The Winnipeg Grenadiers

The official lineage of The Winnipeg Grenadiers infantry regiment.

Badge

Badge

Description

A grenade Sable enflamed Gules and Argent.

Symbolism

The grenade, named for its similarity to a pomegranate, was a small bomb composed simply of a hollow iron ball filled with explosive and detonated with a simple fuse. It gave rise to a type of infantryman called a Grenadier who was specially trained and equipped for throwing grenades. The red and white of the flames are the livery colours of the regiment and the official colours of Canada.

Motto

ADSUM (Present)

March

"British Grenadiers"

Regimental colour

Regimental colour

Camp flag

No camp flag recorded.

Battle honours

The First World War

YPRES, 1915, '17; FESTUBERT, 1915; MOUNT SORREL; SOMME, 1916; Ancre Heights; Ancre, 1916; ARRAS, 1917, '18; Vimy, 1917; HILL 70; Passchendaele; AMIENS; Scarpe, 1918; Drocourt-Quéant; HINDENBURG LINE; Canal du Nord; VALENCIENNES; SAMBRE; FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1915 18

The Second World War

Hong Kong; SOUTH-EAST ASIA, 1941.

Lineage

This Reserve Force regiment originated on 1 April 1908 and incorporates the following regiment and machine gun battalion.

The Winnipeg Grenadiers originated in Morden, Manitoba on 1 April 1908, when the '100th Regiment' was authorized to be formed.Footnote 1 It was redesignated: '100th "Winnipeg Grenadiers"' on 2 May 1910;Footnote 2 and 'The Winnipeg Grenadiers' on 12 March 1920.Footnote 3 On 16 November 1936, it was amalgamated with the '10th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC' (see below) and redesignated 'The Winnipeg Grenadiers (Machine Gun)'.Footnote 5 It was redesignated: '2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Winnipeg Grenadiers (Machine Gun)' on 7 November 1940;Footnote 6 '2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Winnipeg Grenadiers' on 15 March 1941;Footnote 7 and 'The Winnipeg Grenadiers' on 28 January 1946.Footnote 8 It was reduced to nil strength and transferred to the Supplementary Order of Battle on 28 February 1965.Footnote 9

Notes:

Upon redesignation as The Winnipeg Grenadiers on 12 March 1920 (see above), it was organized as a three battalion regiment with the 1st Battalion (78th Battalion, CEF) on the Non Permanent Active Militia order of battle and a 2nd Battalion (11th Battalion, CEF) and 3rd Battalion (100th Battalion, CEF) on the Reserve order of battle. The reserve units were disbanded on 14 December 1936 (GO 3/37).

The Winnipeg Grenadiers were disbanded for the purpose of reorganization on 16 August 1920 and reorganized the same day (GO 174/20). This change was administrative and does not affect the lineage of the regiment.

The Winnipeg Grenadiers were disbanded for the purpose of amalgamation on 15 November 1936 and reorganized the next day (GO 161/36). This change was administrative and does not affect the lineage of the regiment.

The '10th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC' originated in Winnipeg, Manitoba on 1 June 1919, when the '10th Machine Gun Brigade, CMGC' was authorized to be formed.Footnote 10 It was redesignated the '10th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC' on 15 September 1924.Footnote 11 On 16 November 1936, it was amalgamated with 'The Winnipeg Grenadiers', as above.

Notes:

The 10th Machine Gun Brigade, CMGC was authorized a Reserve order of battle counterpart on 1 June 1919 (GO 104/20). The reserve unit was disbanded on 14 December 1936 (GO 3/37).

The 10th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC was disbanded for the purpose of amalgamation on 15 November 1936 and reorganized the next day (GO 161/36). This change was administrative and does not affect the lineage of the regiment.

The perpetuation of the 10th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC (1919-1936) was assigned to The Winnipeg Grenadiers (Machine Gun) (GO 76/37).

Perpetuations

'11th', '78th' and '100th "Overseas" Battalion(s), CEF'

Headquarters Location

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Operational history

The First World War

Details from the 100th "Winnipeg Grenadiers" were placed on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protection duties.Footnote 12

The 11th Battalion, which was authorized on 10 August 1914 as the '11th Battalion, CEF',Footnote 13 embarked for Great Britain on 30 September 1914.Footnote 14 It was redesignated '11th Reserve Infantry Battalion, CEF' on 29 April 1915, to provide reinforcements to the Canadian Corps in the field.Footnote 15 On 4 January 1917, its personnel, along with the personnel of the '100th "Overseas" Battalion, CEF' (see below), were absorbed by a new '11th Reserve Battalion, CEF'.Footnote 16 The battalion was disbanded on 12 October 1917.Footnote 17

The 78th Battalion, which was authorized on 10 July 1915 as the '78th "Overseas" Battalion, CEF',Footnote 18 embarked for Great Britain on 20 May 1916.Footnote 19 It disembarked in France on 13 August 1916, where it fought as part of the 12th Brigade, 4th Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war.Footnote 20 The battalion was disbanded on 15 September 1920.Footnote 21

The 100th Battalion, which was authorized on 22 December 1915 as the '100th "Overseas" Battalion, CEF',Footnote 22 embarked for Great Britain on 18 September 1916.Footnote 23 It provided reinforcements to the Canadian Corps in the field until 20 January 1917, when its personnel were absorbed by the '11th Reserve Battalion, CEF'.Footnote 24 The battalion was disbanded on 1 September 1917.Footnote 25

The Second World War

The regiment mobilized 'The Winnipeg Grenadiers (Machine Gun), CASF' for active service on 1 September 1939.Footnote 26 It was redesignated: '1st Battalion, The Winnipeg Grenadiers (Machine Gun), CASF' on 7 November 1940.Footnote 27 and '1st Battalion, The Winnipeg Grenadiers, CASF' on 15 March 1941.Footnote 28 It served in Jamaica and Bermuda on garrison duty from May 1940 to October 1941.Footnote 29 On 27 October 1941 it embarked for Hong Kong, where it was destroyed while fighting in defence of the colony.Footnote 30 The unit was reconstituted on 10 January 1942.Footnote 31 It served in Canada in a home defence role as part of the Prince Rupert Defences, 8th Canadian DivisionFootnote 32 and took part in the expedition to Kiska, Alaska as a component of the 13th Canadian Infantry Brigade Group, serving there from 16 August 1943 to 22 December 1943.Footnote 33 It embarked for Great Britain on 25 May 1944.Footnote 34 On 1 November 1944, it was absorbed by the '3rd Canadian Infantry Training Battalion, CASF' and designated '3rd Canadian Infantry Training Battalion, Type A (Winnipeg Grenadiers), CASF'.Footnote 35 On 5 July 1945, it was converted and redesignated 'No. 10 Canadian Repatriation Depot, Type "T"'.Footnote 36 The depot was disbanded on 28 January 1946.Footnote 37

PDF version, 1.2 MB

Page details

Date modified: