THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

THE SPEC.COM

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012

BA1

THE ROYAL HAMILTON LIGHT INFANTRY AT 150

BARRY GRAY, THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

The uniforms of Corporal Phil Howie, who served in Afghanistan, and Corporal Brian Buckle, in 1860s dress, span the 150-year history of the RHLI.

STORIED REGIMENT FEATURED IN PRINT,

ONLINE AND IN SONG
FROM THE BATTLE OF RIDGEWAY IN 1866 to Afghanistan, the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry

has defended Canada even before it became a country.

IN THIS 150TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL REPORT, we look at the Rileys in words, pictures, multi-

media and song. Go to thespec.com for extensive online content including the music video Private Riley by Spectator reporter and songwriter Mark McNeil that features the RHLI band.

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THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

THE SPEC.COM

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012

BA3

THE ROYAL HAMILTON LIGHT INFANTRY

SEMPER PARATUS ALWAYS READY FOR 150 YEARS

A SOLDIER AND A SONG

Young Riley who died in 1866 inspires composition about RHLI heroes
Confederation Canada. He and his fellow soldiers were poorly trained and equipped. They had little food or water. In desperation in the sweltering heat, many drank ditch water, which made them sick. Its believed this caused the severe illness that killed Morrison weeks later. After writing that story, I found myself thinking about all the other RHLI soldiers in similarly horric circumstances on battleelds such as Dieppe, Vimy or Kandahar. So I thought there was a song in this. Songs are part of my other life away from The Spec, where I have worked since the early 1980s. I have four albums out. I perform regularly and have made more than a dozen appearances at Hamiltons largest outdoor music event, the Festival of Friends. I called the song Private Riley because members of the RHLI call themselves Rileys and I thought a composite soldier would be a good way to tell the bigger story about the regiment. I believed it would help get across the truth about warfare, that while technology, battleelds and enemies change, individual soldiers essentially remain the same young people sent off to do horrible duty. After I nished the song, I played it for various audiences and it was wellreceived. Then one day, I pulled senior editor Carla Ammerata aside and said I had an idea for a Spectator website item a slide-show video to go along with a new song Id recorded in my home studio about the RHLI for its 150th anniversary. She loved the idea and it soon had enthusiastic support all the way up to publisher Dana Robbins. Then I thought: Wouldnt it be tting to have the RHLI band play on the recording? I met with Major Michael Rehill, who has been bandleader for 20 years, and Tim Fletcher, the co-ordinator of 150th anniversary activities for the RHLI. They were ecstatic about the idea and said they would do whatever it took to help out. Rehill agreed to write a military band arrangement that could be mixed into the song Id already put together. Fletcher said he would gather whatever information I needed. Meanwhile, back at The Spec other people were thinking that an eightpage RHLI commemorative section and other web items should also be put together to go with the song video. So today, in the pages of The Spectator and on thespec.com, just before Remembrance Day, we commemorate the proud 150th anniversary of the RHLI. And all the Private Rileys who have served through its rich history.
HAMILTON SPECTATOR FILE PHOTO

In 1962, the RHLI pays tribute to those who died at Dieppe.

MARK MCNEIL
The Hamilton Spectator

PRIVATE RILEY
Welcome to a special section on a special day for a special regiment. The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry is commemorating its 150th anniversary and today is especially notable in a years worth of activities. A $250-a-plate fundraiser tonight will commemorate the Rileys at the John Weir Foote V.C. Armoury. The event will: n Raise money for Operation Yellow Ribbon, a charity that helps soldiers returning from duty; n Host the local launch of a RHLI postage stamp and the soft release of the CD, Semper Paratus II by the RHLI band; n Feature the premire performance of the song Private Riley by composer and Spectator reporter Mark McNeil with the RHLI band directed by Major Michael Rehill.

