The Royal 22nd Regiment
(R22R; ) is an
infantry
Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation.
In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
of the
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), 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 re ...
. Known colloquially in English as the Van Doos (representing an
anglicized
Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...
pronunciation of the French number twenty-two, ) or in French as , the mostly
francophone
The Francophonie or Francophone world is the whole body of people and organisations around the world who use the French language regularly for private or public purposes. The term was coined by Onésime Reclus in 1880 and became important a ...
regiment comprises three Regular Force
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
s, two
Primary Reserve
The Primary Reserve of the Canadian Armed Forces () is the first and largest of the four sub-components of the Canadian Armed Forces reserves, followed by the Supplementary Reserve, the Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service (f ...
battalions, and a band, making it the largest regiment in the Canadian Army.
The headquarters () of the regiment is at the
Citadelle of Quebec
The Citadelle of Quebec (), also known as , is an active military installation and the secondary official residence of the governor general of Canada. It is atop Cap Diamant, adjoining the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, Quebec. The citadel ...
in
Quebec City
Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...
, also the site of the regimental museum, and all three of its regular battalions are stationed at
Canadian Forces Base Valcartier in
Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, outside of Quebec City. The regiment is a "British-style" infantry regiment that is the spiritual home and repository of customs and traditions for a number of battalions that do not necessarily serve together operationally. It serves as the "local" infantry regiment for the province of Quebec, where it draws most of its recruits; it is the largest regiment in the province, in terms of numbers.
History

While the Royal 22
e Régiment commemorates the history and traditions of the
Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry from the War of 1812 (also carrying resultant battle honours from the War of 1812), the modern ancestor of the regiment was formed in the early days of the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
as part of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
, when volunteers from all over
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
were being massed for training at
Valcartier, Québec, just outside Quebec City. The first contingent of 30,000 volunteers, which became the
1st Canadian Division
The 1st Canadian Division (French: ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short notice, and is staffed and ...
of the
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF; French: ''Corps expéditionnaire canadien'') was the expeditionary warfare, expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed on August 15, 1914, following United Kingdom declarat ...
, were grouped into numbered battalions, regardless of origin. The existing reserve regiments were not mobilized, due to the belief of the
Defence Minister
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
,
Sam Hughes, that a new "efficient" structure was required. Once again the new structure did not contain French-speaking units, such as those that had existed in the reserves. Over 1000 French-Canadian volunteers were scattered into different English-speaking units. This was not an oversight as Ontario (Hughes's political base) was in the process of outlawing both the teaching of French, as well as in the French language in their school system (
Regulation 17) The predictable outrage in French Canada created a lack of support for the war of "King and Country", perceived as a mechanism to entirely annihilate the Francophone community in Canada.
The second contingent was more logically based on battalions raised and trained in the various military districts in which they were recruited, but remained using an impersonal numerical basis (with the exception of those with a Highland or Irish identity). Considerable political pressure in Quebec, along with public rallies, demanded the creation of French-speaking units to fight a war many viewed as being right and necessary, despite Regulation 17 in Ontario.
In September 1914, French Canadian pharmaceutical entrepreneur
Arthur Mignault communicated with Prime Minister
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden (June 26, 1854 – June 10, 1937) was a Canadian lawyer and Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942), Conservative politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Canada from 1911 to 1920. He is best known ...
, advocating the formation of a solely French Canadian regiment. Mignault offered the government $50,000 to pursue this end. Borden had recently committed Canada to provide half a million soldiers to the
Allied cause, and was just realising how demanding it would be to honour this promise. Borden eagerly accepted Mignault's proposal and accordingly, on 14 October 1914, the
22nd Battalion (French Canadian), CEF, was authorized. Mignault participated in the recruitment campaign, which resulted in a remarkable success; the ranks of the battalion were filled in less than a month. Arthur Mignault is as such considered the founder of the 22nd regiment.
