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, colors = , identification_symbol_2 = Maple Leaf (2nd Bn pipes and drums) , identification_symbol_2_label = Tartan , identification_symbol_4 = The RCR , identification_symbol_4_label = Abbreviation , march = Quick – "The Royal Canadian Regiment" (aka "St. Catharines")
Slow – "" , mascot = , battles = Fenian Raids
North-West Rebellion The North-West Rebellion (french: Rébellion du Nord-Ouest), also known as the North-West Resistance, was a Resistance movement, resistance by the Métis people (Canada), Métis people under Louis Riel and an associated uprising by First Natio ...

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the So ...

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

War in Afghanistan , notable_commanders = William Dillon Otter , anniversaries = Regimental birthday – 21 December
Paardeberg Day – 27 February
Pachino Day – 10 July
Mons Day – 10 November
Kowang-san Day – 23 October , decorations = Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation – 1st Battalion: Afghanistan, Operation ARCHER, 2006. , battle_honours = See #Battle honours The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) is an
infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...
of the
Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
. The regiment consists of four
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...
s, three in the Regular Force and one in the
primary reserve The Primary Reserve of the Canadian Armed Forces (french: links=no, Première réserve des Forces canadiennes) is the first and largest of the four sub-components of the Canadian Armed Forces reserves, followed by the Supplementary Reserve, th ...
. The RCR is ranked 1st in the order of precedence amongst Canadian Army infantry regiments, but in a quirk of the rules of seniority, its 4th battalion is 9th. The RCR was originally authorized as the Infantry School Corps on 21 December 1883, and established its first three
company A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared ...
stations at Fredericton, New Brunswick; St Jean, Quebec; and Toronto, Ontario. In 1887 a fourth company was authorized and the next year was established at
London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximat ...
. Now consisting of three Regular Force battalions and one Reserve Force battalion, the regiment's four battalions are now stationed in
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
and
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
. With many of its soldiers drawn from Ontario and the Atlantic Provinces in recent decades, the regiment maintains a general connection as the "local" infantry regiment for anglophone eastern Canada. The RCR maintains a Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) in Petawawa, Ontario, which has no operational command role but handles regimental affairs outside the responsibility of the individual battalions. The
Royal Canadian Regiment Museum The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum is located at Wolseley Barracks (the former CFB London) in London, Ontario, Canada. History Although original architectural drawings of Wolseley Hall drafted in 1886 show space allocated to a museum, the muse ...
is located within historic Wolseley Hall in London, Ontario.
Wolseley Barracks Canadian Forces Base London (also CFB London) is a former Canadian Forces Base that was located in London, Ontario, Canada. It was downsized and closed during defence budget cutbacks in the 1990s. Local Primary Reserve units were supported by A ...
in London has been continuously occupied by some element of the regiment since construction of Wolseley Hall was completed in 1888. At various times Wolseley Barracks has been the home of the Regimental Headquarters, the 1st and 2nd Battalions, and remains the home of the 4th Battalion today.


Battalions

File:Royalcanadianregt.jpg, Regimental cypher of The Royal Canadian Regiment. File:У Києві на Хрещатику пройшов військовий парад з нагоди 27-ї річниці Незалежності України (30453365858).jpg, A Major of the 3rd Battalion, RCR on parade in
Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Ky ...
, August 2018.


Lineage

File:RCR colour.jpg, Regimental colour of 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment File:RCR camp flag.jpg, The camp flag of The RCR.


The Royal Canadian Regiment

*Originated 21 December 1883 as the Infantry School Corps *Redesignated 14 May 1892 as the Canadian Regiment of Infantry *Redesignated 24 May 1893 as the Royal Regiment of Canadian Infantry *Redesignated 1 April 1899 as the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry *Redesignated 1 November 1901 as The Royal Canadian Regiment *Amalgamated 25 April 1958 with The London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment)' retaining its designation. *The 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers) redesignated in 1970 as the 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers) *4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers) designated as the 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment on 22 May 1990.Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.


The London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment)

*Originated 27 April 1866 in London, Ontario as the 7th Battalion Infantry, "Prince Arthur's Own" *Redesignated 1 May 1866 as the 7th Battalion Infantry *Redesignated 15 February 1867 as the 7th Battalion "London Light Infantry" *Redesignated 16 January 1880 as the 7th Battalion "Fusiliers" *Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 7th Regiment "Fusiliers" *Redesignated 29 March 1920 The Western Ontario Regiment *Redesignated 1 August 1924 as The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) *Amalgamated 15 December 1936 with the Headquarters and A Company of the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC and redesignated as The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (Machine Gun) *Redesignated 29 January 1942 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) *Redesignated 24 March 1942 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (Machine Gun) *Redesignated 1 April 1946 as The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (Machine Gun) *Amalgamated 1 October 1954 with The Oxford Rifles and redesignated as the London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment) *Amalgamated 25 April 1958 with The Royal Canadian Regiment and redesignated as the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers).


The Oxford Rifles

*Originated 14 August 1863 in Woodstock, Ontario as the Twenty-second Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles, Canada or The Oxford Rifles *Redesignated 13 April 1866 as the 22nd Battalion The Oxford Rifles *Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 22nd Regiment The Oxford Rifles *Redesignated 29 March 1920 as the Oxford Rifles *Redesignated 18 March 1942 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Oxford Rifles *Redesignated 1 June 1945 as The Oxford Rifles *Amalgamated 1 October 1954 with The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (Machine Gun) and redesignated as the London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment).


