A Short History of The Royal Canadian Regiment
Early History
The Royal Canadian Regiment was formed on 21 December 1883 for the purpose of instructing the Canadian Militia. Shortly thereafter, it saw action for the first time during the campaign in North-West Canada in 1885 where it took part in the suppression of the rebellion at Batoche and Cut Knife Creek. In 1898, the Regiment provided part of the force sent to police the Yukon Territory during the Gold Rush.
In late 1899, with the outbreak of the Boer War, the Canadian Government offered Great Britain the services of 1,000 troops. Mobilization occurred rapidly and on 29 November the 2nd (Special Service) Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry, under the command of LCol W.D. Otter arrived in Capetown, South Africa. After completing familiarization training at Belmont, it saw its first action at Sunnyside Kopjes on 1 January 1900. The most notable battle in which the Battalion was involved in was that at Paardeberg Drift where, with the British, it fought a numerically superior Boer force.
On 27 February 1900 General Cronje - the Boer Commander - surrendered to the Battalion, exactly 19 years after the disastrous British defeat at Majuba Hill. Of note, Pte R.R. Thompson was awarded The Queen's Scarf of Honour for his actions during the Battle of Paardeberg. Upon the completion of the one-year term of engagement, the Battalion returned home to Canada and was disbanded. During this same period, the 3rd (Special Service) Battalion was formed and tasked with garrisoning the Halifax Fortress from March 1900 to September 1902.
On 11 October 1901 in Toronto, Ontario, His Royal Highness, The Duke of Cornwall and York, later to be King George V, presented the Regiment its first set of Colours with the battle honours Saskatchewan, Northwest Canada 1885, Paardeberg and South Africa 1899-1900 emblazoned on it.
World War I
With the outbreak of WWI, the Regiment concentrated in Halifax where the Commanding Officer volunteered it as part of the first contingent for duty overseas. However, for political reasons, it was assigned garrison duties in Bermuda from 14 September 1914 to 12 August 1915. Subsequently, the Regiment was dispatched for overseas service on 26 August 1915, and after eight weeks of training in Camp Shorncliffe, England, was sent to the trenches at Ploegstreet, France, as part of the 1st Canadian Corps.
With the formation of the 3rd Canadian Division, the Regiment became part of the "Shiny 7th Brigade", along with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) and the 42nd and 49th Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). At the close of hostilities in 1918, the Regiment entered the city of Mons, Belgium, the first allied troops to do so since the British rearguard action known as the "Retreat from Mons" in 1914.
It is worth noting that on 27 October 1918, Lt Milton F. Gregg, MC, was awarded the Victoria Cross for most conspicuous bravery and initiative during operations near Cambrai from 27 September to 1 October 1918. By the end of the war the Regiment had incurred 712 killed and 2,354 wounded. To acknowledge the bravery of the Regiment, it was awarded 22 battle honours, 10 of which were emblazoned on the Regimental Colour
World War II
With rumblings of war in Europe, the Regiment was put on standby and by November 1939 was up to wartime establishment. From there it concentrated in Valcartier, Quebec along with the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment and the 48th Highlanders of Canada to form the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade prior to departing for England.
Three years of training in the UK ensued before embarkation for its next theatre of operations. On 10 July 1943, the Regiment conducted an amphibious landing near Pachino, Sicily, where it fought a short campaign to its conclusion on 5 August. This was followed by another amphibious landing at Reggio de Calabria, Italy, on 3 September 1943 where the Regiment fought a mobile battle until being pulled back to Molice, on 23 October, to rest. On 1 December, as part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, the Regiment advanced northward toward Ortona for the bitter and costly fighting that was to take place over the next two months. On 24 May 1944, the Regiment, along with the 48th Highlanders of Canada, was instrumental in the defeat of the Hitler Line when they captured Pontecorvo. In September, the Regiment took part in the fight to relieve the Gothic Line, on the Adriatic coast.
