Regimental Histories and Memoirs

The history of the Regiment has been well chronicled by several distinguished military historians and many memoirs, published and unpublished, also make up part of the Regiment’s written record.

The first regimental history to be published was Roy Farran’s work History of The Calgary Highlanders 1921-54. Roy Farran was highly decorated as a Special Air Service officer during the Second World War, earning both the Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross.

A more recent volume concentrating solely on the Regiment in the Second World War is Battalion of Heroes: The Calgary Highlanders in World War Two. Dr. David Bercuson, a distinguished labour historian and military author, penned this volume after extensive interviews with surviving veterans and examination of period archival documents.

The history of the Tenth Battalion was very ably written by the late Daniel Dancocks. Gallant Canadians: The Story of the Tenth Canadian Infantry Battalion 1914-1919 chronicles in detail the formation, war service, and post-war history of the Fighting Tenth.

The Brigade by esteemed Canadian author Terry Copp examines the history of the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade, with whom the Calgary Highlanders served in the Second World War.

In addition to the many unpublished memoirs in the Regimental Archives, an excellent source of information, self-published is A Backwards Glance: An Infantry Signaller in The Calgary Highlanders by Frank Holm. Mr. Holm joined the battalion as a replacement signaller in Holland, and his memoir is a vivid and readable reminiscence of his time with the unit in Northwest Europe.

Far From Home is the work of distinguished historian Jeffery Williams, who served with the Calgary Highlanders in the Second World War. This book, published in 2003, has many excellent photos of his wartime service with the Regiment, as well as pre- and post-war. He went on to serve in a variety of positions until 1970.

The Long Left Flank: The Hard Fought Way To The Reich by Jeffery Williams is a study of the entire post-Normandy Northwest Europe campaign in World War Two, however Williams admittedly uses many quotes by Calgary Highlanders, as he himself served in the Regiment during the Second World War.

Slagveld Sloedam (“The Causeway Battlefield) was written by R. E. Hoebeke of The Netherlands, in Dutch, and chronicles both the fighting at the Walcheren Causeway in 1940 during the German invasion, and the actions of the 2nd Canadian Division and 52nd (Lowland) Division of the British Army to liberate the area in October and November of 1944. The Calgary Highlanders played a leading role in the Causeway fighting and consider that action to represent all the battles they fought in the Second World War. One of the cover photos shows Private William R. Van Horne of the Calgary Highlanders being attended to at an advanced medical station after being wounded on the Causeway during the fighting.

The History of The Calgary Highlanders 1921- 1954 by Major Roy Farran, DSO, MC (Bryant Press, 1954) 221 pages, no ISBN, now out of print

Battalion of Heroes: The Calgary Highlanders in World War Two by Doctor David Jay Bercuson (Calgary Highlanders Regimental Funds Foundation, 1994) 297 pages, 48 pages of illustrations and maps. ISBN: 0969461615

Gallant Canadians : The Story of the Tenth Canadian Infantry Battalion, 1914-1919 by Daniel G. Dancocks (Calgary Highlanders Regimental Funds Foundation, 1990) 251 pages, lavishly illustrated throughout with photos and maps ISBN: 0969461607

Far From Home: A Memoir of a 20th Century Soldier by Jeffery Williams. (University of Calgary Press, 2003) 374 pages, many illustrations. ISBN: 1-55238-119-6