Museum and Regimental History

War Chronicles Charles Prieur Anglais

FIRST WORLD WAR 1914 – 1918

When the First World War broke out in August 1914, the Canadian government offered to send an expeditionary force to fight alongside British troops. The mobilization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) therefore marks the formation of a new Active Force to serve overseas in times of war.

The Régiment de Trois-Rivières, like all the other militia units, was not mobilized. However, it contributed to the mobilization of the 178th French-Canadian Overseas Battalion (Canadian Expeditionary Force) on January 12, 1916. Commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel R. de la Bruère Girouard, the 178th’s motto was “Want to is power”. Its recruiting territory covers Military Districts Nos. 4 and 5 in Quebec and eastern Ontario. Its headquarters is established in Victoriaville.

Embarked in Halifax on March 3, 1917, the 178th arrived at the port of Liverpool in England on March 15 of the same year. The following day, the 178th was disbanded, like most of the Canadian battalions sent overseas, to provide reinforcements to the Canadian units already there, including the 22nd (which later became the Royal 22nd Regiment) and 24th Battalion. It is thus absorbed by the “10thReserve Battalion-CEF”. By a combination of circumstances, the various sub-units of the 178th took part in the battle of AMIENS in France. Having taken the name of “The Three Rivers Regiment”, on April 1, 1920, the Unit was reorganized on August 15, 1921. The Regiment continued to perpetuate the 178th Battalion and could now display the battle honor “AMIENS” in the center of his handlebar

During the interwar years, Canada showed relatively little interest in military matters. In 1922, we carry the ax in the expenses. Very little equipment was purchased and the militiamen had to train with obsolete First World War equipment.

However, in 1936, the government adopted a program of rearmament. In order to achieve greater efficiency, several changes were made to the organization of the Militia. The number of infantry units is reduced and the first armored units are created. Thus, the same year, the Regiment distinguished itself within the Canadian Militia: an infantry unit since its foundation, it was chosen (along with five other militia units) to become a regiment of armored vehicles, thanks to the Colonel FF Worthington, founder of the Canadian Armored Corps. On December 15, 1936, it became “The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank)”.

At dawn on July 10, 1943, the first Shermans of the Three Rivers Regiment landed on the beach of Pachino, in southern Sicily, to support the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, which was on its first assault. After some skirmishes with the Italian Forces, a rear guard of the “Herman Goering” Panzer Division burst in on the outskirts of Grammichele five days later: the Regiment’s tanks destroyed three enemy tanks as well as several large artillery pieces at the cost a tank and three transporters from the Trois-Rivières Unit. During the fighting at Leonforte and Assoro, the Germans were driven from their positions while the Regiment provided the support required in street fighting: the kind of maneuver for which the members of the Regiment were not prepared in the Schools of the “Royal Armored Corps” in England. Liberating Piazza Armerina, Agira and other localities via Nissoria and Regalbuto, the Unit fought valiantly throughout the Campaign in Sicily. During the attack on the Troina Valley, Lieutenant-Colonel EL Booth, commanding the Regiment, carried out a remarkable infantry/armor maneuver on August 5, 1943.

Having fought almost non-stop since the start of the Campaign, which lasted nearly 40 days, the Regiment escaped with 20 dead and 63 wounded.

Known for a time as the “12th Canadian Tank Regiment (TRR)” (abbreviated: 12 CTR), the Regiment was awarded the name “12th Canadian Armored Regiment (TRR)” (abbreviated: 12 CAR) on August 26, 1943, from which comes its current French name: 12e Régiment blindé du Canada (abbreviated: 12e RBC).

After the capture of Rome, the advance into Italy continued northwest towards Florence. The Regiment successively supports several Allied formations including the 78th, 4th, 5th and 6th British Divisions, the New Zealand, South African and Indian Divisions as well as the 231st Independent Brigade of Malta.

