The Ontario Regiment (RCAC)
Encyclopedia
The Ontario Regiment is a Primary Reserve armoured
reconnaissance
regiment
of the Canadian Forces
Land Force Command. The unit is based in downtown Oshawa
, Ontario
. Formed in 1866, and more commonly known as the 'Ontarios', 'black cats' or 'ONT R' , the regiment ranks among the oldest continuously serving Reserve (Militia
) regiments in Canada
and is one of the senior armoured regiments in the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
.
, and became Number 6 Coy of the 2nd Battalion, Volunteer Militia Rifles of Canada, later named "The Queen's Own Rifles of Toronto" in April 1860. During the period of national tension that gripped Canada in the early 1860s, other volunteer militia infantry companies were formed in Ontario County
. In 1862, two formed in Oshawa, two in Whitby and one each in Prince Albert, Greenwood, Uxbridge, Columbus and Brooklin. Many men were mobilized for service during the anxieties of 1864-66
, when Fenian invaders massed south of the Niagara Frontier. The Oshawa Rifle Company took part in the Battle of Ridgeway
, in June 1866, as part of a Provisional Battalion of Ontario Infantry.
The Ontario Regiment was officially formed from the nine independent rifle companies on September 14, 1866. It was named the 34th (Ontario) Battalion of Infantry. In later years, men of the regiment served in the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 when they were attached to The Queen's Own Rifles and the 10th Royal Grenadiers (now the Royal Regiment of Canada). During the South African War or Boer War, members of the 34th (Ontario) Battalion were attached to the 1st (Special Service) Battalion of The Royal Canadian Regiment
as well as The Royal Canadian Dragoons
.
In September 1915, the Second-in-Command (2IC) of the 34th (Ontario) Battalion, Major Sam Sharpe was authored to raise the 116th Battalion CEF from Ontario County
. This battalion fought with great distinction in France and Belgium. Another battalion, the 182nd
was also raised from the county, but it did not serve in action as a formed unit as it was broken up after its arrival in England. Most of the battalion's men were sent to the continent to reinforce several other Canadian battalions.
in 1936. The unit trained in Oshawa, throughout Ontario County and at the Armoured School at Camp Borden.
on September 4, 1939. Within six days 594 men had enlisted for active service. In June 1941, the regiment sailed from Halifax on the "Pasteur", arriving in Greenock, Scotland on the 1st of July, and headed south to Headley Downs, England. The Ontarios were the first Canadians to be issued the Churchill tank with which it trained in exercises in its experimental period of 1941-42. On 21 December 1941 the regiment moved to Brighton, alternating between here and Shermanbury park in operational roles in the defence of the English coast. The unit fought with distinction in several theatres during the war, beginning with the Allied invasion of Sicily
in July 1943, through the Italian Campaign (World War II)
seeing action in the fierce Liri Valley, Monte Cassino
, and on to Ortona
. In 1945, the unit entered the Northwest European theatre where it fought with distinction in the Dutch Campaign winning honours at Arnhem
.
There were two more name changes for the Regiment after World War II. In 1946, the Regiment was designated the 11th Armoured Regiment (Ontario Regiment) and in 1958, the Regiment assumed the title by which it is known today: The Ontario Regiment (RCAC).
The Regiment's role was changed to armoured reconnaissance and the unit employed a variety of equipment including jeeps, the Ferret
(on occasion) and the M113 Lynx
armoured reconnaissance vehicle in this role. In 1980, the Ontarios were re-designated an armoured regiment, this time employing the Cougar
armoured vehicle. During many of the subsequent years, the Regiment maintained a wheeled armoured reconnaissance squadron (later downsized to an RHQ recce troop) employing the Iltis jeep. Many of the regiment's soldiers, NCOs and officers enjoy the unique distinction among their peers in reserve armoured regiments of having been trained in both armoured and reconnaissance roles.
