Description
Physical description
An upward arc of red wool with rounded ends and a rectangular extension centrally below on which in green embroidery a narrow inner border containing the capital sans-serif letters REGINA RIFLE REGIMENT following the top arc and CANADA horizontally on the lower portion, the initial letter Rs on the top line being larger.
Label
Unit history: Motto: Celer et Audax (Swift and Bold). Battle cry: 'Up the Johns'. Nicknames: 'The Farmer Johns', 'The Johns'.
This Saskatchewen militia Regiment was assigned in peace time to 19 Brigade. The Regiment mobilized on 24 May 1940 and was posted to 7 Brigade in 3 Canadian Infantry Division. The Regiment embarked with the Division for the UK on 24 August 1941 where it trained for the next three years.
The Battalion landed in the assault wave on D Day, 6 June 1944, Juno Beach, Nan Green sector, immediately east of Courseulles sur Mer. They were tasked to take out the eastern section of the Courseulles strongpoint and to clear the town. The strongpoint was fairly compact but was important because it contained one of only two 88mm guns on the invasion front, the other being in the western Courseulles strongpoint. The seafront houses and some behind had been fortified. B Squadron 1 Hussars touched down with 14 DD tanks just before 0800 and the Regina infantry followed them at around 0810. The specialist breaching teams from 26 Assault Squadron, 5 Assault Regiment RE (AVREs), and 3 Troop, B Squadron, 22 Dragoons (Crab flails) landed behind the infantry. A Company landed on the right, directly opposite the strongpoint, and took a number of casualties. The Hussars tanks probably accounted for the guns by good shooting into the emplacements, and greatly assisted the infantry in clearing the position. B Company landed at about 0815, east of the main strongpoint, and had fewer problems getting ashore. The infantry then proceeded to tackle their allotted portions of the town but had to return to the seafront later because the Germans had infiltrated back. Of the follow-up Companies, C (touchdown 0835) had few problems. D Company were late (touchdown at 0855) and there were only 49 survivors when their landing craft hit a bad patch of mined obstacles. The Battalion had moved south via Reviers to forward positions around Le Fresne Camilly and Fontaine Henry by 2000.
On D+1, 7 June, the Battalion was probably the first in 21 Army Group to reach their final D-Day objective, code name 'Oak', the Caen –Bayeux Road, when they entered Bretteville l'Orgueilleuse and Norrey en Bessin mid morning. (The Winnipegs on their right may dispute this claim.) The Reginas withstood a fierce attack on the night of 8 –9 June from Panthers and infantry, accounting for at least five tanks.
By early July 3 Division had displaced left and on 8 July the Battalion attacked the Abbey of Ardenne. This was the 25 SS Pz. Gren. Rgt. command post and resistance was fierce, it being directed at least in part by the Divisional Commander, Kurt Meyer. The attack was held off but the enemy abandoned the position during the night.
Operation Atlantic was launched on 18 July with the object of securing the areas of Caen and its southern suburbs still in German hands. The Battalion was in the western outskirts of Caen and in the afternoon was ordered to reconnoitre into Faubourg de Vaucelles, the suburb south of the Orne. The scout platoon crossed by way of partially demolished bridges and reported only slight resistance. The rest of the battalion then followed on and were in position by early evening.
The Battalion took part in the capture of Calais, on 25 September attacking with 7 Brigade the batteries to the west of the town and then, on 28th, pressing into the southern factory area. They remained mopping up in the area until 1 October.
They next moved into Belgium and took part in the assault across the Leopold Canal on 6 October. The Reginas had a slightly different order of battle for this action, the First Canadian Army HQ Defence Company, the Royal Montreal Regiment, having exchanged places with the Battalion's B Company to gain battle experience. The Battalion attacked on the left, the 1 Canadian Scottish on the right, both two companies up. The assault was supported by heavy artillery concentrations and the use of massed Wasp flame-throwers, 27 in all, firing across the 100ft. wide canal immediately prior to the assault. The Montreal Company on the left crossed successfully but the Battalion's right company ran into difficulties and the battalion eventually had to cross into the Montreal's sector. The enemy resisted violently and a large proportion of the Montreals' company had become casualties by the end of the first day. The position was nevertheless held until the position was secured on 13 October.