From 24 to 30 June, during the engagement at the TRASIMENE Line, the Regiment fought in the lead with the 28th Brigade then the 10th British Infantry Brigade of the 4th DIB. On June 28, the day of the final breakthrough of the Trasimene Line, C Squadron shined in particular by repelling fierce counter-attacks by the German 1st Parachute Division (the same as at Ortona) north of Casalmaggiore. It is at this line of enemy defense that the Unit suffered the heaviest losses in its history: 22 killed (including five officers) and 44 wounded as well as 22 tanks put out of action including 16 of the 20 tanks of squadron C Moreover, during this engagement, five riders, who constituted the crew of a tank, are made prisoners. They were among the only members of the Régiment de Trois-Rivières to be captured during the Second World War. Most of these losses are attributed to a new German airborne anti-tank weapon, the “Faustpatrone 1” (one of the four “Panzerfaust” anti-tank handgun models), far superior to the British PIAT (Projector Infantry Anti-Tank) and the American bazooka.

After the crushing of the Arezzo Line on July 17, 1944, A Squadron, accompanying a battalion of the 10th Brigade, completed its last operation near Ricasoli while a detachment of the “Herman Goering” Panzer Division was surprised and captured on 21 July. During the 27 July advance on the Arno, west of Florence, the Regiment supported the 21st Indian Infantry Brigade in the final assault that swept across the south bank of that river.

After a short period of rest, the Regiment climbed the Apennines beyond Florence and again supported the 78th British Infantry Division which, like its neighbours, attempted a breakthrough towards Bologna (this can be seen on a clear day, which is rather rare). The difficulties inherent in the wide and deep mountain crevasses, as well as the absence of motorable roads and the incessant autumn rains followed by a hasty and harsh winter, thwarted the numerous attacks of the 78th DIB and the 88th Infantry Division. American that the 12th CAR supports on its left flank.

Early in February 1945, all Canadian troops were ordered to concentrate in northwestern Europe. The Regiment’s tanks were transported to Livorno from where they took to the sea. Landed in Marseilles in France on March 6, the Regiment was transferred to Belgium to be re-equipped with Shermans armed with long 17-pounder guns (about 8 kg) each. Two squadrons are assigned to occupy the trenches along the Waal, west of Arnhem. Shortly after, having assumed its role as an armored unit, the 12th CAR crossed the Rhine, slanted north into Germany, turned west and recrossed the Dutch border towards Enschede. After covering a 15-mile (24 km) front between Zutphen and Doesburg on the Yssel River, the Regiment supported the 1st Canadian Division in the April 1 assault and in the Battle of APPELDOORN. It goes to Amersfoort and then to the Grebbe Line.

On April 27, the fighting ceased as the Royal 22e Régiment broke through a last pocket of resistance with the help of the Three Rivers Regiment. Thus the Regiment ends an almost continuous period of operations that lasted nearly two years, during which it earned 23 citations of honor: more than double that of any other armored unit in Canada. In addition, the Regiment claims the honor of being the only Commonwealth unit to have fought alongside all the Allied Armies on the European fronts and to have spent the period of five months and 19 consecutive days without being relieved. .

After the German capitulation in May 1945, the Regiment, still commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Fernand L. Caron, stayed around Rotterdam, Haarlem, Delft and finally in Dokkum near the Frisian Islands, until its return to England in September, then in Canada in November

On November 30, 1945, the active forces of the Regiment were demobilized. The following year, the militia unit resumed its pre-war role: it constituted a reserve force and support for the civil power. Consequently, the unit was redesignated an anti-tank regiment and took the name “46th Anti-Tank Regiment, The Three Rivers Regiment” on 1 April 1946.

From 1946 to 1950, the Commanding Officer of the Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Spénard, introduced courses in French. This practice, which had been abandoned around 1930, will be continued by all commanders.

On June 19, 1947, the Trois-Rivières unit resumed its pre-war armored unit title under the name of “24th Canadian Armored Regiment, The Three Rivers Regiment” (another Canadian armored unit, the Sherbrooke Regiment, having already chose number 12). A little less than two years later, on February 4, 1949, the Regiment adopted its French name “Le Régiment de Trois-Rivières, 24th Canadian Armored Regiment”, which finally constitutes recognition of its Quebec origins. Since then, the Regiment has retained its French distinction. On May 19, 1958, its name was again changed to “Le Régiment de Trois-Rivières, RCAC”.

Meanwhile, in the summer of 1950, the Regiment raised a troop of tanks for service in Korea. This war ended in 1953 without the Regiment having been called up.

