The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa

The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own)
Badge of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa
Active	1881–present
Country	Canada
Branch	Militia
Type	Infantry
Role	Light infantry
Size	One battalion
Part of	33 Canadian Brigade Group
Garrison/HQ	Ottawa
Motto(s)	Advance
March	"The March of the Cameron Men" and "Pibroch o' Donuil Dubh"
Battle honours	South Africa, 1899–1900 Mount Sorrel Somme, 1916 Ancre Heights Ancre, 1916 Arras, 1917, '18 Vimy, 1917 Ypres, 1917 Passchendaele Amiens Scarpe, 1918 Drocourt–Quéant Hindenburg Line Canal du Nord Valenciennes Sambre France and Flanders, 1916–18 Normandy Landing Caen Carpiquet The Orne Bourguébus Ridge Faubourg de Vaucelles Falaise Quesnay Wood The Laison Boulogne, 1944 The Scheldt Breskens Pocket The Rhineland Waal Flats The Hochwald The Rhine Zutphen Deventer Leer North-West Europe, 1944–1945 Afghanistan
Commanders
Current commander	Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Jackson, CD
Honorary Colonel	HCol Paul A. Hindo, CD
Colonel-in-Chief	HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
Insignia
Tartan	Cameron of Erracht

Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa museum

Location	Cartier Square Drill Hall, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K2 Canada
Type	Regimental Museum

The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces.

The 1st Volunteer Militia Rifle Company of Ottawa was formed on April 3, 1856. At that time, the bulk of Canada's militia existed as small, independent companies scattered throughout the provinces. In 1866, the 43rd Battalion of Infantry (otherwise known as the Carleton Blazers) was formed in Bells Corners (now part of Ottawa) with companies in many of the surrounding communities and absorbed Ottawa's volunteer rifle company. This company is perpetuated to this day as "A" Company of The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa.

The 43rd Battalion's first call to service came in 1870 when they were deployed to the Prescott area to defend Canada against Fenian raids. They saw no action there and quickly returned to Ottawa. Because they were so spread out, maintaining troop strength was difficult and in 1875, the regiment was disbanded.

In 1881, the unit was stood up again but this time as the 43rd "Ottawa and Carleton" Battalion of Rifles with the Ottawa volunteer rifle company and a number of other companies located in communities on the Ontario and Quebec sides of the Ottawa River. No 2 Company, 43rd "Ottawa and Carleton" Battalion of Rifles, which was garrisoned in Hull is currently perpetuated by Le Régiment de Hull.

Over the next 20 years, the 43rd's soldiers would see action in the North-West (Riel) Rebellion and in the Second Boer War. However, the battalion sent only volunteers to participate in these conflicts and never deployed formed units. During the Boer War, Private R.R. Thompson won a Queen's Scarf, a scarf crocheted by Queen Victoria, for bravery and his actions saving wounded soldiers.

In 1902, the regiment so impressed the Duke of Cornwall (later King George V) that he became the Camerons' first honorary colonel and allowed the regiment to bear his name. The regiment was then known 43rd Regiment, Duke of Cornwall's Own Rifles.