The Brockville Rifles
Encyclopedia
The Brockville Rifles is a Primary Reserve Infantry
Regiment
of the Canadian Forces
. It is fifteenth in the order of precedence.
The motto of the regiment is Semper Paratus meaning 'Always Ready'.
, the ranking British General at the time, as the temporary administrator of the province of Upper Canada during the War of 1812 that citizens of Elizabethtown proposed the name of Brockville, which was later accepted as the official name by the provincial bureaucrats. During the War of 1812 the regiment was involved with the capturing of Ogdensburg and as well the Battle of Chrysler's Farm. In 1856 the regiment's name became even closer to that of its current one as it became the Brockville Volunteer Rifle Company.
In the year 1861, a major development also occurred when which a second unit, The Brockville Infantry Company, came into existence. Despite being similar in some respects the Rifles wore the traditional dark green of a rifle company and the infantry wore the scarlet red, common of all line infantry. Five years later the units were reorganized into the 41st Brockville Battalion of Rifles. This battalion had six companies spread across immediate area. The organisation was as follows: 1 Coy was in Brockville, 2 Coy was in Gananoque, 3 Coy was in Perth
, 4 Coy was in Merrickville, 5 Coy was in Carleton Place, and finally 6 Coy was in Pakenham
. At the same time the 42nd Battalion of Infantry came into existence, however they became the Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment. Later during the Fenian Raids, the regiment was successful in combating and fending off the Fenian Brotherhood in the raids of 1866 and 1870. The regiment also contributed troops to the Boer War in 1899.
During the First World War, in December 1915, the unit was reorganised to become the 156th Leeds & Grenville Battalion. The unit moved to England as part of the proposed 5th Division, however pressing needs for troops and reinforcements on the front caused the disbanding of the unit and the men were transferred to other units including the 2nd, the 21st, the 38th, and Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
. The men of the unit served valiantly with the other units, and many awards and decorations were given to men including one Victoria Cross
to Major Thain MacDowell
, whose picture currently hangs in the units' Officers' Mess. A total of 10 officers and 95 men were killed or died of wounds during the First World War.
Following World War I, the unit was reorganised into The Brockville Rifles. In April 1926, the Colonel Commandant of the King's Royal Rifle Corps invited the unit to ally with them. Today the King's Royal Rifle Corps, the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and the Rifle Brigade have been amalgamated to form the Royal Green Jackets, this is the unit with which The Brockville Rifles has an alliance.
During the Second World War, the unit mobilised to from B Coy of the Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders. Another unit that became part of the SD&G was the Princess of Wales' Own Regiment
. This all came together to help create the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
that was deployed overseas to fight as a part of the 9th Highland Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division. As a part of the SD&G, soldiers from the regiment landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, and were the first Allied force to enter Caen. The "Brocks" as part of the SD&G reached the center of the city by 1300, 9 July 1944.
On April 1, 1946, the Brocks were converted and re-designated the 60th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Brockville Rifles) RCA. On 1 September 1954, following another amalgamation, the Brocks were yet again converted, this time to the 32nd Locating Battery (Brockville Rifles) RCA. In December 1959, the regiment once again returned to the Colours and adopted its current designation as The Brockville Rifles, as well as an infantry unit.
Amiens, 1918
Arras, 1918
Hindenburg Line, 1918
Pursuit to Mons, 1918
World War II
Honorary Distinction, The badge of the Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders on the drums
Colonel W.M. Rogers
Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel
Lieutenant-Colonel J.A. English
or at CFB Kingston
. On some occasions the unit has even conducted urban style training exercises in the City of Brockville. Members of the unit can usually expect to train a minimum of one night a week and one weekend exercise a month. Often, members of the unit will train and parade more often. Training consists of basic infantry soldier skills, individual battle task standards, and more advanced training that is more pertinent to current operations overseas in Afghanistan, which is usually headed by senior members with one or more deployments to Afghanistan. The unit often trains with its sister unit, The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
, as well as participating in Brigade level training exercises with 33 Canadian Brigade Group
.
. Previous Brocks have served in Afghanistan
, Bosnia
, The Former Republic of Georgia
, among other deployments. The unit prepares soldiers to be effective and employable to the regular force of the CF for missions and or operations that may need augmentation by the reserve force.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
. It is fifteenth in the order of precedence.
The motto of the regiment is Semper Paratus meaning 'Always Ready'.
History
The history of the regiment dates back to 1796 with the formation of the 1st Battalion Leeds Militia at Elizabethtown. At its peak Leeds county had raised a total of nine battalions to combat enemy forces. With the appointment of Maj. General Sir Isaac BrockIsaac Brock
Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB was a British Army officer and administrator. Brock was assigned to Canada in 1802. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he commanded his regiment in Upper Canada successfully for many years...
, the ranking British General at the time, as the temporary administrator of the province of Upper Canada during the War of 1812 that citizens of Elizabethtown proposed the name of Brockville, which was later accepted as the official name by the provincial bureaucrats. During the War of 1812 the regiment was involved with the capturing of Ogdensburg and as well the Battle of Chrysler's Farm. In 1856 the regiment's name became even closer to that of its current one as it became the Brockville Volunteer Rifle Company.
