The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)


caption=The King's Own Calgary Regiment cap badge
country=Canada
allegiance=
branch=Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
Primary Reserve(Militia)
type=Armoured
dates=1 April 1910-Present
specialization=Armoured Reconnaissance
command_structure=Land Force Western Area
41 Canadian Brigade Group
size=One regiment
current_commander=
garrison=Calgary
ceremonial_chief=HM The Queen
ceremonial_chief_label=Colonel-in-Chief
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
motto="Onward"
colors=Oxford and Cambridge blue
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=Unit colour patch
march="Colonel Bogey"
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=
identification_symbol_4=KOCR
identification_symbol_4_label=Abbreviation

The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC), or KOCR, is an armoured unit of the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve based at the Mewata Armoury in Calgary, Alberta. [ [http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=615029 King's Own Calgary [e-mail] ] ] . The KOCR is part of Land Force Western Area's 41 Canadian Brigade Group.

Regimental names

*1904: 103rd Regiment, Calgary Rifles
*1914: The 103rd Regiment contributed men to the 50th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force which served in the 4th Canadian Division,::Perpetuates 89th Battalion, CEF, 137th Battalion, CEF, and HQ and B Coy 13th MG Btn
*1920: The 103rd Regiment, Calgary Rifles, was reorganized to become The Calgary Regiment.
*1921: The Calgary Regiment reorganized again; the 1st Battalion became The Calgary Highlanders and the 2nd Battalion became The Calgary Regiment
*1936: The Calgary Regiment (Tank)
*1941: The Calgary Regiment (Tank) mobilized an armoured regiment, designated the 14th Canadian Tank Regiment (Calgary Regiment)
*1942–46: redesignated 14th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Calgary Regiment)
*1946: 14th C.A.(T.) R.: Calgary Regiment (Tank)
*1952: The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)

Battle honours

First World War

*Ypres, 1915 22 April–25 May 1915
*Festubert, 1915 15–25 May 1915
*Mount Sorrel 2–13 June 1916
*Somme, 1916 1 July–18 November 1916
*Ancre Heights 1 October–11 November 1916
*Ancre, 1916 13–18 November 1916
*Arras, 1917 9 April–4 May 1917
*Vimy, 1917 9–14 April 1917
*Hill 70 15–25 August 1917
*Ypres, 1917 31 July–10 November 1917
*Passchendaele 12 October 1917 and/or 26 October–10 November 1917
*Amiens 8–11 August 1918
*Arras, 1918 26 August–3 September 1918
*Scarpe, 1918 26–30 August 1918
*Drocourt-Queant Line 2–3 September 1918
*Hindenburg Line, Battles of the 12 September–9 October 1918
*Canal du Nord 27 September–2 October 1918
*Valenciennes 1–2 November 1918
*FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1915–18

econd World War

*Dieppe 19 August 1942
*North-West Europe 1942
*Sicily 1943 9 Jul 43–17 Aug 43
*Motta Montecorvino 1–3 Oct 43
*San Leonardo 8–9 Dec 43
*The Gully 10–19 Dec 43
*Cassino II 11–18 May 44
*Gustav Line 11–18 May 44
*Pignataro 14–15 May 44
*Liri Valley 18–30 May 44
*Aquino 18–24 May 44
*Trasimene Line 20–30 Jun 44
*Arezzo 4–17 Jul 44
*Advance to Florence
*Cerrone 25–31 Aug 44
*Italy 1943–45 3 Sep 43–22 Apr 45
*North-West Europe 1945

Bold: emblazoned on the guidon

Victoria Crosses

*Lieutenant Hugh McKenzie, VC, DCM
*Private John George Pattison, VC

History

History 1910–1913

The regiment originated in 1910 with the creation of the 103rd Regiment (Calgary Rifles).

History 1914–1938

In 1936, The Calgary Regiment was one of six infantry regiments designated to become a tank unit, being renamed Calgary Regiment (Tank).

History 1939–1945

The Calgary Regiment (Tank) did not mobilize at the start of the Second World War. When the Canadian Armoured Corps was created, the Calgary Regiment lost its status as an infantry regiment and transferred to the new corps.

