The Royal Canadian Regiment The Royal Canadian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army . The regiment consists of four battalion s , three in the Regular Force and one in the Primary Reserve ( militia ) . The RCR is the senior infantry regiment in the Regular Force , but its 4th Battalion ( formerly the London and Oxford Fusiliers ) is ranked 11th in the order of precedence among infantry regiments in the Primary Reserve . Originally stationed in Halifax , Nova Scotia , the regiment ' s four battalions are now stationed in Ontario and New Brunswick . With many of its soldiers drawn from Ontario and the Atlantic Provinces in recent decades , the regiment maintains a general connection as the " local " infantry regiment for eastern Canada . The RCR maintains a Regimental Headquarters ( RHQ ) in Petawawa , Ontario , which has no operational command role but handles regimental affairs outside the responsibility of the individual Battalions . The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum is located within historic Wolseley Hall in London , Ontario . Wolseley Barracks in London has been continuously occupied by some element of the regiment since construction of Wolseley Hall was completed in 1888 . At various times Wolseley Barracks has been the home of the Regimental Headquarters , the 1st and 2nd Battalions , and remains the home of the 4th Battalion today . History . Early history . The Royal Canadian Regiment is one of Canada ' s oldest Regular Force military units . The regiment was formed as the Infantry School Corps on 21 December 1883 in Halifax , Nova Scotia , authorized by a Militia Act which also created the Cavalry School Corps . These school corps were created as regular units that would train the Canadian militia . The Infantry School Corps ' first battle honours were earned during the North - West Rebellion in 1885 , where it fought at Batoche and Cut Knife Creek . The regiment later provided personnel to the Yukon Field Force ( 1898 – 1900 ) , which assisted the North - West Mounted Police in the Yukon during the Gold Rush . The Regiment was then in the South African ( Boer ) War ( 1899 - 1903 ) , its overseas deployment was delayed by a garrison assignment in Bermuda from September 1914 until August 1915 . Upon returning to Nova Scotia , its members attested for overseas service with the Canadian Expeditionary Force ( CEF ) , arriving in France in October 1915 to fight in WW1 . The South African War . The regiment ' s name was changed to The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry in 1893 , with an new emphasis on being combat capable . William Dillon Otter , formerly of The Queen ' s Own Rifles of Canada , was the first Commanding Officer . He would later become the first Canadian - born Chief of the General Staff , the head of the Canadian Army . During the South African War ( Second Boer War ) , the " 2nd ( Special Service ) Battalion " was raised from across the country to contribute Canada ' s First Contingent in this war , with Otter in command . This battalion was quickly disbanded in 1900 upon its return to Canada , even though they were considered by many British officers to be the best infantry battalion in the country . The " 3rd ( Special Service ) Battalion " was also raised at this time , in 1900 , and was employed as a garrison force in Halifax until 1902 when it was also disbanded . In the Boer War , the Toronto company of the 2RCRI fought Canada ' s first overseas battle at Sunnyside , Cape Colony , on January 1 , 1900 , defeating a Boer commando in an action led by Australia ' s Queensland Mounted Infantry . The unit as a whole then joined and played an instrumental role in the victory at the Battle of Paardeberg Drift ( 18 – 27 February 1900 ) , including an advance by night towards the enemy lines , quietly digging trenches on high ground 65 yards from the Boer lines . On February 27 , 1900 , the Boers , staring into the muzzles of Canadian and British rifles , surrendered , thus removing the commando blocking the way to the first Boer capital , Bloemfontein , Orange Free State . This date has since been celebrated by the Regiment as Paardeberg Day . Having delivered the first unqualified good news of the war for the British Empire , the Regiment also distinguished itself on the march north , arriving first at the gates of Pretoria . During the South African War Private Richard Rowland Thompson was awarded a Queen ' s scarf , one of the four presented to soldiers of the Dominions , a further four scarves crocheted by Queen Victoria went to non - commissioned officers of the British Army . A small statuette ( 1999 ) by André Gauthier ( sculptor ) commemorates the centennial of the Royal Canadian Regiment ’ s Battle of Paardeberg during the Boer War . The end of the Victorian era and the Great War ; 1900 – 1919 . In October 1901 the regiment received new colours from the Duke of Cornwall and York ( later King George V ) during his visit to Canada , and the regiment ' s name was changed to The Royal Canadian Regiment . In 1914 , the regiment was deployed to Bermuda for garrison duties from September 1914 