Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
Royal Canadian Infantry Corps | |
---|---|
Badge of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps | |
Active | September 2, 1942–present (December 21, 1883 as the Infantry School Corps) |
Country | Canada |
Branch | Canadian Army |
Type | Personnel branch |
Role | Infantry |
Size | 9 Regular Force battalions, 51 Reserve Force battalions |
Motto(s) | Ducimus (Latin for 'We lead') |
Colours | Red and white |
March | "The Canadian Infantryman" |
Anniversaries | Founded 2 September 1942 |
Engagements | North-West Rebellion Second Boer War First World War Second World War Korean War War in Afghanistan |
Part of a series on the |
Military history of Canada |
---|
History of...
|
Conflicts
|
Installations |
Lists |
Research |
|
|
The Royal Canadian Infantry Corps (French: Corps d'infanterie royal canadien) is the infantry corps of the Canadian Army and includes regular and reserve force regiments.
Originally formed as the Canadian Infantry Corps on 2 September 1942 to encompass all existing infantry regiments, including regiments of foot guards, in the Canadian Army. The corps was granted its "royal" designation in 1947 and was designated Royal Canadian Infantry Corps 30 April 1947, to be redesignated The Royal Canadian Infantry Corps 22 March 1948, and revert to Royal Canadian Infantry Corps 17 February 1964.[1]
The badge of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps consists of Argent three maple leaves conjoined on one stem within an annulus Gules fimbriated and inscribed INFANTRY • INFANTERIE in letters Or, the whole ensigned by the Royal Crown proper set above a scroll Or inscribed with the Motto in letters Sable and surmounted by two rifles in saltire Or. The three maple leaves conjoined on one stem, taken from the Royal Arms of Canada, represent service to Canada, and the Crown, service to the sovereign. The crossed rifles denote infantry and have been used in badges of infantry units as well as of the officer cadet programme. Red and white are the national colours of Canada. "INFANTRY" and "INFANTERIE" are a form of the bilingual branch title and "DUCIMUS" is the motto of the corps.
In 1968, with the unification of the Canadian Army into the Canadian Armed Forces, the name of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps was changed to simply the "Infantry Branch". As of April 2013, the traditional designation "Royal Canadian Infantry Corps" has been officially restored. Today, the administration and training of both the regular and reserve infantry that form part of the Canadian Army is the responsibility of the Infantry School (French: Ecole d'infanterie), which runs officer classification courses as well as NCO and Warrant Officer trades training at CFB Gagetown.
Tasks
- To destroy the enemy in close combat
- To defend a position by the holding of ground
- To fight as covering force troops
- To act as all or part of a reserve to counter-attack or block
- To participate in airmobile, airborne and amphibious operations
- To establish surveillance and conduct patrols
- To conduct security tasks, including rear area security
- To exploit the effects of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons
Regular Force
The 3rd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment is the sole airmobile battalion of the Regular Force. The two other regular force regiments both retain a parachute company in their respective 3rd battalions.
Order of precedence | Regiment | Subunits | Headquarters | Role |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Royal Canadian Regiment | 1st Battalion | CFB Petawawa | mechanized infantry |
2nd Battalion | CFB Gagetown | mechanized infantry | ||
3rd Battalion | CFB Petawawa | light infantry/airmobile (two parachute companies, air assault company, mountain operations company) | ||
2 | Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry | 1st Battalion | CFB Edmonton | mechanized infantry |
2nd Battalion | CFB Shilo | mechanized infantry | ||
3rd Battalion | CFB Edmonton | light infantry (parachute company, air assault company, mountain operations company) | ||
3 | Royal 22e Régiment | 1st Battalion | CFB Valcartier | mechanized infantry |
2nd Battalion | Quebec City | mechanized infantry | ||
3rd Battalion | CFB Valcartier | light infantry (parachute company, air assault company, mountain operations company) |
After the Second World War the infantry was expanded to meet Canada's global responsibilities as part of NATO. Initially, the militia regiments provided men to a number of composite battalions:
Battalion | Formed | Disbanded |
---|---|---|
1st Canadian Infantry Battalion | 1951 | 1953 |
2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion | 1952 | 1953 |
1st Canadian Rifle Battalion | 1951 | 1953 |
2nd Canadian Rifle Battalion | 1952 | 1953 |
1st Canadian Highland Battalion | 1951 | 1953 |
2nd Canadian Highland Battalion | 1952 | 1953 |
In 1953 it was decided that the composite battalions would be regimented. The two Canadian Infantry battalions were amalgamated with the 3rd Battalions of both The Royal Canadian Regiment and Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry to form a new, four battalion regiment of foot guards, The Canadian Guards. The Rifle and Highland battalions were regimented by forming Regular Force units of the senior rifle and highland regiments of the Militia, The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada and The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada.
