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The Royal Canadian
Dragoons
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The Royal
Canadian Dragoons was a regiment of cavalry that served
in the Regular Force of the Canadian Army throughout the
20th Century. It converted to armour during the Second World
War.
Lineage
- Cavalry School Corps
formed 21 Dec 1883
- Redesignated Royal
School of Cavalry 15 Jul 1887
- Redesignated Canadian
Dragoons 24 May 1892, and as The Royal Canadian
Dragoons on 24 May 1893
- Redesignated 1st
Armoured Car Regiment (Royal Canadian Dragoons) as a
field force unit.
- Redesignated 1st
Armoured Regiment (Royal Canadian Dragoons) 16 Oct
1946
- Redesignated Royal
Canadian Dragoons (1st Armoured Regiment) 2 Mar 1949
- Redesignated Royal
Canadian Dragoons 19 May 1958
- Redesignated The
Royal Canadian Dragoons 12 Jan 1959.
- The Regiment survived
into the 21st Century without any further changes in
designation.
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The
Royal Canadian Dragoons |
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Headquarters:
See article
Organized: 21 Dec 1883
Status 1 Jan 2000: Regular Force Armoured
Regiment.
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Home Stations
| 1883 - 1893 |
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La Citadelle, Quebec
City |
| 1893 - 1946 |
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Toronto, ON |
| 1892 - 1901 |
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Winnipeg, MB |
| 1906 - 1946 |
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St. Jean, PQ |
| 1946 - 1948 |
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Borden, ON |
| 1948 - 1959 |
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Petawawa, ON |
| 1959 - 1970 |
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Oromocto, NB |
| 1970 |
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Iserlohn, Germany |
| 1970 |
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Werl, Germany |
| 1970 - 1987 |
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Lahr, Germany |
| 1987 - |
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Petawawa, ON |
Field Force
Contributions
The regiment raised the 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles for
the Boer War, being redesignated The Royal Canadian Dragoons on 22
Aug 1900. The unit served in South Africa where three soldiers were
awarded the Victoria Cross.
The Regiment served in the First World War as a field force unit
designated The Royal Canadian Dragoons. The unit served in the First
World War as infantry with the 1st Canadian Division in 1915, and
later as a cavalry regiment of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade from
1916-1918.
The Regiment was placed on active service on 1 Sep 1939, and in Jul
1940 contributed a headquarters and one squadron to the 1st Canadian
Motorcycle Regiment (RCD/LSH (RC)). On 21 Sep 1940 the 1st Canadian
Motorcycle Regiment (RCD/LSH (RC)) was redesignated "Lord
Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)", and The Royal Canadian
Dragoons (Armoured Car Regiment) (CASF) was mobilized, being
allocated to the Canadian Armoured Corps on 15 Nov 1940.
On 11 Feb 1941 the unit was redesignated 1st Armoured Car Regiment
(Royal Canadian Dragoons) and embarked for the UK on 13 Nov 1941 as
part of the 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division. In Jan 1942 it became
the armoured car regiment of I Canadian Corps and saw service in
Sicily after the fighting there, and in Italy from 5 Jan 19444 to
Jul 1944. In Jul 1944 it became the Reconnaissance Regiment of the
1st Canadian Infantry Division during a reorganization of infantry
forces in theatre. In Mar 1945 the unit moved to North-West Europe
as part of Operation GOLDFLAKE, and resumed its role as Armoured Car
regiment of I Canadian Corps. The unit returned to Canada in Jan
1946 and returned to its status as a peacetime Regular regiment.
Alliance
In 1977, the regiment formed a Regimental Alliance with The Blues
and Royals of the British Army.
History
Throughout the 20th Century, the Royal Canadian Dragoons have been
Canada's senior Regular mounted regiment, converting to armour
during the Second World War. After the war, the regiment served in
West Germany and Cyprus, with independent squadrons in Korea,
Cyprus, Egypt, Germany and Gagetown.
In 1970 the regiment moved from CFB Gagetown, NB to Fort Beausejour
in Iserlohn, Germany, moving shortly after to Lahr/Schwarzwald,
serving with 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. In 1987, the
regiment returned to Worthington Barracks at CFB Petawawa. A
squadron and recce squadron assault troop served on UN duty in
Somalia, and in Oct 1994 the regiment deployed with UNPROFOR in
Bosnia-Herzegovena, deploying to Bosnia again in 1995 and 1996.