With the retirement of the Cougar in the 2004, the Regiment was again re-designated an armoured reconnaissance unit, briefly employing and conducting trials on all terrain vehicles. Today, the Regiment continues its reconnaissance tasking and has adopted the Mercedes-built LUVW G-Wagon.
A significant number of the Regiment's soldiers have volunteered for active duty with NATO in Germany
, United Nations
missions in Cyprus
, Bosnia, the Golan Heights, Cambodia
, the former Yugoslavia
and, most recently, the NATO-led engagement in Afghanistan
.
The Ontario Regiment received the Freedom of the City of Oshawa and the County of Ontario in 1966, and the Freedom of the Region of Durham in 1979.
A regimental "challenge" coin was issued in late 2009 LCol R Brown and CWO DJ Munroe to the members and officers serving, as a remembrance of those Ontarios who have fallen in the line of duty. The coin, is produced in pewter colour and shows the regimental cap badge on the front side, and the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Cap badge on the reverse, along with a serial number. A year later, the unit's CO and RSM perceived some gaps in the official honours and awards process, particularly at the unit level. As such, in November 2010 a Command Team Coin of Excellence was first presented. The coin is gold in colour and shows the regimental cap badge in full autumnal colour, ringed with the words 'For Excellence'. The reverse in gold shows the ranks of the CO and RSM, along with the camp flag of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps.
A complete historical list of the unit's key appointments is mainatined at the Regimental Museum's official website.
Since 1866, the 34th Battalion and its successor units including the 116th Battalion, 182nd Battalion, and the Ontarios, maintained an award-winning brass marching band. The Regimental band earned top national honours in 1948 at the Canadian National Exhibition
in Toronto. The band's patron, Colonel Robert Samuel McLaughlin
(Colonel Sam), funded the purchase of the band's instruments and uniforms for several decades, having gone so far as to build a bandshell at Oshawa's Memorial Park to provide the bandsmen with their own venue to entertain Oshawa's citizens.
The Regiment maintained its band until 1968 when, due to a painful reorganization of the Canadian Forces, the unit's band establishment was eliminated by the federal Liberal government of the day. Lt (N) Bill Askew, a naval veteran of World War II and officer with the 1913 Ontario Regiment Cadet Corps refused to let the band wither. Under his leadership, the band was transformed into the present-day Oshawa Civic Band
. Many of the former regimental bandsmen continue to play with the Civic Band today. The Civic Band regularly performs in a summer concert series at Oshawa's Memorial Park and, from to time, at military functions including the Regimental Ball (held each May) and the Regiment's annual Parkwood Promenade.
For almost forty years, the band of the 1913 Ontario Regiment Cadet Corps has provided the Regiment with much of its marching music at public events and official regimental functions.
Several exchange visits have taken place over the years. In 1969, officers and men of the Ontarios performed 'groundskeeping' duties on the occasion of the Welsh’s amalgamation parade at Cardiff Castle. In September 1983, a small group of Welsh officers and soldiers were on parade in Oshawa on the occasion of the Ontarios’ change of command. In July 1989, the Ontarios sent a 35-man guard to Wales for the RRW’s Tercentenary parade at Cardiff Castle. HRH Charles, Prince of Wales
the longtime Colonel-in-Chief
of the Welsh, inspected the Regiment. The Welsh reciprocated in 1991 by providing a guard for a parade at Iroquois Park in Whitby, Ontario
to mark the Ontarios’ 125th anniversary. More recently, in September 2004, the Welsh band toured many of its War of 1812
battlefields near Niagara and encampments throughout Ontario including Kingston, Ontario
. The band also visited Oshawa to perform at the Ontarios’ annual Parkwood Promenade, held at the home of Colonel R.S. McLaughlin, the unit's former patron and long-serving Honorary Colonel.
The Ontario Regiment received the Freedom of the city of Oshawa and the County of Ontario in 1966 and the Freedom of the Regional Municipality of Durham in 1979.
A complete historical list of the unit's key appointments is available online at the Regimental Museum's official website.
s approved for emblazonment on the Guidon
are in bold.
