Royal 22nd Regiment
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, colors = Scarlet with blue facings (full dress and mess dress) , march = Quick: ''Vive la Canadienne''
Slow: ''Marche lente du Royal 22e Régiment: La Prière en famille'' , mascot = Goat named Batisse XI , battles =
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

War in Afghanistan , decorations = *
Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation The Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation (French: is a Canadian award given to military units for "an extraordinary deed or activity of a rare high standard in extremely hazardous circumstances". Not only Canadian military units are eligible; Com ...
: 1st Bn R22eR Battle Group * Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation: 3rd Bn R22eR Battle Group , battle_honours = See #Battle honours , identification_symbol = Red
Left side of bearskin , identification_symbol_label = Plume , identification_symbol_4 = R22eR , identification_symbol_4_label = Abbreviation , notable_commanders =
Jean Victor Allard General Jean Victor Allard (12 June 1913 – 23 April 1996) was the first French Canadian to become Chief of the Defence Staff, the highest position in the Canadian Forces, from 1966 to 1969. He was also the first to hold the accompanying rank of ...
, anniversaries = The Royal 22nd Regiment (R22R; french: Royal 22e Régiment) is an
infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...
of the
Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
. Known colloquially in English as the Van Doos (representing an
anglicized Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influenc ...
pronunciation of the French number twenty-two, ) or in French as , the mostly
francophone French became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, by which time French was the l ...
regiment comprises three Regular Force
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...
s, two
Primary Reserve The Primary Reserve of the Canadian Armed Forces (french: links=no, Première réserve des Forces canadiennes) is the first and largest of the four sub-components of the Canadian Armed Forces reserves, followed by the Supplementary Reserve, th ...
battalions, and a band, making it the largest regiment in the Canadian Army. The headquarters (french: quartier général) of the regiment is at the Citadelle of Quebec in
Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...
, also the site of the regimental museum, and all three of its regular battalions are stationed at
Canadian Forces Base Valcartier Canadian Forces Base Valcartier (CFB Valcartier), now re-designated 2 Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier (2 CDSB Valcartier), is a Canadian Forces base located in the municipality of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, north northwest of Quebe ...
in
Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier () is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada, located in the Jacques-Cartier River valley. It is home to the Canadian Forces Base Valcartier since World War I. History In 1647, Robert Giffa ...
, outside of Quebec City. The regiment serves as the "local" infantry regiment for the province of Quebec, where it draws most of its recruits.