to August 1915 when it returned to Halifax and reattested for overseas service . The RCR arrived in France in October 1915 to join the new 3rd Canadian Division . The regiment combined with Princess Patricia ' s Canadian Light Infantry and the 42nd and 49th Canadian Infantry Battalions to form the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade . Battle honours awarded to The Royal Canadian Regiment for its actions in the First World War included : " Mount Sorrel , Somme , 1916 , Flers - Courcelette , Ancre Heights , Arras , 1917 , 18 , Vimy , 1917 , Hill 70 , Ypres , 1917 , Passchendaele , Amiens , Scarpe , 1918 , Hindenburg Line , Canal du Nord , Pursuit to Mons , FRANCE AND FLANDERS , 1914 – 18 " . Among the honours and awards to members of the regiment in the First World War was the Victoria Cross ( VC ) won by Lieutenant Milton Gregg . The RCR also recognizes the VC won by Lieutenant Frederick William Campbell , who was an officer of the 1st ( Western Ontario ) Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force , one of the battalions now perpetuated by The RCR . The inter - war years ; 1919 – 1939 . The RCR remained a Permanent Force regiment between the wars and returned to its role of providing instruction to the Militia through garrisons in London ( Ontario ) , Halifax ( Nova Scotia ) , Toronto ( Ontario ) and Montreal ( Quebec ) . The Second World War ; 1939 – 1945 . On 1 September 1939 the regiment was mobilized as part of the Canadian Active Service Force as Canada prepared for participation in the Second World War . When war was declared on September 10 , the RCR had already been allocated to the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade , a formation made up entirely of Ontario units . Moving to the United Kingdom in December 1939 as a component of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division , the RCR saw hard training for almost four years . On 10 July 1943 , the RCR landed at Pachino in the opening waves of the Allied invasion of Sicily - the last member of the regiment to participate in these original waves - George F . Burrows of Chatham Ontario - passed away on April 11 , 2012 in Windsor , Ontario at the age of 88 . The regiment and its sister units in the 1st Brigade , The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment and the 48th Highlanders of Canada fought in several battles as the division advanced north and then east towards Messina . After the 38 - day campaign on the island was completed , the regiment was involved in another amphibious landing at Reggio di Calabria on the Italian mainland in September . The RCR fought in several battles of the Italian campaign , including key engagements in the Moro River valley near Ortona in December 1943 . During 1944 , the regiment took part in attacks on German defensive lines called the Hitler Line and the Gothic Line . The regiment was transferred to northwest Europe in February 1945 during Operation Goldflake and took part in the liberation the Dutch city of Apeldoorn . The regiment received 28 battle honours for its participation in the Second World War . The regiment returned home to Canada in 1945 . The post - war period and the Korean War ; 1945 – 1953 . In 1950 the regiment was called upon to contribute to Canada ' s forces for the Korean War . A new Active Service Force ( Special Force ) was to be raised , and the regiment expanded to a two - battalion , then a three - battalion , organization . The 2nd Battalion , followed by the 1st and 3rd Battalions , each saw service in Korea . The 2nd Battalion helped stabilize the 38th parallel , most notably at the Chail - li sector . In October 1952 , the 1st Battalion fought the Chinese at the battle of Kowang San ( Hill 355 - Little Gibraltar ) . It was replaced by the 3rd Battalion , which took over the Jamestown Line on Hill 187 , where it fought one of the last engagements before the armistice in 1953 . After the end of the Korean War , the regiment was reduced to two battalions , when the 3rd Battalion was disbanded in July 1954 . The Cold War ; 1953 – 1992 . In 1954 two London , Ontario , Militia regiments , the Canadian Fusiliers ( City of London Regiment ) ( MG ) and The Oxford Rifles were amalgamated and redesignated The London and Oxford Fusiliers ( 3rd Battalion , The Royal Canadian Regiment ) . This unit thus became the Reserve component of The RCR . In 1958 , it was renamed 3rd Battalion , The Royal Canadian Regiment ( London and Oxford Fusiliers ) . The 3rd Battalion was renumbered as the 4th Battalion in 1970 when a new 3rd Battalion ( on the Regular Force establishment ) was reactivated . In 1989 , the designation of the Reserve battalion was shortened to 4th Battalion , The Royal Canadian Regiment . This amalgamation also brought to the regiment the perpetuation of a number of battalions of the First World War Canadian Expeditionary Force , including the 1st , 33rd , 71st , 142nd and 168th Battalions as well as the 2nd Battalion of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps . The amalgamation also saw the total battle honours for the First World War , based on the combined list