(For hearth and home) , colors = , colors_label = , march = "Huntsmen's Chorus" and '' Lutzow's Wild Hunt'' , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label =

Equipment Equipment most commonly refers to a set of tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, onl ...

, battles = Fenian Raids
South African War

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

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 ...

, anniversaries = , battle_honours = See #Battle Honours , commander1 = , commander1_label = , commander3 = , commander3_label = , commander4 = , commander4_label = , commander2 = , commander2_label = , notable_commanders = , identification_symbol = , identification_symbol_label = The Victoria Rifles of Canada was 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

Non-Permanent Active Militia The Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) was the name of Canada's part-time volunteer military force from 1855 to 1940. The NPAM (also called "the Militia" though that term could also encompass the full-time standing army known as the Permanent ...

of the Canadian Militia and later 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 res ...

. First formed in

Montreal, Quebec 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-pe ...

in 1862, the regiment would see a history of service stretching from the Fenian Raids of the 1860s-70s right into the middle of the 20th Century. In 1965, the regiment was reduced to nil strength and transferred to the Supplementary Order of Battle.Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.

Lineage

The Victoria Rifles of Canada

* Originated on 22 January 1862, in Montreal, Quebec, as The 3rd Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles Canada. * Redesignated on 18 July, 1862, as the 3rd Battalion, The Victoria Volunteer Rifles of Montreal. * Redesignated on 5 December, 1879, as the 3rd Battalion Victoria Rifles of Canada. * Redesignated on 8 May, 1900, as the 3rd Regiment Victoria Rifles of Canada. * Redesignated on 29 March, 1920, as The Victoria Rifles of Canada. * Redesignated on 15 November, 1934, as Victoria Rifles of Canada. * Redesignated on 7 November, 1941, as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, Victoria Rifles of Canada. * Redesignated on 1 June, 1945, as the Victoria Rifles of Canada. * Reduced to Nil Strength on 5 March, 1965, and Transferred to the Supplementary Order of Battle.

Lineage Chart

Lineage of the Victoria Rifles of Canada: , - , style="text-align: left;", class="wikitable" + Abbreviations used in the chart - ! Abbreviation !! Phrase - Bn Battalion - CASF

Canadian Active Service Force Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

- CEF Canadian Expeditionary Force - Coy Company - Regt Regiment , - , style="text-align: left;", Notes:

Perpetuations

The Victoria Rifles of Canada perpetuate the following units: * 24th Battalion (Victoria Rifles), CEF * 60th Battalion (Victoria Rifles of Canada), CEF *

244th Battalion (Kitchener's Own), CEF The 244th (Kitchener's Own) Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Montreal, Quebec, the unit began recruiting in the spring of 1916 in Montreal and the surrounding district. After saili ...

Operational history

The Fenian Raids

The battalion was called out on active service during the 1866 Fenian Raids from 8 March to 31 March 1866, and during the 1870 Fenian Raids from 24 May to 24 June 1870. During the Fenian raids, the Victoria Rifles participated in the ''

Campobello fiasco Campobello Island (, also ) is the largest and only inhabited island in Campobello, a civil parish in southwestern New Brunswick, Canada, near the border with Maine, United States. The island's permanent population in 2021 was 949. It is the si ...

'' in

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

with other regiments like the

Royal Scots The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of Scotland. The regime ...

. In 1866 several companies from the Victoria Rifles were sent to reinforce defences in St-Jean, Lachine and Cornwall. The raids of 1870 were the least effective of the Fenian attempts against Canada. The effort four years earlier at Campobello had the most far-reaching effects, as it induced New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to enter Confederation, while operations in Canada East and Canada West brought about a martial spirit similar to that which swept the United States at the outbreak of the Civil War. Because the campaign was of short duration, there was no time for disenchantment. Yet the raids of 1866 were clearly unfinished business, as the Brotherhood declared by warlike preparation. File:Victoria Rifles of Canada 1862.jpg, Presentation of Colours of Victoria Rifles of Canada in Montreal, 1862 File:No. 6 Company, Victoria Rifles, Montreal, QC, composite, 1889.jpg, No. 6 Company, 3rd Victoria Rifles, Montreal, QC, 1889

The South African War

The Victoria Rifles contributed volunteers for the Canadian Contingents 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 ...

, mainly as part of the 2nd (Special Service) Battalion of The Royal Canadian Regiment. Between 1885 and 1902, The Rifles were sometimes called upon to help quell civil disruptions in Montreal and Valleyfield.

The Great War

During the Great War, details of the regiment were placed on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protection duties. The 24th Battalion (Victoria Rifles), CEF, was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 11 May 1915, arriving in France on 16 September 1915, where it fought as part of the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade,

2nd Canadian Division The 2nd Canadian Division (2 Cdn Div; french: 2e Division du Canada) is a formation of the Canadian Army in the province of Quebec, Canada. The present command was created 2013 when Land Force Quebec Area was re-designated. The main unit housed ...

in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The 24th Battalion was disbanded on 15 September 1920. The 60th Battalion (Victoria Rifles of Canada), CEF, was authorized on 20 April 1915, embarked for Great Britain on 4 November 1915 and arrived in France on 21 February 1916, where it fought as part of the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade,

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 th ...

in France and Flanders until 30 April 1917, when its personnel were absorbed by the

5th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF The 5th Battalion Canadian Mounted Rifles were a mounted infantry unit of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during World War I. The unit was raised from volunteers of the 7th and XIth (Canadian) Hussars from the Eastern Townships of Que ...

