The Peterborough Rangers was an infantry regiment of the

Non-Permanent Active Militia The Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) was the military reserve force of Canada from 1855 to 1940. It was composed of several dozen infantry battalions (redesignated as regiments in 1900) and cavalry regiments. After the withdrawal of British ...

of the

Canadian Militia The Canadian Militia is a historical title for military units raised for the defence of Canada. The term has been used to describe sedentary militia units raised from local communities in Canada; as well as the regular army for the Province of Ca ...

(now the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), 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 re ...

). In 1936, the regiment was amalgamated with the 3rd Prince of Wales' Canadian Dragoons to form

The Prince of Wales Rangers (Peterborough Regiment) The Prince of Wales Rangers (Peterborough Regiment) was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia (now the Canadian Army). It was formed in 1936 by the amalgamation of The Peterborough Rangers and the 3rd Prin ...

Lineage

The Peterborough Rangers

* Originated on 3 May 1867, in

Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...

, Canada West, as the ''57th Peterborough Battalion of Infantry''. * Redesignated on 16 January 1880, as the ''57th Battalion of Infantry Peterborough Rangers''. * Redesignated on 8 May 1900, as the ''57th Regiment Peterborough Rangers''. * Redesignated on 12 March 1920, as ''The Peterborough Rangers''. * Amalgamated on 15 December 1936, with the 3rd The Prince of Wales' Canadian Dragoons and the Headquarters and C Company of the 4th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC, and redesignated as ''The Prince of Wales Rangers (Peterborough Regiment) (MG)''.

Perpetuations

* 2nd Battalion (Eastern Ontario Regiment), CEF * 93rd Battalion (Peterborough), CEF * 247th Battalion (Victoria & Haliburton), CEF

History

Early years

With the passing of the

Militia Act of 1855 The ''Militia Act'' of 1855 was an Act of Parliament, Act passed by the Parliament of the Province of Canada that permitted the formation of an "Active Militia", which was later subdivided into the Permanent Active Militia and the Non-Permanent ...

, the first of a number of newly-raised independent militia companies were established in and around the Peterborough region of Canada West (now the Province of Ontario). On 3 May 1867, the ''57th Peterborough Battalion of Infantry'' was authorized for service by the regimentation of seven of these previously authorized independent militia rifle and infantry companies. Its regimental headquarters was at

and had companies at Peterborough, Ashburnham, Norwood and

Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...

. On 16 January 1880, the battalion was redesignated as the ''57th Battalion of Infantry Peterborough Rangers''.

The North West Rebellion

On 10 April 1885, the 57th Battalion of Infantry Peterborough Rangers mobilized a company for active service with

The Midland Battalion The Midland Provisional Battalion (also known as The Midland Battalion) was a military unit of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia (now the Canadian Army) from Eastern Ontario, Canada, which fought in the North-West Rebellion ...

where it served in the Alberta Column of the North West Field Force. On 24 July 1885, the company was removed from active service.

Early 1900s

On 8 May 1900, the 57th Battalion of Infantry Peterborough Rangers was redesignated as the ''57th Regiment Peterborough Rangers''.

Great War

On 10 August 1914, the ''2nd Battalion (Eastern Ontario Regiment), CEF'' was authorized for service and on 26 September 1914, the battalion embarked for Great Britain as part of the First Contingent of the

Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF; French: ''Corps expéditionnaire canadien'') was the expeditionary warfare, expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed on August 15, 1914, following United Kingdom declarat ...

. On 11 February 1915, the battalion disembarked in France where it fought as part of the 1st Canadian Brigade,

1st Canadian Division The 1st Canadian Division (French: ) 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 notice, and is staffed and ...

in France and Flanders until the end of the war. On 30 August 1920, the 2nd Battalion, CEF, was disbanded. On 22 December 1915, the ''93rd Battalion (Peterborough), CEF'' was authorized for service and on 15 July 1916, the battalion embarked for Great Britain. After its arrival in the UK, the battalion provided reinforcements to the

Canadian Corps The Canadian Corps was a World War I corps formed from the Canadian Expeditionary Force in September 1915 after the arrival of the 2nd Canadian Division in France. The corps was expanded by the addition of the 3rd Canadian Division in December 19 ...

in the field. On 6 October 1916, the battalion’s personnel were absorbed by the 39th Reserve Battalion, CEF. On 21 May 1917, the 93rd Battalion, CEF, was disbanded. On 1 May 1917, the ''247th Battalion (Victoria & Haliburton), CEF'' was authorized for service. On 1 April 1917, the battalion’s personnel were absorbed in Canada by the 235th Battalion, CEF. On 11 April 1918, the 247th Battalion, CEF, was disbanded.

