Canadian officers will soon replace the Maple Leaf badges on their shoulder boards with original British Army and Commonwealth designations. The announcement made on Monday by Defence Minister Peter MacKay is part of an ongoing image makeover of the military.
“This takes nothing away from the Maple Leaf,” MacKay said. “There are other places which the Maple Leaf is honoured. This in no way diminishes Canadian identity, and I would suggest we are returning to the insignia that was so much a part of what the Canadian Army accomplished in Canada’s name.”
The British-style designations were in place in Canada throughout the First and Second World Wars. In 1968, the Liberals replaced them with the common ranking system.
The decision means the rank of private will be replaced with trooper, bombardier, fusilier, rifleman or guardsman, depending on the unit.
With files from CBC.
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