History

While the Royal 22e Régiment commemorates the history and traditions of the
Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry The Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry, commonly known as the Canadian Regiment or the Canadian Fencibles, saw service in Upper and Lower Canada during the early 19th century, notably during the Anglo-American War of 1812. History The regime ...
from the War of 1812 (also carrying resultant battle honours from the War of 1812), the modern ancestor of the regiment was formed in the early days of the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
as part of the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
, when volunteers from all over
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
were being massed for training at Valcartier, Québec, just outside Quebec City. The first contingent of 30,000 volunteers, which became the
1st Canadian Division The 1st Canadian Division (French: ''1re Division du Canada'' ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short ...
of the
Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry divisi ...
, were grouped into numbered battalions, regardless of origin. The existing reserve regiments were not mobilized, due to the belief of the
Defence Minister A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in s ...
,
Sam Hughes Sir Samuel Hughes, (January 8, 1853 – August 23, 1921) was the Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence during World War I. He was notable for being the last Liberal-Conservative cabinet minister, until he was dismissed from his cabinet pos ...
, that a new "efficient" structure was required. Once again the new structure did not contain French-speaking units, such as those that had existed in the reserves. Over 1000 French-Canadian volunteers were scattered into different English-speaking units. This was not an oversight as Ontario (Hughes's political base) was in the process of outlawing both the teaching of French, as well as in the French language in their school system ( Regulation 17) The predictable outrage in French Canada created a lack of support for the war of "King and Country", perceived as a mechanism to entirely annihilate the Francophone community in Canada. The second contingent was more logically based on battalions raised and trained in the various military districts in which they were recruited, but remained using an impersonal numerical basis (with the exception of those with a Highland or Irish identity). Considerable political pressure in Quebec, along with public rallies, demanded the creation of French-speaking units to fight a war many viewed as being right and necessary, despite Regulation 17 in Ontario. In September 1914, French Canadian pharmaceutical entrepreneur Arthur Mignault communicated with Prime Minister
Robert Borden Sir Robert Laird Borden (June 26, 1854 – June 10, 1937) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Canada from 1911 to 1920. He is best known for his leadership of Canada during World War I. Borde ...
, to incite the formation of a solely French Canadian regiment. Mignault offered the government $50,000 to pursue this end. Borden had recently committed his country into the providing of half a million soldiers to the Allied cause, and was just realising how demanding honouring this promise would show. Borden eagerly accepted Mignault's proposal and accordingly, on 14 October 1914, the 22nd Battalion (French Canadian), CEF, was authorized. Mignault participated in the recruitment campaign, which resulted in a remarkable success; the ranks of the battalion were filled in less than a month. Arthur Mignault is as such considered the founder of the 22nd regiment. The 22nd went to France as part of the 5th Canadian Brigade and the
2nd Canadian Division The 2nd Canadian Division (2 Cdn Div; french: 2e Division du Canada) is a formation of the Canadian Army in the province of Quebec, Canada. The present command was created 2013 when Land Force Quebec Area was re-designated. The main unit housed ...
in September 1915, and fought with distinction in every major Canadian engagement until the end of the war. While other French speaking units were also created, they were all broken up upon arrival in France to provide reinforcements for the 22nd, which suffered close to 4000 wounded and killed in the course of the war. Two members of the 22nd were awarded the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...
in that war, Lieutenant
Jean Brillant Jean Baptiste Arthur Brillant (15 March 1890 – 10 August 1918) 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 for ...
and Corporal Joseph Kaeble. After the war, the 22nd Battalion was disbanded on 20 May 1919, sharing the fate of other numbered battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. However, in the post-war reorganizations of the army, public pressure, such as resolutions by the
Legislative Assembly of Quebec The Legislative Assembly of Quebec (French: ''Assemblée législative du Québec'') was the name of the lower house of Quebec's legislature from 1867 to December 31, 1968, when it was renamed the National Assembly of Quebec. At the same time, t ...
as well as the City Council of Quebec City, demanded that a permanent French-language unit be created in the peace-time Regular Force, and accordingly a new regiment was created, made up of veterans of the 22nd Battalion, on 1 April 1920. Initially the regiment, which was given the guard of the Citadelle of Quebec, was simply the ''22nd Regiment'', but in June 1921 King
George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother ...
approved the renaming of it as ''The Royal 22nd Regiment''. In 1928, the anomaly of a French-language unit with an English name was resolved, and the regiment became the ''Royal 22e Régiment'' in both languages. While in the Canadian Armed Forces, unit names are generally translated into the language of a text, traditional combat arms regiments are identified only in the single language of their troops, either English or French. However, the English version of the R22eR is still seen occasionally, but strictly speaking it is incorrect; only "Royal 22e Régiment" has been official in either language since 1928. In 1940, the regiment became the first Francophone Canadian unit to mount the
King's Guard The King's Guard and King's Life Guard (called the Queen's Guard and the Queen's Life Guard when the reigning monarch is female) are the contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in the ...
in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and was the first of the three current Regular Force infantry regiments to do so. In the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, the regiment was part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade and the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and was involved in intense combat in Italy, (where
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Paul Triquet earned the Victoria Cross) and later in the Netherlands and northwest Germany. During the
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
, 1951–1953, the regiment expanded to three battalions, each serving in turn as part of the Canadian brigade in the
1st Commonwealth Division The 1st Commonwealth Division was the military unit that commanded Commonwealth land forces in the Korean War. The division was a part of the multinational British Commonwealth Forces Korea, with infantry units of the British Army, Canadia ...
. Thus the "Van Doos" represented one-third of Canada's infantry contingent throughout the war. During the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
the regular battalions of the regiment served, in turn, in
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
as part of
4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (4CMBG; french: 4e Groupe-brigade mécanisé du Canada, 4GBMC) was a formation of the Canadian Army, then Mobile Command of the unified Canadian Forces. It was part of the European formation known as Canadia ...
, with the 1er Battalion serving permanently from 1967 until the withdrawal in 1993. The regiment also served during the
Oka Crisis The Oka Crisis (french: links=no, Crise d'Oka), also known as the Kanehsatà:ke Resistance (), was a land dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec, Canada, which began on July 11, 1990, and lasted 78 days until Septe ...
. During the life of the
Canadian Airborne Regiment The Canadian Airborne Regiment (french: links=, Régiment aéroporté canadien) was a Canadian Forces formation created on April 8, 1968. It was not an administrative regiment in the commonly accepted British Commonwealth sense, but rather a tactic ...
(1968–1995) the 1er Commando was manned as a French-speaking sub-unit by soldiers of the Royal 22nd Regiment. In the 1950s, the
Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
promoted a scheme of administratively associating reserve infantry regiments with a regular one. Although this project did not make much progress in most of the army, three reserve regiments did join the Van Doos, becoming battalions of the Royal 22e Régiment: In the case of Les Fusiliers du St-Laurent, the battalion designation was in a subsidiary title, but it became nevertheless, administratively, part of the Royal 22e Régiment. However, in 1968, Les Fusiliers du St-Laurent dropped the subsidiary title, and ended their administrative association with the R22eR.


