Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history/Canadian military history task force/Canadian Battle Honours

Battle Honours and their History in the Canadian Military

Battle honours are awarded to military units to commemorate their actions in combat.

There are two types of battle honours; campaign honours, which commemorate a campaign or war, such as FRANCE AND FLANDERS, NORTH-WEST EUROPE or KOREA, and individual battle honours which commemorate a specific action, such as Vimy, 1917, Passchendaele, Ortona, Normandy Landing or Falaise Road.

The Canadian system of battle honours was adapted from the British military, which has awarded distinctions to regiments for service in the field since a standing British Army was formed in 1660.

Originally, battle honours could be granted if a regiment had been "engaged in musketry" with the enemy. Later, eligibility for battle honours was expanded to include units supporting an operation. In both cases, the regiment's headquarters and at least 50 percent of the regiment's members were present, except under alternate conditions as published in the terms for award of battle honours. In addition, other criteria can also be considered.

After a war or conflict, a list of battle honours was created from which regiments would make application for specific battle honours to be awarded for their actions.

The first battle honours awarded to Canadian regiments were for the North West Campaign of 1885.

MOTTO (Honorary Distinction)

UBIQUE (Latin, "everywhere") — Awarded in lieu of all individual battle honours to The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery and the Canadian Military Engineers

War of 1812 (1812–1815)

DEFENCE OF CANADA – 1812–1815 – DÉFENSE DU CANADA [1]
DETROIT
QUEENSTON
MAUMEE
CHATEAUGUAY
CRYSLER'S FARM
NIAGARA [2]

Honourary distinctions:

The 30 units that perpetuate the traditions of militia and fencible units on active service during the War of 1812 received the honourary distinction Defence of Canada 1812–1815 Defence du Canada.[3]

Fenian Raids (1866–1870)

ECCLES HILL

TROUT RIVER

Northwest Rebellion (1885)

NORTH WEST CANADA, 1885

SASKATCHEWAN

BATOCHE

FISH CREEK

Second Boer War (1899–1902)

SOUTH AFRICA (with year dates)

PAARDEBERG

World War I (1914–1919)

YPRES, 1915

Gravenstafel

St. Julien

Frezenberg

Bellewaarde

FESTUBERT, 1915

MOUNT SORREL

SOMME, 1916

Albert (Beaumont Hamel), 1916*

Bazentin

Pozières

Flers-Courcelette

Thiepval

Le Transloy*

Ancre Heights

Ancre, 1916

ARRAS, 1917

Vimy, 1917

ARLEUX

Scarpe, 1917

HILL 70

YPRES, 1917

Pilckem

Langemarck, 1917

Menin Road

Polygon Wood

Broodseinde

Poelcappelle

Passchendaele

CAMBRAI, 1917 (First Battle; see also 1918)

SOMME, 1918

St. Quentin

Bapaume, 1918

Rosières

Arras, 1918 (First Battle; see below)

Avre

LYS*

Bailleul*

Kemmel*

AMIENS

ARRAS, 1918 (Second Battle; see above)

Scarpe, 1918

Drocourt-Quéant

HINDENBURG LINE

Epéhy

Canal du Nord

St. Quentin Canal

Beaurevoir

Battle of Cambrai 1918 (Second Battle, see also 1917)

YPRES, 1918

VALENCIENNES

SAMBRE

PURSUIT TO MONS – this honour cannot be perpetuated by a regiment which already holds either YPRES 1918, COURTRAI, SELLE, VALENCIENNES, or SAMBRE

COURTRAI*

FRANCE AND FLANDERS (with year dates)

GALLIPOLI, 1915–16*

EGYPT, 1915–16*

SIBERIA, 1918–19

THE GREAT WAR (with year dates) – this honour cannot be perpetuated and was awarded to units disbanded in England only.

NOTE: (*) Awarded to The Royal Newfoundland Regiment before Newfoundland entered Confederation.

Honorary Distinctions:

10th and 16th Canadian Infantry Battalions (Canadian Expeditionary Force) – oak leaf shoulder badges commemorating action in Kitchener's Wood April 1915. The Calgary Highlanders and The Royal Winnipeg Rifles perpetuate the 10th Battalion and The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) perpetuates the 16th Battalion. The Royal Winnipeg Rifles choose not to wear the distinction.

