- Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal
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Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal is one of the oldest surviving units of the historical regiments of the Canadian army. It celebrated its regimental centenary in 1969. The unit was created on November 5, 1869. They were first named the 65th Regiment, then the Mount Royal Rifles, later the Carabiniers Mont-Royal and finally in 1931, the name became Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal.
It is also one of the few regiments from French Canada, having its roots in the French part of Montreal in the 19th century. Famous former members include Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau.
Best known for having been one of the participants of the ill-planned Dieppe Raid, Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal was put back in shape and later obtained battle honours in seven major engagements in World War II.
The regiment was also involved in several engagements in World War I in Europe, and the interventions of 1885 in the North-West Rebellion in Canada, where it also obtained battle honours.
During all these engagements and the peaceful periods between them, the barracks language was French and the command language was English, following the tradition of several "indigenous" or "native" regiments of the British Empire. Recruits knew that they would have to learn a set of basic English commands for training and fighting purposes, while their daily life could go on in French. When World War I and also when World War II erupted young French-speaking Québécois flocked in great numbers to volunteer for service to the Crown within Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal (and a few other "bilingual" regiments like it), because they expected that in this unit they would not be mocked or otherwise hindered because of their language or their religion. Many of them had to be turned back, because there was not enough room within a single regiment, and because the nascent Canadian army refused any serious expansion to the "bilingual" regiments or the formation of other regiments of the same kind.
The Latin motto of the regiment is Nunquam retrorsum, which can be roughly translated as "Never retreat".
Contents
Battle honours
- North West Canada 1885
- The Great War: [awarded battle honours of the 69th Battalion CEF and 150th Battalion CEF, with the following emblazoned:] Ypres 1915 '17, Festubert 1915, Somme 1916, Arras 1917 '18, Hill 70, Amiens, Pursuit to Mons
- The Second World War: Dieppe, L'Escaut, Bourgebus Ridge, Saint-André-sur-Orne, Verrières Ridge—Tilly-la-Campagne, Falaise, Falaise Road, The Liaison, Forêt de la Londe, Dunkirk 1944, Antwerp-Turnhout Canal, The Scheldt, Woensdrecht, South Beveland, The Rhineland, The Hochwald, Xanten, The Rhine, Groningen, Oldenburg, North-West Europe 1942 '44-45
Former members may join the active associations from the Officers Mess and the Sergents Mess. L'Association les Anciens Sergents Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal accepts retired members of the Junior Ranks Mess as associate Members. Please contact the unit Orderly Room for more information.
Regimental headquarters
The address of Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal is:
- Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal
- 3721 Henri-Julien
- Montreal, QC H2X 3H4
Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal Museum
Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal Museum Location 3721 Henri-Julien Avenue Montreal, QC Canada Type Regimental Museum Website [1] The museum features uniforms, medals, patches, photographs and other unit memorabilia. It is open on Tuesday evenings and by appointment. The museum collects, preserves, and shows, documents, artifacts, photos which illustrate the military life of our regiment in the city of Montreal in all aspects of life in peace and in war. [1] The Museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, OMMC and Virtual Museum of Canada.
Order of precedence
Preceded by
6e Bataillon, Royal 22e RégimentLes Fusiliers Mont-Royal Succeeded by
The Princess Louise FusiliersExternal links
- Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal - official site
References
- ^ A-AD-266-000/AG-001 Canadian Forces Museums –Operations and Administration 2002-04-03
Canadian Army History Structure Structure of the Canadian Army • Land Force Atlantic Area • Land Force Quebec Area • Land Force Central Area • Land Force Western Area • List of UnitsLand Force Areas Canadian Mechanized Brigade Groups Canadian Brigade Groups Small arms C9 machine-gun · C7A1 rifle/C8A1 carbine/C-7A2 rifle · C6 machine-gun · Browning .50 calibre heavy machine gun · Browning-HP 9 mm pistol · P225, 226 · C15 Long Range Sniper Weapon (LRSW) · C3A1 sniper rifle · C14 Timberwolf · C13 fragmentation grenade · M203 grenade launcher · M72 SRAAW(L)Crewed weapons Carl Gustav SRAAW(M) · ERYX SRAAW(H) · TOW LRAAW(H) · 81 mm mortar · 60 mm mortar · Javelin short-range air defence missile · Skyguard · C1 close support howitzer · C3 close support howitzer · LG1 Mark II 105 mm towed howitzer · M777 lightweight 155mm howitzer · C16 CASWArmoured fighting vehicles LAV III · Coyote Reconnaissance Vehicle · ADATS · Leopard C2 · Leopard 2 · Bison APC · M113A3 and MTVL · RG-31Schools Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College · Peace Support Training Centre · Canadian Forces Land Advanced Warfare Centre ·Category · Portal · WikiProject
Categories:- British colonial regiments
- Infantry regiments of Canada
- Military units and formations established in 1869
- Fusilier regiments
- Museums in Montreal
- Regimental museums in Canada
- Military and war museums in Canada
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