View source for Royal Rifles of Canada

{{more footnotes|date=February 2012}}
'''The Royal Rifles of Canada''' was a rifle [[regiment]] in the [[Canadian Army]] and fought alongside [[The Winnipeg Grenadiers]] in the [[Battle of Hong Kong]] during [[World War II]].

{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=The Royal Rifles of Canada
|image=Royal Rifles of Canada.jpg
|image_size=150px
|caption=
|dates=28 February 1862 – 1 November 1966
|country=[[Canada]]
|branch= 
|type=Rifles
|role= 
|size= 
|command_structure=[[Supplementary Order of Battle]]
|current_commander= 
|garrison= [[Quebec City]]
|ceremonial_chief= 
|ceremonial_chief_label= 
|colonel_of_the_regiment= 
|nickname= 
|motto={{lang-la|Volens et valens}} (Willing and capable)
|colors=
|march=Quick march "[[I'm Ninety Five]]", double past "[[Money Musk]]"
|mascot=
|battles=[[Battle of Hong Kong]]
|notable_commanders=Brigadier [[John K. Lawson]]
|anniversaries=
|battle_honours=South Africa, 1899–1900; Ypres, 1915, '17; Festubert, 1915; Mount Sorrel; Somme, 1916; Arras, 1917; Hill&nbsp;70; Amiens; Hong Kong; South-East Asia, 1941
|identification_symbol_4=
|identification_symbol_4_label=Abbreviation
}}

==Lineage==
The Royal Rifles of Canada originated in [[Quebec City|Quebec City, Canada East]], on 28 February 1862, when The 8th Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles, Canada was authorized. It was redesignated the 8th or Stadacona Volunteer Militia Rifles on 28 March 1862; the 8th Battalion "Royal Rifles" on 6 April 1877; the 8th Regiment "Royal Rifles" on 8 May 1900; The Royal Rifles of Canada on 29 March 1920; the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Royal Rifles of Canada on 7 November 1940 and The Royal Rifles of Canada on 1 June 1945. On 22 February 1965, it was amalgamated with [[Les Voltigeurs de Québec]]. On 1 November 1966, these two regiments ceased to be amalgamated and the regiment was reduced to nil strength and transferred to the Supplementary Order of Battle.<ref>Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.</ref>

[[The Sherbrooke Hussars]], a present-day Canadian Army Primary Reserve armoured regiment, has the honorary distinction of placing the Royal Rifles' badge and the date 1941 on its guidon.  This distinction is not a battle honour, but an acknowledgement that one of its predecessor units, the 7th/XIth Hussars, provided about half its effective strength to the Royal Rifles while it was preparing for overseas.

{{chart top|width=100%|Lineage chart}}
{{chart/start|align=center}}
{{chart|aa861| | | | | | | |Idpdf|aa861=1861|Idpdf=Independent rifle coys}}
{{chart|aa862| | | | | | | |8VMRC|aa862=1862|8VMRC=The 8th Bn Volunteer Militia Rifles, Canada}}
{{chart|aa862| | | | | | | |8SVMR|aa862=1862|8SVMR=8th or Stadacona Volunteer Militia Rifles}}
{{chart|aa877| | | | | | | | 8RR |aa877=1877|8RR=8th Bn "Royal Rifles"}}
{{chart|aa900| | | | | | | | 8RR |aa900=1900|8RR=8th Regt "Royal Rifles"}}
{{chart|aa914| |a12B | | | | |!| |aa914=1914|a12B=12th Bn, <small>CEF</small>}}
{{chart|aa915| |12RIB| | | | |!| |aa915=1915|12RIB=12th Reserve Infy Bn, <small>CEF</small>}}
{{chart|aa916| | |!| |171OB| |!| |aa916=1916|171OB=171st <small>"Overseas"</small> Bn, <small>CEF</small>}}
{{chart|aa917| | |!| |A20RD| |!| |aa917=1917|A20RD=''Absorbed by 20th Reserve Bn, <small>CEF</small>. Disbanded''}}
{{chart|aa920| |Dbndd|~|A|~| RRC |aa920=1920|Dbndd=''Disbanded''|RRC=The Royal Rifles of Canada}}
{{chart|aa940| | | | RRC |-|2RRC |aa940=1940|RRC=The Royal Rifles of Canada, <small>CASF</small>|2RRC=2nd <small>(Reserve)</small> Bn, The Royal Rifles of Canada}}
{{chart|aa940| | | |1RRC | | |!| |aa940=1940|1RRC=1st Bn, The Royal Rifles of Canada, <small>CASF</small>}}
{{chart|aa941| | | |Dstrd| | |!| |aa941=1941|Dstrd=''Destroyed''}}
{{chart|aa942| | | |Rcond| | |!| |aa942=1942|Rcond=''Reconstituted''}}
{{chart|aa945| | | |Dbndd| | RRC |aa945=1945|Dbndd=''Disbanded''|RRC=The Royal Rifles of Canada}}
{{chart|aa965| | | | | | | |ALVQ |aa965=1965|ALVQ=''Amalgamates with Les Voltigeurs de Québec''}}
{{chart|aa966| | | | | | | |ASOB |aa966=1966|ASOB=''Amalgamation ceases. Supplementary Order of Battle''}}
{{chart|CrntY| | | | | | | | |!| |CrntY={{CURRENTYEAR}}}}
{{chart/end}}
|- 
|style="text-align: left;"|
{{(!}} class="wikitable"
{{!}}+ Abbreviations used in the chart
{{!}}-
! Abbreviation !! Phrase
{{!}}-
{{!}} Bn {{!!}} Battalion
{{!}}-
{{!}} CASF {{!!}}  [[Canadian Active Service Force]]
{{!}}-
{{!}} CEF {{!!}}  [[Canadian Expeditionary Force]]
{{!}}-
{{!}} Coys {{!!}}  Companies
{{!}}-
{{!}} Infy {{!!}}  Infantry
{{!}}-
{{!}} Regt {{!!}}  Regiment
{{!)}}
|- 
|style="text-align: left;"|'''Notes:'''
{{notelist-lr}}<!--- use either {{Efn-lr}} and/or <ref group=lower-roman /> To fill this notelist -->
*{{cite web|title=The Royal Rifles of Canada|url=http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-3/par2/rrc-01-eng.asp|work=Official Lineages Volume 3, Part 2: Infantry Regiments|publisher=Directorate of History and Heritage|accessdate=11 December 2012}}