World War II (1939–1945)

Naval Campaigns

DUNKIRK, 1940

NORTH SEA, 1940

AEGEAN, 1944

NORMANDY, 1944

BISCAY, 1944

SOUTH FRANCE, 1944

NORWAY (with year dates)

OKINAWA, 1945

ATLANTIC (with year dates)

ENGLISH CHANNEL (with year dates)

MEDITERRANEAN (with year dates)

ARCTIC (with year dates)

GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE, 1942, 1944

ALEUTIANS (with year dates)

Air campaigns

BATTLE OF BRITAIN, 1940

DEFENCE OF BRITAIN (with year dates)

FORTRESS EUROPE (with year dates)

BERLIN (with year dates)

ATLANTIC (with year dates)

BISCAY PORTS (with year dates)

ENGLISH CHANNEL AND THE NORTH SEA (with year dates)

GERMAN PORTS (with year dates)

RUHR (with year dates)

ARCTIC, 1942

DIEPPE, 1942

BISCAY (with year dates)

NORTH WEST ATLANTIC

EGYPT AND LIBYA, 1942-42

BALTIC (with year dates)

NORTH AFRICA, 1943

SICILY, 1943

ITALY, (with year dates)

SALERNO, 1943

ANSIO AND NETTUNO, 1943

GUSTAFF LINE, 1944

GOTHIC LINE, 1944–45

FRANCE AND GERMANY, 1944–45

NORMANDY, 1944

ARNHEM, 1944

WALCHEREN, 1944

RHINE, 1944–45

CEYLON, 1942

EASTERN WATERS, 1942–44

ALEUTIANS, 1942–43

BURMA, 1944–45

PACIFIC COAST [4], 1941–45.

THE SECOND WORLD WAR, 1939–1945 (LAND)

Europe 1939–45

SOUTH-EAST ASIA, 1941

Hong Kong

NORTH-WEST EUROPE, 1942

Dieppe

SICILY, 1943

LANDING IN SICILY

Grammichele

Piazza Armerina

Valguarnera

Assoro

Leonforte

Agira

ADRANO

Catenanuova

Regalbuto

Centuripe

Troina Valley

Pursuit to Messina

ITALY (with year dates)

Landing at Reggio

Potenza

Motta Montecorvino

Termoli

Monte San Marco

Gambatesa

Campobasso

Baranello

Colle d'Anchise

Torella

THE SANGRO

Castel di Sangro

The Moro

San Leonardo

The Gully

Casa Berardi

Ortona

San Nicola-San Tommaso

Point 59 or Torre Mucchia

MONTE CAMINO

Monte La Difensa-Monte La Remetanea

Monte Majo

ANZIO

CASSINO II

Gustav Line

Sant' Angelo in Teodice

Pignataro

LIRI VALLEY

Hitler Line

Aquino

Melfa Crossing

Ceprano

Torrice Crossroads

ROME

Advance to the Tiber

TRASIMENE LINE

Sanfatucchio

AREZZO

ADVANCE TO FLORENCE

Cerrone

GOTHIC LINE

Monteciccardo

Montecchio

Point 204 or Pozzo Alto Ridge

Monte Luro

Borgo Santa Maria

Tomba di Pesaro

CORIANO

LAMONE CROSSING

Misano Ridge

RIMINI LINE

San Martino-San Lorenzo

San Fortunato

Casale

Sant' Angelo in Salute

Bulgaria Village

Cesena

Pisciatello

Savio Bridgehead

Naviglio Canal

Fosso Vecchio

Fosso Munio

Coventello-Comacchio

Granarolo

Monte La Pieve

Monte Spaduro

NORTH-WEST EUROPE (with year dates)

SOUTHERN FRANCE

NORMANDY LANDING

Authie

Putot-en-Bessin

Bretteville-l'Orgueilleuse

Le Mesnil-Patry

CAEN

Carpiquet

The Orne or The Orne (Buron)

BOURGUEBUS RIDGE

Faubourg de Vaucelles

St. André-sur-Orne

Maltot

Verrières Ridge – Tilly-la-Campagne

FALAISE

Falaise Road

Quesnay Wood

Clair Tizon

The Laison

Chambois

St. Lambert-sur-Dives

Dives Crossing

Forêt de la Londe

The Seine, 1944

Moerbrugge

Dunkirk, 1944

Le Havre

Boulogne, 1944

Calais, 1944

Moerkerke

Wyneghem

Antwerp-Turnhout Canal

THE SCHELDT

Leopold Canal

Woensdrecht

Savojaards Plaat

Breskens Pocket

South Beveland

Walcheren Causeway

The Lower Maas

Kapelsche Veer

ARDENNES

The Roer

THE RHINELAND

The Reichswald

Waal Flats

Cleve

Moyland Wood

Goch-Calcar Road

The Hochwald

Xanten

Veen

The Rhine

Emmerich-Hoch Elten

Twente Canal

Zutphen

Deventer

Apeldoorn

Arnhem 1945

Groningen

Friesoythe

Ijsselmeer

Küsten Canal

Delfzijl Pocket

Bad Zwischenahn

Oldenburg

Leer

Korean War (1950–1953)

KOREA

Kapyong

Persian Gulf War (1990–91)

GULF AND KUWAIT

Honourary distinctions:

416 and 437 Squadrons received the Gulf War honourary distinction for significantly reinforcing the Canadian tactical fighter force that fought in the United Nations' action against Iraq.

Balkans (1999)

KOSOVO

South-West Asia (2001-14)

AFGHANISTAN

ARABIAN SEA

References

A-AD-200-000/AG-000 The Heritage Structure of the Canadian Forces, Chapter 3

Canadian Army Battle Honours at The Regimental Rogue

http://www.rcaf.com/squadrons/

Department of National Defence