Black Watch and RCR friends:

Regret to report that Tud Kaulbach passed away peacefully at noon today (27 November 2019) surrounded by his family in Ottawa’s Civic Hospital.

Tud’s military service began with the Army Reserve’s West Nova Scotia Regiment in 1952 while he was in high school. Following school he entered Acadia University in 1955 where he joined the COTC which resulted in his first tour in West Germany with 2nd Battalion, The Canadian Guards, for six months in 1958. He returned to Acadia for his final year that autumn and transferred from COTC to the Regular Force.

His first of many postings as a member of the Canadian Army (Regular) was to 2nd Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, located in Camp Gagetown, NB, in the autumn of 1959. For the next 30 months he was employed in various roles typical of junior Infantry officers of that era – rifle platoon commander, Depot squad commander, anti-tank platoon commander, etc.

In the spring of 1962, Tud accompanied 2nd Battalion, The Black Watch (RHR) of Canada when it deployed to West Germany to join NATO’s British Army of the Rhine. There he continued to command the anti-tank platoon until moving to the unit reconnaissance platoon – but his appointment as Battalion Sports Officer was undoubtedly the most demanding task of all. Tud himself was a fine athlete who excelled as a member of both the battalion’s track and hockey teams. Second Black Watch returned briefly to Camp Gagetown in 1965 before deploying to Cyprus the next summer on United Nations peacekeeping duties. In Cyprus, Tud commanded the Canadian Administrative Support Group.

On return from Cyprus, Tud left Second Black Watch for HQ 3CIBG in Gagetown where he spent one year and then departed for the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College in Kingston, Ontario in 1967. On graduation from Staff College the following year, he was posted back to West Germany to be GSO 3 Operations at HQ 4CMBG where he remained until he was posted to command a rifle company with 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regimen which subsequently morphed into 3 Mechanized Commando.

In 1971, Tud returned to CFB Gagetown where he became Deputy Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, followed by staff appointments at CFB Gagetown and the Combat Arms School before he was posted back to West Germany in 1976 for yet another tour – his fourth - this time as Commanding Officer of the Canadian Army Support Group Seckenheim and Senior Canadian Liaison Officer from Central Army Group HQ to Canadian Forces Europe and HQ 4CMBG. Three years later, in 1979, he was posted back to Gagetown to be Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment. After two successful years as CO, Tud was posted to NDHQ where he held several staff appointments before he retired from the CAF.

After retirement from the Forces, Tud was employed as Executive Director of the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association until 1999.

He also advocated for justice for disabled veterans through his volunteer activities with the NATO Veterans Organization of Canada over a number of years.

Tud has maintained his relationship with The Black Watch (RHR) of Canada as a member of the Regimental Advisory Board, the Board of Directors for the Royal Highlanders of Canada Inc., and both the Atlantic and Upper Canada branches of The Black Watch (RHR) of Canada Association. He was President of the Association’s Upper Canada Branch for several years.

Tud leaves a very large number of close friends from The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, The Royal Canadian Regiment, the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association, his local Church and various local golf and curling clubs to mourn his passing.

A memorial service is being planned for Saturday 7 December however that date is only tentative at this time; details will be confirmed when known.



R. I. P.
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
Pro Patria