Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Cantlie
Royal Highlanders of Canada (The Black Watch)

Stephen Cantlie was le Dauphin. His father, Colonel GS Cantlie, was a living legend whose accomplishments, military and civilian, could only have been a double yoke – great responsibility coupled with greater expectations. Militarily, Cantlie could not have been better prepared.

(Roman Jarymowycz, The History of the Black Watch, Vol. 2, 39)

Born in Montreal in September 1903, Stephen Douglas Cantlie was the son First World War 42nd (Royal Highlanders of Canada) Battalion commander Lieutenant-Colonel George Stephen Cantlie. A graduate of RMC, the younger Cantlie pursued a career as a stockbroker though joined his father’s regiment, nicknamed the Black Watch after the famed British Army Scottish regiment. He succeeded Lieutenant-Colonel K.G. Blackader on his promotion to brigadier in January 1942.

Previously recommended for staff officer duties rather than battalion leadership, Cantlie failed to impress his superior Brigadier G. Victor Whitehead, former commanding officer of the Royal Montreal Regiment. During his first battle exercise called Jumbo I in July 1942, Cantlie received repeated criticism from Whitehead who “punctuated every order … with very caustic remarks.” The next month, three Black Watch platoons participated in the Dieppe Raid, though they did not suffer the terrible casualties inflicted on the Royal Regiment of Canada.

Cantlie served for another eight months until removal in April 1943 after an adverse confidential report from Whitehead. In addition to challenging the colonel’s power of decision making, the report concluded that “the unit has suffered considerably during the past twelve months and that the regression has been to a great extent due to a lack of ‘new blood.’” This new blood came in the form of his cousin Lieutenant-Colonel S.S.T. Cantlie as new CO of the Black Watch.

“I feel very sorry for Stephen Cantlie but the powers that be felt he was short of tactical knowledge and too slow about making decisions,” Blackader explained of the officer he had first recommended, “on all other counts, I understand he was considered fit to command.” Rather than fight in France as his father had done, Cantlie returned to Canada. He took up a post as brigade major with the 39th Reserve Brigade Group on the Pacific Coast. His cousin and successor was killed in action at Caen on 25 July 1944.

In 1955, his father, honorary colonel of the Black Watch, was celebrated by the regiment for seventy years service in the Canadian forces, shortly before his death. Stephen Cantlie died in Montreal on 9 August 1967.