The 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC

*Originated 1 June 1919 in London, Ontario as the 2nd Machine Gun Brigade, CMGC *Redesignated 15 September 1924 as the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC *Amalgamated 15 December 1936 with The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)


Lineage chart

Lineage of the Royal Canadian Regiment:


Perpetuations


War of 1812

*The Loyal London Volunteers *1st Regiment of Middlesex Militia *1st Regiment of Oxford Militia


The Great War

* 1st Battalion (Ontario Regiment), CEF *
33rd Battalion, CEF The 33rd Battalion, CEF, was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the Great War. History The battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 1 April 1916. It was re designated as the 33rd ...
* 71st Battalion, CEF * 142nd Battalion (London's Own), CEF * 168th Battalion (Oxfords), CEF *2nd Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps, CEF


Alliances

* – The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers * –
The Rifles The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions, plus a number of companies in other Army Reserve battalions. Each battalion of The Rifles was formerl ...
* – The Jamaica Regiment


Battle honours

The Royal Canadian Regiment has been awarded a total of 61 battle honours. In the list below, battle honours in capitals were awarded for participation in large operations and campaigns, while those in lowercase indicate honours granted for more specific battles. Battle honours in bold type are emblazoned on the regimental colours. File:RCR colour.jpg, Regimental colour of 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment


The War of 1812

* * * * Non-emblazonable honorary distinction


North West Rebellion

* *


South African War

* *


Great War


Second World War


Korean War

*


Afghanistan

*


History


Early history

The Royal Canadian Regiment is one of Canada's oldest Regular Force military units. In 2012 the regiment was assigned the perpetuation of the 1st Regiment of Middlesex Militia (1812–15) and the 1st Regiment of Oxford Militia (1812–15) from the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...
, and as a result carries three battle honours from that conflict. The RCR was also assigned the perpetuation of The Loyal London Volunteers which was accompanied by a non-emblazonable Honorary Distinction. The regiment itself was formed as the Infantry School Corps on 21 December 1883, authorized by a Militia Act which also created the Cavalry School Corps. These school corps were created as regular units that would train the Canadian militia. The first companies stood up in Fredericton NB, St Jean-sur-Richelieu QC, and Toronto ON in 1883, with a fourth company standing up in London ON several years later. The Infantry School Corps' first
battle honours A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...
were earned during the
North-West Rebellion The North-West Rebellion (french: Rébellion du Nord-Ouest), also known as the North-West Resistance, was a Resistance movement, resistance by the Métis people (Canada), Métis people under Louis Riel and an associated uprising by First Natio ...
in 1885, where it fought at
Batoche Batoche may refer to: *Batoche, Saskatchewan, a historic site in Saskatchewan *Batoche (electoral district), an electoral district in Saskatchewan * Batoche (former electoral district), a former electoral district in Saskatchewan *Batoche (N.W.T. el ...
and Cut Knife Creek. The regiment later provided personnel to the Yukon Field Force (1898–1900), which assisted the
North-West Mounted Police The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian para-military police force, established in 1873, to maintain order in the new Canadian North-West Territories (NWT) following the 1870 transfer of Rupert’s Land and North-Western Territo ...
in the
Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
during the
Gold Rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New ...
. The regiment served in the South African (Boer) War (1899–1903). Its Great War deployment was delayed by a garrison assignment in Bermuda from September 1914 until August 1915. Upon returning to Nova Scotia, its members attested for overseas service with the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), arriving in France in October 1915 to fight in WW1.


The South African War

The regiment's name was changed to The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry in 1893, with a new emphasis on being combat capable. William Dillon Otter, formerly of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, was the first
Commanding Officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
. He would later become the first Canadian-born Chief of the General Staff, the head of the
Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
. During the South African War (
Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the So ...
), the "2nd (Special Service) Battalion" was raised from across the country to contribute Canada's First Contingent in this war, with Otter in command. This battalion was quickly disbanded in 1900 upon its return to Canada, even though they were considered by many British officers to be the best infantry battalion in the country. The "3rd (Special Service) Battalion" was also raised at this time, in 1900, and was employed as a garrison force in Halifax until 1902 when it was also disbanded. In the Boer War, the Toronto company of the 2RCRI fought Canada's first overseas battle at Sunnyside, Cape Colony, on January 1, 1900, defeating a Boer commando in an action led by Australia's Queensland Mounted Infantry. The unit as a whole then joined and played an instrumental role in the victory at the Battle of Paardeberg Drift (18–27 February 1900), including an advance by night towards the enemy lines, quietly digging trenches on high ground 65 yards from the Boer lines. On February 27, 1900, the Boers, staring into the muzzles of Canadian and British rifles, surrendered, thus removing the commando blocking the way to the first Boer capital, Bloemfontein, Orange Free State. This date has since been celebrated by the Regiment as Paardeberg Day. Having delivered the first unqualified good news of the war for the British Empire, the Regiment also distinguished itself on the march north, arriving first at the gates of
Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foothi ...
. During the South African War Private Richard Rowland Thompson was awarded a Queen's scarf, one of the four presented to soldiers of the Dominions, a further four scarves crocheted by
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
went to non-commissioned officers of the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
. A small statuette (1999) by André Gauthier (sculptor) commemorates the centennial of the Royal Canadian Regiment's
Battle of Paardeberg The Battle of Paardeberg or Perdeberg ("Horse Mountain") was a major battle during the Second Anglo-Boer War. It was fought near ''Paardeberg Drift'' on the banks of the Modder River in the Orange Free State near Kimberley. Lord Methuen adv ...
during the
Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...
. File:William D Otter.JPG, Lieutenant-Colonel William Dillon Otter File:1908 Toronto SouthAfrican War Memorial QueenSt.jpg, The unveiling of the '' South African War Memorial'' in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
Canada in 1908