In the early 1960s, the primary role of the Canadian Militia was changed to take an active part in Civil Defence. Efforts are being concentrated on this. However, this phase is short-lived. Around the same time, on September 23, 1963, the Régiment de Trois-Rivières sealed an alliance with the “Royal Tank Régiment” of London, England, an alliance approved by HM Queen Elizabeth II. The ceremonies take place in Trois-Rivières in the presence of Major-General HM Liardet, Colonel-Commander representing the “Royal Tank Regiment” and Lieutenant-Colonel Roland Gauthier, Commander of the Trois-Rivières Regiment. In 1964, the Regiment resumed its regular training in order to properly fulfill its role as an armored unit. Since the 1960s, the training of Trois-Rivières militiamen has continued unabated. Training and instruction are at a most satisfactory level.

In 1967, as part of the celebrations of the centenary of Canadian Confederation, your Canadian Forces wanted to make their contribution by allowing Reserve units to develop a program aimed at presenting military demonstrations to cities. The Régiment de Trois-Rivières (RCAC) was designated by the Eastern Quebec headquarters to form a Centennial Platoon made up of 30 militiamen (one officer, one sergeant, three corporals and 25 men) with the aim of touring the Mauricie region (Trois-Rivières, Berthierville, Batiscan and La Tuque) and presenting two shows to the population: the Bonfire and Retirement ceremonies followed by a military concert performed by the Regiment’s band.

It was at Trois-Rivières, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint-Laurent rivers, that the bases of the Canadian Militia were laid. Indeed, in 1651 (the time of the Amerindian wars), Pierre Boucher, captain of the town of Trois-Rivières since 1649, received an order from the Governor of New France enjoining him, among other things, to obtain arms, to exercise residents in handling them and relaying them to the guard service. On April 3, 1669, the governor of Courcelles received a letter from King Louis XIV ordering him.

“… to divide the inhabitants into companies,…; to gather them once a month by squads or by companies…; to bring them together once or twice a year; to provide him with lead, powder and wick, to review them himself, leaving all the movements of the profession of arms to be carried out…”

Any subject between the ages of 16 and 60 is restricted to service. Officers and men are to serve gratuitously. From then on, each parish had its own company of militiamen. More populous parishes may have two or more companies whose strength varies from 50 to 80 men. Depending on population size, they may have one or more captains, lieutenants, ensigns, and sergeants. Among the officers, the militia captain is a very important character in the parish: he comes immediately after the lord. He represents, with the peasants, the governor and the intendant. Some captains even perform civilian functions as local administrators and government spokespersons. The Militia, as an auxiliary force to the regular army, was thus maintained throughout the 18th century.

During the war of 1812 against the Americans, two battalions of volunteers were raised in Trois-Rivières: one for the town, captained by Zacharie Macaulay, and one for the Forges Saint-Maurice, commanded by captain Jean-Baptiste Landry. On May 24, 1812, C. Sabrevois de Bleury was appointed major of the 3rd Battalion of the elite and incorporated militia which included Trois-Rivières and Berthier. In 1830, the county of Saint-Maurice had three Militia battalions: the first for Trois-Rivières and its suburbs, the Sainte-Marguerite fief, the Saint-Maurice fief, Pointe-du-Lac, the Gatineau fief and the township of Caxton; the second battalion for Maskinongé, the fief of Saint-Jean and its augmentation, Carufel and part of Lanaudière and all the islands of the Saint-Laurent near the said county; the third battalion for Yamachiche, the Dumontier and Grandpré fiefs and the townships of New Glasgow and Hunterstown.

In 1855, the Government of the Province of Canada adopted a new Militia Act which is the direct origin of today’s Canadian militia. A small force of 5,000 Volunteers was then equipped and organized into independent rifle companies. This law creates several classes of militiamen: the active militia, the sedentary militia and the Reserve. In addition, the province of United Canada is divided into nine military districts. In Trois-Rivières, a company of riflemen is set up, made up of 63 volunteers.

In 1865, an Irish-American organization called the Fenian Brotherhood, formed in 1858, began raiding Canada. The Militia was called up again and a group from Trois-Rivières, back from Upper Canada, settled on the Lower Canada line, from Valleyfield to Frelighsburg. At Trois-Rivières itself, headquarters were established at the town hall, where guard was mounted each night.

