# Mascots



## armchair (11 Feb 2006)

Mascots  are a great part of the Canadian military history.I would like to hear stories of them past and present.We all know of Winnie and Christopher Robin there must be other great stories out there?


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## Michael OLeary (11 Feb 2006)

> CANADIAN ARMY JOURNAL, VOL 16, NO 2, SPRING 1962
> 
> Guardsman Goose
> 
> General Sir Daniel Lysons, who served as a subaltern in Lower Canada during the Rebellions of 1837-1838, included the following story about the Coldstream Guards' pet goose in his Early Reminiscences (London, 1896): "...one day this goose was taking its morning walk in the Citadel at Quebec, and happened to observe a nice-looking young man on sentry walking up and down in front of the officers' messhouse. The goose being of a social disposition stepped up, put his long neck close to the man's leg, and walked up and down with him, much to his amusement. Shortly after this it came on to rain, and the sentry went into his sentry-box. Goosie observed this move with a thoughtful countenance, soon grasped the situation, and, not choosing to be left out in the rain, pushed his way into the sentry-box, turned round, and stuck out his head to look about. In due course of time the corporal came with the relief; the old sentry told the story about the goose, and the party watched with great interest to see what the intelligent bird would do. It observed with equal interest the little ceremony of the relief. This being over, goosie gazed at the receding form of his old friend, then inspected the newcomer, and being satisfied with his appearance continued to walk up and down with him. This went on day after day till the battalion left Canada. The goose was then carried carefully on board ship and brought to England, where he was introduced to a sentry in the Portman Street barracks, and continued to perform his duties with unabated zeal. "I frequently saw this remarkable bird when I went to the Citadel at Quebec, where I had numerous friends in the Coldstream Guards, and I remember well the termination of the sentry's orders on that post "In case of fire, alarm the guard, and take care of the goose." Contributed by Mackay Hitsman, Historical Section, Army Headquarters, Ottawa.





> CANADIAN ARMY JOURNAL, VOL 9, NO 3, JULY 1955
> GOVERNOR GENERAL TO PRESENT MASCOT TO ROYAL 22e REGIMENT
> A REPORT ISSUED BY THE DIRECTORATE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, ARMY HEADQUARTERS, OTTAWA
> 
> With the permission of Her Majesty the Queen, the Governor General, His Excellency the Rt. Honourable Vincent Massey, will present a "Royal" mascot to The Royal 22e Regiment, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps. Her Majesty is Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal 22e Regiment and of its affiliated British Army regiment, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. A white goat, traditionally the mascot of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, has been chosen from the Royal Herd in the London Zoo, and official presentation will be made by the Governor General at the Citadel, Quebec City, on October 1. The custom of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers having as its regimental mascot a goat is so old that no record exists of the first "Billy". It is recorded, however, that the Regimental Goat was in action with the regiment at the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. Queen Victoria approved of the custom and in 1844 presented a Royal Goat from the Royal Herd at Windsor Castle to each of the two regular battalions of the regiment. The original pair, from which the Royal Herd was started, was a gift from the Shah of Persia to Queen Victoria. The possession of the goat by The Royal 22e Regiment will automatically create the traditional appointment of a Goat-Major. This vacancy will be filled by a specially selected junior non- commissioned officer whose duties will include leading the regimental mascot on appropriate parades. Regimental jewellers for the Royal Welsh Fusiliers are providing copies of the design of the harness and brass plates for the goat. On his head he carries a silver shield embellished with the regimental crest and engraved with an inscription stating that he was presented by the Governor General


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## armyvern (12 Feb 2006)

*"A Royal Filly"* the Honoured mascot of the 8 Canadian Hussars:

" A Royal Filly" was the original mascot of th 8th New Brunswick (Princess Louise's) Hussars.  She earned her "Battle Honours". She was brought back to Canada and her descendants have been our official  mascot.  All, of course named "Princess Louise".  The original horse is buried near Sussex NB with a special memorial tablet."

http://www.probus.org/m8thhssr.htm

Her travels were many:

She was wounded during fighting on the Gothic Line near Coriano, Italy on Sept. 15, 1944. Civilians in fear for their lives took shelter wherever they could, some hiding in stacks of hay or in abandoned buildings. Farm animals however, who had once grazed in pastures beneath cool shade trees, were completely vulnerable to the battle that raged around them. Dead livestock littered the countryside...The Canadians heard the cries of an injured horse and brought her to their aid station where she was saved by their intervention; quickly winning the hearts and minds of the troops... 

She was hidden in the rear of trucks for transport every time the Hussars moved. She was safely transported in a 3 ton truck with a concealed stall as the regiment made its way through France and Belgium and into Holland. 

At the conclusion of WW II, she was shipped to New York from Holland aboard the Dutch liner Leerdam. From New York she promptly made her way by train to Saint John. "The regiment stayed in Holland for quite a long while after the war waiting for transportation," says Kelly. "A good part of Canada was over there fighting, and there weren't enough ships to bring them home. 

She arrived in Saint John on March 27, 1946, amid thunderous cheers from curious onlookers. Not long after that she was reunited with the men who had not only saved her life, but had protected her during the balance of the war. 

The new mascot was welcomed by a guard of honour in Saint John, complete with a band, and a special greeting from Brigadier D.R. Agnew, the district officer of military district 7, Mayor J.D. McKenna and a parade where she marched with full regalia amid the 8th Hussars badges and flashes, 5th Cdn. Armd. Div. with maroon patch and her campaign medals: The 1939­-1945 Star, The Italy Star, The France and Germany Star, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and three Wound Stripes. 

From there she was taken to the nearby prestigious bedroom community of Rothesay where classes were interrupted as schoolchildren lined the roadways in a tumultuous greeting. 

Onward she was transported to Hampton and more accolades on the steps of the King's County Court House. There she became a naturalized Canadian and made a free woman of King's County and the Community of Hampton. She was given the "God given right to trample and eat from any and all vegetable gardens at will, or even from the supplies at Sharp's Feed Store." 

An excellent account of her travels is found here (and from where I pulled the above):

http://www.legionmagazine.com/features/memoirspilgrimages/03-09.asp


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## armchair (12 Feb 2006)

With all the overseas operations that CF have done in the last few years there most some new mascot stories out there?


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