Troops getting on truck, 48th Highlanders of Canada, 27 Brigade B Coy in Germany. P1089

NATO: Germany, 1951-1953

On 4 April 1949, Canada joined eleven other nations in signing the North Atlantic Treaty.  Lester B. Pearson, Secretary of State, declared that Canadians “feel deeply and instinctively” that the Treaty is “a pledge for peace and progress.” The Treaty, Canada’s first independent peacetime military alliance, was the foundation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization but the organization lacked a military element. Alarmed by the Communist aggression in Korea in 1950, NATO created the missing military force. In 1951, as part of its commitment, Canada raised the 27th Canadian Infantry Brigade for service in Germany. The brigade, part of an infantry brigade group of 6,670 troops, was to consist of three battalions, one of which would be formed from Highland regiments. In the spring, the General Staff instructed units to recruit. The criteria for selection from the 102 reserve units were present efficiency, war record and geography. The 48th was one of five reserve Highland regiments across the country tasked to raise a company for the 1st Canadian Highland Battalion. Unit Part II Order # 17, dated 18 May 1951 announced the result of the first week of recruiting: “45 men of the 48th signed up for ‘B’ Coy, 1CHB.”

On 1 Dec 1951 the battalion embarked at Quebec City and for the third time in the twentieth century Canadian troops departed for Europe.  With them were six officers and a full company of men plus two pipers and two drummers, all proudly wearing the uniform of the 48th Highlanders. In Germany, most would serve in Bravo Company, others as a defence and employment platoon at Brigade and one officer at each of Battalion and Brigade headquarters.

At the same time, another reserve battalion, the 2nd Canadian Highland Battalion, was raised for service in Canada to provide a pool of trained soldiers as replacements for the 1st Battalion in Germany. Following a period at Camp Borden, the battalion was stationed at Camp Aldershot in Nova Scotia. For the two battalions the 48th provided 203 men and 9 officers – 158 in Bravo Company, 43 in HQ Company, 10 in BHQ and 1 in Brigade HQ.