Governor General's Foot Guards
Encyclopedia
The Governor General's Foot Guards is one of three Household
regiment
s in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army, along with The Governor General's Horse Guards
and the Canadian Grenadier Guards. The GGFG is the most senior militia
infantry
regiment in Canada.
"Civitas et Princeps Cura Nostra" is the official motto of the regiment. It can be translated as "Our Care is Queen and Country".
The regiment has an operational role that encompasses both the territorial defence of Canada
and supporting regular Canadian forces overseas. In addition to this, it also performs a ceremonial role similar to that of the Guards
regiments of the British Army
, mounting the guard on Parliament Hill
and at Rideau Hall
in Ottawa
, a task it shares with the Canadian Grenadier Guards. (See Ceremonial Guard
) The regimental dress uniform has buttons in pairs similar to the Coldstream Guards with a red plume worn on the left side of their bearskin
. The red plume is of different material and lengths, dependent on the rank of the soldier.
The Governor General's Foot Guards were formally allied with the Coldstream Guards
of the United Kingdom (General Order 106 of 1929) after being informally allied with them since the formation of the Regiment.
The Governor General's Foot Guards perpetuate the 2nd Canadian Battalion (Eastern Ontario Regiment), CEF, and 77th (Ottawa) Battalion, CEF.
Ensign
: Second Lieutenants in Guard regiments are referred by their former title of ensign (Esgn). The name derives from the task the newest joined officers were entrusted with, carrying the ensign or colours.
Colour sergeant
: Warrant Officers in Guard regiments are called by their former title of colour sergeant (CSgt). This rank originated from the appointment of specific sergeants to escort and defend the colours.
Guardsman : Upon successful completion of recruit training soldiers are to be addressed as guardsman (Gdsm). King George V awarded this honour in 1918 to mark the service of regiments of Foot Guards during the First World War. General Order 138 of 1928 promulgates this honour.
Musician : Upon successful completion of recruit training members of the band are addressed as musician (Muscn).
the history and traditions of the Regiment. The museum will collect materials that depict the
regiment’s past in terms of war, ceremonial, training, sport and other affairs that have influenced the Regiment over the years. The museum will provide for the preservation of such
material and for its availability to all those who wish to see and study it. The museum will be a non-profit educational establishment, operated for the Regiment and open to the public, regardless of race, creed, or occupation. The museum will disseminate knowledge and stimulate interest through materials, information services by holding meetings and arranging special programs for the regiment, the association and the public for the furtherance of the purpose of the museum. The museum co-operates with the regiment, association, the National War Museum and other museums as well as the Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton, to collect and preserve materials of significance so that these materials may be preserved and aid in the advancement of knowledge of the Regiment. The Guards' museum holds many artifacts from throughout the history of the regiment. Some of the artifacts displayed are a captured German trench periscope, various firearms from past wars including a Second World War–era German MG42, and a copy of Mein Kampf
signed by Adolf Hitler
. Also on display are several books containing photographs from World War II
. The museum is located in the south end of the Cartier Square Drill Hall
and is open on parade nights or by appointment.
† - Awarded posthumously
Household Division
Household Division is a term used principally in the Commonwealth of Nations to describe a country’s most elite or historically senior military units, or those military units that provide ceremonial or protective functions associated directly with the head of state.-Historical Development:In...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army, along with The Governor General's Horse Guards
The Governor General's Horse Guards
The Governor General's Horse Guards is an armoured reconnaissance regiment in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army, part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. Based in Toronto, it is the most senior reserve regiment in Canada, and the only Household Cavalry regiment of...
and the Canadian Grenadier Guards. The GGFG is the most senior militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment in Canada.
"Civitas et Princeps Cura Nostra" is the official motto of the regiment. It can be translated as "Our Care is Queen and Country".
The regiment has an operational role that encompasses both the territorial defence of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and supporting regular Canadian forces overseas. In addition to this, it also performs a ceremonial role similar to that of the Guards
Foot Guards
-British Army:The Foot Guards are the Regular Infantry regiments of the Household Division of the British Army. There have been six regiments of foot guards, five of which still exist. The Royal Guards Reserve Regiment was a reserve formation of the Household Brigade in existence from 1900-1901...
regiments of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, mounting the guard on Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
and at Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall is, since 1867, the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and the Governor General of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a 0.36 km2 estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main building consisting of 170 rooms across 9,500 m2 , and 24 outbuildings around the...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, a task it shares with the Canadian Grenadier Guards. (See Ceremonial Guard
Ceremonial Guard
The Ceremonial Guard is an ad hoc military unit in the Canadian Forces with elements drawn principally from two Primary Reserve regiments of Foot Guards: The Governor General's Foot Guards from Ottawa and the Canadian Grenadier Guards from Montreal...
) The regimental dress uniform has buttons in pairs similar to the Coldstream Guards with a red plume worn on the left side of their bearskin
Bearskin
A bearskin is a tall fur cap, usually worn as part of a ceremonial military uniform. Traditionally, the bearskin was the headgear of grenadiers, and is still worn by grenadier and guards regiments in various armies.-Origins:...
. The red plume is of different material and lengths, dependent on the rank of the soldier.
