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The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC), colloquially known as The King's Own, is a Royal Canadian Armoured Corps cavalry regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces. Headquartered at Mewata Armoury in Calgary, Alberta, the King's Own is a part-time Primary Reserve unit of 41 Canadian Brigade Group, 3rd Canadian Division. Its regimental museum is at the Military Museums in southwest Calgary. Role The King's Own conducts tactical and technical training for armoured crewmen and officers, in preparation for expeditionary deployments overseas and in support of Canadians at home through domestic operations. These deployment are often in the form or individual or subunit deployments augmenting the Regular Force. King's Own Crewmen and officers gain expertise on motorized warfare, to include direct attack, reconnaissance, defensive, delay and exploitation tasks, by combining knowledge on armoured warfare, and communication, driving and gunnery skills. Members of the regiment are trained on the Textron Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV), the Mercedes Benz G-Wagen and Polaris UTV, as well as on support vehicles, such as the Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS) and militarized Chevrolet Silverado (MILCOTS) and the Light Support Vehicle Wheeled (LSVW).  Selected members have the opportunity to also be trained on the Leopard 2A4 Main Battle Tank (MBT) and the LAV-6. Besides reconnaissance crewman and officers, soldiers of the regiment are also trained as mechanics, CIMIC (Civil-Military Cooperation) operators, musicians (in the regimental brass and reed band), RMS ( Resource Management Support ) clerks, and storesmen.


Cap badge

On a shield
Argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
a cross
Gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). Gules is portrayed in heraldic hatch ...
surmounted by a maple leaf in autumnal tints charged with a bison statant on a mound, on a chief the local landscape at sunset all proper, the shield ensigned by the Royal Crown, supported dexter by a horse, sinister by a steer, adorned beneath with a rose between shamrocks and thistles all proper, the whole set upon three scrolls Or, the upper one inscribed with the motto ONWARD and the two below inscribed KING'S OWN CALGARY REGIMENT in letters Azure. The Crown represents service to the Sovereign. The badge, incorporates the shield, the horse, the steer and the roses, thistles, and shamrocks, as adopted by the City of Calgary in 1902. "KING'S OWN CALGARY REGIMENT" is a form of the regimental title and "ONWARD" is the motto of the regiment and the City of Calgary.


Lineage

The King's Own Calgary Regiment (Royal Canadian Armoured Corps) was split off in 1920 from the 103rd Regiment (Calgary Rifles), which was originally raised on 10 April 1910 at Calgary, Alberta. The regiment was reorganized on 15 March 1920 as two separate regiments, The Alberta Regiment (now The South Alberta Light Horse) and The Calgary Regiment, as part of the Otter Committee reorganizations. On 15 May 1924, The Calgary Regiment was again reorganized and split into two separate regiments, The Calgary Regiment (now The King's Own Calgary Regiment) and The Calgary Highlanders (10th Canadians). On 15 September 1921, The Calgary Regiment was divided into six battalions. The 1st Battalion became the 1st Battalion, Calgary Highlanders, The Calgary Regiment. The 2nd Battalion, The Calgary Regiment later became the King's Own Calgary Regiment. The 3rd, 4th and 5th battalions were paper units that were never formed and disbanded in the 1936 reorganizations of the Militia. On 15 May 1924, The Calgary Regiment reorganized as separate regiments.


