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The Yukon
Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army.
History
The Regiment was raised on 19 May 1962. While the unit had
no direct predecessors, it was not the first military unit
to be stationed in the Yukon. The Yukon Field Force had been
a composite unit of the Permanent Active Militia in 1898,
and provided support to the Royal Northwest Mounted Police
during the Gold Rush. It became known as the Yukon Garrison
and was withdrawn in 1900. On 1 July 1900, the Dawson Rifle
Company was organized in Dawson City as a member of the
Non-Permanent Active Militia, which was disbanded on 2
November 1905.
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The
Yukon Regiment |
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Headquarters:
Whitehorse, YT
Predecessor: None
Perpetuates: None
Raised: 19 May 1962
To Supplementary Order of Battle: 15 June 1968
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First World War
The Yukon Infantry Company and Yukon Motor Machine Gun Battery were
formed during the First World War, eventually becoming "A" Battery
and "C" Battery of the 2nd Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade, part
of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps.
George Black - later to become Speaker of the House of Commons - had
telegraphed the Minister of Militia offering to raise a Yukon
Regiment. Received no reply, he travelled personally to Ottawa, and
Hughes told him that if he could manage to raise a battalion, he
would be made a colonel. Black was only able to recruit 226 men.
Calling them the Yukon Infantry Company, he sailed from Halifax in
Jan 1917; they received training in England and were renamed the
17th Machine Gun Company. They went to France as "C" Battery of the
2nd Canadian Machine Gun Brigade. Black was wounded at Amiens and
returned to Canada in 1919, where he won the Yukon's seat in the
House of Commons, and was made Speaker in 1930 by R.B. Bennett.
Second World War
In the Second World War, No. 135 Company of the Pacific Coast
Militia Rangers was stationed in Dawson.
In the 1960s, the 19th Alberta Dragoons had a Squadron ("C"
Squadron) located in Whitehorse, which was subsequently relocated to
Edmonton, AB.
The Yukon Regiment
The Regiment served in Whitehorse from 19 May 1962 until it was
reduced to nil strength and placed on the Supplementary Order of
Battle on 15 June 1968.
Commanding
Officers
Major Duke Collins (1962)
Major Hank Colyer (1966)
Regimental March
The Regimental March of the unit was entitled Regimental March of
the Yukon Regiment.
Insignia
Cap Badge
The cap badge is described in "Regiments and Corps of the Canadian
Army" as:
Superimposed on a maple leaf the
Crest from the Armorial Bearings of the Yukon Territory; (ie on
a wreath Or and Gules a Husky Dog standing on a Mount of Snow
proper.) below the maple leaf a scroll inscribed with the
designation "THE YUKON REGIMENT".
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Cap badge; stamped construction
with slider backing. (Online auction photo.) |
Badge
design. |
Volume 139, No. 11 of the Canada Gazette, dated 12 Mar 2005
announced that "The Governor General, Her Excellency the Right
Honourable ADRIENNE CLARKSON, is pleased to advise that the
following grants and registrations of Armorial Bearings have been
made:
The design in the infobox above has been
published on the website of the Public Register of Arms, Flags and
Badges of Canada - Heraldry.
The standard pattern badge was in brass and white metal and measured
2" high by 1-15/16 inches wide.1
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Collar Badges
Collar badges were issued in left and right pairs, in either silver
and gilt (officers) or brass and white metal (other ranks). The
badges measured 1-3/8" high by 11/16" wide.
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Metal Shoulder Titles
Officers wore gold plated badges with other ranks wearing brass; the
badges measured 5/8" high by 1-13/16" wide. |
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| Buttons
Buttons featured the Husky Dog
from the regimental crest; officers wore gold plated buttons
and Other Ranks had brass. The buttons were made in three
sizes.2 |
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Cloth Shoulder Flashes
The colours of the cloth flash are described as "fireweed red"
background and gold letters.3
The Royal Canadian Army Cadets maintain the traditions of the Yukon
Regiment, which accounts for modern shoulder titles with swiss
embroidered edging being found on the collector's market.
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Notes
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Thompson Reference Number: Q119.
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Smylie Reference Number: F-132.
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Thompson