The end of the Victorian era and the Great War; 1900–1919

In October 1901 the regiment received new colours from the Duke of Cornwall and York (later
King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
) during his visit to Canada, and the regiment's name was changed to The Royal Canadian Regiment. In 1914, the regiment was deployed to the Imperial fortress
colony In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state' ...
of
Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...
for
garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mili ...
duties from September 1914 to August 1915 when it returned to Halifax and reattested for overseas service. The RCR arrived in France in October 1915 to join the new
3rd Canadian Division The 3rd Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of all army units in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as all units extending westwards from t ...
. The regiment combined with
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricia's) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...
and the 42nd and 49th Canadian Infantry Battalions to form the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade. Battle honours awarded to The Royal Canadian Regiment for its actions in the First World War included: "Mount Sorrel,
Somme __NOTOC__ Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places *Somme (department), a department of France *Somme, Queensland, Australia *Canal de la Somme, a canal in France *Somme (river), a river in France Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Somme'' (book), a ...
, 1916, Flers-Courcelette, Ancre Heights,
Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of ...
, 1917, 18,
Vimy Vimy ( or ; ; Dutch: ''Wimi'') is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Located east of Vimy is the Canadian National Vimy Memorial dedicated to the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the Canadian soldiers wh ...
, 1917, Hill 70,
Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality ...
, 1917, Passchendaele,
Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
, Scarpe, 1918, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, Pursuit to
Mons Mons (; German and nl, Bergen, ; Walloon and pcd, Mont) is a city and municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the province of Hainaut, Belgium. Mons was made into a fortified city by Count Baldwin IV of Hainaut in the 12th century. T ...
, FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1914–18". Among the honours and awards to members of the regiment in the First World War was the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...
(VC) won by Lieutenant
Milton Gregg Brigadier Milton Fowler Gregg, (10 April 1892 – 13 March 1978) was a Canadian military officer and a First World War recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British an ...
. The RCR also recognizes the VC won by Lieutenant Frederick William Campbell, who was an officer of the 1st (Western Ontario) Battalion of the
Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry divisi ...
, one of the battalions now perpetuated by The RCR.


The inter-war years; 1919–1939

The RCR remained a Permanent Force regiment between the wars and returned to its role of providing instruction to the Militia through garrisons in London (
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
), Halifax (
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
),
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
(Ontario) and
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
(
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...
).


The Second World War; 1939–1945

On 1 September 1939 the regiment was mobilized as part of the Canadian Active Service Force as Canada prepared for participation in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. When war was declared on September 10, the RCR had already been allocated to the
1st Canadian Infantry Brigade The 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade was a Canadian Army formation that served with the 1st Canadian Division in World Wars I and II. In 1953 it was reformed in Germany, to become the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in 1992. William Antrob ...
, a formation made up entirely of Ontario units. Moving to the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
in December 1939 as a component of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, the RCR saw hard training for almost four years. On 10 July 1943, the RCR landed at Pachino in the opening waves of the Allied invasion of Sicily – the last member of the regiment to participate in these original waves – George F. Burrows of Chatham Ontario – died on April 11, 2012, in Windsor, Ontario at the age of 88. The regiment and its sister units in the 1st Brigade, The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment and the 48th Highlanders of Canada fought in several battles as the division advanced north and then east towards Messina. After the 38-day campaign on the island was completed, the regiment was involved in another
amphibious landing Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducte ...
(codenamed Operation Baytown) at Reggio di Calabria, as part of Allied invasion of the Italian mainland in September. The RCR fought in several battles of the Italian campaign, including key engagements in the Moro River valley near
Ortona Ortona ( Abruzzese: '; grc, Ὄρτων, Órtōn) is a coastal town and municipality of the Province of Chieti in the Italian region of Abruzzo, with some 23,000 inhabitants. In 1943 Ortona was the site of a bloody battle, known as "Weste ...
in December 1943. During 1944, the regiment took part the
Battle of Monte Cassino The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome and the Battle for Cassino, was a series of four assaults made by the Allies against German forces in Italy during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The ultimate objective was ...
in attacks on German defensive lines called the
Hitler Line The Hitler Line was a German defensive line in central Italy during the Second World War. The strong points of the line were at Piedmonte, Pontecorvo and Aquino. In May 1944, the line was renamed the Senger Line, after General von Senger und E ...
and later the
Gothic Line The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence along the summits of the northern part of ...
. The regiment was transferred to northwest Europe in February 1945 during
Operation Goldflake Operation Goldflake was the administrative move of I Canadian Corps (in essence, all Canadian combatant units) and the British 5th Infantry Division from Italy to Northwestern Europe during the Second World War. British-led forces had been figh ...
and took part in the liberation the Dutch city of Apeldoorn. The regiment received 28 battle honours for its participation in the Second World War. The regiment returned home to Canada in 1945.