The 22nd went to France as part of the 5th Canadian Brigade and the
2nd Canadian Division in September 1915, and fought with distinction in every major Canadian engagement until the end of the war. While other French speaking units were also created, they were all broken up upon arrival in France to provide reinforcements for the 22nd, which suffered close to 4000 wounded and killed in the course of the war. Two members of the 22nd were awarded the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
in that war, Lieutenant
Jean Brillant and Corporal
Joseph Kaeble.
After the war, the 22nd Battalion was disbanded on 20 May 1919, sharing the fate of other numbered battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. However, in the post-war reorganizations of the army, public pressure, such as resolutions by the
Legislative Assembly of Quebec
A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the authority, legal authority to make laws for a Polity, political entity such as a Sovereign state, country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with th ...
as well as the City Council of Quebec City, demanded that a permanent French-language unit be created in the peace-time Regular Force, and accordingly a new regiment was created, made up of veterans of the 22nd Battalion, on 1 April 1920. Initially the regiment, which was given the guard of the
Citadelle of Quebec
The Citadelle of Quebec (), also known as , is an active military installation and the secondary official residence of the governor general of Canada. It is atop Cap Diamant, adjoining the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, Quebec. The citadel ...
, was simply the ''22nd Regiment'', but in June 1921 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 Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
George w ...
approved the renaming of it as ''The Royal 22nd Regiment''. In 1928, the anomaly of a French-language unit with an English name was resolved, and the regiment became the ''Royal 22
e Régiment'' in both languages. While in the Canadian Armed Forces, unit names are generally translated into the language of a text, traditional combat arms regiments are identified only in the single language of their troops, either English or French. However, the English version of the R22
eR is still seen occasionally, but strictly speaking it is incorrect; only "Royal 22
e Régiment" has been official in either language since 1928.
In 1940, the regiment became the first Francophone Canadian unit to mount the
King's Guard in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
and was the first of the three current Regular Force infantry regiments to do so.
In the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the regiment was part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade and the
1st Canadian Infantry Division
The 1st Canadian Division (French: ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short notice, and is staffed a ...
and was involved in intense combat in Italy, (where
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Paul Triquet earned the Victoria Cross) and later in the Netherlands and northwest Germany.
During the
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, 1951–1953, the regiment expanded to three battalions, each serving in turn as part of the Canadian brigade in the
1st Commonwealth Division. Thus the "Van Doos" represented one-third of Canada's infantry contingent throughout the war.
During the
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
the regular battalions of the regiment served, in turn, in
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
as part of
4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, with the 1
er Battalion serving permanently from 1967 until the withdrawal in 1993.

The regiment also served during the
Oka Crisis
The Oka Crisis (), also known as the Mohawk Crisis or Kanehsatà:ke Resistance (), was a land rights, land dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec, Canada, over plans to build a golf course on land known as "The Pin ...
. During the life of the
Canadian Airborne Regiment (1968–1995) the 1
er Commando was manned as a French-speaking sub-unit by soldiers of the Royal 22nd Regiment.
In the 1950s, the
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), 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 re ...
promoted a scheme of administratively associating reserve infantry regiments with a regular one. Although this project did not make much progress in most of the army, three reserve regiments did join the Van Doos, becoming battalions of the Royal 22
e Régiment:
In the case of
Les Fusiliers du St-Laurent, the battalion designation was in a subsidiary title, but it became nevertheless, administratively, part of the Royal 22
e Régiment. However, in 1968, Les Fusiliers du S
t-Laurent dropped the subsidiary title, and ended their administrative association with the R22
eR.
Operational history
Fenian raids
The 64th Voltigeurs-de-Beauharnois were called out on active service from 9 to 29 April and from 24 to 31 May 1870. The battalion served on the Huntingdon frontier.
[Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 ''Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces''. Volume 3: ''Combat Arms Regiments''.]
Great War
Details of the 64th Châteauguay and Beauharnois Regiment were placed on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protective duty.