The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)

Source: * 1 April 1910: Organized as the 103rd Regiment "Calgary Rifles" * 15 March 1920: Reorganized as two separate regiments, The Alberta Regiment (now The South Alberta Light Horse) and The Calgary Regiment * 15 May 1924: Reorganized as two separate regiments, The Calgary Regiment (now The King's Own Calgary Regiment) and
The Calgary Highlanders The Calgary Highlanders (10th Canadians) is a Canadian Army Primary Reserve infantry regiment, headquartered at Mewata Armouries in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The regiment is a part-time reserve unit, under the command of 41 Canadian Brigade Gr ...
* 1 April 1936: Amalgamated with the 'Headquarters' and 'B Company' of the '13th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC' retaining its designation. * 15 December 1936: Redesignated The Calgary Regiment (Tank) * 1 April 1941: Redesignated 14th (Reserve) Army Tank Battalion, (The Calgary Regiment (Tank)) * 15 August 1942: Redesignated 14th (Reserve) Army Tank Regiment, (The Calgary Regiment (Tank)) * 1 April 1946: Redesignated 14th Armoured Regiment (Calgary Regiment), RCAC * 22 July 1946: Redesignated 14th Armoured Regiment (King's Own Calgary Regiment) * 4 Feb 1949: Redesignated The King's Own Calgary Regiment (14th Armoured Regiment) * 19 May 1958: Redesignated The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)


13th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC

* Originated on 1 June 1919, in
Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
, as the 13th Machine Gun Brigade, CMGC * Redesignated on 15 September 1924, as the 13th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC * Amalgamated on 1 April 1936, with The Calgary Regiment


Lineage chart


History


1910–1913

The history of The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) began on 1 April 1910, when its predecessor the 103rd Regiment (Calgary Rifles), an infantry regiment of the Canadian non-permanent militia, was authorized and formed at
Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
, Alberta, Canada, by General Order 38/10. The first commanding officer was Lieutenant-Colonel W.C.G. Armstrong. The regiment was approved to train six
companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...
of 50 men each, and later expanded to eight companies. The unit initially paraded at the former Calgary General Hospital building (today known as the Rundle Ruins) before being ordered to vacate in September 1910. The unit then moved into the former drill hall of the Canadian Mounted Rifles on Centre Street and 12th Avenue SE. In 1911 a new armoury was found, in a former German-Canadian club a block south of their former home at the General Hospital. After
Mewata Armouries Mewata Armoury is a Canadian Forces reserve Armory (military), armoury in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. ''Mewata'' ( is derived from the Cree language, Cree word (), meaning "Oh, be joyful". The building was built between 1915 and 1918 for an ori ...
was completed during the First World War, the regiment moved its offices to that location. At the outbreak of
World War I 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 ...
the regiment was not mobilized but served as a recruiting depot to raise battalions for 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 ...
. The regiment also provided soldiers to man the internment camp at Castle Mountain. These soldiers were also employed full time as part of the Active Militia. A number of reinforcement battalions were commanded by former 103rd Regiment officers, including Lieutenant-Colonel William Charles Gordon Armstrong ( 56th Battalion (Calgary), CEF) and Lieutenant-Colonel George Morfitt ( 137th (Calgary) Battalion, CEF). The regiment also supplied soldiers to man internment camps near Castle Mountain and the Cave and Basin in Rocky Mountains Park. Three soldiers of the 103rd Regiment (Calgary Rifles) died while assigned to the camp and are buried in Banff.