The most important result of this period of repeated crises was the Confederation of the British North American colonies in 1867. The withdrawal of regular British troops led to the creation of a permanent Canadian force. Thus, in 1868, by the “Milicia Act” (Militia Law), a Ministry of Militia and Defense was established and the authorized manpower was increased to 40,000 men for the Active Militia (ancestor of the current Regular Force ).

Two years later, in 1870, the Volunteers of Company No. 1 of Trois-Rivières, which was part of the 5th Brigade Division (or battalion) of Military District No. Rivière-Rouge for the Northwest Campaign. the others Division companies are : _ _

• Company No. 2, Rivière-du-Loup or Louiseville;
• 3 Company, Berthier;
• 4 Company, St. Elizabeth;
• Company No. 5, Joliette;
• Company No. 6, Saint-Jacques;
• Company No. 7, Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon;
• Company No. 8, Sainte-Mélanie;
• Company No. 9, Rawdon No. 1;
• Company No. 10, Rawdon No. 2.

End of June beginning of July. the Volunteers of the 5th Division leave Montreal for the Canadian Northwest. Among them are Captain François-Xavier Lambert and surgeon Frédéric-Augustus Dame. Both would later become commanders of the Trois-Rivières Unit.

Following the unification and reorganization of all the Canadian Armed Forces, and following a recommendation by General Jean-Victor Allard, Chief of the National Defense Staff to form a French-speaking combat group, the Minister of National Defense, the Honorable Léo Cadieux, promulgated, on May 6, 1968, the formation of a new regiment as a unit of the Regular Force, related to the Régiment de Trois-Rivières: the 12th Armored Regiment of Canada.

The Valcartier Regiment simultaneously became the armored element of the newly formed 5th Combat Group stationed at the Valcartier base. It formed rapidly, drawing strength from The Royal Canadian Dragoons, The Lord Strathcona’s Horse,The 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise’s), The Fort Garry Horse and the Royal 22e Régiment. This new unit, commanded by LCol JP LaRose, adopts the history, customs and traditions of the 12th Canadian Armor Regiment (TRR) and perpetuates the battle honors of the 12th CAR and therefore of the 178th French-Canadian Battalion. Consequently, the 12th Armored Regiment of Canada will be composed of a regular regiment in Valcartier and a reserve regiment in Trois-Rivières.

Since 1973, the 12th Canadian Armored Regiment or one of its sub-units has served 9 times in United Nations (UN) missions and once with NATO. It served 4 times in Cyprus (in 1973, 1977, 1983 and 1990), and provided a squadron composed of about thirty of its members in Cambodia in 1992. It provided three (3) times an esc in former Yugoslavia with UNPROFOR including the following squadrons: squadron A in 1992 in Croatia and Bosnia with the GT 2RCR; squadron D in 1993 in Bosnia with the GT 2R22eR; and squadron D in 1995 in Bosnia with the GT 3R22eR. A Squadron deployed in 1996 to Bosnia with the 5th Canadian Multinational Brigade Group under NATO’s Implementation Force (IFOR). Finally, the Regiment minus the squadron D participated as a regimental group in the former Yugoslavia from November 1993 to May 1994. The 12th RBC is the unit which served the greatest number of times in the former Yugoslavia as a squadron and battle group (regimental) compared to any other unit in the Canadian Forces.

Beginning in 2004, the Regiment deployed reconnaissance and tank elements on six rotations to both Kabul (OP ARCHER) and Kandahar Province as part of OP ATHENA. He also commanded the Liaison and Mentoring Team (ELMO) in 2006-07, the Provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in 2009 and the 404 Maywand (Afghan Police HQ) in 2010-11 in addition to providing an impressive number of personnel for tactical HQ in Kabul, brigade (Task Force Kandahar) and battlegroups. The Trois-Rivières Regiment also contributed to the mission in Afghanistan by providing personnel for the NSE and in the field of civil-military cooperation. In 2012, the Regiment participated in OP ATTENTION in northern Afghanistan where members trained with the Afghan Army.

To be added to the contributions of the unit and its sub-units are those of the individual members of the Regiment. We provided personnel in several UN missions around the world, including: Indochina, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Pakistan, Western Sahara, Nicaragua, Iraq, Zaire, Congo, Mali and Haiti (1996 and 2010).