1920s-1930s

On 12 March 1920, as a result of the

Otter Commission The Otter Commission, or Otter Committee, was established after the First World War to tackle a problem created by the chaotic mobilization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In 1919, units of the CEF, intended as a wartime expeditionary force, ...

and the following post-war reorganization of the militia, the 57th Regiment Peterborough Rangers was redesignated as ''The Peterborough Rangers'' and was reorganized with three battalions (two of them paper-only reserve battalions) to perpetuate the assigned war-raised battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. As a result of the 1936 Canadian Militia reorganization, on 15 December 1936, The Peterborough Rangers was amalgamated with the 3rd Prince of Wales' Canadian Dragoons and the Headquarters and C Company of the 4th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC, to form ''

'' – now the 50th Field Artillery Regiment (The Prince of Wales Rangers), RCA (on the

Supplementary Order of Battle In the Canadian Army, a regiment is placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle when the need for the regiment's existence is no longer relevant. When placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle, a regiment is considered "virtually disbanded", and ...

since 1970).

Organization

57th Peterborough Battalion of Infantry (3 May 1867)

* No. 1 Company (first raised on 2 April 1857 as the ''Peterborough Rifle Company'') * No. 2 Company (first raised on 29 October 1863 as the ''Lakefield Infantry Company'') * No. 3 Company (first raised on 16 January 1863 as the ''1st Peterborough Infantry Company'') * No. 4 Company (first raised on 30 January 1863 as the ''Asburnham Infantry Company'') * No. 5 Company (first raised on 8 June 1866 as the ''2nd Peterborough Infantry Company'') * No. 6 Company (first raised on 17 August 1866 as the ''Norwood Infantry Company'') * No. 7 Company (first raised on 17 August 1866 as the ''Hastings Infantry Company'')

The Peterborough Rangers (12 March 1920)

* 1st Battalion (perpetuating the 2nd Battalion, CEF) * 2nd (Reserve) Battalion (perpetuating the 92nd Battalion, CEF) * 3rd (Reserve) Battalion (perpetuating the 247th Battalion, CEF)

Alliances

* -

The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1966. The regiment was formed, as the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), in 1881 as part of the Childers Re ...

(1911-1936)

Battle honours

Ypres, 1915 The Second Battle of Ypres was fought from 22 April – 25 May 1915, during the First World War, for control of the tactically-important high ground to the east and the south of the Flemish town of Ypres, in western Belgium. The First Batt ...

, '17 * Gravenstafel Ridge * St. Julien * Festubert, 1915 * Mont Sorrel * Somme, 1916 * Pozières * Flers-Courcelette * Ancre Heights *

Arras, 1917 The Battle of Arras, also known as the Second Battle of Arras, was a British offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British troops attacked German defences near the French city of Arras on the We ...

, '18 * Vimy, 1917 *

Arleux Arleux () is a commune in the Nord département in northern France. Geography The river Sensée joins the Canal du Nord at Arleux. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 647 comm ...

* Scarpe, 1917, '18 * Hill 70 * Passchendaele *

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...

* Drocourt-Quéant *

Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (, Siegfried Position) was a German Defense line, defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in France during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to ...

Canal du Nord The Canal du Nord (, literally ''Canal of the North'') is a long canal in northern France. The canal connects the Canal latéral à l'Oise in Pont-l'Évêque to the Sensée Canal in Arleux. The French government, in partnership with coal-min ...

* Pursuit to Mons * France and Flanders, 1915–18

Notable members

* Lieutenant Colonel William Nassau Kennedy

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peterborough_Rangers Ranger regiments of Canada Prince of Wales Rangers (Peterborough Regiment) Military units and formations of Ontario Military units and formations disestablished in 1936