First World War

Details of the 103rd Regiment "Calgary Rifles" were placed on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protection duties. The 103rd contributed men to a number of battalions that became antecedents of The King's Own Calgary Regiments. The King's Own perpetuates the 50th, 89th and 137th Battalions CEF. The 50th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force, was authorized on 7 November 1914, authorization was published in General Order 86 on 1 July 1915. It was mobilized in Calgary in December 1914 under the command of LCol E.G. Mason, and trained at Sarcee Camp. First draft of 5 Officers and 251 other ranks was sent to England on 14 June 1915. 5 Officers and 250 other ranks embarked 11 September 1915 and became replacements for the 10th Battalion. The battalion was brought back up to full strength of 41 Officers and 1036 other ranks, and embarked for Britain on 27 October 1915 aboard RMS Orduna. The battalion disembarked in France on 11 August 1916, where it fought as part of the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 4th Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battalion suffered over 4000 casualties. During this period Pte J.G. Pattison won the Victoria Cross. The battalion returned to England 27 April 1919, disembarked at Halifax 5 June 1919 and demobilized at Calgary 9 June 1919. The 50th was disbanded by General Order 149 of 15 September 1920. This is the main battalion perpetuated by The King's Own. For further details consult The 50th In No Mans Land by Victor W. Wheelerdge, Pte. John George Pattison of the 50th Battalion CEF was awarded the Empire's highest award for gallantry, 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 ...
, for his heroic actions on 10 April 1917, storming a German machine-gun nest. The 89th Battalion, which was authorized by General Order 151 on 22 December 1915 as the “89th Overseas Battalion CEF” It was organized in Calgary under the command of LCol W.W. Nasmyth and recruited from Alberta. The Battalion embarked for Britain on 2 June 1916 aboard the RMS Olympic and disembarked on the 8 June 1916 with 23 Officers and 969 other ranks. In June 1916, drafts were sent to: 167 Men to the Machine Gun Depot; 168 to the 9th Reserve Battalion; and 65 to other units. In August 1916 drafts were sent to: 115 men to 7th Battalion; 150 men to 10th Battalion; and 150 to 31st Battalion. After some further small drafts, its personnel were absorbed by the 97th Battalion and the 9th Reserve Battalion 7 October 1916. The battalion was disbanded on 21 May 1917. The 89th Battalion was disbanded Privy Council Order's 1366 and 1863 of 21 May and 6 July 1917. The 137th Overseas Battalion CEF was authorized by General Order 151 on 22 December 1915. It was organized in Calgary under the command of LCol G.W. Morfitt in November 1915. The Battalion embarked for Britain from Halifax on 24 August 1916 on board RMS Olympic. It disembarked in England 29 Aug 1916 with 32 Officers and 936 other ranks. On 28 November 1916 it sent drafts of 100 men to the 10th Battalion, and 150 men to the 31st Battalion. On 5 December it sent 100 men to the 49th Battalion. It was amalgamated with the 175th "Overseas" Battalion, CEF to form the '21st Reserve Battalion, CEF on 10 January 1917, to provide reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field. The battalion was disbanded on 4 August 1917 by Privy Council Order 1895 of 17 July 1917. For further reading on the 137th Bn, read A Legacy of Courage “Calgary's Own” 137th BN CEF by Fred Bagley and Dr. Harvey Duncan. On 1 April 1936, the Calgary Regiment was amalgamated with the 'Headquarters' and 'B Company' of the '13th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC retaining its designation. It was re-designated: 'The Calgary Regiment (Tank)' on 15 December 1936.


1920-1938

On 15 March 1920 the 103rd Calgary Rifles was reorganized as two separate regiments, designated 'The Alberta Regiment' (now 'The South Alberta Light Horse') and 'The Calgary Regiment'. On 1 April 1920 the Calgary Regiment was reorganized as a five battalion regiment with the 1st Battalion (10th Battalion, CEF) and 2nd Battalion (50th Battalion, CEF) on the Non Permanent Active Militia order of battle and the 3rd Battalion (56th Battalion, CEF), 4th Battalion (82nd Battalion, CEF) and 5th Battalion (137th Battalion, CEF) on the Reserve order of battle (GO 95/21). On 15 May 1924 the Calgary Regiment was again reorganized as two separate regiments, designated 'The Calgary Highlanders' and 'The Calgary Regiment' Upon further reorganization, the Calgary Regiment was organized as a three battalion regiment with the 1st Battalion (50th Battalion, CEF) on the Non Permanent Active Militia order of battle and the 2nd Battalion (89th Battalion, CEF) and 3 rd Battalion (137th Battalion, CEF) on the Reserve order of battle. The reserve units were disbanded on 14 December 1936 (GO 3/37).


