The Royal Regina Rifles is a Primary Reserve infantry

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. Prior to 1982 the regiment was known as The Regina Rifle Regiment. The Royal Regina Rifles are part of Land Force Western Area

Land Force Western Area

Land Force Western Area is one of four operational commands of the Canadian Army. LFWA is responsible for all Canadian Army administration and operations in western Canada from the Pacific Ocean to Thunder Bay, Ontario...

's 38 Canadian Brigade Group

38 Canadian Brigade Group

38 Canadian Brigade Group is composed of all Canadian Forces' Primary Reserve Army units in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Western Ontario East to Thunder Bay. 38 CBG is part of Land Force Western Area. Geographically, 38 CBG is Canada's largest brigade group.-Brigade Units:-External links:* official...

.

The regiment, nicknamed "The Johns" during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 because of the high proportion of "Farmer Johns" in its ranks, perpetuates the 28th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force

Canadian Expeditionary Force

The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...

.

Origins

The regiment traces its lineage to 3 July 1905, when an infantry regiment was authorized in the District of Assiniboia and the District of Saskatchewan

District of Saskatchewan

The District of Saskatchewan was a regional administrative district of Canada's Northwest Territories. Much of the area was incorporated into the province of Saskatchewan. The western part became part of Alberta, and the eastern part is now part of Manitoba. Its capital was Prince Albert...

, which later that year became the province of Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....

. The regiment was eventually organized as the 95th Saskatchewan Rifles, in Regina

Regina, Saskatchewan

Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...

. After the First World War the 95th merged with the 60th Rifles of Canada (in Moose Jaw) to become the South Saskatchewan Regiment, which expanded to five battalions with the creation of units in Weyburn (3rd Battalion), Moosomin

Moosomin, Saskatchewan

-Climate:-Moosomin in popular culture:* The Guess Who has a song called "Runnin' Back to Saskatoon"; it also mentions Moose Jaw and Moosomin.-Notable people from Moosomin:...

 (4th Battalion) and Estevan (5th Battalion).

On 15 May 1924, each of the battalions became a distinct regiment, and the Regina Rifle Regiment was created from the 1st Battalion following extensive reorganizations of the Canadian Militia. In the 1936 reorganization of the Militia, the Headquarters and A Company of the 12th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC

Canadian Machine Gun Corps

The Canadian Machine Gun Corps was an administrative corps of the Canadian Army. The Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade was organized in the Permanent Force on 3 Nov 1919. The Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade was redesignated the Royal Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade on 16 Jun 1921...

, merged into the Regina Rifles, which existed as a single battalion militia regiment until 1939.

During the Second World War members of the regiment received 14 Military Medal

Military Medal

The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....

s with one bar to that award, seven Distinguished Service Order

Distinguished Service Order

The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...

s, seven Military Cross

Military Cross

The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....

 awards, a British Empire Medal

British Empire Medal

The Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service, usually known as the British Empire Medal , is a British medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown...

, an Africa Star

Africa Star

The Africa Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in the Second World War.The Star was awarded for a minimum of one day service in an operational area of North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943...

, three French Croix de Guerre

Croix de guerre

The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...

, and a Netherlands Bronze Lion

Bronze Lion

The Bronze Lion is a high Royal Dutch award, intended for servicemen who have shown extreme bravery and leadership in battle favouring The Netherlands; in some special cases it can however be awarded to Dutch or foreign civilians. It was first created in 1944 and has since been issued 1210 times...

. Many more were Mentioned in Dispatches

Mentioned in Dispatches

A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...

.

The regiment suffered 356 fatal casualties by 7 May 1945.

Its first taste of combat came in Normandy

Normandy

Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...

, landing on Juno Beach

Juno Beach

Juno or Juno Beach was one of five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. The sector spanned from Saint-Aubin, a village just east of the British Gold sector, to Courseulles, just west of the British Sword sector...

 on D-Day

D-Day

D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...

, during which it was the first Canadian regiment to successfully secure a beachhead. It later faced the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend

12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend

The 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend was a German Waffen SS armoured division during World War II. The Hitlerjugend was unique because the majority of its junior enlisted men were drawn from members of the Hitler Youth, while the senior NCOs and officers were generally veterans of the Eastern...

, which was almost completely annihilated by the British and Canadian forces. The regiment later entered Caen

Caen

Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....

.

Four battalions were raised during World War II:

• 1st Battalion, Canadian Active Service Force, mobilized 24 May 1940, moved to the United Kingdom
  United Kingdom
  The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
  
   in August 1941 as part the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
  3rd Canadian Infantry Division
  The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Canadian Army from 1940 to c.1945.- History :The formation of the division was authorized on 17 May 1940...
  
