# Royal Canadian Infantry Corps

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.
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 | Royal Canadian Regiment | 1st Battalion | CFB Petawawa | mechanized infantry |
| 1 | Royal Canadian Regiment | 2nd Battalion | CFB Gagetown | mechanized infantry |
| 1 | Royal Canadian Regiment | 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 |
| 2 | Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry | 2nd Battalion | CFB Shilo | mechanized infantry |
| 2 | Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry | 3rd Battalion | CFB Edmonton | light infantry (parachute company, air assault company, mountain operations company) |
| 3 | Royal 22$^e$ Régiment | 1st Battalion | CFB Valcartier | mechanized infantry |
| 3 | Royal 22$^e$ Régiment | 2nd Battalion | Quebec City | mechanized infantry |
| 3 | Royal 22$^e$ Régiment | 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 |
| Canadian Guards | 1st Battalion | 1953 | 1968 | 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment |
| Canadian Guards | 2nd Battalion | 1953 | 1970 | 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry |
| Canadian Guards | 3rd Battalion | 1953 | 1957 | 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion |
| Canadian Guards | 4th Battalion | 1953 | 1957 | 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion |
| Queen's Own Rifles of Canada | 1st Battalion | 1953 | 1970 | 1st Canadian Rifle Battalion |
| Queen's Own Rifles of Canada | 2nd Battalion | 1953 | 1968 | 2nd Canadian Rifle Battalion |
| Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada | 1st Battalion | 1953 | 1970 | 1st Canadian Highland Battalion |
| Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada | 2nd Battalion | 1953 | 1970 | 2nd Canadian Highland Battalion |
| Canadian Airborne Regiment | 1st Commando | 1968 | 1995 | N/A |
| Canadian Airborne Regiment | 2nd Commando | 1968 | 1995 | N/A |
| Canadian Airborne Regiment | 3rd Commando | 1979 | 1995 | N/A |

## Reserve

| Order of precedence | Regiment | Headquarters | Role |
| 1 | Governor General's Foot Guards | Ottawa, ON | Light Infantry |
| 2 | Canadian Grenadier Guards | Montreal, QC | Light Infantry |
| 3 | Queen's Own Rifles of Canada | Toronto, ON | Light Infantry |
| 4 | Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada | Montreal, QC | Light Infantry |
| 5 | Voltigeurs de Québec | Quebec City, QC | Light Infantry |
| 6 | Royal Regiment of Canada | Toronto, ON | Light Infantry |
| 7 | Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) | Hamilton, ON | Light Infantry |
| 8 | Princess of Wales' Own Regiment | Kingston, ON | Light Infantry |
| 9 | Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment | Belleville, ON | Light Infantry |
| 10 | Lincoln and Welland Regiment | St. Catharines, ON | Light Infantry |
| 11 | 4th Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment | London, ON | Light Infantry |
| 12 | Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada | Cambridge and Kitchener, ON | Light Infantry |
| 13 | Grey and Simcoe Foresters | Barrie, ON | Light Infantry |
| 14 | Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) | Brampton, ON | Light Infantry |
| 15 | Brockville Rifles | Brockville, ON | Light Infantry |
| 16 | Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders | Cornwall, ON | Light Infantry |
| 17 | Fusiliers du S$^t$-Laurent | Rimouski, QC | Light Infantry |
| 18 | Régiment de la Chaudière | Lévis, QC | Light Infantry |
| 19 | 4th Battalion, Royal 22$^e$ Régiment (Châteauguay) | Laval, QC | Light Infantry |
| 19 | 6th Battalion, Royal 22$^e$ Régiment | Saint-Hyacinthe, QC | Light Infantry |
| 20 | Fusiliers Mont-Royal | Montreal, QC | Light Infantry |
| 21 | Princess Louise Fusiliers | Halifax, NS | Light Infantry |
| 22 | 1st Battalion, Royal New Brunswick Regiment | Fredericton, NB | Light Infantry |
| 23 | West Nova Scotia Regiment | Aldershot, NS | Light Infantry |
| 24 | North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment | Bathurst, NB | Light Infantry |
| 25 | 1st Battalion, Nova Scotia Highlanders (North) | Truro, NS | Light Infantry |
| 26 | Régiment de Maisonneuve | Montreal, Quebec | Light Infantry |
| 27 | Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa | Ottawa, ON | Light Infantry |
| 28 | Royal Winnipeg Rifles | Winnipeg, MB | Light Infantry |
| 29 | Essex and Kent Scottish | Windsor, ON | Light Infantry |
| 30 | 48th Highlanders of Canada | Toronto, ON | Light Infantry |
| 31 | Régiment du Saguenay | Saguenay, QC | Light Infantry |
| 32 | Cape Breton Highlanders | Sydney, NS | Light Infantry |
| 33 | Algonquin Regiment (Northern Pioneers) | North Bay, ON | Light Infantry |
| 34 | Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's) | Hamilton, ON | Light Infantry |
| 35 | Lake Superior Scottish Regiment | Thunder Bay, ON | Light Infantry |
| 36 | North Saskatchewan Regiment | Saskatoon, SK | Light Infantry |
| 37 | Royal Regina Rifles | Regina, SK | Light Infantry |
| 38 | Rocky Mountain Rangers | Kamloops, BC | Light Infantry |
| 39 | Loyal Edmonton Regiment | Edmonton, AB | Light Infantry |
| 40 | Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada | Winnipeg, MB | Light Infantry |
| 41 | Royal Westminster Regiment | New Westminster, BC | Light Infantry |
| 42 | Calgary Highlanders | Calgary, AB | Light Infantry |
| 43 | Fusiliers de Sherbrooke | Sherbrooke, QC | Light Infantry |
| 44 | Seaforth Highlanders of Canada | Vancouver, BC | Light Infantry |
| 45 | Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) | Victoria, BC | Light Infantry |
| 46 | Royal Montreal Regiment | Westmount, Quebec | Light Infantry |
| 47 | 2nd Battalion, Irish Regiment of Canada | Sudbury, ON | Light Infantry |
| 48 | Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) | Toronto, ON | Light Infantry |
| 49 | 1st Battalion, Royal Newfoundland Regiment | St. John's, NL | Light Infantry |
| 49 | 2nd Battalion, Royal Newfoundland Regiment | Corner Brook, NL | Light Infantry |

## Supplementary Order of Battle

Regiments on the Supplementary Order of Battle legally exist but have no personnel or materiel.
| Regiment | Formed | To SOB | Headquarters |
| Canadian Guards | 1951 | 1970 | Camp Petawawa |
| Victoria Rifles of Canada | 1862 | 1965 | Montreal, QC |
| Royal Rifles of Canada | 1862 | 1966 | Quebec City, QC |
| Régiment de Joliette | 1871 | 1964 | Joliette, QC |
| Perth Regiment | 1886 | 1965 | Stratford, ON |
| South Saskatchewan Regiment | 1905 | 1968 | Estevan, SK |
| Winnipeg Grenadiers | 1908 | 1965 | Winnipeg, MB |
| 1st Battalion, Irish Regiment of Canada | 1915 | 1965 | Toronto, ON |
| Yukon Regiment | 1962 | 1968 | Whitehorse, YT |

## Order of precedence

| Preceded byCommunications and Electronics Branch | Royal Canadian Infantry Corps | Succeeded byAir Operations Branch |