of amalgamated components of the regiment , increase to the full list seen below . The Militia battalion changed from the 3rd to the 4th Battalion in 1970 when The Canadian Guards were reduced to nil strength and the soldiers of that regiment ' s 2nd Battalion ( at CFB Petawawa ) became the restored 3rd Battalion , The RCR , on the Regular Force order of battle . At the same time , the 2nd Battalion of The RCR was relocated to CFB Gagetown , New Brunswick , and reconstituted from the soldiers of the Black Watch ( Royal Highland Regiment ) of Canada as its two battalions there were also reduced to nil strength and removed from the active regiments in the army ' s Regular Force order of battle . During the 1950s and 1960s , battalions of The RCR were stationed as part of 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group at Fort York , Germany . These deployments were executed by 1RCR ( 1955 – 57 and 1962 – 65 ) and 2RCR ( 1953 – 55 and 1965 – 70 ) . 3rd Battalion was later deployed to Germany , stationed in Baden - Söllingen 1977 – 84 and 1988 – 93 . All three Regular Force battalions of The RCR were deployed during the October Crisis in 1970 as part of the government ' s response to the FLQ . Major John Hasek became the first commander of the Skyhawks Parachute Team when it formed in 1971 . The three Regular Force battalions were also deployed in to support the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal , Quebec . Throughout the Cold War period , The RCR participated in Canada ' s contributions to United Nations peacekeeping . For battalions of the regiment , this meant rotating tours on the island of Cyprus . The six - month tours of this mission , named Operation Snowgoose , were executed by elements of the regiment 13 times between 1966 and 1992 . In 1977 the 3rd Battalion was posted to CFB Baden - Soellingen in Germany . In 1983 , a Century of Service plaque at the Royal Military College Saint - Jean commemorates the centennial of the Royal Canadian Regiment , 1883 - 1983 Canada ' s oldest permanent force infantry regiment . Elements of the regiment garrisoned at Saint John sur Richelieu from 1884 - 1908 and 1924 - . In 1984 the battalion was rotated to Winnipeg . In 1988 the battalion was rotated back to Baden until the base was closed in 1993 at which time it was disbanded in Germany and subsequently stood up at CFB Borden , Ontario , as a " 10 / 90 " battalion . The " 10 / 90 " concept created an infantry battalion in each Regular Force regiment with approximately 10 per cent of its personnel being full - time Regular soldiers , while the remaining positions were filled by Reserve Force soldiers from affiliated units in the region . These units existed until 1996 when the three 10 / 90 battalions were stood down and replaced by light infantry battalions on the Regular Force order of battle . Initially formed without specific regimental affiliation , within the year the light infantry battalion was relocated to CFB Petawawa and officially designated the 3rd Battalion , The RCR . In 1990 , HQ and Duke of Edinburgh ' s Company ( the first rifle company ) of the 1st Battalion deployed to Cornwall , Ontario , as part of Operation Kahnawake . The 2nd Battalion , as part of 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group , deployed to the Montreal region to partake in Operation Salon . These deployments were part of the government ' s response to the Oka Crisis . In 1991 , M Company and a platoon from P Company from 3rd Battalion ( CFB Baden - Soellingen , Germany ) and C Company from 1RCR ( CFB London , Ontario ) served in the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm , the first Gulf War . These companies were employed on airfield and field hospital security duties . The peacekeeping era ; 1992 – 2004 . In 1992 , soldiers from the English - speaking N Company of the 3rd Battalion ( Major Devlin ) , based out of Canadian Forces Base ( CFB ) Baden - Soellingen in Germany , as an attachment to the French - speaking Royal 22 Régiment , operationally secured the Sarajevo airport during the Yugoslav wars . This operation saw a re - deployment of the entire battle group from Croatia to the Sarajevo Theatre of Operations , under the command of General Lewis MacKenzie . Elizabeth II , Queen of Canada , made mention of this operational force and its commitment to international peace while she was in the National Capital Region that same year during Canada ' s 125th , stating : “ I am delighted to be here with you once again , to share in this day of national celebration , and , as a member of the Canadian family , to wish Canada a happy birthday on this one hundred and twenty fifth anniversary of Confederation . We have an occasion , and a country , worth celebrating . . . I want to say a special word about the brave Canadian soldiers who today seek to bring peace , under the United Nations auspices , to a dangerous situation in Bosnia . They serve both Canada and the cause of peace with courage and conviction . As Queen of Canada , I salute their contribution with pride . . . You have inherited a country uniquely worth preserving . I call