  , fought in Northwest Europe from June 1944 to May 1945. Disbanded 15 Jan 1946.
• 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, did not mobilize.
• 3rd (Active) Battalion, mobilized 12 May 1942. Did not leave Canada. Redesignated "2nd Airfield Defence Battalion (The Regina Rifle Regiment)" 19 July 1943. Disbanded 15 November 1943.
• 4th Battalion, Canadian Army Occupation Force, raised 1 June 1945, Disbanded 4 April 1946.

In 1946, the regiment reverted to a single-battalion militia regiment. During the Korean crisis of 1951, the regiment raised two companies for the Active Force. These companies, along with companies raised by four other rifle regiments, founded the 1st and 2nd Canadian Rifle Battalions, which became the Regular Force battalions of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada.

Royal was added to the regimental title on 5 July 1982, and the name was shortened to the Royal Regina Rifles on 24 October 1984.

Regimental lineage

Lineage of the Royal Regina Rifles

1905		Regt of inf. authorized
1907		95th Regt
1908		Became a rifle regt
1909		95th Saskatchewan Rifles
1912		95th Regt		105th Regt North Saskatchewan Regiment The North Saskatchewan Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces, headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with companies in Saskatoon and Prince Albert. Its current commanding officer is Lieutenant-Colonel Dan Whittaker, who took over from Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm...
1913		95th "Saskatchewan Rifles"	60th Rifles of Canada
1914	28th Bn, CEF
1915				68th "Overseas" Bn, CEF
1916				Absorbed by 32nd Reserve Bn, CEF	195th "Overseas" Bn, CEF
					Absorbed by 32nd Reserve Bn, CEF
1919							12th Machine Gun Bde, CMGC Canadian Machine Gun Corps The Canadian Machine Gun Corps was an administrative corps of the Canadian Army. The Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade was organized in the Permanent Force on 3 Nov 1919. The Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade was redesignated the Royal Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade on 16 Jun 1921...
1920	Disbanded	1st Bn, The South Saskatchewan Regt	2nd Bn, The South Saskatchewan Regt	3rd Bn, The South Saskatchewan Regt	4th Bn, The South Saskatchewan Regt	5th Bn, The South Saskatchewan Regt
1924		The Regina Rifle Regt	The South Saskatchewan Regt	The Weyburn Regt	The Assiniboia Regt	The Saskatchewan Border Regt	12th Machine Gun Bn, CMGC
1936				The Regina Rifle Regt
1940		1st Bn, The Regina Rifle Regt, CASF		2nd Bn, The Regina Rifle Regt
1942						3rd Bn, The Regina Rifle Regt, CASF
1943						2nd Airfield Defence Bn (The Regina Rifle Regt), CASF
						Disbanded
1945						4th Bn, The Regina Rifle Regt, CIC, CAOF
1946		Disbanded		The Regina Rifle Regt		Disbanded
1951		"E" Coy, The Regina Rifle Regt	"F" Coy, The Regina Rifle Regt
		Absorbed by 1st Canadian Rifle Bn
1952			Absorbed by 2nd Canadian Rifle Bn
1982				The Royal Regina Rifle Regt
1984				The Royal Regina Rifles

First World War

• Mount Sorrel
• Somme, 1916, '18
• Flers-Courcelette
• Thiepval
• Ancre Heights
• Arras, 1917, '18
• Vimy, 1917
• Scarpe, 1917, '18
• Hill 70
• Ypres, 1917
• Passchendaele
• Amiens
• Drocourt-Quéant
• Hindenburg Line
• Canal du Nord
• Cambrai, 1918
• Pursuit to Mons
• France and Flanders, 1915–'18.

Second World War

• Normandy Landing
• Bretteville-l'Orgeuilleuse
• Caen
• The Orne
• Bourguébus Ridge
• Faubourg de Vaucelles
• Falaise
• The Laison
• The Seine, 1944
• Calais, 1944
• The Scheldt
• Leopold Canal
• Breskens Pocket
• The Rhineland
• Waal Flats
• Moyland Wood
• The Rhine
• Emmerich-Hoch Elten
• Deventer
• North-West Europe, 1944–45.

See also

• List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage
• The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Forces
  The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Forces
  The place of the Canadian Crown in relation to the Canadian Armed Forces is both constitutional and ceremonial, the sovereign of Canada being the supreme commander of the forces, while he or she and the rest of the Canadian Royal Family hold honorary positions in various branches and regiments,...