Halifax Rifles (RCAC)

{{Infobox military unit

| image = Halifax Rifles RCAC logo.jpg

| image_size = 275px

| unit_name = The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)

| dates = 1860–1965, 2009–present

| country = {{ubl |Nova Scotia 1860–1867 |Canada 1867–present}}

| branch = Canadian Forces Primary Reserve

| type = Cavalry

| size =

| role = {{plainlist|

Armoured reconnaissance
Influence activities including psychological operations and civil-military co-operation

}}

| command_structure = Royal Canadian Armoured Corps

| garrison = Willow Park Armoury, Halifax, Nova Scotia

| march = "Huntsman's Chorus"

| battles = {{plain list|

}}

| battle_honours = See #Battle honours

| motto = {{langnf|la|Cede nullis|Yield to none}}

| identification_symbol = 100px
100px

| identification_symbol_label = NATO Map Symbol

}}

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.{{Cite web|title=The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)|url=http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/regiments/armoured/halifaxrifles.htm|access-date=2021-11-25|website=www.canadiansoldiers.com}} The regiment was reactivated on May 10, 2009,{{cite news |title=Historic Canadian military unit reactivated

|date=10 May 2009|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090510/halifax_rifles_090510/20090510?hub=TopStories |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512003707/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090510/halifax_rifles_090510/20090510?hub=TopStories |archive-date=2009-05-12 |work=CTV.ca}} as a reserve force unit performing the role of armoured reconnaissance. It is the first and only regiment since the 1960s to be reactivated from the Supplementary Order of Battle.

The unit draws its history from the 19th century Halifax Volunteer Battalion which was active at the time of the Fenian Raids. It received its current name in May 1958.

History

=Fenian Raids=

File:Halfax_Rif_Camp_Flag.jpg

The Halifax Volunteer Battalion was called out on active service on 6 June 1866. The battalion, which guarded the Halifax Dockyard, was removed from active service on 31 July 1866.

=North West Rebellion=

File:63rd Battalion Halifax Rifles about 1890.jpg]]

The 63rd The Halifax Battalion of Rifles mobilized three companies for active service on 10 April 1885 which served with the Halifax Provisional Battalion in the Alberta Column of the North-West Field Force. The companies were removed from active service on 24 July 1885.

=South African War=

The 63rd The Halifax Battalion of Rifles contributed volunteers for the Canadian Contingents during the South African War.

=Great War=

File:415 - War Museum.JPG.]]

Details of the 63rd Regiment "Halifax Rifles" were placed on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protective duty.

The 40th Battalion (Nova Scotia), CEF, was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 18 October 1915. The battalion provided reinforcements to the Canadian Corps in the field until 4 January 1917, when its personnel were absorbed by the 26th Reserve Battalion, CEF. The battalion was disbanded on 17 July 1917.

=Second World War=

Details from the regiment were called out on service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939 as The Halifax Rifles, CASF (Details), for local protection duties. which were disbanded on 31 December 1940. The regiment mobilized the 1st Battalion, The Halifax Rifles, CASF for active service on 1 January 1941. It was converted to armour and redesignated as the 23rd Army Tank Battalion (The Halifax Rifles), CAC, CASF, on 26 January 1942 and the 23rd Army Tank Regiment (The Halifax Rifles), CAC, CASF, on 15 May 1942. It embarked for Britain on 17 June 1943 as a unit of the 2nd Army Tank Brigade, 4th Canadian Armoured Division, where it provided reinforcements to units of the Canadian Corps in the field. The overseas regiment was disbanded on 1 November 1943.