Operational history


Fenian raids

The 64th Voltigeurs-de-Beauharnois were called out on active service from 9 to 29 April and from 24 to 31 May 1870. The battalion served on the Huntingdon frontier.Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 ''Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces''. Volume 3: ''Combat Arms Regiments''.


Great War

Details of the 64th Châteauguay and Beauharnois Regiment were placed on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protective duty. The
22nd (French Canadian) Battalion, CEF The 22nd Battalion (French Canadian), CEF, was a battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the Great War. * History The battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 20 May 1915. It disembarked in France ...
was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 20 May 1915. It disembarked in France on 15 September 1915, where it fought as part of the 5th Infantry Brigade,
2nd Canadian Division The 2nd Canadian Division (2 Cdn Div; french: 2e Division du Canada) is a formation of the Canadian Army in the province of Quebec, Canada. The present command was created 2013 when Land Force Quebec Area was re-designated. The main unit housed ...
in
France and Flanders France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
until the end of the war. The battalion was disbanded on 15 September 1920.


Second World War

The was placed on active service on 1 September 1939 as the , , embarked for Great Britain on 9 December 1939. The regiment landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943 and in Italy on 3 September 1943 as part of 3rd Brigade, 1st Canadian Infantry Division. On 16 March 1945, the regiment moved with the I Canadian Corps as part of
Operation Goldflake Operation Goldflake was the administrative move of I Canadian Corps (in essence, all Canadian combatant units) and the British 5th Infantry Division from Italy to Northwestern Europe during the Second World War. British-led forces had been figh ...
to North-West Europe, where it fought until the end of the war. The overseas regiment was disbanded on 1 March 1946. On 1 June 1945, a second Active Force component of the regiment was mobilized for service in the Pacific theatre of operations as the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion (), CASF. It was redesignated the 2nd Battalion (), , on 2 September 1945 and the , CIC, on 1 March 1946. On 27 June 1946, it was embodied in the Permanent Force. Details of were called to service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939, as , CASF (Details), for local protection duties. The details called to active service were disbanded on 31 December 1940. The regiment subsequently mobilized the 1st Battalion, , CASF for active service on 18 March 1942. It was re-designated as the 1st Airfield Defence Battalion (, CIC, CASF on 19 July 1943, the 1st Airfield Defence Battalion (), CIC, CASF on 1 January 1944 and the 1st Battalion, , CIC, CASF on 1 September 1944. This unit served in Canada in a home defence role as part of the 7th Canadian Division, with three of its companies serving in Newfoundland. On 10 January 1945, the unit embarked for Great Britain, where it was disbanded on 18 January 1945 in order to provide reinforcements for the Canadian Army in the field. Details from were called out on service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939 as , CASF (Details), for local protection duties. The details called out on active service were disbanded on 31 December 1940. The regiment subsequently mobilized the 1st Battalion, , CASF for active service on 3 January 1942. This unit served in Canada in a home defence role as part of Atlantic Command and in Newfoundland from April 1943 to September 1944. The battalion was disbanded on 14 January 1946.


