Stories

241st Battalion, Canadian Scottish Borderers, C.E.F.

The 241st Battalion, Canadian Scottish Borderers, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the third battalion raised in the Windsor area during the First World War. After months of deliberation, it was raised in May 1916 under Captain Walter Leishman McGregor Sr. The battalion was to be a highland re... (read more)

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A Family Vocation: The Bartlet-Wigle-McGregor and Prince Connections

While professions may often pass down through families, the dedication and sacrifices needed to join the Armed Forces makes a military career more akin to a lifestyle than a job. Thus, to have multiple generations of men from the same family choose this vocation and effect significant change on thei... (read more)

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Battles of Frenchtown, 18-23 January 1813

(or as the Americans call it Battles of the River Raisin) Ever since the Americans gained independence in 1783 after the Revolutionary War there had been border tensions between British Canada and the U.S.A. On 18 June 1812, the Americans declared war against Great Britain with the intent to expa... (read more)

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Bell Telephone Book of Windsor Casualties

Created during the early years of the Second World War, an unknown person cut newspaper clippings from the Windsor Daily Star and glued them on the pages of a Bell Telephone book for the Windsor and area. The clippings begin with local casualties from bombing missions over Germany and intensified wi... (read more)

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Boer War 1899-1900

After the 21st Essex Battalion of Infantry was renamed to the 21st Battalion Essex Fusiliers in 1887, the regiment saw little activity or training. Before the Boer War, the regiment’s only official deployment was in London, Ontario when they were used to put the city under martial law during the rai... (read more)

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Captain “Bill” Scott at the Dieppe Raid

In the late 1930s Captain W (Bill) .H Scott, worked for the Chrystler Motor Company of Canada in Windsor, Ontario. He was an avid athlete and hockey player. In 1939 Scott enlisted with the Essex Scottish Regiment (ESR) and began training for an officer position. On 27 December 1940, he and five othe... (read more)

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Ceding of Michigan 1812

On 18 June 1812 a border dispute between the United States and Canada escalated into full-scale war. From 12 July to 7 August the US Northwest Army commanded by Brigadier-General William Hull occupied the Windsor area. Hull and his troops retreated back to the Michigan Territory after their supply t... (read more)

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Colonel Ernest Ansell, OBE, MC, VD, ED

Born in Brighton, England on 30 April 1894, Colonel Ernest Ansell emigrated to Toronto in 1908. He originally enlisted with the Regiment of the Governor General’s Bodyguard in 1911. He moved to Chatham in 1912 and transferred to the 24th Kent Regiment. When war was declared in 1914, he joined th... (read more)

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Colonel Ralph Douglas West OStJ, CD

Colonel Ralph Douglas West, OStJ, CD was born and raised in Chatham, Ontario. West started his military career in 1942 when he enrolled with the Army Cadets at Chatham Collegiate. West concluded his time with the cadets as its Commanding Officer. In 1948, West enrolled in the Kent Regiment as a P... (read more)

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Company Sergeant-Major Les Dixon, MM and 2bars

Company Sergeant-Major Frank Leslie “Les” Dixon was a member of the Essex Scottish Regiment during the Second World War. During his service, he received the Military Medal and two additional bars for bravery in the field. Lance Sergeant Dixon earned his first Military Medal during the raid on Di... (read more)

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CSM Abbott Ross, DCM, 18th Battalion CEF

Abbott Ross was born in North Ridge, Ontario, just outside of Essex. Ross joined the 21st Fusiliers in October 1910, where he served until the outbreak of the First World War. By this time, Ross achieved the rank of Sergeant. He enlisted immediately when the 18th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary For... (read more)

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CSM ‘Con’ Stapleton at The Dieppe Raid

Company Sargeant-Major Cornelius (Con) Stapleton was born in Goderich, Ontario in 1914. Growing up on the coast of Lake Huron, Stapleton was an experienced swimmer and accomplished athlete. He moved to Windsor from Toronto in 1938 and enlisted in the Essex Scottish Regiment (ESR) in 1939. In three y... (read more)

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Dieppe Gardens, Windsor

On 19 August 1942, the Dieppe Raid, known as Operation JUBILEE, resulted in the largest one-day Canadian casualties count of World War II (1939-1945). The raid was an Allied attack on the German-occupied town in northern France. Within the first few hours of the Allies landing on the beach, 907 Cana... (read more)