The present-day badge is topped with the crown of Canada's sovereign, currently the crown adopted by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The pre-Elizabeth II badge bore the "King's" crown as seen above. Once they have completed their secondary trade qualification, currently Armoured Reconnaissance, every member of the Regiment, regardless of rank, wears the same brass cap badge. Several attempts to introduce a wire or cloth officer cap badge in the 1960s and 1980s failed. The complete evolution of the cap badge is explained here.
In April 1852, the Regiment of Ontario, consisting of 9 Battalions, was formed in the Sedentary Militia upon the creation of the new Ontario County from part of the former York County. In April 1860, the Whitby Highland Rifle Company was one of several Toronto-area units that amalgamated to form the 2nd Battalion, Volunteer Militia Rifles. This unit split off again in 1862 to become part Ontario County's growing militia garrison which eventually consisted of nine independent rifle or infantry companies authorized on these dates:
On 14 September 1866, these nine independent companies based in seven towns across Ontario County (now Durham Region) were drawn together to form the 34th Ontario Battalion of Infantry. The unit underwent several redesignations after the nineteenth century and during the World War I:
The unit was converted from infantry to armour (tank) and redesignated:
The Colonel R. S. McLaughlin Armoury is a recognized Federal Heritage building 1991 on the Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings.
Armoured warfare
Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....
reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
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...
of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
Land Force Command. The unit is based in downtown Oshawa
Oshawa
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Formed in 1866, and more commonly known as the 'Ontarios', 'black cats' or 'ONT R' , the regiment ranks among the oldest continuously serving Reserve (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...
) regiments in 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 is one of the senior armoured regiments in the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps is the armoured branch of service of the Canadian Army, including regular force and reserve regiments.-History:...
.
Early history: 1856-1914
Militia units have existed in what is now the Region of Durham since the earliest days of the century. In 1856, a company was raised by Capt James Wallace, in Whitby, OntarioWhitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region...
, and became Number 6 Coy of the 2nd Battalion, Volunteer Militia Rifles of Canada, later named "The Queen's Own Rifles of Toronto" in April 1860. During the period of national tension that gripped Canada in the early 1860s, other volunteer militia infantry companies were formed in Ontario County
Ontario County, Ontario
Ontario County was the name of two historic counties in the Canadian province of Ontario.The original Ontario County existed from 1792 to 1800 as part of the Eastern District, and consisted of the islands in the St. Lawrence River...
. In 1862, two formed in Oshawa, two in Whitby and one each in Prince Albert, Greenwood, Uxbridge, Columbus and Brooklin. Many men were mobilized for service during the anxieties of 1864-66
Fenian raids
Between 1866 and 1871, the Fenian raids of the Fenian Brotherhood who were based in the United States; on British army forts, customs posts and other targets in Canada, were fought to bring pressure on Britain to withdraw from Ireland. They divided many Catholic Irish-Canadians, many of whom were...
, when Fenian invaders massed south of the Niagara Frontier. The Oshawa Rifle Company took part in the Battle of Ridgeway
Battle of Ridgeway
The Battle of Ridgeway was fought in the vicinity of the town of Fort Erie across the Niagara River from Buffalo, NY near the village of Ridgeway, Canada West, currently Ontario, Canada on June 2, 1866, between Canadian troops and an irregular army of Irish-American invaders, the Fenians...
, in June 1866, as part of a Provisional Battalion of Ontario Infantry.
The Ontario Regiment was officially formed from the nine independent rifle companies on September 14, 1866. It was named the 34th (Ontario) Battalion of Infantry. In later years, men of the regiment served in the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 when they were attached to The Queen's Own Rifles and the 10th Royal Grenadiers (now the Royal Regiment of Canada). During the South African War or Boer War, members of the 34th (Ontario) Battalion were attached to the 1st (Special Service) Battalion of The Royal Canadian Regiment
The Royal Canadian Regiment
The Royal Canadian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the Primary Reserve...
as well as The Royal Canadian Dragoons
The Royal Canadian Dragoons
The Royal Canadian Dragoons is an armoured regiment of the Canadian Army. It is one of three armoured regiments in the Regular Force and forms part of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps....