on you all , wherever you live , whatever your walk of life , to cherish that inheritance , and to protect it with all your strength . May God bless each and every one of you as you go about that task . And may God bless Canada . “ ( Queen Elizabeth II , Queen of Canada , on the 125th anniversary of Confederation , July 1 , 1992 ) . Shortly thereafter the Governor General of Canada bestowed the " Commander - in - Chief Unit Commendation " to N Company , an official unit honour granted only three times in Canadian history . The official warrant stated : " . . . The first was to the 1st Battalion of the Royal 22 Regiment Battle Group ( Including N Company , 3rd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment ) for having opened the airport in the besieged city of Sarajevo in July 1992 ( OP HARMONY ) . The Commendation was officially presented to the unit by Her Excellency , the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson , CC , CMM , COM , CD , Governor General of Canada and Commander - in - Chief of the Canadian Forces during a ceremony which took place at the Citadel in Quebec City on 9 September 2002 . . . " . The unit returned to Bosnia for a tour with the stabilization force , SFOR , in 1998 and 1999 . The 1st Battalion has served as peacekeepers in the Sinai Peninsula , in Bosnia and Kosovo . In 2000 , the 2nd Battalion had the honour of mounting the Queen ' s Guard at Buckingham Palace , when a detachment came to London to commemorate the Canadian involvement in the Second Boer War , and to celebrate the re - opening of Canada House . Later that year , H Company Group of 2nd Battalion deployed to eastern Africa as part of UNMEE . As the United States prepared militarily and politically to launch military actions against Iraq , 2 RCR formed a provisional battle group and was warned off that if the government decided to participate , it would deploy . The government decided against participation and instead decided to return to Afghanistan . I Company Group deployed to Kabul on 26 May 2003 to form the Defence and Security Company for the construction of the Canadian camp . It returned to Canada in August of that year after 3rd Battalion Group took on ISAF operations . The " Leadership Award " ( 2000 ) by André Gauthier ( sculptor ) was commissioned for The Royal Canadian Regiment . In March 2004 the same company deployed to Port - au - Prince , Haiti , as part of Operation Halo ( Operation " Secure Tomorrow " as the United States called it ) to conduct security operations as part of the Multinational Interim Force . This force was set in place in order to set the conditions for the United Nations to take over . I Company conducted a relief in place with H Company Group in June . H Company changed roles to the UN force and redeployed to Gonaïves , Haiti . It returned to Canada in September of that year . Afghanistan ; 2006 – present . In August 2006 , the 1st Battalion , The Royal Canadian Regiment deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Athena , replacing the 1st Battalion , Princess Patricia ' s Canadian Light Infantry for a six - month tour of duty in theatre . In February 2007 , the 2nd Battalion , The Royal Canadian Regiment replaced the 1st Battalion in Afghanistan for a tour of duty . In September , 2008 , 3rd Battalion replaced 2nd Battalion , Princess Patricia ' s Canadian Light Infantry as part of Operation Athena , Roto 6 , forming the core of the Task Force Kanadahar Battle Group . It served until relieved in place by 2nd Battalion , Royal 22 Régiment in April 2009 . In February 2012 , the 2nd Battalion , The Royal Canadian Regiment formed the core of Rotation 1 of the Canadian Contribution Training Mission – Afghanistan and deployed to Kabul , Afghanistan , on Operation Attention till November 2012 . Recognition . The Freedom of the City was exercised by the Royal Canadian Regiment in Fredericton , New Brunswick on 2 June 1973 and in St . John ' s , Newfoundland and Labrador on June 19 , 2005 . On 10 November 1983 Canada Post issued ' The Royal Canadian Regiment , The British Columbia Regiment ' as part of the Canadian Forces , Regiments , 1883 – 1983 series . The stamps were designed by Ralph Tibbles , based on a painting by William Southern . The 32¢ stamps are perforated 13 . 5 × 13 and were printed by Canadian Bank Note Company , Limited . Battle honours . The Royal Canadian Regiment has been awarded a total of 57 battle honours . " Battle honours in bold are emblazoned on the regimental colour of each battalion . " Honorary appointments . Colonel - in - chief . Prince Philip , Duke of Edinburgh was appointed as the colonel - in - chief of The Royal Canadian Regiment on 8 December 1953 . Prince Philip has had only one predecessor in this appointment , Prince Arthur , Duke of Connaught and Strathearn , from 1929 to 1942 . Colonel of the regiment . The colonel of the regiment , through such appointment , holds the pre - eminent position in the conduct of regimental affairs . He is the senior member of the Regimental Council , an advisor to The RCR Association Board of Directors and The RCR Trust Fund . The Colonel of the Regiment