United Nations operations – Korea

Three battalions of the Royal 22e Régiment served in the Republic of Korea as part of the
25th Canadian Infantry Brigade The 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade was Canada's primary combat-formation intending to be sent as part of the British Commonwealth Forces Korea. Originally composed of three infantry battalions and two armoured squadrons, several individual units ...
,
1st Commonwealth Division The 1st Commonwealth Division was the military unit that commanded Commonwealth land forces in the Korean War. The division was a part of the multinational British Commonwealth Forces Korea, with infantry units of the British Army, Canadia ...
. The 2nd Battalion formed as part of the Special Force was the first to arrive in Korea, serving there from 4 May 1951 to 24 April 1952, followed by the 1st Battalion from 20 April 1952 to 21 April 1953 then the 3rd Battalion from 16 April 1953 to the Armistice on 27 July 1953.


Oka Crisis

In the summer of 1990, Canada deployed Van Doos to challenge Mohawk activists and warriors in Kanehsatà꞉ke and
Kahnawake The Kahnawake Mohawk Territory (french: Territoire Mohawk de Kahnawake, in the Mohawk language, ''Kahnawáˀkye'' in Tuscarora) is a First Nations reserve of the Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Queb ...
in a confrontation called the
Oka Crisis The Oka Crisis (french: links=no, Crise d'Oka), also known as the Kanehsatà:ke Resistance (), was a land dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec, Canada, which began on July 11, 1990, and lasted 78 days until Septe ...
.


Gulf War

'C' Company from the 1st Battalion, then based at
CFB Lahr Canadian Forces Base Lahr (IATA:LHA, ICAO: EDTL, former code EDAN) was a military operated commercial airport located in Lahr, Germany. It was operated primarily as a French air force base, and later as a Canadian army base, beginning in the l ...
in West Germany as part of
4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (4CMBG; french: 4e Groupe-brigade mécanisé du Canada, 4GBMC) was a formation of the Canadian Army, then Mobile Command of the unified Canadian Forces. It was part of the European formation known as Canadia ...
, served in
Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor, it is home to m ...
, Qatar, providing airfield security from 24 December 1990 to the end of March 1991.


