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 Canadian Army infantry regiments, but in a quirk of the rules of seniority, its 4th battalion is ninth.
The RCR was originally authorized as the Infantry School Corps on 21 December 1883, and established its first three company stations at Fredericton, New Brunswick; St Jean, Quebec; and Toronto, Ontario. In 1887 a fourth company was authorized and the next year was established at London, Ontario. Now consisting of three Regular Force battalions and one Reserve Force battalion, the regiment's four battalions are now stationed in Ontario and New Brunswick. With many of its soldiers drawn from Ontario and the Atlantic Provinces in recent decades, the regiment maintains a general connection as the "local" infantry regiment for anglophone eastern Canada.
The 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. The RCR maintains its Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) in Petawawa, Ontario, which has no operational command role but handles regimental affairs outside the responsibility of the individual battalions. The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum is located within historic Wolseley Hall in London, Ontario. Wolseley Barracks in London has been continuously occupied by some element of the regiment since construction of Wolseley Hall was completed in 1888. At various times Wolseley Barracks has been the home of the Regimental Headquarters, the 1st and 2nd Battalions, and remains the home of the 4th Battalion today.
Battalions NATO Map Symbols 1 RCR 2 CMBG 2 RCR 2 CMBG 3 RCR 3rd CLIR 4 RCR 31 CBG
Battalion Home Brigade Notes 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment CFB Petawawa (Ontario) 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Mechanized infantry 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment CFB Gagetown (New Brunswick) 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Mechanized infantry 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment CFB Petawawa (Ontario) 3rd Canadian Light Infantry Regiment Light infantry. Includes a parachute company. 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Wolseley Barracks and Stratford Garrison (Ontario) 31 Canadian Brigade Group Light infantry; Reserve
Lineage
Royal Canadian Regiment Originated 21 December 1883 as the Infantry School Corps Redesignated 14 May 1892 as the Canadian Regiment of Infantry Redesignated 24 May 1893 as the Royal Regiment of Canadian Infantry Redesignated 1 April 1899 as the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry Redesignated 1 November 1901 as The Royal Canadian Regiment Amalgamated 25 April 1958 with The London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment)' retaining its designation. The 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers) redesignated in 1970 as the 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers) 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers) designated as the 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment on 22 May 1990.Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.
London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment)
Originated 27 April 1866 in London, Ontario as the 7th Battalion Infantry, "Prince Arthur's Own" Redesignated 1 May 1866 as the 7th Battalion Infantry Redesignated 15 February 1867 as the 7th Battalion "London Light Infantry" Redesignated 16 January 1880 as the 7th Battalion "Fusiliers" Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 7th Regiment "Fusiliers" Redesignated 29 March 1920 The Western Ontario Regiment Redesignated 1 August 1924 as The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) Amalgamated 15 December 1936 with the Headquarters and A Company of the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC and redesignated as The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (Machine Gun) Redesignated 29 January 1942 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) Redesignated 24 March 1942 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (Machine Gun) Redesignated 1 April 1946 as The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (Machine Gun) Amalgamated 1 October 1954 with The Oxford Rifles and redesignated as the London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment) Amalgamated 25 April 1958 with The Royal Canadian Regiment and redesignated as the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers).
Oxford Rifles
Originated 14 August 1863 in Woodstock, Ontario as the Twenty-second Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles, Canada or The Oxford Rifles Redesignated 13 April 1866 as the 22nd Battalion The Oxford Rifles Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 22nd Regiment The Oxford Rifles Redesignated 29 March 1920 as the Oxford Rifles Redesignated 18 March 1942 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Oxford Rifles Redesignated 1 June 1945 as The Oxford Rifles Amalgamated 1 October 1954 with The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (Machine Gun) and redesignated as the London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment).
2nd Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC Originated 1 June 1919 in London, Ontario as the 2nd Machine Gun Brigade, CMGC Redesignated 15 September 1924 as the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC Amalgamated 15 December 1936 with The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
Lineage chart
Perpetuations
War of 1812 The Loyal London Volunteers 1st Regiment of Middlesex Militia 1st Regiment of Oxford Militia
Great War 1st Battalion (Ontario Regiment), CEF 33rd Battalion, CEF 71st Battalion, CEF 142nd Battalion (London's Own), CEF 168th Battalion (Oxfords), CEF 2nd Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps, CEF
Alliances – The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers – The Rifles – The Jamaica Regiment
Battle honours The Royal Canadian Regiment has been awarded a total of 61 battle honours. In the list below, battle honours in capitals were awarded for participation in large operations and campaigns, while those in lowercase indicate honours granted for more specific battles. Battle honours in bold type are emblazoned on the regimental colours.