is Colonel ( Ret ' d ) W . J . Aitchison , who accepted the appointment on February 24 , 2011 . Honorary lieutenant - colonel , 4th Battalion , The Royal Canadian Regiment . The honorary lieutenant - colonel , through such appointment , is specifically an adviser and mentor to the 4th Battalion , as the Colonel of the Regiment is to the Regiment as a whole . The Honorary Lieutenant Colonel is a member of The RCR Senate and acts as an adviser to The RCR Association Board of Directors and The RCR Trust Fund . The current honorary lieutenant - colonel ( HLCol ) of the 4th Battalion is Colonel William ( Bill ) Pettipas , CD of London , Ontario . Patron . On 5 June 2012 , Judith Irving was officially appointed first patron of the Regiment . The RCR cap badge . " An eight - pointed diamond cut star ; upon the star a raised circle surmounted by the crown ; within the raised circle , the block letters " VRI " , the Imperial Cypher of Queen Victoria . " ( Description of the badge of The RCR as presented in " Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army " , published by the Army Historical Section , 1964 ) The letters VRI on the cap badge of The RCR stand for " Victoria Regina Imperatrix " , which is Latin for " Victoria , Queen and Empress " . The right to wear the imperial cypher and crown was granted to the regiment by Queen Victoria in 1893 . When a royal or imperial cypher forms part of the badge of a regiment it is normal for it to change with each succeeding sovereign . During the period 1901 to 1919 , the officially authorized versions of the regiment ' s cap badge were those with Edward VII ' s and George V ' s cyphers , although the regiment continued to use the " VRI " ensigned badges throughout this time while petitioning for their formal return . In 1919 , George V granted The Royal Canadian Regiment permission to wear " VRI " in perpetuity – a unique privilege . Company designations . The companies of the battalions of The RCR are lettered sequentially across the regiment : In the Regular Force battalions , the first four companies are rifle companies , and the latter two are combat support ( weapons ) and administration company ( combat service support ) . When on parade , companies parade in alphabetic order . Companies are normally addressed by the NATO phonetic alphabet for their designation letter with the following exceptions : Regimental bands . Bugles and Drums . The first band of The RCR was formed under " A " Company of the Infantry School Corps in 1894 , when Sergeant Charles Hayes , a graduate of Kneller Hall Music College , enlisted in January 1894 . That same year the corps also reported training nine buglers for the Militia . By 1899 , the authorized establishment for the regiment included four " Sergt . Trumpeters or Drummers " on the staff of the Regimental Depots along with 16 " Trumpeters , Buglers or Drummers " between the stations of the regiment . By 1901 , the authorized establishment had changed to one " Sergt . Trumpeters or Drummers " and 12 " Trumpeters , Buglers or Drummers " , possibly indicating a consolidation of musicians into a regimental band rather than a training cadre at each garrison . The regiment reported having an active band throughout much of the First World War , once their instruments were smuggled forward for them to use . With few lapses , the regiment maintained a Drum and Bugle band at least until the 1990s , when the 1st Battalion had a Drum and Bugle Corps within the ranks of C Company . Pipes and Drums . In 1970 , following a review of the regular army , a number of infantry battalions were disbanded . The Canadian Guards and the Black Watch ( Royal Highland Regiment ) of Canada lost both of their regular battalions , with personnel being distributed to The Royal Canadian Regiment . The 2nd Battalion , Royal Canadian Regiment adopted the Pipes and Drums of the Black Watch , becoming the Pipes and Drums of the 2nd Battalion , The Royal Canadian Regiment . The 3rd Battalion of The RCR , similarly , adopted the Pipes and Drums of the 2nd Battalion , The Canadian Guards , when they were disbanded . In 1977 the 3rd Battalion Pipes and Drums were redesignated the Special Service Force Pipes and Drums . The 2nd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment currently maintains the only Pipes and Drums in the Canadian regular army . The RCR Band . The ' Drum and Bugle ' and ' Pipe and Drum ' bands of the regiment are notable in that all members are trained infantry soldiers employed secondarily as musicians . The RCR Band , in contrast , was a professional brass and reed band manned by military musicians . This band was formed in London in the 1950s , transferred to CFB Gagetown in the 1970s and disbanded in the 1990s . Perpetuation . War of 1812 : The Royal Canadian Regiment perpetuates the 1st Regiment of the Middlesex Militia ( 1812 – 15 ) and the 1st Regiment of the Oxford Militia ( 1812 – 15 ) . First World War : The Regiment perpetuates a number of units of the Canadian Militia and the Canadian Expeditionary Force ( CEF ) of the First World War : Order of precedence . Regular Force : Reserve Force :