 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 29 September 1915. It disembarked in France on 14 February 1915, where it fought as part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battalion was disbanded on 15 September 1920.

The Second World War
Details from The Prince Albert and Battleford Volunteers and The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun) were called out on service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939 for local protection duties. These details were disbanded on 31 December 1940.

The 16th/22nd Saskatchewan Horse mobilized for active service on 24 May 1940. It was redesignated as the 20th Reconnaissance Battalion (16/22 Saskatchewan Horse), CAC, CASF, on 26 January 1942 and the 20th Army Tank Regiment (16/22 Saskatchewan Horse), CAC, CASF, on 15 May 1942. On 16 June 1943 it embarked for Great Britain, where it was disbanded on 1 November 1943.

The 1st Battalion, The Prince Albert Volunteers, CASF, mobilized on 5 March 1942. It served in Canada in a home defence role as part of the 15th Infantry Brigade, 7th Canadian Division and 19th Infantry Brigade, Pacific Command, and was disbanded on 30 November 1945.

The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun), CASF, mobilized for active service on 1 September 1939. It was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun), CASF, on 7 November 1940, then as the 1st Infantry Division Support Battalion (The Saskatoon Light Infantry), CIC, CASF, on 1 May 1943 and finally as the 1st Battalion, The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun), CASF, on 1 July 1944. The battalion embarked for Great Britain on 8 December 1939. It participated in the expedition to raid the Norwegian island of Spitzbergen on 25 August 1941, landed in Sicily on 10 July and Italy on 3 September 1943 as part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. The unit landed in France on 4 March 1945, on its way to the North West Europe theatre of operations in which it served until the end of the war. The overseas battalion was disbanded on 15 October 1945. On 1 June 1945 The Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun) mobilized three cannon companies for active service with the Canadian Army Pacific Force, which were disbanded on 1 November 1945.



Battle honours
Those battle honours in bold type are emlblazoned on the regimental colour.

The Great War

 * Gravenstafel
 * St. Julien
 * Flers-Courcelette
 * Thiepval
 * Ancre Heights
 * Vimy, 1917
 * Arleux
 * Passchendaele
 * Amiens
 * Scarpe, 1918
 * Drocourt-Quéant
 * Canal du Nord
 * Cambrai, 1918
 * Passchendaele
 * Amiens
 * Scarpe, 1918
 * Drocourt-Quéant
 * Canal du Nord
 * Cambrai, 1918
 * Cambrai, 1918

The Second World War

 * Valguarnera
 * Agira
 * The Gully
 * Ortona
 * Gustav Line
 * Hitler Line
 * Cesena
 * Savio Bridgehead
 * Naviglio Canal
 * Fosso Vecchio
 * Fosso Munio
 * Apeldoorn
 * Cesena
 * Savio Bridgehead
 * Naviglio Canal
 * Fosso Vecchio
 * Fosso Munio
 * Apeldoorn
 * Fosso Munio
 * Apeldoorn
 * Apeldoorn

Two of the units which were amalgamated to form this regiment, the 16th Canadian Light Horse and The Prince Albert Volunteers, possessed the battle honour  from the Great War, but this honour cannot be perpetuated if a regiment is entitled to the honour  or. One of these honours was gained by the regiment upon the amalgamations.

Alliances

 * 🇬🇧 - The Rifles

Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps
There are several Royal Canadian Army Cadets units spread across Saskatchewan that are affiliated to the N Sask R.

Cadet units affiliated to the N Sask R receive support and also have permission to wear traditional regimental accoutrements on their uniforms.