World War II (1939–1942)

Details from the regiment were called out on service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939, under the designation 'The Calgary Regiment (Tank), CASF (Details)', for local protection duties. The details called out on active service were disbanded on 31 December 1940. The regiment subsequently mobilized an armour regiment designated the '14th Army Tank Battalion (The Calgary Regiment (Tank)), CAC, CASF' on 11 February 1941. This Regiment was formed out of approximately 400 members of the Reserve Regiment and approximately 100 members of The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada and The Loyal Edmonton Regiment. It was re-designated: '14th Army Tank Regiment (The Calgary Regiment (Tank)), CAC, CASF' on 15 May 1942; '14th Armoured Regiment (The Calgary Regiment), CAC, CASF' on 26 August 1943. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/dieppe-raid/army_tank The CASF unit embarked for Britain on 20 June 1941. The regiment took part in the raid on Dieppe on 19 August 1942 as the first unit of the Canadian Armoured Corps to go into action. The Regiment landed at Dieppe in support of The Essex Scottish Regiment (from South-western Ontario) and The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (from Hamilton, Ontario) whose task it was to assault the main beach. The following is an excerpt from the regimental War Diary. On the main beach at Dieppe, the broad plan of events was as follows:


Italian Campaign (1942–1944)

In the spring of 1943, Lieutenant-Colonel C.H. Neroutsos took command of the regiment. The new unit went to
Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
in 1943 with the First Canadian Army Tank Brigade, re-equipped with the
Sherman tank The M4 Sherman, officially medium tank, M4, was the medium tank most widely used by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. I ...
. On 3 September 1943, the regiment assaulted the beaches of
Reggio Calabria Reggio di Calabria (; ), commonly and officially referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the List of cities in Italy, largest city in Calabria as well as the seat of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria. As ...
to little resistance and moved northwards with notable engagements in
Potenza Potenza (, ; ; , Potentino dialect: ''Putenz'') is a ''comune'' in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata (former Lucania). Capital of the Province of Potenza and the Basilicata region, the city is the highest regional capital and one of ...
, Motta Montecorvino and
Campobasso Campobasso (, ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in southern Italy, the capital of the region of Molise and of the province of Campobasso. It is located in the high basin of the Biferno river, surrounded by Sannio and Matese mountains. Campobas ...
while supporting 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 ...
. On 21 November 1943, the regiment supported the 8th Indian Infantry Division in its assault against fierce German opposition on the Sangro River. In December the regiment met stubborn opposition fighting for the Moro River and later Vino Ridge and the
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". ...
Crossroads. On 11–12 May 1944 the regiment assaulted across the
Gari River The Gari is a short river that flows in Monte Cassino, Italy at the southern end of the region of Lazio. The Battle of Gari River, better known as the Battle of Rapido River, one of the bloodiest battles of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Ita ...
supporting the 19th Indian Brigade of the 8th Indian Division. During this operation and the advance towards the Hitler Line the regiment sustained casualties numbering 16 officers, 40 other ranks, and 60 tank casualties. An innovative use of a modified Sherman tank to carry a bridge across the Gari River is known as Kingsmill bridge by its inventor Captain T. Kingsmill's moniker. Kingsmill was to receive the
Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...
for the action. At this point Lieutenant-Colonel Neroutsos fell ill, and the regiment was taken over by Lieutenant-Colonel C.A. Richardson. In June 1944 the Calgaries took part in the Battle of Lake Trasimeno in support of the British 4th Division, after which the Calgaries conducted a pursuit up the Chiani Valley until the Lydia Line was reached south of
Arezzo Arezzo ( , ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the Province of Arezzo, province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of Above mean sea level, above sea level. As of 2 ...
. By 3 August 1944, the regiment had advanced with the 8th Indian Division to the Arno River through country with remarkably poor tank going. On 25 August 1944 the Calgaries made an assault crossing of the Arno River, east of
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
pushing into the Sieve Valley where the
Gothic Line The Gothic Line (; ) was a German and Italian 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 Apennine Mountains du ...
was assaulted in the "Marradi" sector in support of the 1/5 Gurkha Regiment. Another miserably wet Italian winter was spent in the mountains.