The
22nd (French Canadian) Battalion, CEF was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 20 May 1915. It disembarked in France on 15 September 1915, where it fought as part of the 5th Infantry Brigade,
2nd Canadian Division in
France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battalion was disbanded on 15 September 1920.
Second World War
The was placed on active service on 1 September 1939 as the , , embarked for Great Britain on 9 December 1939. The regiment landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943 and in Italy on 3 September 1943 as part of 3rd Brigade,
1st Canadian Infantry Division
The 1st Canadian Division (French: ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short notice, and is staffed a ...
. On 16 March 1945, the regiment moved with the I Canadian Corps as part of
Operation Goldflake
Operation Goldflake was the administrative move of I Canadian Corps (in essence, almost 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 ...
to North-West Europe, where it fought until the end of the war. The overseas regiment was disbanded on 1 March 1946.
On 1 June 1945, a second Active Force component of the regiment was mobilized for service in the Pacific theatre of operations as the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion (), CASF. It was redesignated the 2nd Battalion (), , on 2 September 1945 and the , CIC, on 1 March 1946. On 27 June 1946, it was embodied in the Permanent Force.
Details of were called to service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939, as , CASF (Details), for local protection duties. The details called to active service were disbanded on 31 December 1940.
The regiment subsequently mobilized the 1st Battalion, , CASF for active service on 18 March 1942. It was re-designated as the 1st Airfield Defence Battalion (, CIC, CASF on 19 July 1943, the 1st Airfield Defence Battalion (), CIC, CASF on 1 January 1944 and the 1st Battalion, , CIC, CASF on 1 September 1944. This unit served in Canada in a home defence role as part of the
7th Canadian Division, with three of its companies serving in Newfoundland. On 10 January 1945, the unit embarked for Great Britain, where it was disbanded on 18 January 1945 in order to provide reinforcements for the Canadian Army in the field.
Details from were called out on service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939 as , CASF (Details), for local protection duties. The details called out on active service were disbanded on 31 December 1940. The regiment subsequently mobilized the 1st Battalion, , CASF for active service on 3 January 1942. This unit served in Canada in a home defence role as part of Atlantic Command and in Newfoundland from April 1943 to September 1944. The battalion was disbanded on 14 January 1946.
United Nations operations – Korea
Three battalions of the Royal 22
e Régiment served in the Republic of Korea as part of the
25th Canadian Infantry Brigade,
1st Commonwealth Division. The 2nd Battalion formed as part of the
Special Force was the first to arrive in Korea, serving there from 4 May 1951 to 24 April 1952, followed by the 1st Battalion from 20 April 1952 to 21 April 1953 then the 3rd Battalion from 16 April 1953 to the Armistice on 27 July 1953.
Oka Crisis
In the summer of 1990, the
Attorney General of Quebec requisitioned the Canadian Armed Forces, including the Van Doos, to challenge
Mohawk activists and warriors in
Kanehsatà꞉ke and
Kahnawake
The Kahnawake Mohawk Territory (, in the Mohawk language, ''Kahnawáˀkye'' in Tuscarora) is a First Nations reserve of the Mohawks of Kahnawà:ke on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, across from Montreal. Establi ...
in a confrontation called the
Oka Crisis
The Oka Crisis (), also known as the Mohawk Crisis or Kanehsatà:ke Resistance (), was a land rights, land dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec, Canada, over plans to build a golf course on land known as "The Pin ...
.
Gulf War
'C' Company from the 1st Battalion, then based at
CFB Lahr
Canadian Forces Base Lahr (International Air Transport Association airport code, IATA:LHA, International Civil Aviation Organization airport code, ICAO: EDTL, former code EDAN) was a military operated commercial airport located in Lahr, Germany. ...
in West Germany as part of
4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, served in
Doha
Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...
, Qatar, providing airfield security from 24 December 1990 to the end of March 1991.
Afghanistan
The 3rd Battalion, along with an attached mechanized company from the 1st, provided the basis for the Canadian
ISAF
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 according to the Bonn Agreement, which outlined t ...
contingent in
Kabul
Kabul 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. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...
