Royal Canadian Infantry Corps

The Royal Canadian Infantry Corps (French: Corps d'infanterie royal canadien) is the infantry corps of the Canadian Army and includes regular and reserve force regiments.

Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
Badge of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
Active1942–present
CountryCanada
BranchCanadian Army
TypePersonnel branch
RoleTo close with and destroy the enemy.
Size9 Regular Force battalions, 51 Reserve Force battalions
Motto(s)Latin: Ducimus, lit. 'We lead'
ColoursRed and white
March"The Canadian Infantryman"
AnniversariesFounded 2 September 1942
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Originally formed as the Canadian Infantry Corps on 2 September 1942 to encompass all existing infantry regiments, including regiments of foot guards, in the Canadian Army. The corps was granted its "royal" designation in 1947 and was designated Royal Canadian Infantry Corps 30 April 1947, to be redesignated The Royal Canadian Infantry Corps 22 March 1948, and revert to Royal Canadian Infantry Corps 17 February 1964.[1]

The badge of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps consists of Argent three maple leaves conjoined on one stem within an annulus Gules fimbriated and inscribed INFANTRY • INFANTERIE in letters Or, the whole ensigned by the Royal Crown proper set above a scroll Or inscribed with the Motto in letters Sable and surmounted by two rifles in saltire Or. The three maple leaves conjoined on one stem, taken from the Royal Arms of Canada, represent service to Canada, and the Crown, service to the sovereign. The crossed rifles denote infantry and have been used in badges of infantry units as well as of the officer cadet programme. Red and white are the national colours of Canada. "INFANTRY" and "INFANTERIE" are a form of the bilingual branch title and "DUCIMUS" is the motto of the corps.

In 1968, with the unification of the Canadian Army into the Canadian Armed Forces, the name of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps was changed to simply the "Infantry Branch". As of April 2013, the traditional designation "Royal Canadian Infantry Corps" has been officially restored. Today, the administration and training of both the regular and reserve infantry that form part of the Canadian Army is the responsibility of the Infantry School (French: Ecole d'infanterie), which runs officer classification courses as well as NCO and Warrant Officer trades training at CFB Gagetown.

Role

To close with and destroy the enemy. Well armed individuals with fighting spirit and dogged determination constitute the backbone of the infantry battalion. All the rest - vehicles, stores and equipment - merely exist to assist the infantry soldier to carry out the mission. It is by determination and the skillful use of weapons and ground that the battalion succeeds in battle.

Tasks
  • To destroy the enemy in close combat
  • To defend a position by the holding of ground
  • To fight as covering force troops
  • To act as all or part of a reserve to counter-attack or block
  • To participate in airmobile, airborne and amphibious operations
  • To establish surveillance and conduct patrols
  • To conduct security tasks, including rear area security
  • To exploit the effects of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons
The camp flag of the Infantry Corps.

Regular Force

The 3rd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment is the sole airmobile battalion of the Regular Force. The two other regular force regiments both retain a parachute company in their respective 3rd battalions.

  1. The Royal Canadian Regiment
  2. Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
    • 1st Battalion (CFB Edmonton) - mechanized infantry
    • 2nd Battalion (CFB Shilo) - mechanized infantry
    • 3rd Battalion (CFB Edmonton) - light infantry (parachute company, air assault company, mountain operations company)
  3. Royal 22e Régiment
    • 1st Battalion (CFB Valcartier) - mechanized infantry
    • 2nd Battalion (Quebec City) - mechanized infantry
    • 3rd Battalion (CFB Valcartier) - light infantry (parachute company, air assault company, mountain operations company)

After the Second World War the infantry was expanded to meet Canada's global responsibilities as part of NATO. Initially, the militia regiments provided men to a number of composite battalions:

  • 1st and 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalions
  • 1st and 2nd Canadian Rifle Battalions
  • 1st and 2nd Canadian Highland Battalions

In 1953 it was decided that the composite battalions would be regimented. The two Canadian Infantry battalions were amalgamated with the 3rd Battalions of both The Royal Canadian Regiment and Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry to form a new, four battalion regiment of foot guards, The Canadian Guards. The Rifle and Highland battalions were regimented by forming Regular Force units of the senior rifle and highland regiments of the Militia, The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada and The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada.

  • The Canadian Guards
    • 1st Battalion - 1953-1968 (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment)
    • 2nd Battalion - 1953-1970 (3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry)
    • 3rd Battalion - 1953-1957 (1st Canadian Infantry Battalion)
    • 4th Battalion - 1953-1957 (2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion)
  • The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
    • 1st Battalion - 1953-1970 (1st Canadian Rifle Battalion)
    • 2nd Battalion - 1953-1968 (2nd Canadian Rifles Battalion)
  • The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
    • 1st Battalion - 1953-1970 (1st Canadian Highland Battalion)
    • 2nd Battalion - 1953-1970 (2nd Canadian Highland Battalion)
  • The Canadian Airborne Regiment - 1968-1995

Primary Reserve
  1. The Governor General's Foot Guards
  2. The Canadian Grenadier Guards
  3. The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
  4. The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
  5. Les Voltigeurs de Québec
  6. The Royal Regiment of Canada
  7. The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment)
  8. The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment
  9. The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment
  10. The Lincoln and Welland Regiment
  11. The Royal Canadian Regiment
    • 4th Battalion
  12. The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada
  13. The Grey and Simcoe Foresters
  14. The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment)
  15. The Brockville Rifles
  16. The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
  17. Les Fusiliers du St-Laurent
  18. Le Régiment de la Chaudière
  19. Royal 22e Régiment
    • 4th Battalion
    • 6th Battalion
  20. Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal
  21. The Princess Louise Fusiliers
  22. The Royal New Brunswick Regiment
    • 1st Battalion
  23. The West Nova Scotia Regiment
  24. The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment
  25. The Nova Scotia Highlanders
  26. Le Régiment de Maisonneuve
  27. The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own)
  28. The Royal Winnipeg Rifles
  29. The Essex and Kent Scottish
  30. 48th Highlanders of Canada
  31. Le Régiment du Saguenay
  32. The Cape Breton Highlanders
  33. The Algonquin Regiment
  34. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's)
  35. The Lake Superior Scottish Regiment
  36. The North Saskatchewan Regiment
  37. The Royal Regina Rifles
  38. The Rocky Mountain Rangers
  39. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry)
  40. The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada
  41. The Royal Westminster Regiment
  42. The Calgary Highlanders
  43. Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke
  44. The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
  45. The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's)
  46. The Royal Montreal Regiment
  47. The Irish Regiment of Canada
    • 2nd Battalion [2]
  48. The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's Own)
  49. The Royal Newfoundland Regiment
    • 1st Battalion
    • 2nd Battalion

Supplementary Order of Battle

Regiments on the Supplementary Order of Battle legally exist but have no personnel or materiel.

  1. The Canadian Guards
  2. Victoria Rifles of Canada
  3. The Royal Rifles of Canada
  4. Le Régiment de Joliette
  5. The Perth Regiment
  6. The South Saskatchewan Regiment
  7. The Winnipeg Grenadiers
  8. The Yukon Regiment

Order of precedence
Preceded by
Communications and Electronics Branch		 Royal Canadian Infantry Corps Succeeded by
Air Operations Branch

References
  1. The Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army. Ottawa: Queen's Printer. 1964.
  2. The 1st Battalion was disbanded and added to the Supplementary Order of Battle on 31 March 1965; the 2nd Battalion was formed the same year by the conversion of the 58th Field Regiment, RCA, to infantry. The 1st Battalion has never been reformed.(canadiansoldiers.com 1965 Unit Listing)

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