Liberation of Holland (1945)

In late February 1945 the regiment was moved to Leghorn and embarked to
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
, France, where it moved by rail to the North-West Europe theatre. The regiment moved to the Reichswald Forest and on 12 April 1945 fought in the Second Battle of Arnhem, supporting the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division to Ede, the Netherlands. The regiment's final actions of the Second World War were in support of the 1st Belgium Brigade in clearing the resistance between the Nederrijn and Waal Rivers. When the overseas unit returned to Canada in 1945, it was disbanded, and the Calgary Regiment continued its service as a reserve armoured unit.


Reserve regiment

The reserve regiment remained in Calgary under LCol Kingsley (King) Jull MC and was designated '14th (Reserve) Army Tank Battalion, (The Calgary Regiment (Tank))' on 1 April 1941; and then '14th (Reserve) Army Tank Regiment, (The Calgary Regiment (Tank))' on 15 August 1942. It consisted of HQ Squadron in Calgary, A Squadron in
Red Deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or Hart (deer), hart, and a female is called a doe or hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Ir ...
, B Squadron in Stettler, and C Squadron in Olds. Once the Active regiment was mobilized, Red Deer could no longer support a squadron. Olds and Red Deer became A Squadron, Stettler became B Squadron, and C Squadron was formed from detachments in
Coronation A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...
,
Consort __NOTOC__ Consort may refer to: Music * "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses'' * Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles * Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...
,
Veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...
, and
Alliance An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or sovereign state, states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an a ...
. C Squadron Headquarters was in Alliance. It recruited members for the 1st Battalion CASF Regiment, and drafts to other regiments such as the initial establishment of the South Alberta Regiment. The Reserve regiment also trained 77 officers and over 1500 men who joined other branches of the military for service overseas.


1945–1970

The Calgary Regiment's Second World War record was outstanding. To recognize the contribution the regiment made, King George VI granted the prefix “King's Own” to the regiment's name. Therefore, the regiment was re-designated the '14th Armoured Regiment (King's Own Calgary Regiment)' on 22 July 1946; 'The King's Own Calgary Regiment (14th Armoured Regiment)' on 4 February 1949; and lastly, 'The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)' on 19 May 1958. Over this period the regiment changed in its structure numerous times including absorbing members of the South Alberta Light Horse (formerly 15 Alberta Light Horse) when it was relocated to Medicine Hat. Part II Orders of June 1963 list the regiment as RHQ, “B” Squadron and Band in Calgary; “A” Squadron in Strathmore and Gleichen; and “C’ Squadron in Red Deer, Innisfail and Olds. Strength of the unit at in 1963 was 31 Officers and 352 men. Starting in 1965, the outlying squadrons and troops in Red Deer, Olds, Stettler, Gleichen, Lacombe, Consort, Innisfail, Strathmore, Coronation, Veteran and Alliance were reduced. In 1964 the regiment maintained a fleet of 14 M4A2 Sherman tanks and 6 other “B” Vehicles. The regiment also absorbed members of 91 Battery, 19 Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, when it was disbanded in 1965. By 1969 the regiment was concentrated at Calgary with HQ and two squadrons at Mewata Armoury and some facilities at CFB Calgary. The regiment carried on as armoured with Sherman and Stuart (Honey) tanks until they were withdrawn between 1964-1969. At that time the regiment reverted to reconnaissance with 1967 pattern jeeps.