The post-war period and the Korean War; 1945–1953

In 1950 the regiment was called upon to contribute to Canada's forces for the
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
. A new
Active Service Force (Special Force) The Canadian Forces were involved in the 1950–1953 Korean War and its aftermath. 26,000 Canadians participated on the side of the United Nations, and Canada sent eight destroyers. Canadian aircraft provided transport, supply and logistics. 516 ...
was to be raised, and the regiment expanded to a two-battalion, then a three-battalion, organization. The 2nd Battalion, followed by the 1st and 3rd Battalions, each saw service in Korea. The 2nd Battalion helped stabilize the 38th parallel, most notably at the Chail-li sector. In October 1952, the 1st Battalion fought the Chinese at the battle of Kowang-san (Hill 355 – Little Gibraltar). It was replaced by the 3rd Battalion, which took over the Jamestown Line on Hill 187, where it fought one of the last engagements before the armistice in 1953. After the end of the Korean War, the regiment was reduced to two battalions, when the 3rd Battalion was disbanded in July 1954.


The Cold War; 1953–1992

In 1954 two London, Ontario, Militia regiments, the Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (MG) and The Oxford Rifles were amalgamated and redesignated The London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment). This unit thus became the Reserve component of The RCR. In 1958, it was renamed 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers). In 1989, the designation of the Reserve battalion was shortened to 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment. This amalgamation also brought to the regiment the perpetuation of a number of battalions of the First World War
Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry divisi ...
, including the 1st, 33rd, 71st, 142nd and 168th Battalions as well as the 2nd Battalion of the
Canadian Machine Gun Corps The Canadian Machine Gun Corps (CMGC) was an administrative corps of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) and of the Canadian Militia. It was part of the CEF sent to France during World War I. The Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade was org ...
. The amalgamation also saw the total battle honours for the First World War, based on the combined list of amalgamated components of the regiment, increase to the full list seen below. The Militia battalion (3rd Battalion) was renumbered as the 4th Battalion in 1970 when the Canadian Guards were reduced to nil strength and the soldiers of that regiment's 2nd Battalion (at CFB Petawawa) became the restored 3rd Battalion, The RCR, on the Regular Force order of battle. At the same time, the 2nd Battalion of The RCR was relocated to CFB Gagetown,
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
, and reconstituted from the soldiers of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada as its two battalions there were also reduced to nil strength and removed from the active regiments in the army's Regular Force order of battle. During the 1950s and 1960s, battalions of The RCR were stationed as part of
4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (4CMBG; french: 4e Groupe-brigade mécanisé du Canada, 4GBMC) was a formation of the Canadian Army, then Mobile Command of the unified Canadian Forces. It was part of the European formation known as Canadia ...
at Fort York, Germany. These deployments were executed by 1RCR (1955–57 and 1962–65) and 2RCR (1953–55 and 1965–70). 3rd Battalion was later deployed to Germany, stationed in Baden-Söllingen 1977–84 and 1988–93. All three Regular Force battalions of The RCR were deployed during the
October Crisis The October Crisis (french: Crise d'Octobre) refers to a chain of events that started in October 1970 when members of the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) kidnapped the provincial Labour Minister Pierre Laporte and British diplomat James Cr ...
in 1970 as part of the government's response to the FLQ. Major John Hasek became the first commander of the Skyhawks Parachute Team when it formed in 1971. The three Regular Force battalions were also deployed in to support the
1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...
in
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
,
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...
. Throughout the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
period, The RCR participated in Canada's contributions to
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
peacekeeping Peacekeeping comprises activities intended to create conditions that favour lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed warfare. Within the United ...
. For battalions of the regiment, this meant rotating tours on the island of
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...
. The six-month tours of this mission, named Operation Snowgoose, were executed by elements of the regiment 13 times between 1966 and 1992. In 1977 the 3rd Battalion was posted to
CFB Baden-Soellingen CFB may refer to: * College football *Canadian Forces base, military installation of the Canadian forces * Caminho de Ferro de Benguela, railway in Angola * Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District *Cipher feedback, a block cipher mode ...
in Germany. In 1983, a Century of Service plaque at the
Royal Military College Saint-Jean , mottoeng = Truth, Duty, Valour , established = 1952 , type = Military college , chancellor = Anita Anand (''ex officio'' as Defence Minister) , principal = Command ...
commemorates the centennial of the Royal Canadian Regiment, 1883–1983 Canada's oldest permanent force infantry regiment. Elements of the regiment garrisoned at Saint John sur Richelieu from 1884 to 1908 and 1924–. In 1984 the battalion was rotated to
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...
. In 1988 the battalion was rotated back to Baden until the base was closed in 1993 at which time it was disbanded in Germany and subsequently stood up at
CFB Borden Canadian Forces Base Borden (also CFB Borden, French: Base des Forces canadiennes Borden or BFC Borden), formerly RCAF Station Borden, is a large Canadian Forces base located in Ontario. The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, C ...
, Ontario, as a "10/90" battalion. The "10/90" concept created an infantry battalion in each Regular Force regiment with approximately 10 per cent of its personnel being full-time Regular soldiers, while the remaining positions were filled by Reserve Force soldiers from affiliated units in the region. These units existed until 1996 when the three 10/90 battalions were stood down and replaced by light infantry battalions on the Regular Force order of battle. Initially formed without specific regimental affiliation, within the year the light infantry battalion was relocated to CFB Petawawa and officially designated the 3rd Battalion, The RCR. In 1990, HQ and Duke of Edinburgh's Company (the first rifle company) of the 1st Battalion deployed to Cornwall, Ontario, as part of Operation Kahnawake. The 2nd Battalion, as part of 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, deployed to the Montreal region to partake in Operation Salon. These deployments were part of the government's response to the
Oka Crisis The Oka Crisis (french: links=no, Crise d'Oka), also known as the Kanehsatà:ke Resistance (), was a land dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec, Canada, which began on July 11, 1990, and lasted 78 days until Septe ...
. In 1991, M Company and a platoon from P Company from 3rd Battalion(CFB Baden-Soellingen, Germany) and C Company from 1RCR ( CFB London, Ontario) served in the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...
during Operations
Desert Shield The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
and
Desert Storm The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases ...
, the first
Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
. These companies were employed on airfield and field hospital security duties. File:Century of Service Plaque The Royal Canadian Regiment 1883-1983.jpg, Century of Service Plaque The Royal Canadian Regiment 1883–1983,
Royal Military College Saint-Jean , mottoeng = Truth, Duty, Valour , established = 1952 , type = Military college , chancellor = Anita Anand (''ex officio'' as Defence Minister) , principal = Command ...