.
World War I: 1914-1918
Ontario County, Ontario
Ontario County was the name of two historic counties in the Canadian province of Ontario.The original Ontario County existed from 1792 to 1800 as part of the Eastern District, and consisted of the islands in the St. Lawrence River...
. This battalion fought with great distinction in France and Belgium. Another battalion, the 182nd
182nd (Ontario County) Battalion, CEF
The 182nd Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Whitby, Ontario, the unit began recruiting during the winter of 1915/16 in Ontario County, Ontario. After sailing to England in May 1917, the battalion was absorbed into the 18th Reserve...
was also raised from the county, but it did not serve in action as a formed unit as it was broken up after its arrival in England. Most of the battalion's men were sent to the continent to reinforce several other Canadian battalions.
Inter-War Years: 1919-1939
In 1936, the unit was re-roled as a tank battalion and became one of the first units to comprise General F. F. Worthington's newly-minted Royal Canadian Armoured CorpsRoyal Canadian Armoured Corps
The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps is the armoured branch of service of the Canadian Army, including regular force and reserve regiments.-History:...
in 1936. The unit trained in Oshawa, throughout Ontario County and at the Armoured School at Camp Borden.
Second World War: 1939-1945
The unit was mobilized for World War IIWorld 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...
on September 4, 1939. Within six days 594 men had enlisted for active service. In June 1941, the regiment sailed from Halifax on the "Pasteur", arriving in Greenock, Scotland on the 1st of July, and headed south to Headley Downs, England. The Ontarios were the first Canadians to be issued the Churchill tank with which it trained in exercises in its experimental period of 1941-42. On 21 December 1941 the regiment moved to Brighton, alternating between here and Shermanbury park in operational roles in the defence of the English coast. The unit fought with distinction in several theatres during the war, beginning with the Allied invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
in July 1943, through the Italian Campaign (World War II)
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
seeing action in the fierce Liri Valley, Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, Italy, c. to the west of the town of Cassino and altitude. St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, here around 529. It was the site of Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944...
, and on to Ortona
Ortona
Ortona is a coastal town and municipality of the Province of Chieti in the Italian region of Abruzzo, with some 23,000 inhabitants.Ortona was the site of fierce fighting between German and Canadian forces during the Italian campaign in World War II...
. In 1945, the unit entered the Northwest European theatre where it fought with distinction in the Dutch Campaign winning honours at Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
.
Post-War Period: 1945-present
Upon demobilization, The Ontarios continued as a reserve armoured regiment using Mark IV Sherman Tanks. In fact, the Regiment was one of the last Canadian militia units to give up their Shermans in 1972. Some of these actual tanks can be seen as monuments or gate guards at [CFB Kingston] and the former Denison Armoury on Dufferin Street in Toronto.There were two more name changes for the Regiment after World War II. In 1946, the Regiment was designated the 11th Armoured Regiment (Ontario Regiment) and in 1958, the Regiment assumed the title by which it is known today: The Ontario Regiment (RCAC).
The Regiment's role was changed to armoured reconnaissance and the unit employed a variety of equipment including jeeps, the Ferret
Ferret armoured car
The Ferret armoured car, also commonly called the Ferret Scout car, is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK company, Daimler...
(on occasion) and the M113 Lynx
M113 armored personnel carrier
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...
armoured reconnaissance vehicle in this role. In 1980, the Ontarios were re-designated an armoured regiment, this time employing the Cougar
AVGP
The AVGP is a series of three armoured fighting vehicles ordered by the Canadian military in 1977.The three vehicles are the Cougar, Grizzly and Husky....
armoured vehicle. During many of the subsequent years, the Regiment maintained a wheeled armoured reconnaissance squadron (later downsized to an RHQ recce troop) employing the Iltis jeep. Many of the regiment's soldiers, NCOs and officers enjoy the unique distinction among their peers in reserve armoured regiments of having been trained in both armoured and reconnaissance roles.