Into the new millennium 1970-2013

In the mid-1970s, as well as 1967 & 1974 Pattern jeeps, The King's Own had at one time a seven car troop of Ferret Scout Cars on loan from Lord Strathcona's Horse (RC). It was a good solid platform other than jeeps and gave us a real sense of belonging to the Armoured Corps. With the introduction of AVGP Cougar in 1978, The King's Own again had an armoured role. The unit had four Cougar's in Calgary for local training as well as maintaining its fleet of jeeps in a reconnaissance role. The 1967 & 1974 Pattern jeeps were replaced by the Iltis in 1987. The Cougar was withdrawn from service in 2006 and the regiment reverted to reconnaissance. The Iltis was replaced by the Gielenwagon in 2007 and is the current platform. The regiment maintains a fleet 18 of 16 G-Wagons and support vehicles. In 2018 the regiment was allocated 4 Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicles (TAPV) in addition to the G-Wagon fleet. 2 of the TAPV are Remote Weapon System (RWS) vehicles mounting a C-19 Grenade Launcher and a C6 Machine Gun. At the 2018 Soldiers Christmas Dinner, “Calgary” the first TAPV named by the regiment, was unveiled by the Mayor of Calgary,
Naheed Nenshi Naheed Kurban Nenshi (born February 2, 1972) is a Canadian politician who has served as the leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP) since 2024. He previously served as the 36th List of mayors of Calgary, mayor of Calgary for Mayoralty o ...
. Members of the regiment continued the proud military tradition of the unit by volunteering for United Nations and NATO missions augmenting Canadian Armed Forces regular units on peacekeeping duties in Cyprus, Croatia, Bosnia, Congo, Golan Heights, and Darfur.


2013–present

In addition to many soldiers having served on United Nations tours in Cyprus, Croatia, Bosnia, Congo, Golan Heights, and Darfur, members of the regiment volunteered on operational tours in Afghanistan. Canada's participation in the War in Afghanistan saw many soldiers from the regiment deploy in a variety of roles throughout the conflict. On 24 September 2007, the King's Own suffered its first combat fatality since the Second World War, when Cpl Nathan Hornburg was killed in action while serving in Kandahar province. Hornburg was posthumously
mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...
for his exemplary performance in combat. As a result of the unit's contribution to the War in Afghanistan, The King's Own were awarded the battle honour in 2014, which the regiment now proudly displays on their guidon. In 2017, the regiment added a detachment into the High River area, which currently parades at the High River Regional Airport. The regiment's aim is to eventually grow this detachment into squadron-sized unit. The regiment is also actively recruiting in the
Okotoks Okotoks ( , originally ) is a town in the Calgary Metropolitan Region, Calgary Region of Alberta, Canada. It is on the Sheep River, approximately south of Downtown Calgary. Okotoks has emerged as a bedroom community of Calgary. According to t ...
, and Turner Valley regions. The regiment also assumed operational control of the 41 Canadian Brigade Group Influence Activities Company, composed of civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) and psychological operations (Psyops) trained personnel. Since 2014, the unit has been increasingly training with civilian side-by-side all-terrain platforms, snowmobiles, and all-terrain vehicles, examining their utility during domestic operations and to supplement for rear echelon tasks. On 22 April 2018 the regiment unveiled the Textron Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) during the unit anniversary St. George's Day.


Cavalry

The RCAC's 2020 directive to have all armoured reconnaissance units move to a cavalry role, has resulted in a new training and fighting philosophy that sees King's Own soldiers being effective in the full scope of mechanized warfare – including conducting reconnaissance, deliberate defensive, and fast and aggressive offensive operations, in everything from UTVs to G-Wagens, and from TAPVs to MBTs. With the cavalry shift also came the new battle task for the unit, in the form of the resurrection of the assault troop capability.


Alliances

*— The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)


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. The battle honours written in bold are emblazoned on the regimental guidon.


