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12th Manitoba Dragoons
XII Manitoba Dragoons Cap Badge
XII Manitoba Dragoons Cap Badge
Active 1903 - 1964
Country Canada
Branch Primary Reserve (Militia)
Type Line Cavalry
Role Armoured Reconnaissance
Part of Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
Garrison/HQ Virden, Manitoba
Motto(s) "Ubique Honor et Equis"
(Everywhere Honour and by Horse)
March Colonel Bogey
Battle honours North West Canada, 1885; South Africa, 1900; Ypres, 1915; Festubert, 1915; Mount Sorrel; Somme, 1916, '18; Cambrai, 1917; Amiens; Hindenburg Line; Pursuit to Mons; Falaise; Falaise Road; The Laison; Chambois; The Rhineland; Bad Zwischenahn; North-West Europe, 1944–1945

12th Manitoba Dragoons was an armoured regiment of the Canadian Army. The 12th Manitoba Dragoons perpetuated the following units:

  • 95th Battalion, Manitoba Grenadiers (North-West Rebellion, 1885)
  • 6th Battalion, CEF
  • 32nd Battalion, CEF

History[]

The 12th Manitoba Dragoons were formed in Brandon, Manitoba on 1 July 1903, when the 12th "Manitoba Dragoons" were authorized to be formed. On 31 January 1935, the Regiment was amalgamated with The Border Horse, retaining its designation as the 12th Manitoba Dragoons. It was redesignated: 12th (Reserve) Manitoba Dragoons on 7 November 1940; 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Dragoons), RCAC on 1 April 1946; 12th Manitoba Dragoons, (18th Armoured Car Regiment) on 4 February 1949; 12th Manitoba Dragoons (18th Armoured Regiment) on 1 October 1954; and '12th Manitoba Dragoons' on 19 May 1958. It was reduced to nil strength and transferred to the Supplementary Order of Battle on 31 December 1964 as part of reductions of the Army Reserve.

The Regiment and the units it perpetuates were involved in several of Canada's wars. One of the units the Regimen perpetuates, the 95th battalion, Manitoba Grenadiers, servied in the North-West Rebellion of 1885. The Regiment's predecessors also contributed individual troops for the Canadian contingents that served in Siouth Africa during the Boer War, 1899-1902.

During the Great War, the Regiment raised two battalions for the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The 6th Battalion, CEF, which was authorized on 10 August 1914, embarked for Britain on 29 September 1914. It formed the nucleus of the Remount Depot on 20 January 1915, and the remaining personnel were absorbed by the Canadian Cavalry Depot, CEF, on 6 March 1915 to provide reinforcements for Canadian Corps units in the field. The 32nd Battalion, CEF, was authorized on 3 November 1914 and embarked for Britain on 23 February 1915. It was redesignated the 32nd Reserve Battalion, CEF, on 18 April 1915 and on 4 January 1917 its personnel were absorbed by the 15th Reserve Battalion, CEF, to provide reinforcements for Canadian Corps units in the field. During the Second World War the Regiment mobilized the 18th (Manitoba) Reconnaissance Battalion, CAC, CASF, for active service on 10 May 1941. It was redesignated the 18th (Manitoba) Armoured Car Regiment, CAC, CASF, on 26 January 1942; the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons), CAC, CASF, on 16 December 1942; and 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons), RCAC, CASF on 2 August 1945. It embarked for the Great Britain on 19 August 1942. On 8 and 9 July 1944 it landed in Normandy, France as a unit attached directly to II Canadian Corps, where it fought in North-West Europe until the end of the war.[1]

Lineage of the 12th Manitoba Dragoons:[2]

1885
Bn at Winnipeg
1886
95th "Winnipeg Bn of Inf."
1886
95th Bn Manitoba Grenadiers
1892
Disbanded
 
1903
12th "Manitoba Dragoons"
1908
20th Mounted Rifles
1910
20th Border Horse
1914
32nd Bn, CEF
6th Bn, CEF
1915
32nd Reserve Bn, CEF
Absorbed by Remount Depot and Canadian Cav. Depot,CEF
1917
Absorbed by 15th Reserve Bn, CEF
1920
The Border Horse
1929
Perpetuates 32nd Bn
Perpetuates 6th Bn
1932
Perpetuates 95th Bn
1935
12th "Manitoba Dragoons"
1940
12th (Reserve) Manitoba Dragoons
1941
18th (Manitoba) Recce Bn, CAC, CASF
1942
18th (Manitoba) Armd Car Regt, CAC, CASF
1942
18th Armd Car Regt (12th Manitoba Dragoons), CAC, CASF
1945
18th Armd Car Regt (12th Manitoba Dragoons), RCAC, CASF
1946
Disbanded
18th Armd Car Regt (12th Dragoons), RCAC
1949
12th Manitoba Dragoons, (18th Armd Car Regt)
1954
12th Manitoba Dragoons (18th Armd Regt)
1958
12th Manitoba Dragoons
1964
Supplementary Order of Battle
2024
Abbreviations used in the chart
Abbreviation Phrase
Armd Armoured
Bn Battalion
CAC Canadian Armoured Corps
CASF Canadian Active Service Force
Cav. Cavalry
CEF Canadian Expeditionary Force
Inf. Infantry
RCAC Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
Recce Reconnaissance
Regt Regiment

Cadet Corps[]

2528 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps is the only organization that perpetuates the name and insignia of the regiment. The cadet corps formed October 19, 1954 as the Virden Collegiate Cadet Corps affiliated to and using the insignia of the 12th Manitoba Dragoons. When the regiment disbanded the corps affiliation changed to that of the 71st Field Battery and shortly after the 26th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. Branch Number 8 of Royal Canadian Legion became sponsor of the corps May 26, 1975 and housed the unit on its premises. October 3, 1994 the corps resumed its original affiliation and was renamed the XII Manitoba Dragoons Cadet Corps. The corps continues to parade in the Virden Legion Hall and is composed of youth from many surrounding communities.

Photo gallery[]

References[]

  1. ↑ Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.
  2. ↑ "12th Manitoba Dragoons". Official Lineages Volume 3, Part 1: Armour, Artillery and Field Engineer Regiments – Armour Regiments. Directorate of History and Heritage. http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-3/par1/arm-bli/12MD-eng.asp. Retrieved 22 October 2012. 

External links[]


All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at 12th Manitoba Dragoons and the edit history here.
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