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Essex and Kent Scottish Overseas Deployments after WW2

After the Second World War most regiments returned to non-active service typical of Reserve Army units and are only deployed at full strength during crises or military emergencies. The Essex and Kent Scottish is typical of the Army Reserve and deployed individuals or sub-units on operations overseas... (read more)

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Essex Scottish Dieppe Prisoners of War Face Imprisonment for Treason

Following the catastrophic raid on the French coastal town of Dieppe, on 19 August 1942, German Forces imprisoned hundreds of Canadian soldiers. While prisoners of war (POW) of German forces, some Canadian troops experienced extreme circumstances which resulted in either death or torture. Three Esse... (read more)

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Families at War

Due to the close-knit nature of local communities to Canadian military regiments, it was common for friends and family members to enlist together in times of crisis. This is particularly true of the Second World War, when the Essex Scottish Regiment had young men from several families sign up togeth... (read more)

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Lance-Corporal Everett Ross Maracle, Dieppe Raid Veteran

Lance-Corporal Everett Ross Maracle was sixteen in 1939 when he enlisted in the Essex Scottish Regiment. Maracle spontaneously decided to enlist on his way to high school one morning. He is quoted in the Windsor Star saying that joining the regiment was just “something I felt like I wanted to do.” ... (read more)

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Lance-Sergeant Ellis Wellwood Sifton, VC and Vimy Ridge

Born in Wallacetown in Elgin County, Ontario, Lance-Sergeant Ellis Wellwood Sifton was twenty-one years old when he enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in 1914 and assigned to the 18th Battalion from Central Ontario. The battalion had members of militia units and newly enrolled from Lon... (read more)

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Lieutenant-Colonel Bruce J. S. Macdonald and the Kurt Meyer Trial

Lieutenant-Colonel Bruce J. S. Macdonald moved to Windsor, Ontario, after graduating from Harvard Law School in 1927. In 1930, Macdonald became the city’s first full-time solicitor. He successfully aided the movement of legislation to amalgamate Windsor, Sandwich, East Windsor, and Walkerville into ... (read more)

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Lieutenant-Colonel Bruce Macdonald and Operation ATLANTIC

With his professional and leadership skills displayed while in the Essex Scottish, and his work as a prosecutor during the post-war Nuremburg Trials, Lieutenant-Colonel Bruce John Stewart Macdonald created an important link between the worlds of civilian work and the Canadian military. Trained as a ... (read more)

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Lieutenant-Colonel Doug McIntyre, DSO, MiD

Major D.W. “Doug” McIntyre served with the 1st Battalion, The Kent Regiment beginning in 1940. He joined the Essex Scottish Regiment overseas during World War II after the Dieppe Raid in 1942. In August 1944, he was tasked with leading a depleted Support Company of The Essex Scottish into Point 1... (read more)

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Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Raymond Casgrain, M.D.

The First World War (1914-1918) broke out in Europe in August 1914 after a prolonged period of international tension. Researcher Alexandra C. Istl noted that despite “months of rising international tension, most people and their governments had hoped for resolution and had failed to prepare.” The Ca... (read more)

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Major Alfred “Alf” Hodges, MC

Major Alfred “Alf” Hodges, MC, was born in Somerset, England, in 1917. Hodges’ parents emigrated to Windsor, Ontario and later married in 1914. It would not be until 1915 that his parents returned to England. Alf’s father, John Hodges, was in the 33rd Battalion and was wounded at the Battle of Somme... (read more)

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Major F.A. Tilston, VC

Major Frederick Tilston, VC served with the Essex Scottish Regiment during the Second World War. He enlisted in 1940 at the age of thirty-four after working as a pharmacist at The Sterling Drug Company. Affectionately given the nickname “Mother” due to his high-pitched voice, Tilston was well-liked ... (read more)

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Major Si Steele, MC and Operation GOODWOOD

Major Telford Ezra “Si” Steele, MC, was a member of the Kent Regiment from 1939-1942, quickly attaining the ranks of sergeant then captain due to his leadership skills. In 1942, he joined The Essex Scottish Regiment as a captain to serve overseas during World War II, as the Kents were limited to du... (read more)

