The Canadian Grenadier Guards (CGG) is a reserve infantry regiment in the 34 Canadian Brigade Group, 2nd Canadian Division, of the Canadian Army. The regiment is the oldest and second-most-senior infantry regiment in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army. Located in Montreal, its main role is the provision of combat-ready light infantry troops in support of Canadian regular infantry. It is a Household Foot Guard regiment and also provides soldiers for public ceremonial duties (Ceremonial Guard), performing similar ceremonial duties as the Guards regiments of the British Army. This primarily entails mounting the guard at Government House (Rideau Hall), the king's and governor general's residence, and performing the "Changing the Guard" ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, a task it shares with Canada's senior Household Foot Guard regiment, the Governor General's Foot Guards of Ottawa. The Canadian Grenadier Guards is an allied regiment to the British Grenadier Guards.
Lineage
The Canadian Grenadier Guards The Canadian Grenadier Guards originated in Montreal on 17 November 1859 as the First Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles of Canada. It was redesignated as The First (or Prince of Wales's) Regiment of Volunteer Rifles of Canadian Militia on 7 September 1860. On 2 May 1898 it amalgamated with the 6th Battalion "Fusiliers" and was redesignated the 1st Battalion "Prince of Wales' Regiment Fusiliers". It was redesignated as the 1st Regiment "Prince of Wales' Fusiliers" on 8 May 1900; as the 1st Regiment Canadian Grenadier Guards on 29 December 1911; as The Canadian Grenadier Guards on 29 March 1920; as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Canadian Grenadier Guards on 7 November 1941; as The Canadian Grenadier Guards on 15 February 1946; as The Canadian Grenadier Guards (6th Battalion, The Canadian Guards) on 1 September 1954 before reverting to The Canadian Grenadier Guards on 1 August 1976.
6th Battalion "Fusiliers" The 6th Battalion "Fusiliers" originated in Montreal on 31 January 1862 as the 6th Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles, Canada. It was redesignated as the Sixth Battalion Volunteer Militia, Canada, or "Hochelaga Light Infantry" on 5 June 1863; as the 6th Battalion "Hochelaga Fusiliers" on 3 December 1875; and finally as the 6th Battalion "Fusiliers" on 28 January 1876. On 2 May 1898, it amalgamated with The First (or Prince of Wales's) Regiment of Volunteer Rifles of Canadian Militia.
Lineage chart
Perpetuations
The War of 1812 1st Militia Light Infantry Battalion 2nd Battalion, Select Embodied Militia Corps of Canadian Voyageurs Montreal Incorporated Volunteers Montreal Militia Battalion Provincial Commissariat Voyageurs 1st Battalion (City of Montreal) "British Militia"
The Great War 87th Battalion (Canadian Grenadier Guards), CEF 245th Battalion (Canadian Grenadier Guards), CEF
World War Two
22nd Armoured Regiment (The Canadian Grenadier Guards), CAC, CASF
Operational history
The Fenian Raids The First (or Prince of Wales's) Regiment of Volunteer Rifles of Canadian Militia was called out on active service on 8 March 1866 and served on the South-eastern frontier until it was removed from active service on 31 March 1866.
The Sixth Battalion Volunteer Militia, Canada was called out on active service from 8 to 31 March and from 1 to 22 June 1866 and served on the South-eastern frontier.
The First (or Prince of Wales's) Regiment of Volunteer Rifles of Canadian Militia was called out on active service on 24 May 1870 and served on the South-eastern frontier until it was removed from active service on 31 May 1870.
The Sixth Battalion Volunteer Militia, Canada was called out on active service on 24 May 1870 and served on the South-eastern frontier until it was removed from active service on 31 May 1870.
The regiment contributed volunteers for the Canadian Contingents during the Second Boer War (1899–1902).
The Second Boer War (11 October 1899 – 31 May 1902)
At total of 23 members of 1st Prince of Wales Fusiliers (1st P.W.R.F.) participated and served during the Second Boer War, most (16) being attached to 'E' Company of The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry, 2nd (Special Service) Battalion. Several Officers (3) relinquished their commissions to join Canadian Mounted units with The Royal Canadian Dragoons, Lord Strathcona's Horse, and The Canadian Scouts. A further 4 Officers joined British or South African Mounted units.
On 12 February 1900, the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry, 2nd (Special Service) Battalion joined the 19th Brigade to march and fight in the great British offensive aimed at capturing Pretoria, the capital of the Transvaal. The battalion was soon in action at Paardeberg Drift, suffering heavy casualties on 18 February, and mounting the famous attack that led to the surrender of General Cronje's Boer forces on the 27th. Paardeberg was the first major British victory of the war.
After the Battle of Paardeberg the 2nd Battalion RCRI fought in the British advance on the Boer capitals of Bloemfontein and Pretoria, gaining in experience and reputation all the while. By the time they marched past Lord Roberts in Pretoria on 5 June 1900, it was considered by many observers as good as any battalion in the British Army. With the Transvaal capital in British hands, and the war seemingly won, the 2nd Battalion took up lines-of-communications duties and the unit spent the rest of its tour of operations on this assignment, except for an interlude spent with a column of infantry chasing mounted Boer forces.
