Lance Tanner at the Remembrance Day service - Kelowna City Park, Kelowna BC - November 11, 2009.

Remembering fallen Comrades during the Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph Memorial Square in Kelowna City Park. Lance joined the Hasty P's in Peterborough Ontario (Hastings Prince Edward Regiment) in 1939 and was trained as a sniper in Ontario before going overseas to France in 1940. After France capitulated Lance was shipped to England for more training, and served in the Signal Core until the end of the War.

Thank you for fighting for us.

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The Regiment forms part of 33 Canadian Brigade Group within Land Force Central Area/Joint Task Force Central. Regimental Headquarters is located in Belleville, Ontario with additional companies in Peterborough and Cobourg.

The Regiment mobilized on September 2, 1939 and began training with the relics of WWI leftover uniforms and equipment. Some had to make do with sticks in place of rifles and supplied their own boots and clothing but by December 19, when they embarked on the HMT Ormonde they were a fully equipped trained unit.

1940-43 The Regiment trained in Great Britain with the exception of a brief foray into France where the fierce Blitzkrieg waged by the Germans cost them most of their vehicles and the Regimental mascot, Little Chief. A new mascot Chief Petawawa-Much was taken on strength on October 30, 1940 with the service number C.0001. (Little Chief's number had been C.0000).

1943 July 10, the Hasty P's, part of Canadian Army 1st Division, landed on Green Beach, Sicily and earned eight Battle Honours at the cost of many men, including a Commanding Officer.

1943 September 3, an unopposed landing was more than made up for by a vicious running battle with seasoned German Army troops up through the Italian Peninsula as part of the British 8th Army. The Regiment earned twenty more Battle Honours at fearful cost.

1945 The Regiment departed Italy and went to Northwest Europe and joined the 1st Canadian Army where they took active part in the liberation of Holland. Among the Regiments accomplishments was the capturing of the Dutch Summer Palace at Apeldoorn.

Farley Mowat published a history of the Regiment in WWII. "THE REGIMENT" is a worthy recounting of the Regiment's accomplishments. Mowat himself was a platoon commander in the Regiment, and later in the war, an intelligence officer in England.

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