75th Battalion, CEF

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=The 75th (Mississauga) Battalion, CEF


caption=Cap badge of the 75th (Mississauga) Battalion
dates=1 July 1915-1 September 1921
country=Canada
branch=Militia
type=Line Infantry
role=Light Infantry
size= One battalion
command_structure= 4th Canadian Division
first_commander= LCol Samuel G. Beckett
last_commander= LCol Colin C. Harbottle, CMG, DSO, VD
garrison= Toronto
VC= Bellendan S. Hutcheson
nickname= the Six-Bits
motto= "Carry On"
colors= Hung at Knox Presbyterian Church, Toronto, Ontario
battles= Somme, 1916; Ancre Heights; Ancre, 1916; Arras, 1917,1918; Vimy, 1917; Hill 70; Ypres; Passchendaele; Amiens; Scarpe, 1918; Drocourt-Quéant; Hindenburg Line; Canal du Nord; Valenciennes; Sambre; France and Flanders, 1916-1918. (The Battle Honours in Bold are on the Battailon Colour)
anniversaries=1 July 1915 Battalion Raised

Brief History of 75th (Mississauga) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force

The 75th was formed, 01 July 1915 by Lieutenant Colonel Samuel G. Beckett, who had been trained as a cavalry officer in the 9th Mississauga Horse, a militia regiment at the time. Following training in Niagara and Toronto, the 75th left for overseas in April 1916.

On arrival in England they formed part of the newly created 11th Brigade of the 4th Canadian Division and saw their first action in the trenches in Belgium in August 1916. Within the month, the 75th Bn was at the Somme and fought with great distinction in the battles at Regina trench and Desire trench.

In December, the 75th had been moved to Vimy Ridge where they with the rest of the Canadian Army dug in and waited until the great assault on 09 April 1917. On the night of March 1st 1917, a large phosgene gas raid was undertaken in which the Commanding Officer, LCol Sam Beckett was killed.

After 5 months in this sector the war moved further north into France and the 75th saw action in every engagement undertaken by the Canadians. Medical Officer, Captain Bellendan S. Hutcheson was awarded the Victoria Cross for valour at the Drocourt-Quéant Line in September 1918. The battalion had great casualty numbers with over 50 officers and 1000 soldiers killed and thousands more wounded. Sixteen Battle Honours were awarded to the 75th for World War I.

Between the wars, the 75th Battalion was kept on the order-of-battle and given a new name – The Mississauga Regiment with effect 01 May 1920. Lieutenant Colonel Colin Harbottle CMG, DSO, VD asked for and was given permission for another name change that being to The Toronto Scottish Regiment with effect 01 September 1921. At that same time affiliation with The London Scottish Regiment, a British territorial unit was granted.

The Toronto Scottish adopted the distinctive highland dress of Hodden Grey, commonly referred to as the ‘muted heather tones of Scotland.’ In 1937 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth graciously consented to becoming the Colonel-in-Chief and on her visit to Toronto in May 1939 presented new Colours to the regiment.

The Toronto Scottish Regiment is a direct descendant of the 75th (Mississauga) Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1918. The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's Own) currently has its second Company named for the 75th Bn in Mississauga, Ontario. The Cadet Corps affiliated with the Toronto Scottish Regiment is named the 75th Cadet Corps, RCAC. T. Stewart – Historian, March ‘07

References

The Reverend Donald R. McKillican, CD Major (Ret'd) "The Hodden Grey" A Short History of The 75th (Mississauga) Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force World War I and the Toronto Scottish Regiment 1915-1995 Toronto, Ont.: 1995.