Battle Honours
The Regiment was awarded Battle Honours for both World Wars (bold
type indicates honours selected for emblazonment):
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North West
Canada 1885
Festubert 1915
Bazentin
Flers-Courcelette
St. Quentin
Hindenburg Line
Beaurevoir
France and Flanders 1915-18
Gothic Line
Misano Ridge
Fosso Vecchio
Groningen |
South
Africa 1900
Somme 1916, '18
Pozières
Cambrai 1917, '18
Amiens
St. Quentin Canal
Pursuit to Mons
Liri Valley
Lamone Crossing
Sant' Angelo-in-Salute
Italy 1944-1945
Bad Zwischenahn |
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North-West
Europe 1945 |
Uniform Insignia
The cap and collar badges worn by the Regiment throughout the
century dated from the Boer War, according to the Regimental
website:
In July 1900,
while a troop of the Regiment was on outpost duty in South
Africa, all seemed quiet; but a sentry reported to his officer
that a number of springboks (South African gazelles) were
bounding frequently into the air as though alarmed. The officer
immediately ordered a stand-to in time to drive off an attack by
a large party of Boers, who had managed a stealthy approach to
the outpost. The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Lessard,
on hearing of this event, requested authority to take the
bounding springbok as the Regimental Badge. In 1913 Royal
approval to wear the springbok as the Regimental Cap and Collar
Badges was given. The badge design is a springbok bounding on a
veldt, surmounted on a scroll inscribed: Royal Canadian
Dragoons."
Cap Badge
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Armorial
Description: A springbok bounding, on a scroll inscribed
ROYAL CANADIAN DRAGOONS.1 The same badge was in
use from 1908 to the 21st Century, though according to
Thompson new dies were struck in the late 1960s, and the
words on the scroll were divided so as to be easier to read.
At left is the standard pattern worn from 1908. |
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Newer versions
in gilt and sterling silver, both "old die" types.
A cloth badge for the Combat
Hat was also produced. |
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Thompson identifies 5 types of badge:
- Q83 Brass, old die,
1-1/2" high by 1-7/8" wide
- Q83a silver and white
metal, old die
- Q84 brass, new die
- Q84a bronze, new die (as
shown at right - makers' mark is J.R. GAUNT MONTREAL
MADE IN ENGLAND - note the increased space between the
words ROYAL CANADIAN DRAGOONS)
- Q85b gilt, new die
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Collar Badges
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Collar badges
were in smaller versions of the springbok without the
scroll, mirrored and worn with the sprinboks facing each
other. Brass was worn by Other Ranks and white metal by
officers; brass was replaced with plated push pin types.
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| Metal
Shoulder Titles |
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Metal shoulder titles of the same type were in use from 1908
into the 21st Century, originally brass, and later in gilt
after Unification. The title was approved by General Order
50/1908. Thompson Reference Number: Q83, Mazeas Reference
Number: C.1.
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| Buttons |
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The RCD used
10 different patterns of buttons from 1893 to 2000; the
pattern at top was in use from 1937-1948 according to Smylie,
who designates this pattern M-Ah. The pattern at bottom was
in use from 1952 onwards according to Smylie, who designates
this pattern M-Aj. First button courtesy Raymond Collins.
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Cloth Shoulder Flashes |
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Early in the Second World
War, the slip on shoulder title was adopted for wear on
Battle Dress before a move to coloured shoulder flashes,
probably in 1941. |
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Badges and images courtesy
of Bill Ellis. |
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English-made variation
courtesy of Bill Alexander. |
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Abbreviated variants
courtesy of Bill Alexander. |
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On Combat Dress, the OD
shoulder title was embroidered RCD. |
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| Formation
Patches |
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The Regiment
wore Formation Patches as follows:
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5th Canadian (Armoured)
Division
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I Canadian Corps
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4 Canadian Mechanized
Brigade Group 1985-1987
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Special Service Force
1987-1995
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2 Canadian Mechanized
Brigade Group 1995-
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Notes
1. Mazeas Reference Number: C.1
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