12th Manitoba Dragoons

12th Manitoba Dragoons
XII Manitoba Dragoons Cap Badge
Active	1903–1964
Country	Canada
Branch	Canadian Army
Type	Line cavalry
Role	Armoured reconnaissance
Part of	Supplementary Order of Battle
Garrison/HQ	Virden, Manitoba
Motto(s)	Latin: Ubique honor et equis, lit. 'Everywhere honour and by horse'
March	Colonel Bogey

The 12th Manitoba Dragoons is an armoured regiment of the Canadian Army that is currently on the Supplementary Order of Battle.

Lineage[]

12th Manitoba Dragoons[]

• Originated 1 July 1903 in Brandon, Manitoba, as the 12th "Manitoba Dragoons"
• Amalgamated 31 January 1935 with The Border Horse, retaining its designation as the 12th Manitoba Dragoons
• Redesignated 7 November 1940 as the 12th (Reserve) Manitoba Dragoons
• Redesignated 1 April 1946 as the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Dragoons), RCAC
• Redesignated 4 February 1949 as the 12th Manitoba Dragoons, (18th Armoured Car Regiment)
• Redesignated 1 October 1954 as the 12th Manitoba Dragoons (18th Armoured Regiment)
• Redesignated 19 May 1958 as the 12th Manitoba Dragoons
• 31 December 1964 reduced to nil strength and transferred to the Supplementary Order of Battle^[1]

The Border Horse[]

• Originated 1 April 1908 in Estevan, Saskatchewan, as the 20th Mounted Rifles
• Redesignated 1 March 1910 as the 20th Border Horse
• Redesignated 15 March 1920 as The Border Horse
• Amalgamated 31 January 1935 with the 12th Manitoba Dragoons.^[1]

Lineage of the 12th Manitoba Dragoons:^[2]

hideLineage
1885 Bn at Winnipeg 1886 95th "Winnipeg Bn of Infy" 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 Cavy 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 2021
Abbreviations used in the chart Abbreviation Phrase Armd Armoured Bn Battalion CAC Canadian Armoured Corps CASF Cavy Cavalry CEF Canadian Expeditionary Force Infy Infantry RCAC Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Recce Reconnaissance Regt Regiment

Perpetuations[]

• 95th Battalion, Manitoba Grenadiers (North-West Rebellion, 1885)
• 6th Battalion (Fort Garrys), CEF
• 32nd Battalion, CEF^[1]

Operational history[]

North West Rebellion[]

The 95th Battalion Manitoba Grenadiers was mobilized for active service on 10 April 1885, when "a Battalion at Winnipeg" was authorized to be formed. The battalion served in the Alberta Column of the North West Field Force and was removed from active service on 18 September 1885. The battalion was retained on the Non-Permanent Active Militia order of battle.^[1]

South African War[]

The Manitoba Dragoons contributed volunteers for the Canadian contingents in the field.^[1]

The Great War[]

During the Great War, the Regiment raised two battalions for the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

The 6th Battalion (Fort Garry Horse), CEF was authorized on 10 August 1914, and embarked for Britain on 29 September 1914. It formed the nucleus of the Remount Depot on 20 January 1915, and the remainder of the battalion's personnel were absorbed by the Canadian Cavalry Depot, CEF, on 6 March 1915 to provide reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field. The battalion was disbanded on 5 April 1918.^[1] The battalion recruited in Portage la Prairie, Roblin, Pipestone and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan and Pincher Creek, Alberta, and was mobilized at Camp Valcartier, Quebec. The 6th Battalion was awarded the battle honour "THE GREAT WAR 1914-15." The 6th Battalion was commanded by Lt.-Col. J.G. Rattray^[3]

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.^[1] The battalion recruited in Manitoba and Saskatchewan and was mobilized at Winnipeg.^[3]

The 32nd Battalion had three officers commanding:

• Lt.-Col. H.J. Cowan, 7 March 1915 – 15 September 1915
• Lt.-Col. C.D. MacPherson, 15 September 1915 – 1 August 1916
• Lt.-Col. F.J. Clarke, 2 August 1915 – 2 January 1917^[3]

The battalion was awarded the battle honour "THE GREAT WAR 1915-17."^[3]

The Second World War[]

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]

Battle honours[]

In the list below^{[citation needed]}, battle honours in capitals were awarded for participation in large operations and campaigns, while those in lowercase indicate honours granted for more specific battles. Those battle honours followed by a "+" are emblazoned on the regimental guidon.

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[]

• 

  T17E1 Staghound armoured cars of the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons) crossing the Seine River.

• 

  T-17E1 Staghound armoured car of the 12th Manitoba Dragoons crossing a Bailey bridge, Elbeuf, France, 28 August 1944. Soldiers are offloading railway ties to reinforce or smooth out the road surface.

• 

  T-17E1 Staghound armoured cars of "A" Squadron, 12th Manitoba Dragoons, in the Hochwald, Germany, 2 March 1945. The first car has tire chains on all four wheels.

• 

  Shoulder Flash

• 

  Memorial Stained Glass window, 2770 LCol KL Jefferson is wearing a pre-1914 brass spiked helmet of the 12th Manitoba Dragoons, Royal Military College of Canada.

• 

  Memorial of the liberation of Zeebrugge (Belgium) on 3 November 1944 by the 12th Manitoba Dragoons.

References[]

Media[]

• Regimental History of the 18th Armored Car Regiment (XII Manitoba Dragoons) by C. E. Henry (1945)

External links[]

• "12 Manitoba Dragoons". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 23 January 2008.