In 1941, an armoured regiment was raised and designated 14th Canadian Army Tank Regiment (Calgary Regiment). A reserve regiment remained in Calgary.

The overseas unit trained on various vehicles in Canada and the UK, and in August 1942 took the Churchill tank into battle for the first time at Dieppe. The unit was rebuilt after the raid, having left large numbers of tanks and crews behind. The new unit went to Sicily in 1943 with the 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade, re-equipped with the Sherman tank. The unit was redesignated as an armoured regiment and fought with the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, an independent formation, in several battles on the Italian mainland before transferring to Northwest Europe in early 1945.

When the overseas unit returned to Canada in 1945, it was disbanded, and the Calgary Regiment continued its service as a reserve armoured unit.

History 1945–1999

The cap badge was changed immediately after the war, as no badge is permitted to have any heraldic devices over the monarch's Crown. The sunburst, while part of the coat of arms of the City of Calgary on which the badge was based, was found to violate that principle. The addition of the "King's Own" designation was also made to the cap badge.

The unit trained on Sherman tanks until 1970, when the vehicles were finally retired. In the 1980s, the new AVGP Cougar was introduced into service, mounting a 76 mm main armament with co-axial C6 general purpose machine gun. These vehicles were used for training until the 21st century. In addition to an active Cougar squadron, an armoured reconnaissance squadron also trained on Jeeps and later the Iltis vehicle, usually mounting a C5 GPMG, or later the C6 GPMG.

Recent activities

The regiment turned in its Cougar AVGP vehicles in 2006, thus suspending its training as an armoured regiment, and now fulfils the role of armoured reconnaissance. The primary vehicle at the unit is the Mercedes G-Wagen, known in the CF as the LUVW (Light Utility Vehicle Wheeled).

Soldiers also conduct dismounted reconnaissance tasks and domestic operations (assistance during natural disasters such as floods, forest fires, and ice storms to name a few). Other soldiers conduct recruit training for new members of Calgary-based 41 Canadian Brigade Group units.

In addition to many soldiers having served on United Nations tours in Bosnia, Croatia, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of Congo, Golan Heights and Darfur, members of the regiment have recently returned from operational tours in Afghanistan, while others are training to depart on missions in 2007 and 2008.

Soldiers deploying on missions receive training on the full range of CF Vehicles including the Leopard C2, the TLAV, Coyote, the LAV III, and the Nyala (RG-31) armoured patrol vehicle.

Besides reconnaissance crewman and officers, soldiers of the regiment are also trained as mechanics, CIMIC operators, musicians (in the regimental brass band), RMS clerks, and storesmen.

Corporal Nathan Hornburg was killed in action in Afghanistan in September 2007 while serving with a regular force battle group near Kandahar.

Regimental association

The 50/14 Association reflects the perpetuation of both the 50th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, and the 14th Canadian Armoured Regiment.

Alliances

*GBR—The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border)

Cadets

The King's Own Calgary Regiment affiliated cadet corps is based in Cochrane, Alberta, bearing the title 2512 Kings Own Calgary Regiment Cadet Corps. The corps was formed 26 April 1954 as King's Own Calgary Regiment (14th Armoured Regiment). The corps disbanded 1 January 1958.

The corps was formed again on 1 November 1976 as the King's Own Calgary Regiment Cadet Corps, and continues to parade weekly during the training year. The unit conducting its 30th consecutive Annual Ceremonial Review on June 3 2007. Cadet Sergeant Swedburg held the title of regimental sergeant major, with Captain Aaron Libby as commanding officer (6th consecutive year), and Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Jim Taylor as the reviewing officer.

ee also

* The Military Museums
* The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Forces

External links

* [http://www.army.dnd.ca/KINGS_OWN/ Official DND site]
* [http://www.kingsown.org/ Regimental site]
* [http://www.rcaca.org/r-Calgarys.htm Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Association]
* [http://www.armycadethistory.com/Cadet%20Corps%20DB/db_cc_2512.htm Army Cadet History 2512 Page]

References