Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, 48th Highlanders of Canada

13 April to 1 October 1945

James Ronald O’Dell (“Jim”) Counsell was born in Grantham, Lincoln, Ontario, Canada on 9 Jul 1904 to William Norman Counsell and Rose Mabel Odell.

He became the last Commanding Officer of the wartime 1st Battalion 48th Highlanders.

He went overseas as a reinforcement officer in 1940. Having been Adjutant in England, before leaving for Sicily he joined the newly formed D Company and served with them as Company 2IC,  then Company Commander from Pachino until the end of the Italy Campaign. He was wounded (multiple shrapnel wounds) at Campobasso but elected to remain on duty. He was awarded an immediate Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his gallant and aggressive style of leadership in the battle for the Hitler Line.

In March 1945, the battalion redeployed to the Netherlands. On 8 April 1945, Counsell became second-in-command after Major G.E.B. Renison was appointed to command the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment. Four days later, he found himself in command of the 48th Highlanders following the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Don Mackenzie. The Commander 1 CA Inf Bde – Brigadier Des Smith arrived at the Highlanders Battalion Headquarters to announce that would be no outsider coming to take over the Highlanders and that LCol Jim Counsell had been confirmed as Commanding Officer effective 13 April 1945.

He brought them home on 1 October 1945 and led them down University Avenue and back the Armoury where the 1st Battalion was born six years prior. In front of the VIPs,  family and previous generations of Highlanders gathered, he took the podium to  reply to the remarks by the Mayor and said:

“Let us not forget the men we left behind in Sicily, in Italy and Holland,” he said. “Had it not been for them, you would not be giving us this great reception. Their courage and sacrifice has let us come home, just as they have preserved our wonderful civilization for us.” He then stepped down to stand in front of the Regiment. (Dileas: page 782)

n gratitude for Canadian liberation of the country, the Dutch government awarded Counsell the Bronze Lion of the Netherlands. He remained in command for the rest of the war and led the battalion home for demobilization in October 1945. When he dismissed the men in Toronto for the final time, he called on everyone to remember the sacrifice of all those who did not make it back.

LCol Counsell died in Toronto on 16 November 1964 and is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

Colonel Counsell’s contributions are well told on the pages of  Dileas.  Lesser known is a contribution he made to the ethos/nature of the modern post-war Regiment.  When questions of perhaps maintaining some distinguishing elements on uniforms worn by 1st Battalion/2nd Battalion Highlanders, during communications between himself and the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion,  Counsell was resolute that his Battalion would have none of that type of thing  and that once he dismissed him there would be no such distinctions (A Highlander is a Highlander).  This set the tone for a strong post war Regiment.