The Regiment of Canadian Guards

The Pipe Band of the regiment of Canadian Guards.

Cap Badges of the Canadian Guards Pipe Band.

Collar Badges of the Canadian Guards Pipe Band.

Cloth Shoulder Title of the Canadian Guards.

Piper of the Canadian Guards.

Different orders of dress of the Canadian Guards Pipe Band.

 Source: Wikipedia   

The Canadian Guards (officially known as the Regiment of Canadian Guards) was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army that served in the same role as the five regiments of foot guards in the British Army. The regiment was formed on 16 October 1953, by Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds, the Chief of the General Staff of the Canadian Army, with the redesignation of four separate battalions:

3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment – 1st Battalion

3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry – 2nd Battalion

1st Canadian Infantry Battalion – 3rd Battalion

2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion – 4th Battalion

On 25 November 1953, the following reserve units affiliated with the Canadian Guards but remained separate regiments:

The Governor General's Foot Guards – 5th Battalion

The Canadian Grenadier Guards – 6th Battalion

The Canadian Guards not only served as the Household Division of Canada, but was also the country's first national military regiment. The regiment was reduced to nil strength and assigned to the supplementary order of battle in 1970.

Bands

Throughout their existence the regular components of The Canadian Guards maintained a regimental band as well as pipes and drums. Known officially as the Band of Her Majesty's Canadian Guards, it was created on 22 April 1954 as a redesignation from the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion Band and was disbanded on 30 September 1968. The band was based at Camp Borden from 1953–1957 and after which it was transferred to Petawawa where it stayed until the 70s. Bandsmen were recruited from other Canadian military bands as well as bands from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. One of the major events the band took part in was the Canadian Armed Forces Tattoo 1967 for Canada's centennial celebrations that year.

In common with the pipes and drums of the Scots Guards in the British Army, pipers of The Canadian Guards were granted the privilege of wearing the British Royal Family's household tartan – the Royal Stuart tartan. The two pipe bands were part of the 2nd Battalion and the 4th Battalion. The latter was formed in November 1954, after the regimental headquarters obtained the authority to create a pipe band with British Army Pipe Major leading it. The band had few active pipers in the beginning but developed to where it performed the 2nd Battalion pipe band at the Canadian National Exhibition in 1956. The former on the other hand was formed in February 1954 under Pipe Major Archie Cairns and accompanied the battalion during its tour of duty in West Germany from 1957-1959. It returned to Canada in 1960 where it performed public duties on Parliament Hill as part the Old Guard during the changing of the guard. After his departure from the Band in 1964, he was succeeded by William Stirling and later John Huggan, before eventually being transferred to the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment In 1970.

The Royal Stewart Tartan of the Canadian Guards.