Afghanistan

The 3rd Battalion, along with an attached mechanized company from the 1st, provided the basis for the Canadian
ISAF ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...
contingent in
Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into #Districts, 22 municipal dist ...
,
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
, from February to August 2004. In August 2007 the battle group based on the 3rd Battalion of the Royal 22e Régiment returned to Afghanistan, replacing the 2nd Battalion
The Royal Canadian Regiment , colors = , identification_symbol_2 = Maple Leaf (2nd Bn pipes and drums) , identification_symbol_2_label = Tartan , identification_symbol_4 = The RCR , identification_symbol_4_label = Abbreviation , mar ...
in
Kandahar Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the c ...
province. This battle group was made up of a company from each of the regiment's three regular battalions. It also included combat support and service support from all the units of 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in Valcartier, Quebec. There was a reconnaissance squadron from the 12e Régiment blindé du Canada, a composite tank squadron from
Lord Strathcona's Horse Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (LdSH C is a regular armoured regiment of the Canadian Army and is Canada’s only tank regiment. Currently based in Edmonton, Alberta, the regiment is part of 3rd Canadian Division's 1 Canadian Mechani ...
(with troops from the other two armoured regiments), a battery from the 5e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada, an engineer squadron from
5 Combat Engineer Regiment 5 Combat Engineer Regiment (French: ''5e Régiment du genie de combat'') is a regular combat engineer unit of the Canadian Forces stationed at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier in Quebec. 5 CER is the only Canadian combat engineer regiment operat ...
. The battle group, awarded the
Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation The Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation (French: is a Canadian award given to military units for "an extraordinary deed or activity of a rare high standard in extremely hazardous circumstances". Not only Canadian military units are eligible; Com ...
, was "instrumental in dismantling improvised explosive device networks, re-capturing checkpoints and returning them to Afghan control, enhancing the capacity of Afghan forces and providing guidance on community building and local governance". The Royal 22nd Regiment also provided about 150 trainers (in
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) were the NATO equivalent of the United States' Embedded Training Teams and were active in Afghanistan. Countries Teams from several countries provided training and operational support to the Af ...
s (OMLTs)) for the three Afghan "Kandaks" serving with them. As well it provided a protection company for the
Provincial Reconstruction Team A Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) was a unit introduced by the United States government, consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PR ...
(PRT) in Kandahar. The regiment distinguished itself in Kandahar through its determined and successful efforts to establish Afghan police sub-stations, protected by
Afghan National Army Afghan may refer to: *Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia *Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity ** Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...
and Canadian presence, in an ever-widening secure zone in the former
Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
home districts of Zhari and Panjawaii. Light infantry elements often fought toe-to-toe with the Taliban, relying heavily on
sniper A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...
fire and man-portable grenade launchers to gain the edge over the militants. The battle group, and its associated OMLT and PRT elements, had 10 men killed in action during the six-month tour. The many wounded included Captain
Simon Mailloux Simon Mailloux (born November 2, 1983) is a serving officer in the Canadian Forces. He was severely injured on 16 November 2007 in an IED incident in Afghanistan. As a result, his left leg was amputated. In November 2009, Mailloux redeployed t ...
, a Van Doos
platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may rang ...
commander who returned two years later to Kandahar even though his leg had to be amputated. A second Van Doos battle group, this time based on the 2nd Battalion, deployed to Kandahar from March to November 2009 and was the vanguard of the much-vaunted "key villages" program, wherein Canadian soldiers cleared urban areas of Taliban activity during sweeping combat operations and then installed sub-units permanently in those hamlets, guarding the approaches to Kandahar City. The composition of this battle group was nearly identical to previous incarnations, and it was able to rely heavily on the recently deployed
CH-146 Griffon The Bell CH-146 Griffon is a multi-role utility helicopter designed by Bell Helicopter Textron as a variant of the Bell 412EP for the Canadian Armed Forces. The CH-146 is used in a wide variety of roles, including aerial firepower, reconnaiss ...
and
CH-47 Chinook The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol. The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name, C ...
helicopters to perform a wide variety of airmobile operations, as well as traditional mechanized manoeuvres. The Griffon helicopters proved especially capable at spotting Taliban movements and directing accurate
artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during si ...
fire on them, preventing Taliban groups from effectively re-infiltrating areas previously cleared. Over the course of the seven-month Rotation 7, ten soldiers from the battle group were killed in action ("Rotation 7" denoting that this was the eighth consecutive Canadian battle group deployment in Kandahar since 2006, as rotations are numbered starting at "0"). Five additional Canadian soldiers, all belonging to the battle group's parent organization, Task Force Kandahar, also died during that period. The vast majority of these soldiers were killed by the Taliban's lethal employment of anti-vehicle or
anti-personnel An anti-personnel weapon is a weapon primarily used to maim or kill infantry and other personnel not behind armor, as opposed to attacking structures or vehicles, or hunting game. The development of defensive fortification and combat vehicles ...
improvised explosive devices. The final Canadian combat mission began in the fall of 2010 with the 1st Battalion Battle Group (BG) commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Michel-Henri St. Louis. One of the main operations taken on by the BG was Operation Baawar beginning in December 2010 featuring a major road project and a strongpoint construction project led by engineers, tanks, and infantry.


Memorials

A stone shaft was erected on the grounds of
Royal Military College Saint-Jean , mottoeng = Truth, Duty, Valour , established = 1952 , type = Military college , chancellor = Anita Anand (''ex officio'' as Defence Minister) , principal = Command ...
on 26 September 1964 to commemorate the founding of the Royal 22nd Regiment; the regiment trained at Fort Saint-Jean in 1914. The monument lists the regiment's battle honours. ''Je me souviens'' (1989) by André Gauthier, a bronze haut-relief bronze and granite wall memorial, was erected at Place George V in front of the Grande Allée Armoury in Quebec City. Unveiled on 11 November 1989, the sculpture honours the memory of the soldiers from the Royal 22e Régiment who were killed during the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War. The sculptor was inspired by A.T.C. Bastiens' painting ''L'Avance'' at the Canadian War Museum. The names of soldiers are inscribed in granite on the monument. There is a group of 28 gravestones of members of the Royal 22e Régiment who died between 1929 and 1960 in the Notre Dame de Belmont Cemetery in Quebec City. Four gravestones, dated 1929, 1935, 1938, 1938 feature a crown, beaver and regimental motto. Seven gravestones, dated 1939, 1941, 1941, 1942, 1942, 1942, 1947 feature the Maple Leaf and Canadian Forces cross. Seven gravestones feature the Canadian Forces cross dated 1954, 1954, 1955, 1955, 1955, 1954, 1960.