With the retirement of the Cougar in the 2004, the Regiment was again re-designated an armoured reconnaissance unit, briefly employing and conducting trials on all terrain vehicles. Today, the Regiment continues its reconnaissance tasking and has adopted the Mercedes-built LUVW G-Wagon.
A significant number of the Regiment's soldiers have volunteered for active duty with NATO in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
missions in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Bosnia, the Golan Heights, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, the former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and, most recently, the NATO-led engagement in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
The Ontario Regiment received the Freedom of the City of Oshawa and the County of Ontario in 1966, and the Freedom of the Region of Durham in 1979.
A regimental "challenge" coin was issued in late 2009 LCol R Brown and CWO DJ Munroe to the members and officers serving, as a remembrance of those Ontarios who have fallen in the line of duty. The coin, is produced in pewter colour and shows the regimental cap badge on the front side, and the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Cap badge on the reverse, along with a serial number. A year later, the unit's CO and RSM perceived some gaps in the official honours and awards process, particularly at the unit level. As such, in November 2010 a Command Team Coin of Excellence was first presented. The coin is gold in colour and shows the regimental cap badge in full autumnal colour, ringed with the words 'For Excellence'. The reverse in gold shows the ranks of the CO and RSM, along with the camp flag of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps.
A complete historical list of the unit's key appointments is mainatined at the Regimental Museum's official website.
Regimental Band
Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition , also known as The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the 18 days leading up to and including Labour Day Monday. With an attendance of approximately 1.3 million visitors each season, it is Canada’s largest...
in Toronto. The band's patron, Colonel Robert Samuel McLaughlin
Samuel McLaughlin
Colonel Robert Samuel McLaughlin, CC, ED, CD was an influential Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He started the McLaughlin Motor Car Co...
(Colonel Sam), funded the purchase of the band's instruments and uniforms for several decades, having gone so far as to build a bandshell at Oshawa's Memorial Park to provide the bandsmen with their own venue to entertain Oshawa's citizens.
The Regiment maintained its band until 1968 when, due to a painful reorganization of the Canadian Forces, the unit's band establishment was eliminated by the federal Liberal government of the day. Lt (N) Bill Askew, a naval veteran of World War II and officer with the 1913 Ontario Regiment Cadet Corps refused to let the band wither. Under his leadership, the band was transformed into the present-day Oshawa Civic Band
Oshawa Civic Band
The Oshawa Civic Band began life in 1870 as the band of the 34th Ontario Regiment, and was a traditional Military band. However, as time passed the band evolved into its current configuration of a traditional "British" brass band , which means that all parts, except for the bass trombone and...
. Many of the former regimental bandsmen continue to play with the Civic Band today. The Civic Band regularly performs in a summer concert series at Oshawa's Memorial Park and, from to time, at military functions including the Regimental Ball (held each May) and the Regiment's annual Parkwood Promenade.
For almost forty years, the band of the 1913 Ontario Regiment Cadet Corps has provided the Regiment with much of its marching music at public events and official regimental functions.
Allied Regiment: The Royal Welsh (UK)
Since 1928, The Ontarios have maintained a strong friendship and alliance with its allied British regiment, the Royal Welsh (Formerly The Welch Regiment (41st of Foot) which amalgamated with the South Wales Borderers (24th of Foot) to form The Royal Regiment Of Wales (RRW) in 1969.) In 2006, under a further reorganization of the British Army, the RRW was amalgamated with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers (RWF) to form the Royal Welsh Regiment (RWR).Several exchange visits have taken place over the years. In 1969, officers and men of the Ontarios performed 'groundskeeping' duties on the occasion of the Welsh’s amalgamation parade at Cardiff Castle. In September 1983, a small group of Welsh officers and soldiers were on parade in Oshawa on the occasion of the Ontarios’ change of command. In July 1989, the Ontarios sent a 35-man guard to Wales for the RRW’s Tercentenary parade at Cardiff Castle. HRH Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
the longtime Colonel-in-Chief
Colonel-in-Chief
In the various Commonwealth armies, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its patron. This position is distinct from that of Colonel of the Regiment. They do not have an operational role. They are however kept informed of all important activities of the regiment, and pay occasional visits to its...