, and the 87th Battalion (Canadian Grenadier Guards), CEF. The battalion was disbanded on 15 August 1918. The

, was authorized on 15 July 1916 and embarked for Great Britain on 28 March 1917 where its personnel were absorbed by the 23rd Reserve Battalion, CEF, on 21 April 1917 to provide reinforcements for units of the Canadian Corps in the field. The battalion was disbanded on 15 Sept 1920. File:24 Bn CEF.jpg, The distinguishing patch of the 24th Battalion (Victoria Rifles), CEF. File:60 Bn CEF.jpg, The distinguishing patch of the 60th Battalion (Victoria Rifles of Canada), CEF. File:Soldier of the Victoria Rifles, guarding the Lachine Canal, Montreal.jpg, Soldier of the Victoria Rifles, guarding the Lachine Canal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

The Second World War

During the Second World War, the regiment was called out on service for local protection duties on 26 August 1939 and details of the regiment were also mobilized for active service under the designation Victoria Rifles of Canada, CASF (Details) on 1 September 1939. The details called out on active service were disbanded on 31 December 1940 and the regiment mobilized an active service unit designated as The Victoria Rifles of Canada, CASF, on 24 May 1940. It was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, The Victoria Rifles of Canada, CASF, on 7 November 1940. It served in Canada, and in Newfoundland from November 1940 to September 1941 on garrison duty as part of the 17th Infantry Brigade, 7th Canadian Division. The 1st Battalion embarked for Great Britain on 20 November 1944, and it was disbanded the next day, on 21 November 1944, to provide reinforcements to the

in the field.

Organization

3rd Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles Canada (22 January, 1862)

* Regimental Headquarters (

) * No. 1 Company (Montreal, Quebec) (first raised on 10 January, 1862 as the 1st Rifle Company of Montreal) * No. 2 Company (Montreal, Quebec) (first raised on 10 January, 1862 as the 2nd Rifle Company of Montreal) * No. 3 Company (Montreal, Quebec) (first raised on 10 January, 1862 as the 3rd Rifle Company of Montreal) * No. 4 Company (Montreal, Quebec) (first raised on 28 February, 1862 as the 4th Rifle Company of Montreal) * No. 5 Company (Montreal, Quebec) (first raised on 28 February, 1862 as the 5th Rifle Company of Montreal) * No. 6 Company (Montreal, Quebec) (first raised on 28 February, 1862 as the 6th Rifle Company of Montreal)

3rd Regiment Victoria Rifles of Canada (15 December, 1914)

* Regimental Headquarters (Montreal, Quebec) * A Company (Montreal, Quebec) * B Company (Montreal, Quebec) * C Company (Montreal, Quebec) * D Company (Montreal, Quebec)

The Victoria Rifles of Canada (1 December, 1920)

* 1st Battalion (perpetuating the 24th Battalion, CEF) * 2nd Battalion (perpetuating the 60th Battalion, CEF) * 3rd Battalion (perpetuating the 244th Battalion, CEF)

Alliances

* -

The King's Royal Rifle Corps The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...

(Until 1965)

Battle Honours

Those battle honours in bold type are emblazoned on the regimental unit appointments.

The Fenian Raids

The South African War

The Great War

* * * * * Flers-Courcelette *

Thiepval Thiepval (; pcd, Tièbvo) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Thiepval is located north of Albert at the crossroads of the D73 and D151 and approximately northeast of Amiens. Population First Wo ...

Ancre Heights The Ancre (; ) is a river of Picardy, France. Rising at Miraumont, a hamlet near the town of Albert, it flows into the Somme at Corbie. It is long. For most of its length it flows through the department of Somme. For a short stretch near P ...

* *

Vimy, 1917 The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions o ...

Arleux Arleux () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Geography The river Sensée joins the Canal du Nord at Arleux. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of ...

*Scarpe,

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Fo ...

, '18 * * Passchendaele * * * Canal du Nord *

Cambrai, 1918 The Battle of Cambrai, 1918 (also known as the Second Battle of Cambrai) was a battle between troops of the British First, Third and Fourth Armies and German Empire forces during the Hundred Days Offensive of the First World War. The battle ...

* *

Notable Members

* Major General Charles Basil Price * Lieutenant General Robert Moncel * Lieutenant Colonel

William Osborne Smith Lieutenant-Colonel William Osborne Smith (1833 – 11 May 1887) served as the first Acting Commissioner of the North-West Mounted Police, from 25 September to 17 October 1873. Biography Osborne Smith was born to W. H. Smith of Hendreowe ...

Notes

References

* A Brief History of the Active Service Battalion of the Victoria Rifles. 24th Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd Division Canadian Expeditionary Forces 1914-15 by Canada. Canadian Army. 24th Battalion (Victoria Rifles of Canada) (Jan 1 1915) * From the War Diaries of Sgt. J.W. Kennedy, M.M. and Bar, Second Canadian Division, 24th Battalion, Victoria Rifles by J. W. Kennedy (Jan 2007) * The 24th Battalion, C.E.F., Victoria Rifles of Canada 1914-1919 by R.C. Fetherstonhaugh (1930) {{Authority control Victoria Rifles of Canada Military units and formations of Quebec 1862 establishments in Canada Military units and formations established in 1862 Military units and formations disestablished in 1965 Supplementary Order of Battle