A further infantry regiment, the Canadian Airborne Regiment, was formed in 1968 as a new airmobile rapid-reaction unit. Although a new formation, its soldiers were primarily recruited from the then existing infantry regiments of the Canadian Army.
Regiment | Subunits | Formed | Disbanded | Former unit |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Canadian Guards | 1st Battalion | 1953 | 1968 | 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment[note 1] |
2nd Battalion | 1953 | 1970 | 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry[note 1] | |
3rd Battalion | 1953 | 1957 | 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion[note 2] | |
4th Battalion | 1953 | 1957 | 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion[note 2] | |
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada | 1st Battalion | 1953 | 1970 | 1st Canadian Rifle Battalion[note 2] |
2nd Battalion | 1953 | 1968 | 2nd Canadian Rifle Battalion[note 2] | |
The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada | 1st Battalion | 1953 | 1970 | 1st Canadian Highland Battalion[note 2] |
2nd Battalion | 1953 | 1970 | 2nd Canadian Highland Battalion[note 2] | |
The Canadian Airborne Regiment | 1st Commando | 1968 | 1995 | N/A |
2nd Commando | 1968 | 1995 | ||
3rd Commando[note 3] | 1979 | 1995 |
Reserve
Order of precedence | Regiment | Headquarters | Role |
---|---|---|---|
1 | The Governor General's Foot Guards | Ottawa, ON | Light Infantry |
2 | The Canadian Grenadier Guards | Montreal, QC | Light Infantry |
3 | The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada | Toronto, ON | Light Infantry |
4 | The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada | Montreal, QC | Light Infantry |
5 | Les Voltigeurs de Québec | Quebec City, QC | Light Infantry |
6 | The Royal Regiment of Canada | Toronto, ON | Light Infantry |
7 | The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) | Hamilton, ON | Light Infantry |
8 | The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment | Kingston, ON | Light Infantry |
9 | The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment | Belleville, ON | Light Infantry |
10 | The Lincoln and Welland Regiment | St. Catharines, ON | Light Infantry |
11 | 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment | London, ON | Light Infantry |
12 | The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada | Cambridge and Kitchener, ON | Light Infantry |
13 | The Grey and Simcoe Foresters | Barrie, ON | Light Infantry |
14 | The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) | Brampton, ON | Light Infantry |
15 | The Brockville Rifles | Brockville, ON | Light Infantry |
16 | The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders | Cornwall, ON | Light Infantry |
17 | Les Fusiliers du St-Laurent | Rimouski, QC | Light Infantry |
18 | Le Régiment de la Chaudière | Lévis, QC | Light Infantry |
19 | 4th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment (Châteauguay) | Laval, QC | Light Infantry |
6th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment | Saint-Hyacinthe, QC | Light Infantry | |
20 | Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal | Montreal, QC | Light Infantry |
21 | The Princess Louise Fusiliers | Halifax, NS | Light Infantry |
22 | 1st Battalion, The Royal New Brunswick Regiment | Fredericton, NB | Light Infantry |
23 | The West Nova Scotia Regiment | Aldershot, NS | Light Infantry |
24 | The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment | Bathurst, NB | Light Infantry |
25 | 1st Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders (North) | Truro, NS | Light Infantry |
26 | Le Régiment de Maisonneuve | Montreal, Quebec | Light Infantry |
27 | The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) | Ottawa, ON | Light Infantry |