Tragically, all of these deployments were not accomplished without the ultimate sacrifice of seven of our soldiers. We remember our following comrades: Capt CE Laviolette, Indochina on April 7, 1973; Sergeant JRA Dupont, Sherbrooke Hussars, Cyprus on April 23, 1977; Cpl PD Galvin, Sherbrooke Hussars, Bosnia on November 29, 1993; MCpl LPS Langevin, Bosnia on November 29, 1993; Cpl JFY Rousseau, Bosnia on September 25, 1995; Cpl R Renaud, Kandahar on January 15, 2008 and Cpl K. Blais in Kandahar on April 13, 2009. The Regiment also suffered a multitude of physical and psychological injuries following its missions.

Other than missions under the aegis of the United Nations and NATO, the Regiment participated in several major domestic operations, including: an internal security operation in Montreal, OP ESSAY, during the October crisis in 1970; the security of Olympic facilities and athletes, OP GAMESCAN, in 1976 in Montreal; guard outside the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul prison complex, OP PROMENADE/LUTE, in Montreal; OP SALON during the Oka crisis in 1990; OP SAGUENAY to help disaster victims in Saguenay Lac St-Jean during the floods in the summer of 1996 and in 1998, OP RECOVERY to help disaster victims in the Montreal area following an ice storm and a power outage regional.

In terms of operational readiness, the Regiment has won the national RAMSHEAD competition five times out of nine, a record unmatched since. He has also won the MERRITT recognition competition twice in four appearances.

The Regiment has experienced an evolution in its layout and equipment. When it left on May 6, 1968, the Regiment was made up of a command squadron and squadron A equipped with Ferret vehicles. In 1973 the Regiment had four squadrons in addition to the command post, namely the A squadron equipped with Lynx vehicles, the B and C squadrons equipped with Ferret vehicles and the non-ranking squadron. In 1979 the Regiment received a fleet of COUGARS, a wheeled vehicle with a 76 mm gun. which will become the main vehicle of the Regiment until 1996 when the Cougar and the Lynx will be replaced by the COYOTE vehicle equipped with a surveillance suite and a 25mm cannon. It was at the end of the 90s that the C squadron was deactivated. The Régiment de Trois-Rivières will keep the Cougars until the end of the 90s when it will move from hunting to armored reconnaissance with the light vehicle G-WAGON. With the deactivation of the 4th Brigade in Germany in the early 90s, the Valcartier Regiment received Léopard 1 tanks in 1993 Valcartier in the summer of 1993. The B squadron became the Regiment’s tank squadron while the A squadrons and D operate with the Coyote.

In 2004, following a restructuring of the Army, the Valcartier Regiment lost its tanks and became entirely reconnaissance. It will be necessary to wait in 2006 for a troop of tanks to be reactivated and attached to the LdSH (RC) during rotation 4 in Kandahar in Afghanistan. This troop will operate on the LEOPARD 2 A6M. The year 2009 will mark the return of a squadron of tanks to the Regiment which then reactivates the squadron C for a deployment in Afghanistan in 2010-2011. Squadron C will operate with LEOPARD 2 A4M and LEOPARD 2 A6M. Finally, following another restructuring of the Army and the Armored Corps, the tanks left Valcartier again in the summer of 2012 to form a joint squadron with the RCD in Gagetown where about fifty 12th are currently assigned. The current configuration of the Valcartier Regiment is two armored reconnaissance squadrons (one of which is assigned to the task of reconnaissance for the Brigade), a half squadron whose task is to support the other squadrons and the command squadron and services. The Trois-Rivières Regiment is made up of a reconnaissance squadron and a command and services squadron. It is one of the most active reserve regiments in the Army and is responsible for the other armored units of the 35th Brigade.

The 12th Armored Regiment of Canada was twinned with the 12th Regiment of Hunters from Sedan, France, between 1972 and 1984, followed by the 8th Hussars Regiment from Altkirch in the Alsace region, France, between June 1984 and July 1993, and since in the 2nd Hussar Regiment of Sourdun, France. In addition, the Regiment is allied with the Royal Tank Regiment of Bovington, England, by the twinning of the latter with the Régiment de Trois-Rivières on September 23, 1963.