It started with a story I worked on about a teenage RHLI soldier named Private James Henry Morrison, who died in 1866. Earlier this year as part of Royal Hamilton Light Infantry 150th anniversary ceremonies he was honoured in a graveside ceremony as being the rst RHLI fatality, the rst of more than 1,100 battle deaths to follow over the next century and a half. He was only 17 when he died. It seems hed joined the regiment to make a little extra money after his father died and he was left to care for his mother and sisters. He probably never dreamed hed nd himself in a dingy cattle car en route to Ridgeway near Fort Erie to help take on a group of Civil Warhardened Fenians who were striking out at the British-controlled, pre-

SPEC

mmcneil@thespec.com 905-526-4687

To see a video of the Private Riley song, go to thespec.com. Annotated lyrics can be found on Page 4 and 5 inside. To hear and purchase the song for $2 go to markmcneil.bandcamp.com. Money raised will be donated to Operation Yellow Ribbon.

A COMMEMORATIVE STAMP
At Thursdays RHLI Operation Yellow Ribbon Gala, a new Canada Post stamp celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry will be officially unveiled in Hamilton. It showcases four uniforms from the regiments history.

THE ROBINSON LEGACY MARCHES ON

You see them in their neatly pressed red tunics and bright white pith helmets. They march at downtown parades and play concerts at Dundurn Park. Theyre the go-to music providers when royalty is in town. And when Lincoln Alexander was remembered in a poignant memorial service a couple of weeks ago, the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry was there to march along with his casket-bearers. But today the band is celebrating being recording artists as well. The Operation Yellow Ribbon Gala dinner tonight will be the ofcial soft launch of the RHLI bands second CD, Semper Paratus II. The band has a proud history almost as long as the regiment itself. It was formed in 1866 by Peter Grossman and was known as the 13th Battalion Band. But Grossman only lasted a few years until George R. Robinson, a graduate of the British armys Royal Military School of Music, came along. There was a bit of a false start. Robinson left in a huff over a disagreement. But he returned a year later to lead the band to glory over the next 45 years. Robinson became one of Hamiltons most famous musicians the bandshell at Gage Park is named after him. He took a group of forgettable horn blowers and turned them into a tightly disciplined unit that not only became a source of pride in Hamilton but renowned in military band circles across the continent. It was a tradition carried on by Robinsons son, William, and something the current bandleader, Major Michael Rehill, takes great pride in. After a hiatus of several years without a military band the RHLI got by with a bugle corps rather than a fulledged military band Rehill managed to talk the regiment into reforming the ensemble in 1992. I argued we could really use a military band. The regiment had a tradition of a military band and they went for it. Since then Rehill, who is renowned for his military band arrangements, has brought the Robinson pride back to the band with dozens of performances every year. It is really an honour to direct the band, he says. Hamilton has such a rich musical history.

1862
Members of the regiment would have worn this uniform when the battalion was formed in 1862. Notable is the Shako hat and the Eneld musket with bayonet. The uniform would have been used at the Battle of Ridgeway in 1866.

Second World War

The soldier in beret is wearing a battle dress style that was introduced in 1939 and is typical of what RHLI soldiers would have worn in the Second World War, including on the beaches of Dieppe.

THE RHLI BAND

Thirty-seven players Instruments include brass, woodwind and percussion. n Forty to 50 performances a year at tattoos, parades, royal visits, ceremonies and concerts. n Formed in 1866 and known as the 13th Battalion Band. n Director of music is Major Michael Rehill (shown above).
n n

SEMPER PARATUS II
The second CD by the RHLI band Features 16 pieces depicting the history of the regiment. n The CD includes a newly discovered composition from longtime bandleader George R. Robinson, for whom the Gage Park bandshell is named. n Cost: $15, available through the RHLI
n n

BEHIND THE SCENES

1910
By 1910, headgear was changed to a pith helmet with a red band, symbolizing the battalion having become a Royal regiment. This uniform would have been worn by a bugler and is similar to what is used today by RHLI band members.