28 | The Royal Winnipeg Rifles | Winnipeg, MB | Light Infantry |
29 | The Essex and Kent Scottish | Windsor, ON | Light Infantry |
30 | 48th Highlanders of Canada | Toronto, ON | Light Infantry |
31 | Le Régiment du Saguenay | Saguenay, QC | Light Infantry |
32 | The Cape Breton Highlanders | Sydney, NS | Light Infantry |
33 | The Algonquin Regiment (Northern Pioneers) | North Bay, ON | Light Infantry |
34 | The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's) | Hamilton, ON | Light Infantry |
35 | The Lake Superior Scottish Regiment | Thunder Bay, ON | Light Infantry |
36 | The North Saskatchewan Regiment | Saskatoon, SK | Light Infantry |
37 | The Royal Regina Rifles | Regina, SK | Light Infantry |
38 | The Rocky Mountain Rangers | Kamloops, BC | Light Infantry |
39 | The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) | Edmonton, AB | Light Infantry |
40 | The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada | Winnipeg, MB | Light Infantry |
41 | The Royal Westminster Regiment | New Westminster, BC | Light Infantry |
42 | The Calgary Highlanders | Calgary, AB | Light Infantry |
43 | Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke | Sherbrooke, QC | Light Infantry |
44 | The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada | Vancouver, BC | Light Infantry |
45 | The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) | Victoria, BC | Light Infantry |
46 | The Royal Montreal Regiment | Westmount, Quebec | Light Infantry |
47 | 2nd Battalion, The Irish Regiment of Canada[2] | Sudbury, ON | Light Infantry |
48 | The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's Own) | Toronto, ON | Light Infantry |
49 | 1st Battalion, The Royal Newfoundland Regiment | St. John's, NL | Light Infantry |
2nd Battalion, The Royal Newfoundland Regiment | Corner Brook, NL |
Supplementary Order of Battle
Regiments on the Supplementary Order of Battle legally exist but have no personnel or materiel.
Regiment | Formed | To SOB | Headquarters |
---|---|---|---|
The Canadian Guards | 1951 | 1970 | Camp Petawawa |
Victoria Rifles of Canada | 1862 | 1965 | Montreal, QC |
The Royal Rifles of Canada | 1862 | 1966 | Quebec City, QC |
Le Régiment de Joliette | 1871 | 1964 | Joliette, QC |
The Perth Regiment | 1886 | 1965 | Stratford, ON |
The South Saskatchewan Regiment | 1905 | 1968 | Estevan, SK |
The Winnipeg Grenadiers | 1908 | 1965 | Winnipeg, MB |
1st Battalion, The Irish Regiment of Canada | 1915 | 1965 | Toronto, ON |
The Yukon Regiment | 1962 | 1968 | Whitehorse, YT |
Order of precedence
Preceded by | Royal Canadian Infantry Corps | Succeeded by |
See also
- List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage
- List of infantry weapons and equipment of the Canadian military
- List of equipment of the Canadian Army
- Monarchy of Canada
External links
- Canadian Forces Recruiting
- Canadian Forces and Department of National Defence
- List of Civilian organizations with prefix "Royal" - Heritage Canada.
- List of civilian organizations with the prefix "royal" prepared by the Department of Canadian Heritage
Notes
- ^ a b Personnel and equipment were transferred from a disbanded unit to a newly formed unit
- ^ a b c d e f The unit was redesignated
- ^ 3rd Commando, Canadian Airborne Regiment, was actually a mechanized infantry battalion formed to serve as part of Canada's resident forces in Germany
References
- ^ The Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army. Ottawa: Queen's Printer. 1964.[page needed]
- ^ The 1st Battalion was disbanded and added to the Supplementary Order of Battle on 31 March 1965; the 2nd Battalion was formed the same year by the conversion of the 58th Field Regiment, RCA, to infantry. The 1st Battalion has never been reformed.(canadiansoldiers.com 1965 Unit Listing)