War of 1812
Non-emblazonable honorary distinction
North West Rebellion
South African War
Great War
Second World War
Korean War
Afghanistan
History
Early history The Royal Canadian Regiment is one of Canada's oldest Regular Force military units. In 2012 the regiment was assigned the perpetuation of the 1st Regiment of Middlesex Militia (1812–15) and the 1st Regiment of Oxford Militia (1812–15) from the War of 1812, and as a result carries three battle honours from that conflict. The RCR was also assigned the perpetuation of The Loyal London Volunteers which was accompanied by a non-emblazonable Honorary Distinction.
The regiment itself was formed as the Infantry School Corps on 21 December 1883, authorized by a Militia Act which also created the Cavalry School Corps. These school corps were created as regular units that would train the Canadian militia. The first companies stood up in Fredericton NB, St Jean-sur-Richelieu QC, and Toronto ON in 1883, with a fourth company standing up in London ON several years later.
The Infantry School Corps' first battle honours were earned during the North-West Rebellion in 1885, where it fought at Batoche and Cut Knife Creek. The regiment later provided personnel to the Yukon Field Force (1898–1900), which assisted the North-West Mounted Police in the Yukon during the Gold Rush. The regiment served in the South African (Boer) War (1899–1903). Its Great War deployment was delayed by a garrison assignment in Bermuda from September 1914 until August 1915. Upon returning to Nova Scotia, its members attested for overseas service with the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), arriving in France in October 1915 to fight in WW1.
South African War The regiment's name was changed to The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry in 1893, with a new emphasis on being combat capable. William Dillon Otter, formerly of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, was the first Commanding Officer. He would later become the first Canadian-born Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Army.
During the South African War (Second Boer War), the "2nd (Special Service) Battalion" was raised from across the country to contribute Canada's First Contingent in this war, with Otter in command. This battalion was quickly disbanded in 1900 upon its return to Canada, even though they were considered by many British officers to be the best infantry battalion in the country. The "3rd (Special Service) Battalion" was also raised at this time, in 1900, and was employed as a garrison force in Halifax until 1902 when it was also disbanded.
In the Boer War, the Toronto company of the 2RCRI fought Canada's first overseas battle at Sunnyside, Cape Colony, on January 1, 1900, defeating a Boer commando in an action led by Australia's Queensland Mounted Infantry. The unit as a whole then joined and played an instrumental role in the victory at the Battle of Paardeberg Drift (18–27 February 1900), including an advance by night towards the enemy lines, quietly digging trenches on high ground 65 yards from the Boer lines. On February 27, 1900, the Boers, staring into the muzzles of Canadian and British rifles, surrendered, thus removing the commando blocking the way to the first Boer capital, Bloemfontein, Orange Free State. This date has since been celebrated by the Regiment as Paardeberg Day. Having delivered the first unqualified good news of the war for the British Empire, the Regiment also distinguished itself on the march north, arriving first at the gates of Pretoria.
During the South African War Private Richard Rowland Thompson was awarded a Queen's scarf, one of the four presented to soldiers of the Dominions, a further four scarves crocheted by Queen Victoria went to non-commissioned officers of the British Army.
A small statuette (1999) by André Gauthier (sculptor) commemorates the centennial of the Royal Canadian Regiment's Battle of Paardeberg during the Boer War.
End of the Victorian era and the Great War; 1900–1919 In October 1901 the regiment received new colours from the Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V) during his visit to Canada, and the regiment's name was changed to The Royal Canadian Regiment. In 1914, the regiment was deployed to the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda for garrison duties, replacing the 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, from September 1914 (arriving at Bermuda on 3 September 1914, aboard , escorted by HMCS Niobe) to August 1915, when it was replaced by the 38th Battalion (Ottawa), CEF and returned to Halifax and reattested for overseas service. The RCR arrived in France in October 1915 to join the new 3rd Canadian Division. The regiment combined with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and the 42nd and 49th Canadian Infantry Battalions to form the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade. Battle honours awarded to The Royal Canadian Regiment for its actions in the First World War included: "Mount Sorrel, Somme, 1916, Flers-Courcelette, Ancre Heights, Arras, 1917, 18, Vimy, 1917, Hill 70, Ypres, 1917, Passchendaele, Amiens, Scarpe, 1918, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, Pursuit to Mons, FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1914–18".Canadian Army General Order 110 of 1929