,
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
, from February to August 2004.
In August 2007 the battle group based on the 3rd Battalion of the Royal 22
e Régiment returned to Afghanistan, replacing the 2nd Battalion
The Royal Canadian Regiment
The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the primary reserve. The RCR is ranked first in the order of precedence amongst Canad ...
in
Kandahar
Kandahar is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city, after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118 in 2015. It is the capital of Kandahar Pro ...
province. This battle group was made up of a company from each of the regiment's three regular battalions. It also included combat support and service support from all the units of 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in Valcartier, Quebec. There was a reconnaissance squadron from the
12e Régiment blindé du Canada, a composite tank squadron from
Lord Strathcona's Horse (with troops from the other two armoured regiments), a battery from the
5e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada, an engineer squadron from
5 Combat Engineer Regiment. The battle group, awarded the
Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation, was "instrumental in dismantling improvised explosive device networks, re-capturing checkpoints and returning them to Afghan control, enhancing the capacity of Afghan forces and providing guidance on community building and local governance".
The Royal 22nd Regiment also provided about 150 trainers (in
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) were the NATO equivalent of the United States' Embedded Training Teams and were active in Afghanistan.
Countries
Teams from several countries
provided training and operational support to the A ...
s (OMLTs)) for the three Afghan "Kandaks" serving with them. As well it provided a protection company for the
Provincial Reconstruction Team
A Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) was a unit introduced by the United States government, consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PRT ...
(PRT) in Kandahar.
The regiment distinguished itself in Kandahar through its determined and successful efforts to establish Afghan police sub-stations, protected by
Afghan National Army
The Islamic National Army (, ), also referred to as the Islamic Emirate Army and the Afghan Army, is the army, land force branch of the Afghan Armed Forces. The roots of an army in Afghanistan can be traced back to the early 18th century when th ...
and Canadian presence, in an ever-widening secure zone in the former
Taliban
, leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders
, leader1_name = {{indented plainlist,
* Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013)
* Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016)
* Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
home districts of Zhari and Panjawaii. Light infantry elements often fought toe-to-toe with the Taliban, relying heavily on
sniper
A sniper is a military or paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with telescopic si ...
fire and man-portable
grenade launchers to gain the edge over the militants. The battle group, and its associated OMLT and PRT elements, had 10 men killed in action during the six-month tour. The many wounded included Captain
Simon Mailloux, a Van Doos
platoon
A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...
commander who returned two years later to Kandahar even though his leg had to be amputated.

A second Van Doos battle group, this time based on the 2nd Battalion, deployed to Kandahar from March to November 2009 and was the vanguard of the much-vaunted "key villages" program, wherein Canadian soldiers cleared urban areas of Taliban activity during sweeping combat operations and then installed sub-units permanently in those hamlets, guarding the approaches to Kandahar City. The composition of this battle group was nearly identical to previous incarnations, and it was able to rely heavily on the recently deployed
CH-146 Griffon and
CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem-rotor helicopter originally developed by American rotorcraft company Piasecki Helicopter, Vertol and now manufactured by Boeing Defense, Space & Security. The Chinook is a Military transport helicopter, heav ...
helicopters to perform a wide variety of
airmobile operations, as well as traditional mechanized manoeuvres. The Griffon helicopters proved especially capable at spotting Taliban movements and directing accurate
artillery
Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...
fire on them, preventing Taliban groups from effectively re-infiltrating areas previously cleared.
Over the course of the seven-month Rotation 7, ten soldiers from the battle group were killed in action ("Rotation 7" denoting that this was the eighth consecutive Canadian battle group deployment in Kandahar since 2006, as rotations are numbered starting at "0"). Five additional Canadian soldiers, all belonging to the battle group's parent organization,
Task Force Kandahar, also died during that period. The vast majority of these soldiers were killed by the Taliban's lethal employment of anti-vehicle or
anti-personnel
An anti-personnel weapon is a weapon primarily used to maim or kill infantry and other personnel not behind armor, as opposed to attacking structures or vehicles, or hunting game. The development of defensive fortification and combat vehicles gav ...
improvised explosive devices
An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional warfare, conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached t ...
