Assault Pioneers returning to the Canadian Army

[RackMaster]

Thought this was the best place for this. This is a long overdue return and we should have never axed them in the first place.

Assault Pioneers returning to the Canadian Army - Canadian Military News

 

[DA SWO]

wrong thread

 

[ThunderHorse]

Thought this was the best place for this. This is a long overdue return and we should have never axed them in the first place.

Assault Pioneers returning to the Canadian Army - Canadian Military News

So: beards, aprons, and hatchets?

 

[RackMaster]

So: beards, aprons, and hatchets?

Yup.

 

[medicchick]

Not what I was expecting...

 

[digrar]

We've been playing Yes, No, Maybe, with Pioneers for the last 20 years.

In Commonwealth tradition, Assault Pioneers have always worn beards,

We only maintained the tradition in 4RAR and later 2/4RAR, and only the Pioneer Platoon Sergeant was bearded, after the Governor-General, Lord de Lisle VC, KG, GCMG, GCVO, PC suggested it to the CO while presenting the new unit's Queen and Regimental Colours in 1965.
When 4RAR became a Commando unit, they passed the tradition to 2RAR. Now that 2RAR is an Amphibious unit without a Pioneer platoon, the tradition is maintained by the Small Boat Platoon Sergeant (the members of which are all Pioneer qualified).

 

[RackMaster]

And its official.

Beards and axes: Canadian Army reactivates elite Assault Pioneers unit | NEWSREP