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Old Bill Mural

During the First World War, British Captain Bruce Bairnsfather was a prominent figure amongst the First World War soldiers. He was famous for his cartoon depiction of “Old Bill”, a soldier who portrayed soldier and trench life experiences. Spartacus Educational noted that “veterans of the Western Fr... (read more)

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Pipe Major ‘Jock’ Copland, MBE

Warrant Officer 1st Class Pipe Major Jock Copland, MBE, EM was an influential figure in The Essex Scottish and The Essex and Kent Scottish. Copland was originally a piper in the Royal Engineers Territorial Force in Great Britain. In 1911, Copland moved to Galt, Ontario, where he became a founding me... (read more)

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Prisoner of War Experience: Stalag VIII B

Throughout World War II (1939-1945), hundreds of men from The Essex Scottish Regiment were help captive in the German *Stalag VIII B* prisoner of war (POW) camp. The European nations signed the second revised Geneva Convention in 1929, which outlined the treatment of imprisoned soldiers. It required... (read more)

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Prisoner of War Forced Marches, 1945

After the Battle of Dieppe on 19 August 1942, many Canadian soldiers were taken as prisoners of war (POW) by the German army. In contrast to the sixteen men from the 18th Battalion who were taken captive in World War I, 255 soldiers and seven officers from the Essex Scottish were taken prisoner at D... (read more)

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Private Hilaire Dennis and the Hundred Days Offensive

Private Hilaire Dennis was a conscript in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during the First World War. Born to French-Canadian parents in Bristol, Rhode Island, Dennis had both Canadian and American citizenship. He was raised by his aunt and uncle in Pointe-aux-Roches, a small French farming c... (read more)

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Private Michael P. Coyle - POW 1942-1945

Private Michael P. Coyle was taken as a prisoner of war (POW) on the beaches of Dieppe on 19 August 1942. He and nearly 1900 of the 4000 Canadians at Dieppe were transported to German prisoner of war camps. Six hundred of them were injured at the time they were captured. In his memoir, Coyle stated ... (read more)

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Pte. James “Jim” Lauder

James “Jim” Lauder enlisted with the Essex Scottish Regiment in 1939 when the Second World War (1939-1945) broke out. Pte. Lauder served as a medic with the Essex Scottish Regiment during Operation JUBILEE - the Raid on Dieppe, France on 19 August 1942. Jim Lauder was born in Hamilton, Ontario in... (read more)

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Reconstruction of the Essex Scottish Regiment after Dieppe

On the afternoon of 19th August 1942, cooks in the Essex Scottish Regiment (ESR) prepared a large feast to feed the hundreds of infantrymen they expected to return from the raid on Dieppe that morning. To their horror, only forty-nine infantrymen and two officers of the regiment returned. The ESR ha... (read more)

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Regimental Mascots in World War II

During World War II (1939-1945), the men of the Essex Scottish were sent overseas with the Allied forces to fight the raging war in Europe. However, these fights were not borne on their own since they were accompanied by a friendly spirit which kept their morale high. Many regiments and infantrym... (read more)

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Reverend Captain Joseph Cardy, MC, CD, DD

Reverend Captain Joseph Cardy, MC, CD, DD, was born in Cooksville, Ontario, and attended the University of Toronto’s Graduate School of Theology at Wycliffe College. In 1940, Cardy was ordained by the Most Reverend Derwyn T. Own, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, located in St. James Cathedr... (read more)

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Reverend Major M.J. “Mike” Dalton

Reverend-Major Michael Joseph Dalton, otherwise known as “Father Dalton,” was a highly regarded figure in the Essex Scottish Regiment during the Second World War. Father Dalton was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in May 1932 and continued to serve for 75 years until his death in 2009. He possess... (read more)

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Ross Munro, War Correspondent

Ross Munro, OBE, was a journalist who acted as a Canadian war correspondent during World War II. He began his career as a journalist with the Canadian Press in 1936 after attending university. He worked in the Ottawa Bureaus in Ottawa and Washington before going overseas in 1940. He covered the Cana... (read more)

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Sergeant Chester Elmer Routley, DCM + Bar