{{chart bottom}}

==Perpetuations==

The Royal Rifles of Canada perpetuate the '''[[12th Battalion, CEF]]''' and the '''[[171st Battalion (Quebec Rifles), CEF]]'''.

==Operational history==

===The Fenian Raids===

The 8th Volunteer Militia Rifles were called out on active service on 8 March 1866 in response to the [[Fenian raids]]. The battalion, which served in Quebec City, was removed from active service on 31 March 1866.<ref>Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.</ref>

===South African War===

The regiment contributed volunteers for the Canadian contingents in the field, mainly the '''2nd (Special Service) Battalion, [[Royal Canadian Regiment]] of Infantry'''.<ref>Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.</ref>

===The Great War===
Details of the regiment were placed on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protection duties.

The '''[[12th Battalion, CEF]]''' was authorized on 10 August 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 30 September 1914. It was redesignated as the '''12th Reserve Infantry Battalion, CEF''' on 29 April 1915, to provide reinforcements for the Canadian Corps. The battalion was disbanded on 15 September 1920.

The '''[[171st Battalion (Quebec Rifles), CEF]]''' was authorized on 15 July 1916 and embarked for Great Britain on 24 November 1916. Its personnel were absorbed by the '''[[20th Battalion CEF|20th Reserve Battalion, CEF]]''' on 8 January 1917 to provide reinforcements to the Canadian Corps. The battalion was disbanded on 27 July 1917.<ref>Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.</ref>

===The Second World War===
Details from the regiment were called out on service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939, as '''The Royal Rifles of Canada, Canadian Active Service Force (Details)''', for local protection duties. The details called out on active service were disbanded on 31 December 1940. Details of the regiment were again called out on service on 1 January 1941, under the designation '''Details of 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Royal Rifles of Canada'''. The details were removed from active service on 30 September 1941.

The regiment subsequently mobilized '''The Royal Rifles of Canada, CASF''' for active service on 24 May 1940. It was redesignated as the '''1st Battalion, The Royal Rifles of Canada, CASF''' on 7 November 1940. The battalion served in Newfoundland on garrison duty from early November 1940 to August 1941. On 27 October 1941 it embarked for Hong Kong, where it was destroyed while fighting in defence of the colony. The unit was reconstituted on 10 January 1942. It served in Canada in a home defence role as part of the Vancouver Defences of Pacific Command. On 2 January 1945 it embarked for Great Britain, where it was disbanded on 10 January 1945 to provide reinforcements to the Canadian army in the field.<ref>Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.</ref>

==Battle honours==
Those battle honours in '''bold type''' are emblazoned on the regimental accoutrements.

{{glossary}}
{{term|South African War}}
{{defn|
{{flatlist|
* {{smallcaps|'''South Africa, 1899–1900'''}}
}}
}}
{{term|First World War}}
{{defn|
{{flatlist|
* {{smallcaps|'''Ypres, 1915, '17'''}}
* {{smallcaps|'''Festubert, 1915'''}}
* {{smallcaps|'''Mount Sorrel'''}}
* {{smallcaps|'''Somme, 1916'''}}
* {{smallcaps|'''Arras, 1917'''}}
* {{smallcaps|'''Hill 70'''}}
* {{smallcaps|'''Amiens'''}}}}
}}
{{term|Second World War}}
{{defn|
{{flatlist|
* Hong Kong
* {{smallcaps|South-East Asia, 1941}}
}}
}}
{{glossary end}}

The [[7th/11th Hussars]] contributed about 400 officers and men to the Royal Rifles in 1940 for their operation in Hong Kong. The [[Sherbrooke Hussars]], who incorporate the 7th/11th Hussars, bear the honorary distinction of the badge of the Royal Rifles of Canada, with the year-date 1941, on their guidon.

==See also==
* [[Gander (dog)|Gander]], [[Newfoundland (dog)]] canine mascot and hero who carried away a [[hand grenade]] from wounded members of the unit
* [https://www.hkvca.ca/| Hong Kong Veterans of Canada Association]

==References==
* [http://www.qctonline.com/node/644 Royal Rifles of Canada heritage lost in Armoury fire]
{{Canadian Army Infantry Regiments}}

==Books==
*Hong Kong Veterans' Association of Canada. Quebec-Maritimes Branch "The Royal Rifles of Canada in Hong Kong, 1941-1945" (Canada: The Association, ©1980)
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Former infantry regiments of Canada]]
[[Category:Rifle regiments]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1862]]
[[Category:1862 establishments in Canada]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1966]]