Peacekeeping era; 1992–2004

In 1992, soldiers from the English-speaking N Company of the 3rd Battalion (Major Devlin), based in Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Baden-Soellingen in Germany, as an attachment to the French-speaking Royal 22e Régiment, operationally secured the
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
airport during the
Yugoslav wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and insurgencies that took place in the SFR Yugoslavia from 1991 to 2001. The conflicts both led up to and resulted from ...
. This operation saw a redeployment of the entire battle group from Croatia to the Sarajevo Theatre of Operations, under the command of General Lewis MacKenzie.
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...
, Queen of Canada, made mention of this operational force and its commitment to international peace while she was in the
National Capital Region A capital region, also called a capital district or capital territory, is a region or district surrounding a capital city. It is not always the official term for the region, but may sometimes be used as an informal synonym. Capital regions can exis ...
that same year during Canada's 125th, stating: Shortly thereafter the Governor General of Canada bestowed the Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation to N Company. The official warrant stated: The unit returned to Bosnia for a tour with the stabilization force, SFOR, in 1998 and 1999. All three Regular Force battalions served as peacekeepers in the
Sinai Peninsula The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai (now usually ) (, , cop, Ⲥⲓⲛⲁ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a ...
, in
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and Pars pro toto#Geography, often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of Southern Europe, south and southeast Euro ...
. The 1st Battalion served in
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a international recognition of Kosovo, partiall ...
under NATO mission Operation Kinetic, Rotation 1, December 1999–May 2000. In 2000, the 2nd Battalion had the honour of mounting the Queen's Guard at
Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
, when a detachment came to London to commemorate the Canadian involvement in the
Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the So ...
, and to celebrate the re-opening of
Canada House Canada House (french: Maison du Canada) is a Greek Revival building on Trafalgar Square in London. It has been a Grade II* Listed Building since 1970. It has served as the offices of the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom since ...
. Later that year, H Company Group of 2nd Battalion deployed to eastern Africa as part of UNMEE. As the United States prepared militarily and politically to launch military actions against Iraq, 2 RCR formed a provisional battle group and was warned off that if the government decided to participate, it would deploy. The government decided against participation and instead decided to return to Afghanistan. I Company Group deployed to Kabul on 26 May 2003 to form the Defence and Security Company for the construction of the Canadian camp. It returned to Canada in August of that year after 3rd Battalion Group took on ISAF operations. The "Leadership Award"(2000) by André Gauthier (sculptor) was commissioned for The Royal Canadian Regiment. In March 2004 the same company deployed to
Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
, Haiti, as part of Operation Halo (Operation "Secure Tomorrow" as the United States called it) to conduct security operations as part of the Multinational Interim Force. This force was set in place in order to set the conditions for the United Nations to take over. I Company conducted a relief in place with H Company Group in June. H Company changed roles to the UN force and redeployed to Gonaïves, Haiti. It returned to Canada in September of that year.