The next major commitment was in the Rhineland battles. In Operation Veritable, the Battalion attacked across the largely flooded Waal Flats on the evening of 8 February 1945. Assisted by artificial moonlight and supported by the British 13/18 Hussars, they captured the south end of the Quer Damm and proceeded to take the village of Zyfflich. The following day they advanced to find the village of Mehr empty of enemy.
The Battalion came back into the battle on 16 February when they were tasked to clear a part of Moyland Wood. They met unexpected resistance from an area that had been reported clear and made little progress, with a similar result the following day. On 18th a concentrated attack by the Battalion achieved only limited success, and at great cost. The area was only cleared on 21 February by an attack by the Winnipegs, supported by Wasps and a carefully co-ordinated and heavy artillery programme.
The Battlion's final act in the Rhineland battle was to take the town of Sonsbeck against only light opposition on 6 March.
Following the Rhine crossing, the Battalion took part in the attack on Emmerich, approaching from the east. On 28 March they took the village of Dornick and on the following day they attacked the southern sector of Emmerich, completed by the following day. The Division advanced north along the Ijssel and on 10 April the Battalion cleared the south eastern area of Deventer.
By the third week of April the Division had moved north towards Emden and Wilhelmshaven, the Battalion advancing eastwards out of Leer to clear an area of the north bank of the Leda River on 29 –30 April. This was to be their last action of the war.
During Second World War the Battalion was awarded 7 DSOs, 7 MCs, 14 MM and 1 bar, 1 BEM, 3 French Crois de Guerre, 1 Netherlands Bronze Lion.
A 2nd Battalion served with the Reserve Army in Canada.
A 3rd Battalion was formed in May 1942, redesignated 2nd Airfield Defence Battalion (Regina Rifles) in July 1943 and disbanded 15 November 1943.
A 4th Battalion was mobilized on 1 June 1945 and served with the 3rd Canadian Division Canadian Occupation Force until disbanded on 4 April 1946.
History note
Associated person: John Tiffin Murray Stewart b. 1917, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. d. 6 August 1964, 47 yrs., heart attack. Service record: Gunner M 4044 RCA. 1942: Reg. H2, HQ RCA, 1st Administration Corps. RCA CASF (Canadian Active Service Force) 1st Division. 1943: Reg. H3, 3rd Field Regt. RCA CASF 1st Division. 1944: 1st A Wing. No. 1 CARU (Canadian Artillery Reinforcement Unit).
Family history: 11 December 1942, married Elfreda Joan, nee Knight, at Congregational Church West Wickham, Kent. 15 June 1945, returned Canada. 27 June 1946, joined by family (on board 'Letitia'). August 1948, all family return to UK ('Queen Mary'). Moved to family home, Cavendish Way, West Wickham, Kent. Subsequently bought house, Oak Avenue, Shirley, Croydon.
History note
Bibliographical sources: CANADA'S ARMY IN WORLD WAR II: Badges and Histories of the Corps and Regiments. F. R. Tripp. Unitrade Press, Toronto, 1983. FORMATION AND UNIT SIGNS OF THE BRITISH REGULAR ARMY AND TERRITORIAL ARMY. Major John Waring. Identification Pamphlet No. 1. Privately published, no date (c. 1950s) Key to Shapes of Shoulder Titles. THE CANADIAN SOLDIER In North West Europe 1944 –1945. Jean Bouchery. Histoire & Collections, Paris, 2003. Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War. Volume III: THE VICTORY CAMPAIGN, Operations in North West Europe 1944 –1945. Col. C. P. Stacey. Ottawa, 1960.
Inscription
REGINA RIFLE REGIMENT / CANADA