of the Welsh, inspected the Regiment. The Welsh reciprocated in 1991 by providing a guard for a parade at Iroquois Park in Whitby, Ontario
Whitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region...
to mark the Ontarios’ 125th anniversary. More recently, in September 2004, the Welsh band toured many of its War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
battlefields near Niagara and encampments throughout Ontario including Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
. The band also visited Oshawa to perform at the Ontarios’ annual Parkwood Promenade, held at the home of Colonel R.S. McLaughlin, the unit's former patron and long-serving Honorary Colonel.
The Ontario Regiment received the Freedom of the city of Oshawa and the County of Ontario in 1966 and the Freedom of the Regional Municipality of Durham in 1979.
A complete historical list of the unit's key appointments is available online at the Regimental Museum's official website.
Battle honours
Those battle honourBattle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
s approved for emblazonment on the Guidon
Guidon
Guidon may refer to:*Guidon , a type of heraldic flag*Guidon , a swallow tailed flag for the colours of a light cavalry regiment...
are in bold.
World War I
- Somme, 1916; Arras, 1917; Vimy, 1917; Hill 70; Ypres, 1917; Passchendaele; Amiens; Arras, 1918; Scarpe, 1918; Drocourt-Queant; Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord; Cambrai, 1918; Valenciennes; France and Flanders, 1916-18
World War II
- Pursuit to Messina; Sicily 1943; Colle d’Anchise; The Gully; Casa Berardi; Ortona; Point 59; Cassino II; Gustav Line; St Angelo in Teodice; Liri Valley; Aquino; Trasimene Line; Sanfatucchio; Arezzo; Advance to Florence; Italy 1943-45; Arnhem 1945; North-West Europe 1945
Cap Badge
Blazon
Gules on a bar a cat statant guardant irate Or, the whole within an annulus Gules fimbriated and inscribed with the motto FIDELIS ET PARATUS in letters Or and surmounted at the base by a bezant fimbriated and charged with a fillet saltire Sable the base quarter removed, and beneath the annulus a scroll Or with the words ONTARIO REGIMENT inscribed in letters Sable, and above, encircling the annulus, a wreath of nine maple leaves autumnally coloured, the centre one in chief ensigned by the Royal Crown proper.Symbolism
The badge is based, in part, on the cat from the Clan MacGillivray familial crest, a member of which commanded the regiment in the early 1900s. After World War I, the cat was designed into a fierce or fighting pose echoing the experience of the regiment's members in the war. The maple leaves, nine in total, reflect the nine provinces (prior to Newfoundland joining Confederation) that contributed soldiers to the First World War battalions which the regiment perpetuates. Post World War I regulations which forbade the use of the units traditional numerals '34' posed an identification problem for the Regiment. This problem was solved by placing a circle at the base of the scroll and dividing it into four quadrants, one of which has been cleared, giving the idea of three from four or 34. "ONTARIO REGIMENT" is a form of the regimental title and "FIDELIS ET PARATUS", Latin for "Faithful & Prepared" is the motto of the regiment. (Source: http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-3/par1/arm-bli/OR-eng.asp).The present-day badge is topped with the crown of Canada's sovereign, currently the crown adopted by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The pre-Elizabeth II badge bore the "King's" crown as seen above. Once they have completed their secondary trade qualification, currently Armoured Reconnaissance, every member of the Regiment, regardless of rank, wears the same brass cap badge. Several attempts to introduce a wire or cloth officer cap badge in the 1960s and 1980s failed. The complete evolution of the cap badge is explained here.