Afghanistan; 2003–present

In August 2003, the 3rd Battalion deployed to Kabul Afghanistan as part of Operation Athena for a six-month tour of duty. The battalion suffered the first Canadian casualties effected by enemy action in the war and conducted the first Canadian company-level direct action raid against insurgent forces since the Korean War. In August 2006, the 1st Battalion deployed to
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
as part of Operation Athena, replacing the 1st Battalion,
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricia's) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...
(PPCLI) for a six-month tour of duty in theatre. In February 2007, the 2nd Battalion replaced the 1st Battalion in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
for a tour of duty. In September 2008, 3rd Battalion replaced 2nd Battalion, PPCLI, as part of Operation Athena, Roto 6, forming the core of the Task Force Kanadahar Battle Group. It served until relieved in place by 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment in April 2009. The predeployment training of a platoon from the battalion was filmed for the
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1 ...
series ''
Combat School released as ''Boot Camp'' in North America, is a 1987 arcade video game produced by Konami. The player takes control of a military recruit who is undergoing basic training at a United States Marine Corps Recruit Training camp, also known as a b ...
''. In April 2010, the 1st Battalion deployed for Task Force 1–10 In February 2012, the 2nd Battalion formed the core of Rotation 1 of the Canadian Contribution Training Mission – Afghanistan and deployed to
Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into #Districts, 22 municipal dist ...
on Operation Attention till November 2012. In October–November 2018, an 82-strong contingent from all four battalions and 38 members of the Royal Canadian Artillery Band provided the Queen's Guard at
Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
,
St James's Palace St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster in London. Alt ...
and the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...
, as well as
Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original c ...
. The RCR has contributed personnel to Canadian Forces Joint Task Force-Ukraine since 2014.


Recognition

Freedom of the City The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...
was exercised by the Royal Canadian Regiment in
Fredericton, New Brunswick Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...
on 2 June 1973 and in
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...
on June 19, 2005. On 10 November 1983 Canada Post issued 'The Royal Canadian Regiment, The British Columbia Regiment' as part of the Canadian Forces, Regiments, 1883–1983 series. The stamps were designed by Ralph Tibbles, based on a painting by William Southern. The 32¢ stamps are perforated 13.5 × 13 and were printed by Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited.


Honorary appointments


Colonel-in-chief

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...
, was appointed as the colonel-in-chief of the RCR on 8 December 1953 and held the appointment until his death in 2021. Prince Philip had only one predecessor in this appointment:
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (Arthur William Patrick Albert; 1 May 185016 January 1942), was the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He served as G ...
, from 1929 to 1942. File:Prince Philip as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Regiment.jpg, Prince Philip as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Regiment in April 2013.


Colonel of the regiment

The colonel of the regiment, through such appointment, holds the pre-eminent position in the conduct of regimental affairs. He is the senior member of the Regimental Council, an advisor to The RCR Association Board of Directors and The RCR Trust Fund. The Colonel of the Regiment is former
Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm ...
David Johnston, who accepted the appointment on August 4, 2018.


Honorary lieutenant-colonel, 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment

The honorary lieutenant-colonel, through such appointment, is specifically an adviser and mentor to the 4th Battalion, as the Colonel of the Regiment is to the Regiment as a whole. The Honorary Lieutenant Colonel is a member of The RCR Senate and acts as an adviser to The RCR Association Board of Directors and The RCR Trust Fund. The current honorary lieutenant-colonel (HLCol) of the 4th Battalion is Colonel Bruce W. Burnham, of Ilderton, Ontario.


Patron

On 5 June 2012, Judith Irving was officially appointed first patron of the Regiment. In December 2013, Mike Holmes was officially appointed a patron of the Regiment.


Regimental Sculptor

On 26 June 2013, Christian Cardell Corbet was officially appointed the first Regimental Sculptor. This took place at Canada House, London, UK where Corbet was presented with a regimental tie following the unveiling of his portrait bust of the Colonel in Chief of The Regiment, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT.


The RCR cap badge

"An eight-pointed diamond cut star; upon the star a raised circle surmounted by the crown; within the raised circle, the block letters "VRI", the Imperial Cypher of Queen Victoria." (Description of the badge of The RCR as presented in ''Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army'', published by the Army Historical Section, 1964) The letters VRI on the cap badge of The RCR stand for ''Victoria Regina Imperatrix'', which is Latin for "Victoria, Queen and Empress". The right to wear the imperial cypher and crown was granted to the regiment by
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
in 1893. When a royal or imperial cypher forms part of the badge of a regiment it is normal for it to change with each succeeding sovereign. During the period 1901 to 1919, the officially authorized versions of the regiment's cap badge were those with
Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second chil ...
's and
George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother ...
's cyphers, although the regiment continued to use the "VRI" ensigned badges throughout this time while petitioning for their formal return. In 1919, George V granted The Royal Canadian Regiment permission to wear "VRI" in perpetuity – a unique privilege.


Company designations

The companies of the battalions of The RCR are lettered sequentially across the regiment: * 1st Battalion – A to F * 2nd Battalion – G to L * 3rd Battalion – M to R * 4th Battalion – S, T and X (S Company consists of a company headquarters as well as two rifle platoons located in London, Ontario, and 3 Platoon located in Stratford, Ontario. T Company consists of a company headquarters located in Stratford, Ontario, and X Company consists of the battalion headquarters personnel.) In the Regular Force battalions, the first four companies are rifle companies, and the latter two are combat support (weapons) and administration company (combat service support). When on parade, companies parade in alphabetic order. Companies are normally addressed by the
NATO phonetic alphabet The (International) Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet, commonly known as the NATO phonetic alphabet, is the most widely used set of clear code words for communicating the letters of the Roman alphabet, technically a ''radiotelephonic spellin ...
for their designation letter with the following exceptions: * A Coy, 1RCR, is designated and always referred to as "Duke of Edinburgh's Company" or, colloquially, "Duke's Company" * C Coy, 1RCR, is known as "Charles" Company. This unique designation was adopted during the Korean War, as the company was noted for maintaining a very high standard of dress and deportment. * M Coy, 3RCR, is often referred to as "Para" Company, short for Parachute Company, at the discretion of the commanding officer, although this title is not officially recognized by the regiment as other than a colloquial nickname, even as the 3rd Battalion is now airborne-capable