Afghanistan
This uniform was designed for desert warfare and uses a computer-generated camouage pattern that reduces the chance of being detected by night vision devices. It was used in Afghanistan by members of the RHLI over the last several years.

SOURCES: CANADA POST, ROYAL HAMILTON LIGHT INFANTRY DEAN TWEED // THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

Editorial content: Mark McNeil Video and photography: Barry Gray Graphic design: Dean Tweed Thanks: To RHLI bandleader Maj. Michael Rehill for arranging and conducting the RHLI band for the song Private Riley; drummer MCpl. Genevieve Wong and other members of the band; Sgt. Tim Fletcher (ret.), Sgt. Stan Overy (ret.), Capt. Jordan Spoelstra, 2nd Lt. Richard Moll and Blake Gamble for research assistance; Dan Medakovic for mixing and mastering the song and Steve Parisien for transcription assistance. The renowned RHLI band, pictured in 1940, remains a source of local pride.

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BA4

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012

THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

THE SPEC.COM

THE ROYAL HAMILTON LIGHT INFANTRY

SHILLINGS
The RHLI is a militia reserve different from regular military forces. Its soldiers have other jobs and work part time with the unit for a little extra money. Reserve soldiers take part in wars, peacekeeping and disaster assistance.

PRIVATE RILEY
A song about a regiment
The Th e Royal Hamilton Light Infantry began defending Canada even before the country was founded. Members of the Rileys fought in the Fenian Raids of 1866, the Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, Korea, Afghanistan and have taken part in several peacekeeping missions. Spectator reporter MARK McNEIL, who is also a longtime singer-songwriter in Hamilton, penned this song about the regiments history. It is featured in a special video on THESPEC.COM to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the RHLI this year and to recall for Remembrance Day the estimated 1,100 Rileys who paid the supreme sacrifi fic ce.

CATTLE CAR WITH A BATTERED MUSKET GUN

The Rileys rst battle took place in June 1866 against attacking Fenians from the U.S. The Rileys were poorly trained and badly provisioned for the battle. They were transported by train in cattle cars.

PRIVATE RILEY
My name is Private Riley, I come from Hamilton I needed some extra shillings so I joined the battalion The Th ey shipped me on a cattle car with a battered musket gun We took a stand at Ridgeway against the bloody Fenians
RIDGEWAY
The Battle of Ridgeway (also known as the Battle of Lime Ridge or Limestone Ridge) was fought near Fort Erie across the Niagara River from Buffalo, N.Y. Ridgeway saw the rst Riley casualty 17-year-old James Henry Morrison.

CHORUS: Im a soldier, Im a soldier, with my pack and uniform When they called I was ready, always ready in peace and war

My name is Private Riley through Flanders and the Somme I crawled through clouds of chlorine gas along the Western Front We waited cold and shivering for the rising of the sun We took the Ridge at Vimy, had the Germans on the run.

My name is Private Riley on the beaches of Dieppe We waded through the water with our guns above our heads Gerry sat and picked us off in a hail of screaming lead
RHLI soldiers take positions along a roadway in Afghanistan.

We bravely charged forward as the water all turned red.

KANDAHAR
More than 60 RHLI soldiers have served in Afghanistan, including deployments in the countrys most dangerous province, Kandahar. All have returned to Canada safely.

My name is Private Riley deployed in Kandahar I watch for suicide bombers, forever Im on guard

SUICIDE BOMBERS
Unlike other wars the Rileys have fought, the members of the regiment had to stay vigilant for various forms of suicide bombers.

And sometimes I do wonder have I really come that far From the scared kid with the musket riding in a cattle car.
By Mark McNeil, 2012. Used with permission. A recording of Private Riley is available for $2 at markmcneil.bandcamp.com Proceeds to Operation Yellow Ribbon, a fund to support area soldiers.