First World War


Second World War


Southwest Asia

*


Victoria Crosses

*Private John George Pattison, VC Born Sept. 8, 1875 in Woolwich, England, John George Pattison emigrated to Canada in 1906 with his wife, Sophia Louise Pattison, and their four children. They moved to Calgary where Pattison found work with the Calgary Gas Company. He enlisted with the 137th Battalion on March 6, 1916 at the age of 40 in a move to look after son Henry. When the 137th was broken up he was transferred to the 50th Bn. At 5 ft. 3 inch, Pattison was not an imposing figure but he proved himself, however, to be one of the battalion's most-courageous members, quite willing to put himself in harm's way to protect his comrades. Pattison's citation reads, 10 April 1917: “''For most conspicuous bravery in the attack. When the advance of our troops was held up by an enemy machine gun, which was inflicting severe casualties, Pte. Pattison, with utter disregard of his own safety, sprang forward and, jumping from shell-hole to shell-hole, reached cover within 30 yards of the enemy gun. From this point, in face of heavy fire, he hurled bombs, killing and wounding some of the crew, then rushed forward, overcoming and bayonetting the surviving five gunners. His valour and initiative undoubtedly saved the situation and made possible the further advance to the objective.”''


Regimental association

The regimental association of The King's Own Calgary Regiment is named The King's Own Calgary Regiment (50 CEF / 14 CTR) Association. The current association pulls roots from the 50/14 Veterans Association which was created by Second World War veterans upon their return home. According to the association bylaws: The name of the association reflects the perpetuation of both the 50th Battalion, CEF, and the 14th Armoured Regiment (The Calgary Regiment).


Monuments

Soldiers of the 50th Battalion who went missing in action are memorialized on the
Menin Gate The Menin Gate (), officially the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, is a war memorial in Ypres, Belgium, dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown. The m ...
and the
Vimy Memorial The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is a war memorial site in France dedicated to the memory of Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during the Military history of Canada during World War I, First World War. It also serves as the place o ...
while all Calgary-area soldiers of the regiment who have been killed in the First World War, Second World War and Afghanistan will be listed on the Calgary Soldiers' Memorial.


Regimental band

The regimental brass and reed band is an active reserve force band composed of serving soldiers and volunteers. It is currently one of two Primary Reserve bands in 41 Canadian Brigade Group and is the '' de facto'' military bands for the southern
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
area. Established in 1910, it has taken part in many provincial events such as the
Calgary Stampede The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, fair, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year a ...
and the regiment's St. George's Day parade. The band has the following ensembles: *Wind Ensemble *Brass Ensemble **Fanfare Team *Percussion Ensemble These ensembles make up the 35-member band, which primarily performs as a concert and parade band in the community. It also performs at military and provincial functions.


Cadets

The King's Own Calgary Regiment affiliated cadet corps is based in
Cochrane, Alberta Cochrane ( ) is a town in the Calgary Metropolitan Region of Alberta, Canada. The town is located west of the Calgary city limits along Alberta Highway 1A, Highway 1A. Cochrane is one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada, and with a pop ...
, bearing the title 2512 King's Own Calgary Regiment Cadet Corps. The corps was formed 26 April 1954 as King's Own Calgary Regiment (14th Armoured Regiment). The corps disbanded 1 January 1958. The corps was formed again on 1 November 1976 as the King's Own Calgary Regiment Cadet Corps, and continues to parade weekly during the training year. Starting in 2020 a new cadet corps, in the form of 1910 Pte Pattison, VC, RCACC, was formed and affiliated with The King's Own. This cadet corps serves southeast Calgary and parades weekly out of Shepard. Notable members of the corps. Commanding officer of 1910 is Lt Ogilvie, Regimental Sergeant Major is Chief Warrant Officer Nicolaisen, A Squadron Sergeant Major is Master Warrant Officer Yee, B Squadron Sergeant Major is Master Warrant Officer Cooper.


Notable members

* Clarence Gerhart * LCpl Henry Norwest


Notes


External links

*
The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) Unit pageYouTube ChannelThe King's Own Calgary Regiment Band


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:King's Own Calgary Regiment (Rcac) King's Own Calgary Regiment Armoured regiments of Canada Military units and formations established in 1949 Military units and formations of Alberta