Regimental bands


Bugles and Drums

The first band of The RCR was formed under "A" Company of the Infantry School Corps in 1894, when Sergeant Charles Hayes, a graduate of Kneller Hall Music College, enlisted in January 1894. That same year the corps also reported training nine buglers for the Militia. By 1899, the authorized establishment for the regiment included four "Sergt. Trumpeters or Drummers" on the staff of the Regimental Depots along with 16 "Trumpeters, Buglers or Drummers" between the stations of the regiment. By 1901, the authorized establishment had changed to one "Sergt. Trumpeters or Drummers" and 12 "Trumpeters, Buglers or Drummers", possibly indicating a consolidation of musicians into a regimental band rather than a training cadre at each garrison. The regiment reported having an active band throughout much of the First World War, once their instruments were smuggled forward for them to use. With few lapses, the regiment maintained a Drum and Bugle band at least until the 1990s, when the 1st Battalion had a Drum and Bugle Corps within the ranks of C Company.


Pipes and Drums

In 1970, following a review of the regular army, a number of infantry battalions were disbanded. The Canadian Guards and the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada lost both of their regular battalions, with personnel being distributed to The Royal Canadian Regiment. The 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment adopted the Pipes and Drums of the Black Watch, becoming the Pipes and Drums of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment. The 3rd Battalion of The RCR, similarly, adopted the Pipes and Drums of the 2nd Battalion, The Canadian Guards, when they were disbanded. In 1977 the 3rd Battalion Pipes and Drums were redesignated the Special Service Force Pipes and Drums. The 2nd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment currently maintains the only Pipes and Drums in the Canadian regular army. In the 2000s, the Pipe Band began wearing a Piper's badge embroidered with their feather bonnets.


The RCR Band

The "Drum and Bugles" and "Pipes and Drums" bands of the regiment are notable in that all members are trained infantry soldiers employed secondarily as musicians. The RCR Band, in contrast, was a professional brass and reed band manned by military musicians. The band in its final state was formed in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
in the 1950s, transferred to CFB Gagetown in the 1970s and disbanded in the 1990s. In its earlier forms, it was guided by the ''Standing Orders of The Royal Canadian Regiment'' of 1935, which constituted its activities. A notable member of the band is Jean-Pierre Montminy, an officer who has served in
La Musique du Royal 22e Régiment The Royal 22 Régiment Band is the regimental band of the Royal 22nd Regiment. It is based at CFB Valcartier (Valcartier Garrison) in Quebec and is assigned to the 2nd Canadian Division Support Group. It is the only French-speaking regular milita ...
as well as at the Canadian Forces School of Music.


Directors

*Bugle Band: ** WO1 G. Noakes (1972) **CWO Passmans (1972-1973) **CWO W. Brooks (1973-1974) **CWO R.B. Williams (2 August 1976 – 21 July 1982) **CWO N. Devries (21 July 1982 – 27 July 1988) **CWO A.A. Van Gogh (27 Jul 1988-1 January 1993) **CWO P.J. Buiteman (1 January 1993 – 1 August 1994) *Pipe Band: **Pipe-Major William Gilmour (1970-1981) **Pipe-Major Gerry Pozywajlo (1981-1983) **Pipe-Major Doug Moulton (1983-1984) **Pipe-Major Richard Samways (1984-1986) **Pipe-Major Ken Whitehall (1986-1988) **Pipe-Major Hugh Macpherson (1988-1990) **Pipe-Major James McIntyre (1990-1992) **Pipe-Major Ian Ferguson (1992-1995) **Pipe-Major Bryan Duguid (1995-2002) **Pipe-Major Jeff Donnelly (2002-2004) **Pipe-Major Seann Alderman (2004-2006) **Pipe-Major Dave Lee (2006-2007) **Pipe-Major Mark Heagle (2007-2008) **Pipe-Major Dave Pierce (2008-2009) **Pipe-Major Brian Hilson (2009-2010) **Pipe-Major James Firth (2010-2014) **Pipe-Major James Malcolm (2014-2017) **Pipe-Major James Firth (2017-''Present'') *Regimental Band: **Captain Michael Ryan (21 June 1905 – 26 August 1916) **Lieutenant H.G. Jones (26 August 1916-November 1919) **Captain Michael Ryan (November 1919-22 January 1924) **Captain L.K. Harrison (July 1924-September 1939) **Lieutenant J.E. Proderick (September 1939-April 1945) ** WO1 B. Bacah (Bandmaster) Apr 1945 - 1946 **Lieutenant William Armstrong (31 March 1946-October 1953) **Captain J. Purcell (October 1953-June 1963) **Captain Derek Stannard (June 1963-September 1969) **Captain John D. Collins (September 1969-July 1978) **Captain J.D. Montminy (July 1978-16 May 1980) **Captain D.W. Embree (16 May 1980 – 8 September 1987) **Captain J. Van Liempt (8 September 1987 – 28 December 1988) **Captain Kenneth Killingbeck (23 January 1989 – 1 September 1993) **Captain W. F. Eberts (1 September 1993 – 1 August 1995)


Music

*"Hurrah for our boys in khaki" by Fred & Chas Adams, which was respectfully inscribed to the Royal Canadian Regiment, was published in Toronto by R.S. Williams & Sons, circa 1900. First line: "We've heard in song and story about the soldiers of the Queen" Chorus: "They fought the Boers at Paardeberg." *"The Regimental March of the Royal Canadian Regiment" by Lieut. Langford and G. Offen was published by Capt. F.A. Lister, R.C.R., 1910. First line: "Oh! we're crushing the gravel again today" *"March, The Royal Canadian Regiment" by Arthur W. Hughes was published in Toronto and Winnipeg by Whaley, Royce & Co., circa 1900.


