The History of our badge : The Sherbrooke Hussars

When the regiment was created in 1965, members of the Sherbrooke Hussars wore the badge of the Royal Canadian Armored Corps (RCAC), a hand in silver colored armor surmounted by a crown and surrounded by two arrows. Photos 1 to 4 represent two variations of the badge on the obverse and on the reverse. Then in 1968, all members wore the first white metal stamped version of the cap badge which came with a so-called “Slider” as an attachment. (See photos 5 and 6.)

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After several years, the enamel colored cap badge was approved and it came with screws (Screw-Posts). (Photos 7 and 8) The white metal version with a slider (Slider) continued to be used by other ranks. At the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s, the creation of the CÉGEP system and regional high school establishments required massive staffing, which created a significant loss of junior officers for the regiment. To compensate for the shortage of junior officers, several senior NCOs took on, in addition to their own duties, additional responsibilities normally held by officers in key functional areas of the regiment. For example: transport, quartermaster, communications, training and development…

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The color badges took five years to receive. For the first version, a limited edition of badges had been made. Note that the ties on the back were long and pricked the head. When these arrived at the regiment, LCol Jackson (CO from 1969 to 1975), gave them to the NCOs first, as a gesture of gratitude for their support over the last few years. The distribution was as follows: one for CWO Garth Bishop, one for MWO Ernie Kirby, one for B.P. Bourque and other NCOs (SNCO), either Sgt rank and above. Since this time, at the regiment, non-commissioned officers wear the officers' color badge. Also, a letter written years later by LCol Bishop stated that: “…the heart of our new regiment was a solid backbone of senior NCOs and officers drawn mainly from the Sherbrooke Regiment”. It was to emphasize this core that it was decided that non-commissioned officers and officers would wear the same badge.