Topic: The RCR
Headquarters
Ottawa, 1st November, 1899
G.O. 112 – Establishment, 2nd "Special Service" Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry
The following establishment for the 2nd "Special Service" Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry, is approved:—
| Lieutenant Colonel | 1 |
| Second in Command | 1 |
| Major | 1 |
| Captains | 10 |
| Lieutenants | 24 |
| Adjutant | 1 |
| Quarter Master | 1 |
| Medical Officers | 2 |
| Total Officers | 41 |
| Regimental Sergeant Major | 1 |
| Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant | 1 |
| Staff Sergeants | 8 |
| Colour Sergeants | 8 |
| Sergeants | 32 |
| Total Sergeants of Regimental Staff and Sergeants | 50 |
| Corporals | 40 |
| Drummers or Bugler | 16 |
| Privates | 872 |
| Total rank and file | 912 |
| Total all ranks | 1019 |
| Horses---Officers | 7 |
The Royal Canadian Regiment, 1883-1933
By: R.C. Fetherstonhaugh, 1936.
His Excellency [the Earl of Minto, Governor-General of Canada] cabled that the Canadian Government was prepared to provide 1,000 infantry on the conditions named, and on October 16 this offer was formally accepted. Anticipating acceptance, the Canadian Government announced on October 14 that eight independent companies, each 125 strong, would be raised forthwith and issued orders for recruiting to begin in Victoria, Vancouver, Winnipeg, London, Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston, Montreal, Quebec, Saint John, Halifax, and Charlottetown.
On October 18, [1899], when the independent companies were fast reaching their authorized strengths, His Excellency cabled to Great Britain asking if the companies would be acceptable in the form of a battalion of infantry, and on October 23 a reply was received accepting the proposed change, on the condition that only one lieutenant-colonel be appointed. No obstacle being presented by this stipulation, the Canadian Government brought into being a full battalion, named the "2nd (Special Service) Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment," under the command of Lieut.-Col. W. D. Otter, who, on September 28, had been succeeded by Lieut.-Col. L. Buchan as Commanding Officer of the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry.
Meanwhile, on October 20, the companies had received the following designations:
- "A" Coy.: Recruited in British Columbia and Manitoba
- "B" Coy.: Recruited in London, Ontario.
- "C" Coy.: Recruited in Toronto, Ontario.
- "D" Coy.: Recruited in Ottawa and Kingston, Ontario.
- "E" Coy.: Recruited in Montreal, P.Q.
- "F" Coy.: Recruited in Quebec, P.Q.
- "G" Coy.: Recruited in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
- "H" Coy.: Recruited in Nova Scotia.
The 2nd "Special Service" Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry. would be made up of 118 Permanent Force soldiers, police and British Army members. Only 84 of these were serving member of the R.C.R.I. The remaining 921 members of the Battalion would be drawn from over 120 separate Militia units across the country.
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