After almost 18 months of continuous action, the Regiment left Italy in February 1945 to join in the final push to liberate Northwest Europe. There it fought its last battle when it liberated Apeldoorn, Holland, on 17 April 1945. From there the Regiment moved into a reserve position until VE Day. In five years and four months of overseas service, The Regiment suffered 370 killed and 1,207 wounded. For its actions, the Regiment was awarded 27 battle honours of which 10 are emblazoned on the Regimental Colour.
The Korean War
Following Canada's decision to provide an infantry brigade for the Korean conflict, the 2nd Battalion embarked on 20 April 1951 arriving at Pusan on 4 May. Three weeks later they met the enemy for the first time at Hill 407.
In February 1952 the 2nd Battalion was repatriated to Canada and replaced by the 1st Battalion who decisively engaged Chinese forces at the battle of Kowang San. In turn, the 3rd Battalion who took up its position in the Jamestown Line on Hill 187, one of the original positions of the 2nd Battalion, replaced 1RCR on 25 March 1953. There they participated in the last major engagement of the war on 2 May.
In May 1954, the 3rd Battalion returned to Canada and was disbanded on 21 July. The Korean conflict had cost the Regiment 117 killed and 401 wounded. For its participation, the Regiment was awarded the battle honour Korea 1951-1953.
Recent History
The year 1953 brought many changes to the Regimental organization. On 19 March the Regimental Depot was created at Wolseley Barracks, London, while the 2nd Battalion moved to Soest, West Germany, in October as a part of NATO Forces. On 8 December, His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh accepted the position of Colonel-in-Chief; an appointment he still retains.
In July 1954, the Regiment gained a Reserve unit designated The London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment). In 1958, it was redesignated the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers) with companies in London, Woodstock and Stratford. In 1970, due to a major reorganization of the Army, the Regiment regained a third Regular Force Battalion when the Regiment of Canadian Guards and The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment of Canada) were disbanded and their soldiers rebadged to The RCR. As a result, the militia Battalion was redesignated as the 4th Battalion, The RCR.
During the next twenty-five years, The Regiment rotated Regular Force Battalions through tours of duty in Germany and Cyprus fulfilling NATO and United Nations commitments respectively. In October 1970, the 1st Battalion was deployed to Ottawa in aid of the civil power during the FLQ Crisis with the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were involved in similar operations in Montreal. Commencing in 1972, the 3rd Battalion took over Canada's contribution to the Allied Command Europe Mobile Force (Land) which involved frequent exercises in north Norway and Denmark before the role was relinquished in 1975. In October 1976 the 3rd Battalion did its first tour of duty in Cyprus and, while there, was notified that it would move to Baden, West Germany, in the summer of 1977. In July 1977 the 1st Battalion, stationed in London, Ontario took over the role of Allied Command Europe Mobile Force (Land) from 1 PPCLI.
In 1983, the Regiment marked its centenary of service to the nation with numerous celebrations in the Maritimes and Ontario. In July, at the main Regimental reunion in London, Ontario, the Colonel-in-Chief, His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip reviewed and addressed the Regiment on parade during a trooping of the colours from all four Battalions, as well as, those of 3 (Airborne) Commando - the Regiment's affiliated unit in the Canadian Airborne Regiment.
In the spring of 1990, the 1st Battalion was deployed to Akwesasne, Ontario, in aid of the civil power. Later that year, the 2nd Battalion was similarly employed during the crisis at Oka and Kahnawake, Quebec. Also in 1990, "M" Company of the 3rd Battalion was deployed to Qatar in the Persian Gulf on Operation Desert Shield from October to December. "P" Company of the 3rd Battalion and "C" Company of the 1st Battalion served in the Gulf from January to March 1991 during Operation Desert Storm.
Battalions of the Regiment have participated in UN operations in the former Republic of Yugoslavia. Elements of the 3rd Battalion were instrumental in opening the Sarajevo airport in 1992 while the 2nd Battalion conducted both humanitarian assistance operations in Bosnia and peacekeeping duties in Macedonia. Shortly before the end of UNPROFOR mandate, the 1st Battalion conducted peacekeeping operations in southern Croatia.