3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment Trooping the Colours

[Greeves]

Last Saturday, June 12th, I attended the Trooping of the Colours by the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The reviewing officer was the Governor-General of Canada and the guests of honour that day were the surviving veterans of the battle of Hill 187. Hill 187 was a major engagement for 3 RCR during the Korean War. On the night of May 2-3 1953, the Battalion was attacked by a reinforced Chinese brigade and one of the Canadian positions was overrun before the attack was repelled. The attack cost the Chinese more than 80 killed, while 3 RCR lost 25 killed, 27 wounded (including my father), and 8 missing (later all to reported as POW's). The night's fighting won the Canadians 3 Military Crosses, 3 Military Medals, and 5 Mentions in Despatches (including my father who as a young 23 year old Second Lieutenant was a platoon commander).

The Trooping took place to honour these veterans, as well as the Battalion which has just recently returned from ISAF duties in Afghanistan, where they lost 3 killed and several wounded to a mine strike and a suicide bomber.

The ceremony of Trooping the Colours is a British tradition dating back to the 1700's. It was, at one time, a daily event where the flags of the regiment were paraded in front of the troops to ensure that they would recognize them in battle. Today, it is a ceremonial occasion to honour the Queen's Colour and the Battle Honours of the Regiment which are emblazoned on the Regimental Colour.

I took lots of photos of this special event and have posted some here for your enjoyment. Please excuse the quality of some of the shots as I jostled the settings on my camera, without realizing it, and overexposed some of them.

[Greeves]

The band marches on...

The combined band of the Governor-General's Foot Guards and the Canadian Grenadier Guards, as well as pipers from the RCR Pipe Band provided the music for the occasion:

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The Regiment marches on...

The first of the four Companies march on:

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The veteran's form up

The vets of Hill 187 on parade. The man in the front rank 7th from left (or 5th from right, if you prefer), is my father, LCol. K.J.W. Reeves, CD (ret'd). The man first on the left in the front rank, was my father's colleague during the battle, and good friend to this day, LCol. E. Hollyer, MC, CD (ret'd). He won his MC at Hill 187 after his platoon was overrun and he called in artillery on his own position. He had organzied his men so well that he sustained no casualties from Canadian artillery fire.

[Greeves]

The Battalion on Parade

A grand sight! The full Battalion on parade awaiting the arrival of the Governor-General:

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The arrival of the Colours

The Colours arrive, are unveiled, are put in the charge of the Colour Guard, and await the arrival of the Colour Escort.

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Colours unveiled: the one on the left is the Queen's Colour and on the right is the Regimental Colour.

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The Colours are turned over to the Regimental Sergeant-Major...

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...who turns them over to the Colour Party accompanied by the Escort.

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The Colours with their Escort presenting arms:

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The Governor-General inspecting her troops:

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...and the veterans:

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The Colours are marched past the reviewing stand twice: once in slow time, once in quick time.

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The second march past:

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The only time the Colours will touch the ground: during the Royal Salute.