.
The final Canadian combat mission began in the fall of 2010 with the 1st Battalion Battle Group (BG) commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Michel-Henri St. Louis. One of the main operations taken on by the BG was
Operation Baawar beginning in December 2010 featuring a major road project and a strongpoint construction project led by engineers, tanks, and infantry.
Memorials
A stone shaft was erected on the grounds of
Royal Military College Saint-Jean
The Royal Military College Saint-Jean (), commonly referred to as RMC Saint-Jean and CMR, is a Canadian Military academy, military college and university. It is located on the historical site of Fort Saint-Jean (Quebec), Fort Saint-Jean, in Sai ...
on 26 September 1964 to commemorate the founding of the Royal 22nd Regiment; the regiment trained at Fort Saint-Jean in 1914. The monument lists the regiment's battle honours.
''Je me souviens'' (1989) by
André Gauthier, a bronze haut-relief bronze and granite wall memorial, was erected at
Place George V in front of the
Grande Allée Armoury in Quebec City. Unveiled on 11 November 1989, the sculpture honours the memory of the soldiers from the Royal 22
e Régiment who were killed during the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War. The sculptor was inspired by A.T.C. Bastiens' painting ''L'Avance'' at the
Canadian War Museum
The Canadian War Museum (CWM) () is a National museums of Canada, national museum on the military history of Canada, country's military history in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum serves as both an educational facility on Canadian military hist ...
. The names of soldiers are inscribed in granite on the monument.
There is a group of 28 gravestones of members of the Royal 22
e Régiment who died between 1929 and 1960 in the
Notre Dame de Belmont Cemetery in Quebec City. Four gravestones, dated 1929, 1935, 1938, 1938 feature a crown, beaver and regimental motto. Seven gravestones, dated 1939, 1941, 1941, 1942, 1942, 1942, 1947 feature the Maple Leaf and Canadian Forces cross. Seven gravestones feature the Canadian Forces cross dated 1954, 1954, 1955, 1955, 1955, 1954, 1960.
Battalions
Armouries
Battle honours
Battle honours in small capitals are for large operations and campaigns and those in lowercase are for more specific battles. Bold type indicates honours emblazoned on regimental colours.
Honorary distinction
The non-emblazonable honorary distinction DEFENCE OF CANADA - 1812-1815 - DÉFENSE DU CANADA.
Victoria Cross recipients

*Corporal
Joseph Kaeble† – 22nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force – Neuville-Vitasse, France – 8 June 1918
[Meek, John F. ''Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War.'' Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971. ]
*Lieutenant
Jean Brillant† – 22nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force – near
Amiens
Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...
, France – 8–9 August 1918
*Major
Paul Triquet – Royal 22
e Régiment – Casa Berardi, Italy – 14 December 1943
† – Awarded posthumously
Lineage
Royal 22e Régiment
*Originated in Saint-Jean-sur- Richelieu, Quebec on 7 November 1914 as the
22nd (French Canadian) Battalion, CEF
*Redesignated 7 June 1915 as the 22nd (French Canadian) "Overseas" Battalion, CEF
*Permanent Active Militia component formed on 1 April 1920 designated as the 22nd Regiment
*Redesignated 1 June 1921 as The Royal 22nd Regiment
*Redesignated 15 June 1928 as the Royal 22
e Régiment
*Amalgamated 1 September 1954 with Le Régiment de Châteauguay, retaining the same designation
*Amalgamated 2 February 1956 with Le Régiment de St. Hyacinthe, retaining the same designation.