In the year 1861, a major development also occurred when which a second unit, The Brockville Infantry Company, came into existence. Despite being similar in some respects the Rifles wore the traditional dark green of a rifle company and the infantry wore the scarlet red, common of all line infantry. Five years later the units were reorganized into the 41st Brockville Battalion of Rifles. This battalion had six companies spread across immediate area. The organisation was as follows: 1 Coy was in Brockville, 2 Coy was in Gananoque, 3 Coy was in Perth
Perth, Ontario
Perth is a town in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada . It is located on the Tay River, 83 km southwest of Ottawa, and is the seat of Lanark County.-History:...
, 4 Coy was in Merrickville, 5 Coy was in Carleton Place, and finally 6 Coy was in Pakenham
Pakenham
-People:* Edward Pakenham , British general* Thomas Pakenham, several people including:** Thomas Pakenham , British admiral* William Christopher Pakenham , British admiral...
. At the same time the 42nd Battalion of Infantry came into existence, however they became the Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment. Later during the Fenian Raids, the regiment was successful in combating and fending off the Fenian Brotherhood in the raids of 1866 and 1870. The regiment also contributed troops to the Boer War in 1899.
During the First World War, in December 1915, the unit was reorganised to become the 156th Leeds & Grenville Battalion. The unit moved to England as part of the proposed 5th Division, however pressing needs for troops and reinforcements on the front caused the disbanding of the unit and the men were transferred to other units including the 2nd, the 21st, the 38th, and Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers...
. The men of the unit served valiantly with the other units, and many awards and decorations were given to men including one Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
to Major Thain MacDowell
Thain Wendell MacDowell
Thain Wendell MacDowell, VC , DSO , was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, whose picture currently hangs in the units' Officers' Mess. A total of 10 officers and 95 men were killed or died of wounds during the First World War.
Following World War I, the unit was reorganised into The Brockville Rifles. In April 1926, the Colonel Commandant of the King's Royal Rifle Corps invited the unit to ally with them. Today the King's Royal Rifle Corps, the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and the Rifle Brigade have been amalgamated to form the Royal Green Jackets, this is the unit with which The Brockville Rifles has an alliance.
During the Second World War, the unit mobilised to from B Coy of the Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders. Another unit that became part of the SD&G was the Princess of Wales' Own Regiment
The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment
The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces.The regiment was created on 16 January 1863 as the 14th Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles of Canada from the amalgamation of Kingston, Ontario’s seven independent rifle companies...
. This all came together to help create the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces.They have served in the War of 1812, the Great War and World War II....
that was deployed overseas to fight as a part of the 9th Highland Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division. As a part of the SD&G, soldiers from the regiment landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, and were the first Allied force to enter Caen. The "Brocks" as part of the SD&G reached the center of the city by 1300, 9 July 1944.
On April 1, 1946, the Brocks were converted and re-designated the 60th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Brockville Rifles) RCA. On 1 September 1954, following another amalgamation, the Brocks were yet again converted, this time to the 32nd Locating Battery (Brockville Rifles) RCA. In December 1959, the regiment once again returned to the Colours and adopted its current designation as The Brockville Rifles, as well as an infantry unit.
Battle honours
World War IAmiens, 1918
Arras, 1918
Hindenburg Line, 1918
Pursuit to Mons, 1918
World War II
Honorary Distinction, The badge of the Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders on the drums
Honorary appointments
Honorary ColonelColonel W.M. Rogers
Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel
Lieutenant-Colonel J.A. English
Training
The Brocks train regularly in either CFB PetawawaCFB Petawawa
Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, commonly referred to as CFB Petawawa, or simply "Pet", is a Canadian Forces Base located in Petawawa, Ontario. It is operated as an army base by Canadian Forces Land Force Command.-Base facts:...
or at CFB Kingston
CFB Kingston
Canadian Forces Base Kingston is a Canadian Forces Base located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.CFB Kingston is home to the Communications and Electronics Branch of the Canadian Forces. The base also hosts the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics...
. On some occasions the unit has even conducted urban style training exercises in the City of Brockville. Members of the unit can usually expect to train a minimum of one night a week and one weekend exercise a month. Often, members of the unit will train and parade more often. Training consists of basic infantry soldier skills, individual battle task standards, and more advanced training that is more pertinent to current operations overseas in Afghanistan, which is usually headed by senior members with one or more deployments to Afghanistan. The unit often trains with its sister unit, The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces.They have served in the War of 1812, the Great War and World War II....
, as well as participating in Brigade level training exercises with 33 Canadian Brigade Group
33 Canadian Brigade Group
33 Canadian Brigade Group commanded by Col Duane Waite, is part of Land Forces Central Area of the Canadian Forces. It encompasses the eastern and northern portions of Ontario.- Brigade Units :...
.
Operations
Currently, a number of Brocks are on, training for, or will be training for deployment to AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Previous Brocks have served in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, The Former Republic of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, among other deployments. The unit prepares soldiers to be effective and employable to the regular force of the CF for missions and or operations that may need augmentation by the reserve force.
External links
- Brockville Rifles Official Home Page
- Brockville Rifles History - ASU Kingston
- Brockville Rifles Information
- The Brockville Rifles Information