History

The Royal Montreal Regiment traces its origins to the creation of the 14th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) on August 27th, 1914. The 14th was raised by the amalgamation of several companies of each of three existing Montreal Militia Regiments: The 1st Regiment, Canadian Grenadier Guards; The 3rd Regiment, Victoria Rifles of Canada, and the 65th Regiment, Carabiniers Mont-Royal. Shortly thereafter, this Battalion was granted its present title, by special warrant.

More information can be found on the Royal Montreal Regiment during WWI and WWII.

The Royal Montreal Regiment Museum opened the 20^th. September l974 by:

Brigadier W.S.G. Armour MBE, Colonel, the Prince of Wales Own Regiment of Yorkshire on the occasion of the Regiment’s 60^th Anniversary reunion.

The mission of the Museum is to preserve the history of the regiment through the collection and display of military artifacts, books, documents, pictures, posters, movie film, etc. and all other pertinent matter.

The Royal Montreal Regiment traces its origins back to the creation of the 14th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in August 1914. The 14th was raised by the amalgamation of several companies of three existing Montreal Militia Regiments: The 1st Regiment, Canadian Grenadier Guards; The 3rd Regiment, Victoria Rifles of Canada; and, the 65th Regiment, Carabiniers Mont-Royal. Shortly thereafter, this battalion was granted its present title, by special warrant.

In October 1914 the RMR, over a thousand strong, arrived in Britain, together with the rest of the first contingent of the CEF. Six months after leaving Montreal elements of the Regiment were already committed to the Western Front, soon to be followed by the remainder of the RMR. The Regiment’s first battle honour - "Ypres" - is remembered for the first use of poison gas by the Germans.

The Royal Montreal Regiment on Salisbury Plains in 1914

REGIMENT AUTHORIZED: 2 November 1914

REGIMENTAL TITLE AUTHORIZED: 1 April 1920

REGIMENTAL HOME TOWN: Westmount (Montreal), Quebec

REGIMENTAL MARCH: Ca Ira

REGIMENTAL MOTTO: Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense  Evil To Him Who Evil Thinks

COLOURS OF THE REGIMENT: Blue/Gold/Garnet

CEF PERPETUATION: 14th Bn CEF, 23rd Bn CEF

BATTLE HONOURS OF THE ROYAL MONTREAL REGIMENT:

VPRES - 1915, 1917, ST. JITLIEN, MOUNT SORREL, POZIERES, ANCRE HEIGHTS, VIMY - 1917, SCARPE - 1917, 1918, PASSCHENDAELE, DRECOURT-QUEANT, CANAL du NORD, FRANCE & FLANDERS - 1915-1918, GRAVENSTAFEL FESTUBERT – 1915, SOHME – 1916, THIEPVAL, ARRAS - 1917, 1918, ARLEUX, HILL 70, AMIENS, HINDENBURG LINE, PURSUIT TO MONS, THE SHELDT, N.W. EUROPE - 1944-1945, CALAIS – 1944, LEOPOLD CANAL

As can be clearly seen from the many battle honors proudly emblazoned upon the regimental colors, the RMR fought through much of the bitter trench warfare that characterized the Great War. In the process, the Regiment left a battalion, 1192 strong, in the field of France and Flanders. By war's end, of the six thousand soldiers who had worn the RMR badge, over half had suffered serious wounds.