4th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment (Châteauguay)
*Originated on 4 June 1869 in Beauharnois, Quebec as the Voltigeurs-Canadiens of Beauharnois
*Redesignated 5 November 1869 as the 64th Voltigeurs de Beauharnois
*Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 64th Regiment "Voltigeurs de Beauharnois"
*Amalgamated 1 May 1901 with the 76th Regiment "Voltigeurs de Châteauguay" and redesignated as the 64th Regiment of Rifles "Voltigeurs de Chateauguay"
*Redesignated 1 March 1902 as the 64th Chateauguay and Beauharnois Regiment
*Redesignated 29 March 1920 as Le Régiment Châteauguay et Beauharnois
*Redesignated 15 March 1921 as Le Régiment de Châteauguay
*Redesignated 15 December 1936 as Le Régiment de Châteauguay (Mitrailleuses)
*Redesignated 16 March 1942 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, Le Régiment de Châteauguay (Mitrailleuses)
*Redesignated 1 June 1945 Le Régiment de Châteauguay (Mitrailleuses)
*Redesignated 1 April 1946 as Le Régiment de Châteauguay
*Amalgamated 1 September 1954 with the Royal 22
e Régiment and designated as Le Régiment de Châteauguay (4th Battalion, Royal 22
e Régiment)
*Redesignated 27 April 1956 as the 4
e Bataillon, Royal 22
e Régiment (Châteauguay)
*Redesignated 12 August 1977 in English as the 4th Battalion, Royal 22
e Régiment (Châteauguay)
Fusiliers du St-Laurent
*Redesignated 1 September 1954 as Les Fusiliers du S
t-Laurent (5th Battalion, Royal 22
e Régiment). This was an affiliation not an amalgamation. Les Fusiliers du S
t-Laurent and the Royal 22
e Régiment were separate and distinct regiments.
*Redesignated 9 November 1963 as Les Fusiliers du S
t-Laurent (5
e Bataillon, Royal 22
e Régiment)
*Redesignated 1 April 1968 as Les Fusiliers du S
t-Laurent
76th Regiment "Voltigeurs de Châteauguay"
*Originated 22 March 1872 in Sainte-Martine, Quebec as the 76th Battalion of Infantry or "Voltigeurs de Châteauguay"
*Redesignated 18 March 1881 as the 76th Battalion of Rifles or "Voltigeurs de Châteauguay"
*Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 76th Regiment "Voltigeurs de Châteauguay"
*Amalgamated 1 May 1901 with the 64th Regiment "Voltigeurs de Beauharnois" and redesignated as the 64th Regiment of Rifles "Voltigeurs de Chateauguay"
6th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment
*Originated 24 March 1871 in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec as the St. Hyacinthe Provisional Battalion of Infantry
*Redesignated 12 December 1879 as the 84th "St. Hyacinthe" Battalion of Infantry
*Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 84th St. Hyacinthe Regiment
*Redesignated 29 March 1920 as Le Régiment de St. Hyacinthe
*Redesignated 3 January 1942 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, Le Régiment de St. Hyacinthe
*Redesignated 14 January 1946 as Le Régiment de St. Hyacinthe
*Amalgamated 2 February 1956 with the Royal 22
e Régiment and redesignated as the 6th Battalion, Royal 22
e Régiment
*Redesignated 9 November 1963 as the 6
e Bataillon, Royal 22
e Régiment
*Redesignated 12 August 1977 in English as the 6th Battalion, Royal 22
e Régiment
Lineage chart
Perpetuations
War of 1812
*7th Battalion, Select Embodied Militia
*"Les Chasseurs"
*Beauharnois Division
*Beloeil Division
*Boucherville Division
*Chambly Division
*Isle Jésus Division
*St. Denis Division
*St. Hyacinthe Division
*St. Ours Division
*Verchères Division
*
Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry
Order of precedence
Regular Force:
Reserve Force:
Alliances
* –
The Royal Welsh
* –
4th Battalion, Mercian Regiment
Freedom of the city (military)
The Royal 22
e Régiment exercises its
freedom of the city annually in Quebec City on 3 July of each year. Quebec cities that have granted freedom of the city to the regiment include:
Quebec City
Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...
