The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum

One of Canada’s oldest Regular Force military units, the Royal Canadian Regiment was formed as the Infantry School Corps in 1883 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The unit first saw action during the North-West Rebellion in 1885 and was first deployed outside of Canada during the South African (Boer) War of 1899-1903.

The RCR was sent to France in World War I as part of the 3rd Canadian Division, and fought with distinction at Vimy Ridge in April 1917. The unit was again mobilized as part of the Canadian Active Service Force and later as a component of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division during World War II. The unit took part in the Italian campaign, and then was transferred to the Northwest European front at the end of the war to help liberate the Netherlands. (See You Command, July 2013 ACG on Canadian Army operations in Northwest Europe, 1944-45.)

The regiment received 27 battle honors for its service in World War II.

It was called upon again during the Korean War, where its 2nd Battalion helped stabilize the United Nations forces front line along the 38th parallel dividing North and South Korea. The RCR took part in various peace keeping and garrison duties throughout the Cold War, and has played a role in collation combat operations in Afghanistan since 2006.

The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum is located in London, Ontario and is housed in the west wing of the historic Wolseley Hall, the first building to be built by the Canadian government especially for its new standing army in 1886.

The original architectural drawings for Wolseley Hall actually allocated space for a museum, but the museum has recently completed an expansion and as a result it now includes two floors with galleries that chronicle the regiment’s exploits throughout its history. This expansion was launched as a Capital Campaign in 2007 that looked to raise more than $2.3 million (Cdn). This has allowed for an upgrade on facilities that were in place since 1983.

Today the museum covers the history of the Regiment’s military heritage including the history of the The London and Oxford Fusiliers (The Canadian Fusiliers – City of London Regiment; and The Oxford Rifles – of Woodstock, Ontario).