Battalions


Armouries


Battle honours

Battle honours in small capitals are for large operations and campaigns and those in lowercase are for more specific battles. Bold type indicates honours emblazoned on regimental colours.


Honorary distinction

The non-emblazonable honorary distinction DEFENCE OF CANADA - 1812-1815 - DÉFENSE DU CANADA.


Victoria Cross recipients

*Corporal Joseph Kaeble† – 22nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force – Neuville-Vitasse, France – 8 June 1918Meek, John F. ''Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War.'' Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971. *Lieutenant
Jean Brillant Jean Baptiste Arthur Brillant (15 March 1890 – 10 August 1918) 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 for ...
† – 22nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force – near
Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
, France – 8–9 August 1918 *Major Paul Triquet – Royal 22e Régiment – Casa Berardi, Italy – 14 December 1943 † – Awarded posthumously


Lineage


Royal 22e Régiment

*Originated in Saint-Jean-sur- Richelieu, Quebec on 7 November 1914 as the
22nd (French Canadian) Battalion, CEF The 22nd Battalion (French Canadian), CEF, was a battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the Great War. * History The battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 20 May 1915. It disembarked in France ...
*Redesignated 7 June 1915 as the 22nd (French Canadian) "Overseas" Battalion, CEF *Permanent Active Militia component formed on 1 April 1920 designated as the 22nd Regiment *Redesignated 1 June 1921 as The Royal 22nd Regiment *Redesignated 15 June 1928 as the Royal 22e Régiment *Amalgamated 1 September 1954 with Le Régiment de Châteauguay, retaining the same designation *Amalgamated 2 February 1956 with Le Régiment de St. Hyacinthe, retaining the same designation.


4th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment (Châteauguay)

*Originated on 4 June 1869 in Beauharnois, Quebec as the Voltigeurs-Canadiens of Beauharnois *Redesignated 5 November 1869 as the 64th Voltigeurs de Beauharnois *Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 64th Regiment "Voltigeurs de Beauharnois" *Amalgamated 1 May 1901 with the 76th Regiment "Voltigeurs de Châteauguay" and redesignated as the 64th Regiment of Rifles "Voltigeurs de Chateauguay" *Redesignated 1 March 1902 as the 64th Chateauguay and Beauharnois Regiment *Redesignated 29 March 1920 as Le Régiment Châteauguay et Beauharnois *Redesignated 15 March 1921 as Le Régiment de Châteauguay *Redesignated 15 December 1936 as Le Régiment de Châteauguay (Mitrailleuses) *Redesignated 16 March 1942 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, Le Régiment de Châteauguay (Mitrailleuses) *Redesignated 1 June 1945 Le Régiment de Châteauguay (Mitrailleuses) *Redesignated 1 April 1946 as Le Régiment de Châteauguay *Amalgamated 1 September 1954 with the Royal 22e Régiment and designated as Le Régiment de Châteauguay (4th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment) *Redesignated 27 April 1956 as the 4e Bataillon, Royal 22e Régiment (Châteauguay) *Redesignated 12 August 1977 in English as the 4th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment (Châteauguay)


Fusiliers du St-Laurent

*Redesignated 1 September 1954 as Les Fusiliers du St-Laurent (5th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment). This was an affiliation not an amalgamation. Les Fusiliers du St-Laurent and the Royal 22e Régiment were separate and distinct regiments. *Redesignated 9 November 1963 as Les Fusiliers du St-Laurent (5e Bataillon, Royal 22e Régiment) *Redesignated 1 April 1968 as Les Fusiliers du St-Laurent


76th Regiment "Voltigeurs de Châteauguay"

*Originated 22 March 1872 in Sainte-Martine, Quebec as the 76th Battalion of Infantry or "Voltigeurs de Châteauguay" *Redesignated 18 March 1881 as the 76th Battalion of Rifles or "Voltigeurs de Châteauguay" *Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 76th Regiment "Voltigeurs de Châteauguay" *Amalgamated 1 May 1901 with the 64th Regiment "Voltigeurs de Beauharnois" and redesignated as the 64th Regiment of Rifles "Voltigeurs de Chateauguay"


6th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment

*Originated 24 March 1871 in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec as the St. Hyacinthe Provisional Battalion of Infantry *Redesignated 12 December 1879 as the 84th "St. Hyacinthe" Battalion of Infantry *Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 84th St. Hyacinthe Regiment *Redesignated 29 March 1920 as Le Régiment de St. Hyacinthe *Redesignated 3 January 1942 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, Le Régiment de St. Hyacinthe *Redesignated 14 January 1946 as Le Régiment de St. Hyacinthe *Amalgamated 2 February 1956 with the Royal 22e Régiment and redesignated as the 6th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment *Redesignated 9 November 1963 as the 6e Bataillon, Royal 22e Régiment *Redesignated 12 August 1977 in English as the 6th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment


Lineage chart

Lineage of the units of the Royal 22e Régiment.