,
Saint-Hyacinthe
Saint-Hyacinthe ( , ) is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 57,239. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie regi ...
,
Saint-Jérôme
Saint-Jérôme () ( 2021 population 80,213) is a suburban city located about northwest of Montreal on the Rivière du Nord. It is part of the North Shore sector of Greater Montreal. It is a gateway to the Laurentian Mountains and its reso ...
,
Farnham
Farnham is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a tributary of the ...
,
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu () is a city in eastern Montérégie in the Canadian province of Quebec, about southeast of Montreal, located roughly halfway between Montreal and the Canada–United States border with the state of Vermont. It is sit ...
,
Drummondville
Drummondville () is a city in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec, located east of Montreal on the Saint-François River. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 79,258. The mayor of Drummondville is Stéphanie Lacoste.
Drummondville ...
and
Val-Bélair. Foreign cities that have granted freedom of the city to the regiment include:
Werl
The pilgrimage town Werl (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Wiärl'') is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia and belongs to the Soest, Germany, Soest district in the Arnsberg administrative district. The official name of pilgrimage town has been ...
, Germany;
Lahr
Lahr (officially Lahr/Schwarzwald since 30 September 1978) (); ) is a city in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany, approximately 50 km north of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, 40 km southeast of Strasbourg, and 95 km southwest of Ka ...
, Germany, and
Ortona
Ortona ( Abruzzese: '; ) 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 the bloody Battle of Ortona, known as "Western Stalingrad". ...
, Italy, on 14 April 1993.
In popular culture
The Van Doos are the subject of a 2011
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and altern ...
documentary (English: ''The Van Doos in Afghanistan'').
The documentary was filmed in Afghanistan in March 2011. On 9 November 2011, the film was previewed for the families of 26 soldiers who had died during their mission in Afghanistan, at a ceremony at the Valcartier base. A commemorative mural by Canadian artist
Dave Sopha was also unveiled.
''
Hyena Road'' is a 2015 Canadian war drama film shown in the Gala Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. The title comes from built in Afghanistan in 2010–2011 by 1 R22
eR Battle Group. The film features an English-speaking
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricias) 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 ...
battle group, reflecting the language of the target audience.
Alliances
The regiment had an alliance with the
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers () was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales's Division, that was founded in 1689, shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated a fusilier regiment and becam ...
from 1927 until that regiment's amalgamation into the
Royal Welsh
The Royal Welsh (R WELSH) () is an Infantry, armoured infantry regiment of the British Army. It was established in 2006 from the Royal Welch Fusiliers, Royal Welch Fusiliers (23rd Foot) and the Royal Regiment of Wales, Royal Regiment of Wales ...
in 2006; this alliance included the frequent exchange of personnel between the two regiments.
Royal 22e Régiment Music
The song ''L'immortel 22ème Canadien-français'' by Paul Ravennes (music), and Léon Chevalier (words) was published by J.E. Belair, Montreal. The first line is: ''Gloire au vailland 22ème, a lui la palme de vainqueur''; Refrain: ''Vaillants soldats, vos noms dans notre histoire.''
* Jean F. Pierret, conductor "La Citadelle; la musique du Royal 22
e Régiment" (1975 Trans-Canada Musique Service Inc., 7033, route Transcanadienne, Saint-Laurent, Québec H4T 1S2)
* Victor Falardeau & Jean Parent, conductor "La musique du Royal 22
e Régiment: 50 ans d'histoire, 1922-1972" (Québec: Editions Garneau, 1976)
*Capt. J.P. Armand Ferland, conductor "The Van Doos: the band of the Royal 22
e Régiment" (RCA Victor Canada International, PCS-1007)
*"Recueil de chants du Royal 22
e Régiment" (Val-Cartier: s.n., 197-?)
Arms
See also
*
The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Forces
*
List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage
The practice of members of the Canadian Royal Family giving their patronage to Canadian organizations stems from that which started in the United Kingdom in pre- industrial times, when all development of the sciences and arts were under the dire ...
