Cape Breton Highlanders

Lt-Col. S. McKinnon

/ Matthew K Barrett / 1 Comment

Lieutenant-Colonel Syl McKinnon
Cape Breton Highlanders
McKinnon

Major McKinnon caught the enemy force by surprise and completely overran their positions, thus clearing the centre line and enabling the advance to continue. Major MacKinnon’s powers of leadership have won high praise from his commanders and his personal courage has many times inspired his men to succeed in the most difficult of tasks.

(D.S.O. citation, 1944)

Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia on 22 October 1918, Sylvester McKinnon received a commission in Canada and went overseas as a reinforcement officer in 1943. He transferred to Cape Breton Highlanders, serving throughout the Italian and Northwest Europe campaigns. In June 1945, he succeeded Lieutenant-Colonel R.B. Somerville, who had becoming acting command of the 11th Infantry Brigade. After two Montreal colonels had commanded the Highlanders in battle it was fitting that a native Cape Bretoner would lead the troops home to Nova Scotia in January 1946.

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Lt-Col. R.B. Somerville

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Lieutenant-Colonel Boyd Somerville
Cape Breton Highlanders
Somerville

It was a joy to work under Boyd, and it didn’t matter to him if I was “under command” or “in support.” As an old soldier you can appreciate the difference. He never, ever gave me a direct order; it was always, “Tim, what can you do for me?” when he needed help.

(Tim Ellis quoted in Alex Morrison, The Breed of Manly Men, 213)

Born in Montreal on 19 June 1910, Robert Boyd Somerville was the long-serving second-in-command of the Cape Breton Highlanders (CBH) in England and Italy. The troops nicknamed him Pete the after the unshaven cartoon character “hobo with a gentleman’s instincts.” A former stockbroker and businessman, Somerville went overseas on active service with the Royal Highlanders of Canada before being transferred to the CBH under the command of fellow Black Watch officer Lieutenant-Colonel Jim Weir.

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Lt-Col. J.B. Weir

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Lieutenant-Colonel Jim Weir
Cape Breton Highlanders
Weir

“There are, however, places where a man can get fixed up,” the colonel went on, “legitimate places. And those of you who have disobeyed regs, know what I’m referring to–whorehouses, old fashioned whorehouses. Which leads to why you’ve been kept out of the towns. There’s a lot of old-fashioned VD around and the army is trying to make sure all of you don’t get dosed. I know, some of you will. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

(Quoted in Fred Cederberg, The Long Road Home, 70)

Born in Montreal on 10 April 1906, James Buchanan Weir was a stockbroker and member of the Royal Highlanders of Canada (The Black Watch) since 1926. He resigned as vice president of the Canadian Commodity Exchange in November 1939 to enlist for active service and went overseas as a major. In the United Kingdom, he was one of several Black Watch officers transferred to the Cape Breton Highlanders (CBH). Despite their shared highlander traditions, the Nova Scotia battalion did not view the Montreal replacements at all favourably.

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Lt-Cols. R.T. Chisholm & E.H. Small

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Lieutenant-Colonel R.T. Chisholm
ChisholmRT
&
Lieutenant-Colonel E.H. Small
Cape Breton Highlanders
Small

A veteran of the First World War who had been commissioned from the ranks, he was well-liked by all, but, at the same time, many of the soldiers had come to realize that they needed a CO who would provide increased discipline and rigorous training.

(Alex Morrison, A Breed of Manly Men, 77)

Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia on 29 October 1891, Roderick Theodore Chisholm was a customs officer, First World War veteran, and commanding officer of the Cape Breton Highlanders since 1937. In November 1940, just prior to mobilization for active service, he handed over command to fellow veteran Edgar Harold Small. Born in Halifax on 16 June 1893, Small had enlisted in the 17th Battalion as a private in September 1915, served with the 85th Battalion in France as a sergeant, and earned a commission in September 1917. He was invalided a year later from a gunshot wound.

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