FOREVER IM ON GUARD
Numerous Rileys have distinguished themselves in Afghanistan. Including RHLI Corporal Sergio Casole-Goveia who received a commendation for the medical treatment he gave after a suicide bomber attacked an operating base in Maywand District, Afghanistan.

PHOTOS: HAMILTON SPECTATOR ARCHIVES, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA, DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES CANADA

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THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

THE SPEC.COM

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012 BA5

A REGIMENT AT THE READY FOR 150 YEARS

PRIVATE RILEY
Members of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (RHLI) call themselves the Rileys because the formal name is such a mouthful. Someone in the 1940s rolled the initials in his mouth. It came out Riley and the name stuck.

HAMILTON
The RHLI was formed 150 years ago by industrialist and politician Isaac Buchanan, who built the still-standing Auchmar mansion on Hamilton Mountain. The regiment operates out of the John Weir Foote V.C. Armoury on James Street North.

War clouds roll over Europe and men of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry are on the march in their home city.

BATTALION
The RHLI was known as the 13th Battalion, Volunteer Militia (Infantry) Canada when it was formed on Dec. 11, 1862. It has also been known as the 13th Regiment, the 13th Royal Regiment, and the Royal Hamilton Regiment. In 1927, it became the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. In 1936, most of the Wentworth regiment became part of the Rileys. Today the regiment is known as the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment).

FENIANS
The Fenians were Irish-American Civil War veterans who raided Canada to oppose British forces here. They wanted to help the cause of Irelands independence from Britain. The battle-hardened Fenians overwhelmed members of RHLI and several other Canadian militias, but eventually they retreated back to the U.S.

ALWAYS READY
Always Ready is the English translation of the Rileys motto Semper Paratus. Its a motto used by many organizations including the United States Coast Guard.

IN PEACE AND WAR

The Rileys have fought in the Battle of Ridgeway, the Boer War, the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War and in Afghanistan. The Rileys have also taken part in UN operations in Bosnia and Haiti among other places. Its estimated that more than 1,100 Rileys have died in various battles over the past 150 years.

CHLORINE GAS FLANDERS

Flanders is a section of Belgium that saw horric human losses in the First World War. The poppies that grew on its elds, where hundreds of thousands of soldiers were killed, inspired Canadian poet John McCraes In Flanders Fields. Hundreds of soldiers from the Rileys fought in the First World War in various military units, but it was not until the Second World War that the RHLI fought as a self-contained regiment. One of the horric aspects of the First World War was the use of various chemical weapons, including chlorine gas. It was used for the rst time in April 1915, when German forces released a cloud of yellow-green gas that destroyed the respiratory organs of those who were caught in its path.

THE SOMME
The Battle of the Somme, July 1 to Nov. 18, 1916, is regarded as one of the bloodiest military operations ever. The battle involving Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland and others against German forces led to an estimated one million casualties.

BATTLE OF VIMY RIDGE

The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a huge victory for the Canadian military, the rst time all four divisions of Canadian soldiers fought as a cohesive unit. The Canadian Corps took on three divisions of the German Army from April 9 to April 12, 1917. The Canadian National Vimy Memorial near Arras, France.

DIEPPE
The port city in northern France was the scene of an ill-fated Second World War Allied attack on the German lines on Aug. 19, 1942. More than 6,000 mostly Canadian soldiers took part in the effort to seize the port.

WADED THROUGH THE WATER

Operation Jubilee, as it was called, involved using small landing craft to carry troops to the beach in the morning darkness. If the boats were hit, soldiers would have to wade to the beach while facing heavy re. Many soldiers reported the water turning red with blood.

WATER ALL TURNED RED

Casualties at Dieppe: 913 Allied soldiers killed 197 RHLI killed 582 RHLI soldiers involved 480 RHLI casualties (dead, wounded or PoW)

BRAVELY CHARGED FORWARD

Chaplain John Weir Foote (1904-1988) was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery saving the lives of numerous soldiers who were wounded on the beach and then allowing himself to be captured so he could care for injured PoWs.