*
33rd Vaudreuil and Soulanges Hussars
Possible specialist Arctic sovereignty role
It has been suggested in some Canadian professional military journals that the regiment's third battalion (3 R22eR) could be adapted to become a specialist amphibious battalion or a specialized light infantry battalion that is able to deploy parachute infantry and marine infantry company groups to support the protection of Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic.
[ and ]
Explanatory notes
References
Further reading
*
* Bernier, Serge ''Le Royal 22
e Régiment, 1914–1999'' (Québec-Livres, 2185, autoroute des Laurentides, Laval, QC H7S 1Z5 Montréal: Art Global, 1999)
* Bernier, Serge; translated by Phillips, Charles ''The Royal 22
e Régiment, 1914–1999'' (Montreal: Art Global, 2000)
* Boissonnault, Charles-Marie; Lamontagne, Léopold, ''Histoire du Royal 22
e Régiment (Région du Royal 22
e Régiment'', La Citadelle, Québec: Éditions du Pélican, 1964)
* Cantin, Robert ''Le sacrifice du Royal 22
e Régiment (de 1914 à 1999)'' (Sainte-Foy, Québec: Société de généalogie de Québec, 2004)
* Castonguay, Jacques ''Les bataillons et le dépôt du Royal 22
e Régiment: vingt ans d'histoire, 1945–1965'' (La Citadelle, Québec: Régie du Royal 22
e Régiment, 1974)
* Carpentier, Pierre ''6
e Bataillon, Royal 22
e Régiment, 1956–2006'' (Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec: Corporation de l'arsenal inc., 2011) Canadiana: 20120088282
* Chantal, Denise & Rasmüssen, Louis ''Armand Hébert, le plus grand mutilé du Royal 22
ième Régiment de la guerre 1939–1945'' (La Baie, Québec: Denise Chantal, 1995)
* Chauveau, Charles ''Soixante-cinq ans d'histoire: notes historiques sur le Royal 22
e Régiment'' (Québec: s.n. 1983).
* Corriveau, Paul, ''Le Royal 22
e Régiment: 75 ans d'histoire, 1914–1989'' (Québec: Régie du Royal 22
e Régiment, 1989)
* Dagenais, Maxime. "'Une Permission! ... C'est bon pour une recrue.' Discipline and Illegal Absences in the 22nd (French-Canadian) Battalion, 1915–1919". ''Canadian Military History'' 18, No. 4 (Autumn 2009): 3–16.
* Madill, D. S. ''Le 2
e Bataillon, Royal 22
e Régiment et la Batterie 'Q', 5
e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada'' (Chypre: 1975 Presses Zavallis)
* Poulin, J. G. ''696 heures d'enfer avec le Royal 22
e Régiment: récit vécu et inspiré d'un journal tenu tant bien que mal au front'' (Québec: Éditions A-B, 1946)
* Poulin, J. G. ''Des héros connus, inconnus et méconnus du Royal 22
e Régiment: 1939–1945 et la Corée'' (Québec: s.n., 1946)
* Royal Régiment, 22
e. ''Mess des officiers du 2
e Bataillon, Royal 22
e Régiment: statuts et réglements''. (Le Régiment, 1975)
* Serge Bernier, translation Terry Liston, ''The Van Doos'', Québec, Les éditions GID, 2013, 215 p.
External links
Royal 22e Régiment(Regimental website) (in French)
Royal 22e Régiment on Facebook (in French)Le Royal 22e Régiment Canada avec la Fanfara Bersaglieri Italiaon YouTube
Hommage: Le Royal 22e RegimentChanging of the Guard: La Citadelle
{{Canadian Forces Land Force Command
Royal 22nd Regiment
1914 establishments in Quebec
Infantry regiments of Canada
Military units and formations of Quebec
Infantry regiments of Canada in World War II
Military units and formations established in 1914
Military units and formations of Canada in the Korean War
Military units and formations of Canada in World War II
Organizations based in Quebec City
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...