Perpetuation

War of 1812: The Royal Canadian Regiment perpetuates the 1st Regiment of the Middlesex Militia (1812–15) and the 1st Regiment of the Oxford Militia (1812–15). First World War: The Regiment perpetuates a number of units of the Canadian Militia and the
Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry divisi ...
(CEF) of the First World War: * Units of the Canadian Militia: ** The London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment), which were formed by the amalgamation of: *** The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), which started as the "7th Infantry Battalion, 'Prince Arthur's Own'" in 1866, and *** The Oxford Rifles, which started as the "Twenty-second Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles, Canada" in 1863, ** 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps (1919–1938). * Units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF): ** 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF, ** 33rd Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF, ** 71st Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF, ** 142nd Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF, ** 168th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF, ** 2nd Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps, CEF, which was formed from: *** 4th Canadian Machine Gun Company, *** 5th Canadian Machine Gun Company, *** 6th Canadian Machine Gun Company, and the *** 14th Canadian Machine Gun Company.


See also

*
The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Forces The relationship between the Canadian Crown and the Canadian Armed Forces is both constitutional and ceremonial with the King of Canada being the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces and with the King and other members of the Canadian Royal ...
* List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage *
Royal Canadian Regiment Museum The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum is located at Wolseley Barracks (the former CFB London) in London, Ontario, Canada. History Although original architectural drawings of Wolseley Hall drafted in 1886 show space allocated to a museum, the muse ...
*
3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (3 RCR) is a regular force light infantry battalion of the Canadian Forces. 3 RCR's most notable service occurred in Korea, Germany, Bosnia and Afghanistan. In 2006–2010, the battalion was deployed ...
*
Military history of Canada The military history of Canada comprises hundreds of years of armed actions in the territory encompassing modern Canada, and interventions by the Canadian military in conflicts and peacekeeping worldwide. For thousands of years, the area that woul ...
*
History of the Canadian Army The history of the Canadian Army, began when the title first came into official use in November 1940, during the Second World War, and is still used today. Although the official titles, Force Mobile Command, and later Land Force Command, were use ...
*
Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...
* Maroon beret * The Canadian Guards


Order of precedence

Regular Force: Reserve Force:


Badge


Footnotes


Books

*Lt. Col. (RET) Reverend Lyman R. Coleman, Honorary Chaplain to The Royal Canadian Regiment. "Called To Serve" (The Regimental Warehouse; 31 May 2010). *Lt. Col. (RET) Reverend Lyman R. Coleman, Honorary Chaplain to The Royal Canadian Regiment. "In This Sign" *Strome Galloway "Sicily, to the Siegfried Line" (The Regimental Warehouse; 3 July 2009) *Strome Galloway "Some Died at Ortona; The Royal Canadian Regiment at War in Italy 1943" (The Regimental Warehouse; 3 July 2009) *Bernd Horn "Establishing a Legacy: The History of the Royal Canadian Regiment 1883–1953" (Dundurn; 19/05/2008) *"Presentation of colours to the Second Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, by Field Marshal His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh K.G., Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment, nominated by Her Majesty the Queen to make this presentation, Fort York, Germany, 17th October 1955." (Aldershot, Gale & Polden, The Wellington Press, 1955) *"Honour roll : the Royal Canadian Regiment : Northwest Rebellion 1885 to United Nations operations Korea 1950–53" (Ottawa : Public Relations, the Royal Canadian Regiment, 1961) *"Standing rules for officers' messes of the Royal Canadian Regiment" (Canada; Director of Artillery, ©1913) *"A short history of the Royal Canadian Regiment, 1883–1964" (London Ont. : The Regiment, 1964.) *Bernd Horn "Doing Canada Proud: The Second Boer War and the Battle of Paardeberg."


Fiction

*Martin Marais "The Battle of Paardeberg: Lord Roberts' Gambit."


External links


History and Uniform of the Royal Canadian Regiment, 1883 to 19701st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment
(Defence site)
2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment
(Defence site)
3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment
(Defence site)
4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment
(Defence site)
The Royal Canadian Regiment
(Regimental Website)

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20110815083312/http://dutyandvalour.com/wiki/Ortona_Toast Ortona Toast a regimental observance, on Duty & Valour
The 3 RCR Drill Team (1988)
{{Canadian Forces Land Force Command Royal Canadian Regiment Infantry regiments of Canada 1883 establishments in Canada Military units and formations established in 1883 Military units and formations of New Brunswick Military units and formations of Ontario Canadian Militia units of The North-West Rebellion Military units and formations of Canada in World War II Infantry regiments of Canada in World War II Military units and formations of Canada in the Korean War
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
Canadian Militia