The wreckage of Allied landing craft strewn along the beach at Dieppe.

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BA6 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012

THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

THE SPEC.COM

THE ROYAL HAMILTON LIGHT INFANTRY

SEMPER PARATUS ALWAYS READY FOR 150 YEARS

HAMILTONS OWN IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD

MARK MCNEIL
The Hamilton Spectator

Royal Hamilton Light Infantry member Val Patrick. He served with NATO forces in Europe.

VAL PATRICK WAS 17, a Riley, and it was Centennial Day 1967 in Hamilton. He was part of a garrison parade that formed inside the fortress-like walls of the armoury on James Street North to celebrate Canadas 100th birthday. And he had no idea what awaited him and the other soldiers of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry outside. I couldnt believe it. The band was playing and the colours were ying and the streets were lined for miles with the parade going through the city. People on the sidewalks were cheering us. They were calling out, Rileys, Rileys, says Patrick, 62, a retired warrant ofcer with the RHLI, who later served with NATO forces in Europe during the Cold War. It was my proudest moment as a young person ... It really drove home how deeply rooted the RHLI is in this city and what it means. Being a Riley is symbolic and interwoven with what this community is all about.

Members of the RHLI march during the trooping of the colours ceremony attended by Prince Edward at the Warplane Heritage Museum in September.
We are a tough town but were a sophisticated town, too. While much has changed in Hamilton through its rise and decline as a steelmaker over the 150-year history of the Rileys, the militia has maintained its presence and character through good times and bad. We go back to before Confederation, we fought to defend this country before it was a country. An estimated 34,000 men and women have served as Rileys at various times over the past century and a half. All of them were part-time soldiers, people who had other jobs. Many used their military lessons for personal development to help them in civilian

life. Others found themselves on battleelds around the world. More than 1,100 Rileys have paid the supreme sacrice. And 197 died Aug. 19, 1942, in the ill-fated raid on German-occupied Dieppe on Frances northern coast. There were 582 Rileys who fought on that day and fewer than 10 are still alive today. One of the last is Jack McFarland, 91, who was wounded and captured during the raid. Seventy years later, he says he is still angry about the poor planning that went into the mission. Conversely, Corporal Jonas Raudys, 25, a National Steel Car employee, says he was well-prepared and the planning was excellent for his recent tour of duty in Afghanistan. For more than seven months, he trained Afghan soldiers who are gradually taking over the security of their own country. We basically taught them everything from the basics of patrolling, to holding and shooting a weapon, things of that nature, he says. Hamiltons own continues // BA7

IN WAR AND PEACE, THE ROYAL HAMILTON LIGHT INFANTRY AT HOME

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

n RHLI guns fire at Dundurn Castle on Canada Day this year. n Canadian vets walk among the graves at the Canadian cemetery in Dieppe. n John Williamson, shown in 2000 in Lake Ontario, was among the RHLI soldiers who landed in Dieppe. n Moments of reflection at the Canadian cemetery in Dieppe in 1944. n In 1941, Lieutenant Gordon Clifton (with megaphone) oversees Bren gun training. n Sergeant William Phillips Strickland in 1860s uniform. n Flags are proudly raised as the RHLI parades on Nov. 22, 1945.

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THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

THE SPEC.COM

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012

BA7

It was my proudest moment as a young person. It really drove home how deeply rooted the RHLI is in this city and what it means.
VAL PATRICK

Hamiltons own continued from // BA6 More than 60 Rileys served in Afghanistan, all of them returning home safely. The commanding ofcer of RHLI, Lieutenant-Colonel Dan Stepanuik, a vice-principal at Ancaster High School, spent seven months in Haiti in 2008 as part of a United Nations relief effort after three hurricanes left the country devastated. He received a Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation for leading rescue efforts at a collapsed girls school. Jack Granatstein, a Canadian historian who specializes in political and military history, says the RHLI has a special place among militias in Canada. It is among the oldest in the country and one of the most respected.

