The Royal Canadian Regiment and
The First World War - 1914-1919

Sergeant George Webb

Sergeant George Webb

First World War medals awarded to 477974 Sergeant George Webb.

First World War medals awarded to 477974 Sergeant George Webb.

In 1914, the officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers of The Royal Canadian Regiment (The RCR) formed a large share of the approximately 3000 professional soldiers in Canada's army. While the single infantry regiment of Regulars might have expected to find itself despatched to Europe at the outbreak of the First World War, this was not to be.  Instead, the Department of Militia sent its one infantry battalion to garrison Bermuda for a year while Sir Sam Hughes executed his plan to create a new Expeditionary Force separate from the Regular Army and the Canadian Militia. The RCR would later join the Canadian Expeditionary Force in France as a unit of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, and the question of its deployment to Bermuda would be raised in the Canadian Parliament.

The RCR would serve in France and Flanders from November 1915 until the end of the War and approximately 4800 Canadians would wear the eight-pointed star and fight as Royal Canadians.

The pages linked from this introduction will attempt to present elements of the story of The RCR in the Great War through a new presentation of existing documents combining the unit's War Diary and existing information on the officers and on the NCOs and soldiers of the Regiment.

Pro Patria

Pro Patria

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