Perpetuations


War of 1812

*7th Battalion, Select Embodied Militia *"Les Chasseurs" *Beauharnois Division *Beloeil Division *Boucherville Division *Chambly Division *Isle Jésus Division *St. Denis Division *St. Hyacinthe Division *St. Ours Division *Verchères Division *
Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry The Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry, commonly known as the Canadian Regiment or the Canadian Fencibles, saw service in Upper and Lower Canada during the early 19th century, notably during the Anglo-American War of 1812. History The regime ...


Order of precedence

Regular Force: Reserve Force:


Alliances

* – The Royal Welsh * –
4th Battalion, Mercian Regiment The West Midlands Regiment was a short-lived British Territorial Army regiment from 1999 until it was re-designated as 4th Battalion, Mercian Regiment, in 2007. History The regiment was formed in 1999 by the amalgamation of three territorial i ...


Freedom of the city (military)

The Royal 22e Régiment exercises its
freedom of the city The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...
annually in Quebec City on 3 July of each year. Quebec cities that have granted freedom of the city to the regiment include:
Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...
, Saint-Hyacinthe,
Saint-Jérôme Saint-Jérôme () ( 2021 population 80,213) is a suburban city located about northwest of Montreal on the Rivière du Nord. It is part of the Montreal of Greater Montreal. It is a gateway to the Laurentian Mountains and its resorts via the ...
,
Farnham Farnham ( /ˈfɑːnəm/) is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a tri ...
,
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu () is a city in eastern Montérégie in the Canadian province of Quebec, about southeast of Montreal. It is situated on the west bank of the Richelieu River at the northernmost navigable point of Lake Champlain. As of D ...
,
Drummondville Drummondville is a city in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec, located east of Montreal on the Saint-François River. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 79,258. The mayor of Drummondville is Stéphanie Lacoste. Drummondville is ...
and Val-Bélair. Foreign cities that have granted freedom of the city to the regiment include: Werl, Germany;
Lahr, Germany Lahr (officially Lahr/Schwarzwald since 30 September 1978) (); gsw, label=Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic, Lohr) is a town in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany, approximately 50 km north of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, 40 km sou ...
and Ortona, Italy on 14 April 1993.


In popular culture

The Van Doos are the subject of a 2011
National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary fi ...
documentary (English: ''The Van Doos in Afghanistan''). The documentary was filmed in Afghanistan in March 2011. On 9 November 2011, the film was previewed for the families of 26 soldiers who had died during their mission in Afghanistan, at a ceremony at the Valcartier base. A commemorative mural by Canadian artist Dave Sopha was also unveiled. ''
Hyena Road ''Hyena Road'' is a 2015 Canadian war drama film written, directed by and starring Paul Gross. It was shown in the Gala Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. The film was shown on 24 September 2015, at the Calga ...
'' is a 2015 Canadian war drama film shown in the Gala Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. The title comes from built in Afghanistan in 2010–2011 by 1 R22eR Battle Group. The film features an English-speaking
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricia's) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...
battle group, reflecting the language of the target audience.


Royal 22e Régiment Music

The song ''L'immortel 22ème Canadien-français'' by Paul Ravennes (music), and Léon Chevalier (words) was published by J.E. Belair, Montreal. The first line is: ''Gloire au vailland 22ème, a lui la palme de vainqueur''; Refrain: ''Vaillants soldats, vos noms dans notre histoire.'' * Jean F. Pierret, conductor "La Citadelle; la musique du Royal 22e Régiment" (1975 Trans-Canada Musique Service Inc., 7033, route Transcanadienne, Saint-Laurent, Québec H4T 1S2) * Victor Falardeau & Jean Parent, conductor "La musique du Royal 22e Régiment: 50 ans d'histoire, 1922-1972" (Québec: Editions Garneau, 1976) *Capt. J.P. Armand Ferland, conductor "The Van Doos: the band of the Royal 22e Régiment" (RCA Victor Canada International, PCS-1007) *"Recueil de chants du Royal 22e Régiment" (Val-Cartier: s.n., 197-?)