=War in Afghanistan=

The regiment contributed personnel to the various task forces which served in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2014.{{cite web |url=http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/05/09/south-west-asia-theatre-honours |title=South-West Asia Theatre Honours | Prime Minister of Canada |accessdate=2014-05-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512231549/http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/05/09/south-west-asia-theatre-honours |archivedate=2014-05-12 }}

=Mission task=

Since 2015, Army Reserve units have been assigned specific mission tasks,Accessed 27 November 2021, http://www.army-armee.forces.gc.ca/en/star/index.page in addition to traditional military duties. Trained and promoted in the traditional officer and non-commissioned member streams of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, regiment members are additionally trained to be fully integrated, as a formed entity, into similarly assigned Regular Force units. The mission task for the Halifax Rifles is called Influence Activities. By their Canadian Forces organization order (CFOO),Accessed 27 November 2021, per paragraph 15 of http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/pub/200/chapter-6-badges-and-mottoes.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307075355/http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/pub/200/chapter-6-badges-and-mottoes.pdf |date=2020-03-07 }} a squadron of up to 52 members will be trained in the employment of population group influence techniques, including psychological operations and civil-military co-operation, to provide behavioural and psychological effects on those populations in support of a commander’s intent or mission.

Lineage

=The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)=

Source:

Originated 14 May 1860 in Halifax, Nova Scotia as the Halifax Volunteer Battalion
Redesignated 28 May 1869 as the Halifax Volunteer Battalion of Rifles
Redesignated 5 November 1869 as the 63rd The Halifax Volunteer Battalion of Rifles
Redesignated 13 May 1870 as the 63rd The Halifax Battalion of Rifles
Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 63rd Regiment "Halifax Rifles"
Redesignated 15 May 1920 as The Halifax Rifles
Redesignated 1 January 1941 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Halifax Rifles
Redesignated 15 September 1944 as The Halifax Rifles (Reserve)
Redesignated 30 November 1945 as The Halifax Rifles
1 April 1946 converted to armour and redesignated as the 23rd Armoured Regiment (Halifax Rifles), RCAC'
Redesignated 4 February 1949 as The Halifax Rifles (23rd Armoured Regiment)
Redesignated 19 May 1958 The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)
Reduced to nil strength and transferred to the Supplementary Order of Battle on 31 January 1965
Removed from the Supplementary Order of Battle and reactivated as a Canadian Army Reserve Force regiment on 28 July 2009

=Lineage chart=

{{chart top|Lineage chart{{Cite web|date=2018-11-29|title=The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/official-military-history-lineages/lineages/armour-regiments/halifax-rifles.html|access-date=2025-05-27|website=www.canada.ca}}}}

{{tree chart|aa859| | | | |Idpdf|aa859=1859|border_aa859=0|Idpdf=Independent rifle {{abbr|coys|companies}}}}

{{tree chart|aa860| | | | |HVB |aa860=1860|border_aa860=0|HVB=Halifax Volunteer {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}}}

{{tree chart|aa869| | | | |HVR |aa869=1869|border_aa869=0|HVR=Halifax Volunteer Bn of Rifles}}

{{tree chart|aa869| | | | |63HVR|aa869=1869|border_aa869=0|63HVR=63rd The Halifax Volunteer Bn of Rifles}}

{{tree chart|aa870| | | | |63HR |aa870=1870|border_aa870=0|63HR=63rd The Halifax Bn of Rifles}}

{{tree chart|aa885|HPB | | |!| |aa885=1885|border_aa885=0|HPB=Halifax Provisional Bn}}

{{tree chart|aa885|Dbndd| | |!| |aa885=1885|border_aa885=0|Dbndd=Disbanded|border_Dbndd=0|boxstyle_Dbndd=vertical-align: top}}

{{tree chart|aa900| | | | |63HR |aa900=1900|border_aa900=0|63HR=63rd {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}} "Halifax Rifles"}}

{{tree chart|aa914|a40B | | |!| |aa914=1914|border_aa914=0|a40B=40th Bn, {{abbr|CEF|Canadian Expeditionary Force}}}}

{{tree chart|aa917|A26RB| | |!| |aa917=1917|border_aa917=0|A26RB=Absorbed by 26th Reserve Bn|border_A26RB=0|boxstyle_A26RB=vertical-align: top}}

{{tree chart|aa920| | | | |1HR | |2HR |aa920=1920|border_aa920=0|1HR=1st Bn (40th Bn, CEF), The Halifax Rifles|2HR=2nd Bn,{{efn|Reserve order of battle}} The Halifax Rifles}}

