Brampton is also a city with a long history, one that is reflective of many of the most important occurrences in the history of Canada as a whole. In fact, Brampton is the location of the regimental headquarters of one of Canada’s longest serving military regiments in Canada, the Lorne Scots.
Who are the Lorne Scots?
Simply put, the Lorne Scots are a primary reserve infantry regiment in the Canadian armed forces. What this means for the civilian is that the Lorne Scots are a part of the largest component of the Canadian Reserves forces, one of the first to be called upon in the event of a military situation. This can include combat, peacekeeping, and other missions as determined by those in charge of the armed forces.
History of the Lorne Scots
The Lorne Scots have their roots in the 19th century, when the 36th Peel Battalion and the 20th Halton Battalion of Infantry were formed. Seventy years later, in 1936, the two units were combined to form the Lorne Scots.
World War II was just on the horizon at the time, and it was during this war that the Lorne Scots, like so many other Canadian regiments, first saw combat actions as a unit (various individuals had been involved in the Boer Wars of South Africa previous, but never as a part of the Lorne Scots in unit action). In fact, World War II would see the Lorne Scots representing Canada in every major theatre of action where Canada played a part, with the exception of Hong Kong.
Modern History
The Lorne Scots have continued to be big part of Canada’s military presence in the modern context, wherein Canada has undertaken the roles of peacekeeping, peacemaking, and United Nations support. The various activities have seen Lorne Scots units involved in theatres including Namibia, Yugoslavia, and Cyprus.
As with many other military bodies, the Lorne Scots are very active in civilian life when not on deployment. Units are called upon to help with public emergencies, and the regiment plays a vital role in all ceremonies honouring veterans and Canadian history.