The Governor General's Foot Guards were formally allied with the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
of the United Kingdom (General Order 106 of 1929) after being informally allied with them since the formation of the Regiment.
The Governor General's Foot Guards perpetuate the 2nd Canadian Battalion (Eastern Ontario Regiment), CEF, and 77th (Ottawa) Battalion, CEF.
Rank names
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
: Second Lieutenants in Guard regiments are referred by their former title of ensign (Esgn). The name derives from the task the newest joined officers were entrusted with, carrying the ensign or colours.
Colour sergeant
Colour Sergeant
Colour sergeant or colour serjeant is a non-commissioned title in the Royal Marines and infantry regiments of the British Army, ranking above sergeant and below warrant officer class 2....
: Warrant Officers in Guard regiments are called by their former title of colour sergeant (CSgt). This rank originated from the appointment of specific sergeants to escort and defend the colours.
Guardsman : Upon successful completion of recruit training soldiers are to be addressed as guardsman (Gdsm). King George V awarded this honour in 1918 to mark the service of regiments of Foot Guards during the First World War. General Order 138 of 1928 promulgates this honour.
Musician : Upon successful completion of recruit training members of the band are addressed as musician (Muscn).
Governor General's Foot Guards Regimental Museum
The museum collects, preserves, studies and exhibits those objects that serve to illustratethe history and traditions of the Regiment. The museum will collect materials that depict the
regiment’s past in terms of war, ceremonial, training, sport and other affairs that have influenced the Regiment over the years. The museum will provide for the preservation of such
material and for its availability to all those who wish to see and study it. The museum will be a non-profit educational establishment, operated for the Regiment and open to the public, regardless of race, creed, or occupation. The museum will disseminate knowledge and stimulate interest through materials, information services by holding meetings and arranging special programs for the regiment, the association and the public for the furtherance of the purpose of the museum. The museum co-operates with the regiment, association, the National War Museum and other museums as well as the Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton, to collect and preserve materials of significance so that these materials may be preserved and aid in the advancement of knowledge of the Regiment. The Guards' museum holds many artifacts from throughout the history of the regiment. Some of the artifacts displayed are a captured German trench periscope, various firearms from past wars including a Second World War–era German MG42, and a copy of Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf is a book written by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926...
signed by Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. Also on display are several books containing photographs from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The museum is located in the south end of the Cartier Square Drill Hall
Cartier Square Drill Hall
The Drill Hall at Cartier Square is a dedicated military training facility in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It has been a local landmark since its construction in 1879. The drill hall is long and has two tall mansard towers....
and is open on parade nights or by appointment.
Battle honours
- North West Canada, 1885
- South Africa 1899-1900
- World War I: Ypres 1915, 1917, Flers-Courcelette, Passchendaele, Gravenstafel, Ancre Heights, Amiens, St. Julien, Arras 1917, 1918, Drocourt-Queant, Festubert, 1915, Vimy 1917, Hindenburg Line, Mount Sorrel, Arleux, Canal du Nord, Somme, 1916, Scarpe, 1917-18, Pursuit to Mons, Pozières, Hill 70, France and Flanders 1915-1918
- World War II: The Hochwald, The Rhineland, ChamboisChamboisChambois is a commune in the Orne département in north-western France. The city is remarkable for its Norman keep and was part of the Falaise pocket in 1944.-Norman keep:The Norman keep or Donjon was built in the 12th century...
, Falaise, Veen, The Scheldt, Falaise Road, Bad Zwichenahn, The Lower Maas, The Laison, North West Europe 1944-1945
Victoria Cross recipients
- (Acting) Corporal Leo ClarkeLeo ClarkeLeo Clarke, VC was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Early life:...
- 2nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary ForceCanadian Expeditionary ForceThe Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
- PozièresBattle of PozièresThe Battle of Pozières was a two week struggle for the French village of Pozières and the ridge on which it stands, during the middle stages of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. Though British divisions were involved in most phases of the fighting, Pozières is primarily remembered as an Australian battle...
, France - September 9, 1916
- (Acting) Major Okill Massey LearmonthOkill Massey LearmonthOkill Massey Learmonth, VC, MC , born in Quebec City, Canada, was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to Commonwealth forces.-Details:He was 23 years old, and an Acting Major in the 2nd Battalion,...
†
- 2nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary ForceCanadian Expeditionary ForceThe Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
- Hill 70Battle of Hill 70The Battle of Hill 70 was a localized battle of World War I between the Canadian Corps and five divisions of the German Sixth Army. The battle took place along the Western Front on the outskirts of Lens in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France between 15 August 1917 and 25 August 1917.The primary...
, France - August 18, 1917
† - Awarded posthumously
See also
- Household DivisionHousehold DivisionHousehold Division is a term used principally in the Commonwealth of Nations to describe a country’s most elite or historically senior military units, or those military units that provide ceremonial or protective functions associated directly with the head of state.-Historical Development:In...
- The Governor General's Horse GuardsThe Governor General's Horse GuardsThe Governor General's Horse Guards is an armoured reconnaissance regiment in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army, part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. Based in Toronto, it is the most senior reserve regiment in Canada, and the only Household Cavalry regiment of...
- Canadian Grenadier Guards
- Canadian Guards