The Saskatchewan Dragoons
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The Saskatchewan Dragoons is a
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, the ...
armoured
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 res ...
. The unit is based in
Moose Jaw Moose Jaw is the fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Lying on the Moose Jaw River in the south-central part of the province, it is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javian ...
. Their primary job is to assist the Regular Force in meeting Canada's military commitments. Their training and equipment closely follow that of the Regular Force, which the Reserves are called upon to assist increasingly often. The Saskatchewan Dragoons are part of
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 ...
's 38 Canadian Brigade Group. Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, became colonel-in-chief of the regiment on visiting
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dak ...
in 2003, when he congratulated the regiment on its "contribution to Canada's proud tradition of citizen-soldiers in the community". Involved in peacekeeping operations in
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 ge ...
, the
Golan Heights The Golan Heights ( ar, هَضْبَةُ الْجَوْلَانِ, Haḍbatu l-Jawlān or ; he, רמת הגולן, ), or simply the Golan, is a region in the Levant spanning about . The region defined as the Golan Heights differs between di ...
, Bosnia and
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
, members of the regiment have also provided aid during floods and forest fires in the prairies.


Role

Their role is that of a
reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
squadron. They examine an area in preparation for the advance of a main body of troops. They go forward, sometimes many miles, and gather information on enemy strength, equipment, movements, and intentions. They pass this information, together with other helpful information on such things as bridges, blocked roads, and areas of potential danger, back to higher command so the advance can take place as safely as possible. At the same time they deny such information to the enemy. In the withdrawal, they maintain contact with the enemy while the main body pulls back. Thus, they often speak of their role as "first in last out".


Lineage


The Saskatchewan Dragoons

The Saskatchewan Dragoons originated in
Regina, Saskatchewan Regina () is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 census, Regina had a city populatio ...
on 3 July 1905, when a regiment of infantry was authorized to be formed in the districts of Assiniboia and Saskatchewan. It was designated the 95th Regiment on 2 April 1907 and the 95th Saskatchewan Rifles on 1 June 1909. On 1 April 1912 the regiment was reorganized as two separate regiments, the 105th Regiment (now The North Saskatchewan Regiment) and the 95th Saskatchewan Rifles. On 15 March 1920, it was amalgamated with the 60th Rifles of Canada and redesignated
The South Saskatchewan Regiment The South Saskatchewan Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces formed in 1936 by the amalgamation of The Weyburn Regiment and The Saskatchewan Border Regiment. It was reduced to nil strength and placed on the Supplementary Order ...
. On 15 May 1924, The South Saskatchewan Regiment was reorganized into five separate regiments, The Assiniboia Regiment (now the 10th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA), The Regina Rifle Regiment (now The Royal Regina Rifles), The Weyburn Regiment (now
The South Saskatchewan Regiment The South Saskatchewan Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces formed in 1936 by the amalgamation of The Weyburn Regiment and The Saskatchewan Border Regiment. It was reduced to nil strength and placed on the Supplementary Order ...
), The Saskatchewan Border Regiment (now
The South Saskatchewan Regiment The South Saskatchewan Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces formed in 1936 by the amalgamation of The Weyburn Regiment and The Saskatchewan Border Regiment. It was reduced to nil strength and placed on the Supplementary Order ...
) and The South Saskatchewan Regiment. It was redesignated The King's Own Rifles of Canada on 15 September 1924. On 15 December 1936, it was amalgamated with B Company of the 12th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC (now The Royal Regina Rifles) and redesignated The King's Own Rifles of Canada (MG). It was redesignated the 2nd Battalion, The King's Own Rifles of Canada on 29 January 1942 and, upon conversion to armour, the 20th (Saskatchewan) Armoured Regiment, RCAC, on 1 April 1946, the 20th Saskatchewan Armoured Regiment on 4 February 1949, The Saskatchewan Dragoons (20th Armoured Regiment) on 31 July 1954 and The Saskatchewan Dragoons on 19 May 1958.Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments. The Saskatchewan Dragoons were restricted to one squadron on 1 September 1970.


Lineage Chart


Perpetuations

The Saskatchewan Dragoons perpetuate the 46th Battalion (South Saskatchwewan), CEF and the 128th Battalion (Moose Jaw), CEF.


Operational history


The Great War

Details of the 60th Rifles of Canada and the 95th Saskatchewan Rifles were placed on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protective duty. The 46th Battalion (South Saskatchewan), CEF, was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 23 October 1915, disembarking in France on 11 August 1916, where it fought as part of the 10th Infantry Brigade, 4th Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battalion was disbanded on 30 August 1920. Sgt Hugh Cairns of the 46th Battalion (South Saskatchewan), CEF, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at
Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...
, destroying several enemy machine gun positions and capturing numerous enemy soldiers over the course of several engagements on 1 November 1918. He was severely wounded while disarming a party of 60 German soldiers he had forced to surrender and died of his wounds the next day. The 128th Battalion (Moose Jaw), CEF, was authorized on 22 December 1915 and embarked for Britain on 15 August 1916, where it provided reinforcements to the Canadian Corps in the field until 13 February 1917, when it was allotted to the 13th Infantry Brigade, 5th Canadian Division in England. On 27 May 1917 its personnel were absorbed by the 19th Reserve Battalion, CEF. The battalion was disbanded on 30 August 1920.


The Second World War

The regiment mobilized the 1st Battalion, The King's Own Rifles of Canada, CASF, on 29 January 1942. The unit served in Canada in a home defence role as part of the 14th Canadian Infantry Brigade,
8th Canadian Infantry Division The 8th Canadian Infantry Division was a military formation of the Canadian Army that served within Pacific Command in Western Canada during World War II. The Division units were raised on 18 March 1942 and the HQ was raised on 12 May 1942 at Pri ...
. The battalion was disbanded on 30 March 1946.


Battle honours

Those battle honours in bold type are emblazoned on the regiment's guidon.


The Great War

* MOUNT SORREL *
SOMME, 1916 The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place be ...
* Ancre Heights * Ancre, 1916 *
ARRAS, 1917 The Battle of Arras (also known as the Second Battle of Arras) was a British offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British troops attacked German defences near the French city of Arras on the ...
, '18 *
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 ...
*
HILL 70 The Battle of Hill 70 took place in the First World War between the Canadian Corps and five divisions of the German 6th Army. The battle took place along the Western Front on the outskirts of Lens in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France ...
*
YPRES, 1917 The Third Battle of Ypres (german: link=no, Dritte Flandernschlacht; french: link=no, Troisième Bataille des Flandres; nl, Derde Slag om Ieper), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele (), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by t ...
* 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 * Drocourt-Quéant *
HINDENBURG LINE The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 191 ...
*
Canal du Nord The Canal du Nord (, literally ''Canal of the North'') is a long canal in northern France. The canal connects the Canal latéral à l'Oise at Pont-l'Évêque to the Sensée Canal at Arleux. The French government, in partnership with coal-min ...
*
VALENCIENNES Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a s ...
* FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1916-18


War in Afghanistan

*AFGHANISTAN


Order of precedence


Armoury


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Saskatchewan Dragoons Armoured regiments of Canada Dragoon regiments of Canada Moose Jaw Military units and formations of Saskatchewan Armoured regiments & units of Canada in World War II Military units and formations established in 1913