{{tree chart|aa936| | | | |HR | |Dbndd|aa936=1936|border_aa936=0|HR=The Halifax Rifles|Dbndd=Disbanded|border_Dbndd=0|boxstyle_Dbndd=vertical-align: top}}

{{tree chart|aa941|1HR | |2HR |aa941=1941|border_aa941=0|1HR=1st Bn, The Halifax Rifles, {{abbr|CASF|Canadian Active Service Force}}|2HR=2nd (Reserve) Bn, The Halifax Rifles}}

{{tree chart|aa942|23ATB| | |!| |aa942=1942|border_aa942=0|23ATB=23rd Army Tank Bn (The Halifax Rifles), {{abbr|CAC|Canadian Armoured Corps}}, CASF}}

{{tree chart|aa942|23ATR| | |!| |aa942=1942|border_aa942=0|23ATR=23rd Army Tank Regt (The Halifax Rifles), CAC, CASF}}

{{tree chart|aa943|Dbndd| | |!| |aa943=1943|border_aa943=0|Dbndd=Disbanded|border_Dbndd=0|boxstyle_Dbndd=vertical-align: top}}

{{tree chart|aa944| | | | |HR |aa944=1944|border_aa944=0|HR=The Halifax Rifles (Reserve)}}

{{tree chart|aa945| | | | |HR |aa945=1945|border_aa945=0|HR=The Halifax Rifles}}

{{tree chart|aa946| | | | |23AR |aa946=1946|border_aa946=0|23AR=23rd {{abbr|Armd|Armoured}} Regt (Halifax Rifles), {{abbr|RCAC|Royal Canadian Armoured Corps}}}}

{{tree chart|aa949| | | | |HR |aa949=1949|border_aa949=0|HR=The Halifax Rifles (23rd Armd Regt)}}

{{tree chart|aa958| | | | |HR |aa958=1958|border_aa958=0|HR=The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)}}

{{tree chart|aa965| | | | |SOB |aa965=1965|border_aa965=0|SOB=Supplementary Order of Battle|border_SOB=0}}

{{tree chart|aa009| | | | |PR |aa009=2009|border_aa009=0|PR=Primary Reserve|border_PR=0}}

Perpetuations

=Great War=

40th Battalion (Nova Scotia), CEF

Alliances

United Kingdom - None at present

Battle honours

File:Halifax Rif Guidon.jpg

In the list below, battle honours in capitals were awarded for participation in large operations and campaigns, while those in lowercase indicate honours granted for more specific battles.

=War of 1812=

Honorary distinction: The non-emblazonable honorary distinction DEFENCE OF CANADA – 1812–1815 – {{lang|fr|i=unset|DÉFENSE DU CANADA}} (awarded in commemoration of the Nova Scotia Fencible Infantry).

=North West Rebellion=

NORTH WEST CANADA, 1885{{efn|name=emblazoned|Emblazoned on the guidon{{Cite web |department=Office of the Secretary to the Governor |title=The Halifax Rifles (RCAC) |url=https://www.gg.ca/en/heraldry/public-register/project/3338 |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=The Governor General of Canada}}}}

=South African War=

SOUTH AFRICA, 1899–1900{{efn|name=emblazoned}}http://www.canadiansoldiers.com CanadianSoldiers.com accessed 12 August 2014http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/wars/boerwar.htm {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}

=Great War=

MOUNT SORREL{{efn|name=emblazoned}} 2–13 June 1916http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/westernfront/mountsorrel.htm {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}
SOMME, 1916{{efn|name=emblazoned}} 1 July–18 November 1916
ARRAS, 1917, '18{{efn|name=emblazoned}} 8 April–4 May 1917 and 26 August–3 September 1918
YPRES, 1917{{efn|name=emblazoned}} 31 July–10 November 1917
HILL 70{{efn|name=emblazoned}} 15–25 August 1917
AMIENS{{efn|name=emblazoned}} 8–11 August 1918http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/westernfront/amiens.htm {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}
HINDENBURG LINE{{efn|name=emblazoned}} 12 September–9 October 1918
PURSUIT TO MONS{{efn|name=emblazoned}} 28 September–11 November 1918