The Great War Details of the regiment were placed on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protection duties. Following conventional army practice the whole regiment was not sent. Some 350 men were drafted to join the 14th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). While other contingents were also recruited for France and Flanders: the 87th Battalion (Canadian Grenadier Guards), CEF was authorised on 22 December 1915 and embarked for Britain on 23 April 1916. It disembarked in France on 12 August 1916, where it fought as part of the 11th Infantry Brigade, 4th Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battalion was subsequently disbanded on 30 August 1920.Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments. The system of temporary battalion formations was quite disruptive for the regulars of the permanent regimental establishment.Barnes, Military Uniforms of Britain & Empire (London, 1960), p.313
The 245th Battalion (Canadian Grenadier Guards), CEF was authorised on 15 July 1916 and embarked for Britain on 3 May 1917 where it was absorbed by the 23rd Reserve Battalion, CEF on 14 May 1917 to provide reinforcements to the Canadian Corps in the field. The battalion was subsequently disbanded on 17 July 1917.
The Second World War The recruitment drive in 1939 was entirely different from that deployed during the Great War. The regiment mobilised The Canadian Grenadier Guards, CASF on 24 May 1940. It was re-designated as the 1st Battalion, The Canadian Grenadier Guards, CASF on 7 November 1940. It was converted to armour and re-designated as the 22nd Armoured Regiment (The Canadian Grenadier Guards), CAC, CASF on 26 January 1942. It embarked for Britain on 25 September 1942. Less than two years later, in June 1944, it sailed with the D-Day landings. On 26 July 1944, it landed in France as part of the 4th Armoured Brigade, 4th Canadian Armoured Division, and continued to fight in North West Europe until the end of the war. The regimental casualties were 97 killed, and 230 wounded. It was reconfigured as the 22nd Armoured Regiment (The Canadian Grenadier Guards), RCAC, CASF on 2 August 1945. The overseas regiment was disbanded on 15 February 1946. Their uniform was similar to that of the British Grenadiers except for the regimental buttons and a red and white hackle.
On 1 June 1945, a second Active Force component of the regiment was mobilised for service in the Pacific theatre of operations as the 22nd Canadian Tank Battalion (The Canadian Grenadier Guards), CAC, CASF. It was re-designated the 22nd Canadian Tank Battalion (The Canadian Grenadier Guards), RCAC, CASF and was disbanded on 1 November 1945.
War in Afghanistan
The regiment contributed a large number of volunteers for the Canadian task forces contingents during the War in Afghanistan.
History Predecessor and perpetuated units The history of the Canadian Grenadier Guards parallels in many ways the evolution of Canada as a nation, beginning in the early days after the Treaty of Paris in 1763.Annex A, The Canadian Grenadier Guards' Regimental Standing Orders
On 12 March 1764, Colonel Frederick Haldimand ordered, from Trois-Rivières, the formation of a volunteer unit to aid in the defence of Canada. In response, the 1st Company, District of Montreal Militia was raised, under the command of Captain de Montizambert; the company was drawn from the traditional militia of the , and was predominantly French-speaking. This company was raised in status to a battalion in 1807, becoming the 1st Battalion, Montreal Militia under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel James McGill, founder of McGill University. Elements of the 1st Battalion fought at the Battle of Châteauguay (26 October 1813) under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles de Salaberry; as a result of their conduct, the 1st Battalion was awarded a pair of Colours after recommendation by the Commander-in-Chief, Sir George Prevost, to the Prince Regent.
The Select Embodied Militia continued to exist after the War of 1812, being called upon next during the Rebellions of 1837–1838. Various units existed as Montreal Rifles, Loyal Montreal Volunteers and later Montreal Volunteer Rifles. With the passage of the Militia Act in 1859, the Montreal Rifles (and other independent companies) became the First Battalion, Volunteer Militia Rifles of Canada on 17 November 1859, the first "Volunteer Militia" battalion to be formed in the British Empire. In 1860, the unit was raised to regimental status by The Prince of Wales with the title of First or "Prince of Wales" Regiment, Volunteer Rifles of the Canadian Militia; its regimental status was unique within the Canadian Militia, highlighted by the Regimental motto Nulli Secundus and its designation as the First Regiment. The Prince of Wales became the Honorary Colonel, an appointment he continued to hold after his coronation as King Edward VII in 1902.
In addition to those directly antecedent to the First Regiment, the 6th Battalion, Volunteer Militia, was raised in 1862, which later became the 6th Battalion Hochelaga Light Infantry and subsequently the 6th Battalion Fusiliers. In 1898, this Battalion disbanded and absorbed into the First Regiment to become the 1st Battalion Prince of Wales Regiment Fusiliers, which then became the 1st Regiment, Prince of Wales' Fusiliers in 1900. Lieutenant-Colonel J.H. Burland, last Commanding Officer of the Sixth Fusiliers, became the first Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel in 1904.
During the period from 1859 to 1900, both the regiment and the Sixth Fusiliers were on active service during the Fenian Raids of 1866 and 1870, and the First Regiment was next for duty in Montreal at the time of the North-West Rebellion in 1885, being encamped under arms for a month ready to go to the front. When the first South African contingent was formed as the 2nd (Special Service) Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, the First Regiment contributed its quota of officers and men to "E" Company. This contribution earned the battle honour "South Africa 1899–1900".
Early 20th century and First World War