Arms


See also

*
The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Forces The relationship between the Canadian Crown and the Canadian Armed Forces is both constitutional and ceremonial with the King of Canada being the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces and with the King and other members of the Canadian Royal ...
* List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage *
33rd Vaudreuil and Soulanges Hussars The 33rd Vaudreuil and Soulanges Hussars was a short-lived light cavalry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia (now the Canadian Army). History The 33rd Vaudreuil and Soulanges Hussars were first authorized on ...


Explanatory notes


References


Further reading

* * Bernier, Serge ''Le Royal 22e Régiment, 1914–1999'' (Québec-Livres, 2185, autoroute des Laurentides, Laval, QC H7S 1Z5 Montréal: Art Global, 1999) * Bernier, Serge; translated by Phillips, Charles ''The Royal 22e Régiment, 1914–1999'' (Montreal: Art Global, 2000) * Boissonnault, Charles-Marie; Lamontagne, Léopold, ''Histoire du Royal 22e Régiment (Région du Royal 22e Régiment'', La Citadelle, Québec: Éditions du Pélican, 1964) * Cantin, Robert ''Le sacrifice du Royal 22e Régiment (de 1914 à 1999)'' (Sainte-Foy, Québec: Société de généalogie de Québec, 2004) * Castonguay, Jacques ''Les bataillons et le dépôt du Royal 22e Régiment: vingt ans d'histoire, 1945–1965'' (La Citadelle, Québec: Régie du Royal 22e Régiment, 1974) * Carpentier, Pierre ''6e Bataillon, Royal 22e Régiment, 1956–2006'' (Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec: Corporation de l'arsenal inc., 2011) Canadiana: 20120088282 * Chantal, Denise & Rasmüssen, Louis ''Armand Hébert, le plus grand mutilé du Royal 22ième Régiment de la guerre 1939–1945'' (La Baie, Québec: Denise Chantal, 1995) * Chauveau, Charles ''Soixante-cinq ans d'histoire: notes historiques sur le Royal 22e Régiment'' (Québec: s.n. 1983). * Corriveau, Paul, ''Le Royal 22e Régiment: 75 ans d'histoire, 1914–1989'' (Québec: Régie du Royal 22e Régiment, 1989) * Dagenais, Maxime. "'Une Permission! ... C'est bon pour une recrue.' Discipline and Illegal Absences in the 22nd (French-Canadian) Battalion, 1915–1919". ''Canadian Military History'' 18, No. 4 (Autumn 2009): 3–16. * Madill, D. S. ''Le 2e Bataillon, Royal 22e Régiment et la Batterie 'Q', 5e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada'' (Chypre: 1975 Presses Zavallis) * Poulin, J. G. ''696 heures d'enfer avec le Royal 22e Régiment: récit vécu et inspiré d'un journal tenu tant bien que mal au front'' (Québec: Éditions A-B, 1946) * Poulin, J. G. ''Des héros connus, inconnus et méconnus du Royal 22e Régiment: 1939–1945 et la Corée'' (Québec: s.n., 1946) * Royal Régiment, 22e. ''Mess des officiers du 2e Bataillon, Royal 22e Régiment: statuts et réglements''. (Le Régiment, 1975) * Serge Bernier, translation Terry Liston, ''The Van Doos', Québec, Les éditions GID, 2013, 215 p.


External links


Royal 22e Régiment
(Regimental website) (in French)
Royal 22e Régiment on Facebook (in French)

Le Royal 22e Régiment Canada avec la Fanfara Bersaglieri Italia
on YouTube
Hommage: Le Royal 22e Regiment

Changing of the Guard: La Citadelle
{{Canadian Forces Land Force Command Royal 22nd Regiment 1914 establishments in Quebec Infantry regiments of Canada Military units and formations of Quebec Infantry regiments of Canada in World War II Military units and formations established in 1914 Military units and formations of Canada in the Korean War Military units and formations of Canada in World War II Organizations based in Quebec City
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...