Marches
- John Peel (Dismounted) John Peel: The man and his song
- My Boy Willie (Mounted) Lyrics
Regimental Lineage/Perpetuating Units
- Whitby Highland Rifle Company, formed in 1827.
In April 1852, the Regiment of Ontario, consisting of 9 Battalions, was formed in the Sedentary Militia upon the creation of the new Ontario County from part of the former York County. In April 1860, the Whitby Highland Rifle Company was one of several Toronto-area units that amalgamated to form the 2nd Battalion, Volunteer Militia Rifles. This unit split off again in 1862 to become part Ontario County's growing militia garrison which eventually consisted of nine independent rifle or infantry companies authorized on these dates:
- No. 1 Company, The Volunteer Highland Rifle Company of Whitby, 31 March 1858
- No. 2 Company, Volunteer Militia Company of Infantry, Oshawa, 28 November 1862
- No. 3 Company, Volunteer Militia Company of Rifles, Oshawa, 28 November 1862
- No. 4 Company, Volunteer Militia Company of Infantry, Whitby, 26 December 1862
- No. 5 Company, Volunteer Militia Company of Infantry, Prince Albert, 2 January 1863
- No. 6 Company, Volunteer Militia Company of Infantry, Greenwood, 9 January 1863
- No. 7 Company, Volunteer Militia Company of Infantry, Uxbridge, 6 February 1863
- No. 8 Company, Volunteer Militia Company of Infantry, Columbus, 6 February 1863
- No. 9 Company, Volunteer Militia Company of Infantry, Brooklin, 6 February 1863
On 14 September 1866, these nine independent companies based in seven towns across Ontario County (now Durham Region) were drawn together to form the 34th Ontario Battalion of Infantry. The unit underwent several redesignations after the nineteenth century and during the World War I:
- 34th Ontario Regiment, 8 May 1900
- 116th Overseas Battalion, CEF, authorized 22 December 1915 and disbanded 30 August 1920 (embarked for Britain on 24 July 1916 and fought with the 9th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division)
- 182nd Overseas Battalion, CEF, authorized 15 July 1916 and disbanded 1 September 1917 (embarked for Britain on 3 May 1917 and absorbed into the 18th Reserve Battalion, CEF)
- The Ontario Regiment, 1 May 1920 (Upon redesignation, the regiment was organized as a two-battalion unit: 1st Battalion (116th Battalion, CEF) on the Non Permanent Active Militia order of battle; and, the 2nd Battalion (182nd Battalion, CEF) on the Reserve order of battle. The reserve battalion was disbanded on 14 December 1936).
The unit was converted from infantry to armour (tank) and redesignated:
- The Ontario Regiment (Tank), 15 December 1936; and, 2nd Regiment, The Ontario Regiment (Tank), 13 August 1940
- 11th (Reserve) Army Tank Battalion, (The Ontario Regiment (Tank), 1 April 1941
- 11th (Reserve) Army Tank Regiment (Ontario Regiment (Tank), 15 August 1942
- 11th Armoured Regiment (Ontario Regiment), RCAC, 1 April 1946
- The Ontario Regiment (11th Armoured Regiment), 4 February 1949
- The Ontario Regiment (RCAC), 19 May 1958
Messes
The Ontario Regiment (RCAC) houses three messes at the Col. R.S. McLaughlin Armoury. The Junior Ranks Mess (JRs Mess) is located on the main floor, The Sergeants' Mess (Sgts' Mess) and The Officers' Mess are located on the upper floor at opposite ends of the building.The Colonel R. S. McLaughlin Armoury is a recognized Federal Heritage building 1991 on the Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings.
External links
- The Ontario Regiment (RCAC) - Official CF website
- The Ontario Regiment (RCAC) Museum - Oshawa
- The Ontario Regiment (RCAC) Ferret Club - Oshawa
- Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Association (Cavalry)
- Royal Welsh Regiment UK
- Royal Regiment of Wales UK