In October 1914, Private C.E. Routley boarded a train in Petrolia with five other men from the 27th Regiment. Their destination was London, Ontario to enlist with the 18th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). Upon arriving in London, he was given basic training before leaving for England w... (read more)

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Sister Agnès-Marie Valois, “Angel of Dieppe”

Sister Agnès-Marie Valois was born in Rouen, France, 30 June 1914. She got her state nursing degree in 1936 then took her religious vows on 15 October 1936 and was part of the Augustine order of nuns. She worked as a nursing sister at the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital in Rouen. Known as the “Angel of Dieppe,”... (read more)

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Sports and Shooting Competitions in the Essex Scottish and Kent Regiment

The competitiveness and team spirit inspired by participating in sporting activities is invaluable in the training and developing of soldiers both physically and mentally. While helping with physical fitness and strength building, sports also improve reflex times and decision-making skills. Due to t... (read more)

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Stump Hollow

In the months following the Dieppe Raid on 19 August 1942, the Essex Scottish Regiment regrouped in England and continued to train for future operations. While stationed in Walderchain Wood near Barham, Kent, in 1944, Lieutenant-Colonel MacDonald had the unit compete against each other in a friendly... (read more)

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The Amalgamation of The Essex Scottish and The Kent Regiment

In 1954, the Canadian military underwent vast reforms since World War II and the recent end of the Korean War. The belief was there was an excess of infantry units. In the end, nine infantry units would be disbanded or amalgamated. The planned reorganization of the Canadian Army was first announced ... (read more)

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The Essex Scottish Regiment at Putte, October 1944

In late September 1944, the Essex Scottish Regiment (ESR) and the rest of the Canadian 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade finished liberating the Belgian port city of Antwerp and plans were being laid to push the German forces out of the area to the north. Antwerp was the largest European port then secur... (read more)

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The Essex Scottish Regiment in England 1940-1942

On 12 August 1940 began the largest German air offensive of the war, the Blitz over England. The battles for domination of Britain’s skies were intensifying; deadly aerial dogfights and anti-aircraft guns raged at all hours. The bombing campaigns by the German airforce were a source of constant dang... (read more)

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The Essex Scottish Regiment in the Dieppe Raid

On 19 August 1942, the 2nd Canadian Division supported by Allied commandos, navy and air forces conducted a raid the heavily defended port town of Dieppe, France. Much has been written about the Dieppe Raid, but it was a complete failure from a tactical point of view. Between the beachhead and the s... (read more)

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The Kent Regiment Chapter, Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire (IODE)

The Imperial Daughters of the Empire (IODE) is a women’s charitable organization based in Canada. The organization was founded in 1900 with a mandate to improve Canadian society. The IODE annually provides charitable contributions such as scholarships, bursaries, and philanthropic, and education pro... (read more)

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The Link Between Home and Abroad: The Overseas Smokes Fund

For the duration of the Second World War, the Windsor-Essex community continued to provide Canadian troops overseas with care packages primarily of cigarettes, tobacco and the addition of socks. Canadian cigarettes were recognized as a comfort commodity among Canadians as it created a connection bet... (read more)

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The Patriot War of 1838

After the War of 1812, the British presence in Upper Canada was solidified although reconstruction was undertaken without much aid from the government. A power-based structure known as the Family Compact was created and it did not promote democratic ideals or progressive reform. In combination with ... (read more)

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The Prince Family and the Regiment

Born in England in 1797, John Prince emigrated to Canada in 1833 after his father was put in debtor’s prison. Prince was a magistrate by trade, but he was involved in many enterprises. For example, he was a member of the Upper Canada parliament and President of the Niagara and Detroit Rivers Rail R... (read more)

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The Tragic Deaths of Capt. Dr. W. Wallace Beasley and Lieutenant J. Hamilton Askin

Upon enlisting, soldiers expect to face danger and life-threatening risks on the battlefield. However, unexpected tragedy struck when two soldiers of the Essex Scottish were killed when they fell from the rear of a C.P.R. train in the early morning of 26 January 1935. The loss of these two officers,... (read more)

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War Brides in World War II

With the influx of North American soldiers into the United Kingdom and continental Europe during World War II, relationships between soldiers and European women, particularly those from the United Kingdom, increased significantly. Europe was left financially crippled by the 1939 to 1945 war across t... (read more)

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The Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment Association Collection