The RHLI had a terric wartime record (in the Second World War) in Normandy and Northwest Europe. It was arguably one of the best regiments in the Canadian army led by (Brigadier J. M.) Rockingham and people like (Brigadier-General) Denis Whitaker, he said. People like that established reputations for courage and leadership and that ripples through the community. It has a positive effect on enlistment, keeping the unit alive. You proved you could do it in action, therefore the unit deserves to survive and the unit must survive. Mike McAllister, co-ordinator of the Hamilton Military Museum, says there is a erce pride in Hamilton for the RHLI that is similar to the way a community might feel toward a longestablished sports team. The Rileys have the tradition, will and desire to keep an important institution in this city going, he said. McAllister believes much of the passion for the Rileys stems from lingering sad memories from Dieppe. Dieppe was splashed across the

newspapers. Dieppe was talked about for years afterwards. It crossed the boundary into civilian life in a way that almost no other battle honour can ... it joined people together because so many loved ones were lost or affected. The Dieppe raid is the kind of thing that resonates across society and grabs at peoples hearts for a very long time.

RHLI BY THE NUMBERS 34,000

The estimated number of Rileys who have served over its 150-year history.

mmcneil@thespec.com 905-526-4687

1,100 to 1,200
Estimated number of Riley deaths from battle, almost entirely from the First and Second World Wars.

AND IN HOT SPOTS AROUND THE WORLD

4
Number of Rileys who died from sickness acquired while ghting the Fenians at Ridgeway. The troops were poorly supplied with food and water and many got sick from drinking ditch water contaminated with farm runoff.

500-550
Estimated number of Rileys who died in the First World War. Detailed numbers are unavailable. Rileys in the First World War served in different larger units. They did not march under Riley colours until the Second World War.

590
Number of Rileys killed in the Second World War.

1,157
Number of Rileys wounded in the Second World War.

582
Number of Rileys who were involved in the ill-fated raid at Dieppe on Aug. 19, 1942.

480
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:
Its chow time for the Rileys at Camp Borden in June 1951. n Even when a war is raging (its 1942) soldiers must make time for a shave. n The RHLIs Kim Element, a peacekeeper in Bosnia. n RHLI Captain Nick Arakgi, right, arrives in Kandahar and is greeted by General Walter Natynczyk in 2008. n In the aftermath of the Dieppe catastrophe, captured soldiers are marched through the streets of the city in northern France.
n

Number of Riley casualties (dead, wounded or prisoners of war) at Dieppe.

197
Number of Rileys killed at Dieppe.

60
Number of Rileys who served in Afghanistan. None killed, one injured.

175
Current number of people in the Rileys.

AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE:

n

In June 1941, RHLI soldiers stand in front of training centre at Camp Borden.

37
Current number of people in the RHLI military band.
SOURCE: RHLI
PHOTOS FROM RHLI ARCHIVES AND HAMILTON SPECTATOR FILES

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59 KING ST. EAST DOWNTOWN STONEY CREEK 905-662-1800 OUT-OF-TOWN: 1-800-274-1153

www.stoneycreektailors.com
C M Y

INCLUDES 1 FREE MADE-TOMEASURE PANT OR SHIRT ($175 VALUE). FEATURES SURGEON CUFFS, MADE FROM OUR FINEST MATERIALS SUCH AS DORMEIL, SCABAL, AND SOME OF THE BEST FABRICS FROM BIELLA, ITALY AND BRITAIN.

3 for $299
GIFT CERTIFICATES ARE PERFECT CHRISTMAS PRESENT

139

OR 3 for $299

ALTERATIONS DONE IN 1 DAY

1399

BIG
OR

WHY BUY OFF THE RACK? GET CUSTOM MADE FOR THE SAME PRICE.

TALL