Loyal Edmonton Regiment

{{Infobox military unit

| unit_name = The Loyal Edmonton Regiment

| image = LoyalEdmontonRegiment.jpg

| image_size = 250px

| caption = Regimental badge

| dates = 1908–present

| country = Canada

| allegiance =

| branch = Primary Reserve

| type = Line infantry

| role = Light infantry

| size = One battalion

| command_structure = 41 Canadian Brigade Group

| current_commander = LCol Bryn Wright, CD

| garrison = Edmonton, Alberta

| ceremonial_chief =

| ceremonial_chief_label = Colonel-in-Chief

| commander3 = HCol Douglas Cox

| commander3_label = Honorary colonel

| commander4 = HLCol Mary Cameron

| commander4_label = Honorary lieutenant-colonel

| commander5 = CWO Kai Tam, CD

| commander5_label = Regimental sergeant-major

| nickname = Loyal Eddies; Eddies; LERs

| patron =

| motto = Fears no foe

| colors =

| march = "Bonnie Dundee"

| mascot = Lestock (coyote)

| battles = {{Tree list}}

{{tree list/end}}

| notable_commanders =

| anniversaries = Battle of Ortona

| identification_symbol = 100px
100px

| identification_symbol_label = NATO Map Symbol

| identification_symbol_2 = L EDMN R or LER

| identification_symbol_2_label = Abbreviation

| battle_honours = See #Battle honours

| website = {{official URL}}

}}

The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry), or L Edmn R, is a Primary Reserve infantry unit of the Canadian Armed Forces based in Edmonton, Alberta. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment is part of 3rd Canadian Division's 41 Canadian Brigade Group. They are colloquially known as "The Loyal Eddies".Brown, Scott R.G. (1984). [http://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/11/ The Loyal Edmonton Regiment at war, 1943-1945] (M.A. thesis) Wilfrid Laurier University

Lineage

File:LER colour.jpg|The Regimental Colour of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment.

File:LED camp flag.jpg|The camp flag of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment.

= The Loyal Edmonton Regiment =

{{distinguish|text=Edmonton Royal Rifle Regiment, a British militia unit, 1853–81}}

  • Originated 1 April 1908 in Edmonton, Alberta as the 101st Regiment
  • Redesignated 1 March 1909 as the 101st Regiment "Edmonton Fusiliers"
  • Redesignated 15 March 1920 as The Edmonton Regiment
  • Reorganized 15 March 1920 to form two separate regiments, The Edmonton Fusiliers and The Edmonton Regiment
  • Redesignated 7 November 1940 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Edmonton Regiment
  • Redesignated 7 July 1943 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Loyal Edmonton Regiment
  • Redesignated 1 November 1945 as The Loyal Edmonton Regiment
  • Redesignated 19 October 1954 as The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry)
  • Redesignated 1 April 1970 as The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry)Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments.

Perpetuations

=The Great War=

History

=The Great War=

The 49th Battalion (Edmonton Regiment), CEF was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 3 June 1915. It disembarked in France on 9 October 1915, where it fought as part of the 7th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battalion disbanded on 15 September 1920.

The 51st Battalion (Edmonton), CEF was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 1 April 1916. There it provided reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field until 13 November 1916, when it was reorganized as a Garrison Duty Battalion. On 22 June 1916, its personnel were absorbed by the various regimental depots. The battalion disbanded on 15 September 1920.

The 63rd Battalion (Edmonton), CEF was authorized on 20 April 1915 and embarked for Great Britain on 22 April 1916. There it provided reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field until 7 July 1916, when its personnel were absorbed by the 9th Reserve Battalion, CEF. The battalion disbanded on 1 September 1917.

File:49th Bn CEF.jpg|The distinguishing patch of the 49th Battalion (Edmonton Regiment), CEF.

=Second World War=

The regiment mobilized The Edmonton Regiment, CASF for active service on 1 September 1939. It was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, The Edmonton Regiment, CASF on 7 November 1940; and as the 1st Battalion, The Loyal Edmonton Regiment on 7 July 1943. On 22 December 1939, it embarked for Great Britain. "D" Company participated in the expedition to the Norwegian island of Spitzbergen on 25 August 1941, and the battalion landed in Sicily on 10 July and Italy on 3 September 1943, as part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Infantry Division. The unit landed in France on 15 March 1945 as part of Operation Goldflake, on its way to the Northwest Europe theatre of operations, in which it fought until the end of the war. The overseas battalion disbanded on 15 October 1945.

:*Leonforte, July 1943. According to Mitcham and von Stauffenberg in The Battle of Sicily, The Loyal Edmonton Regiment allegedly killed captured German prisoners.Mithcham, Samuel and Friedrich von Stauffenberg The Battle of Sicily{{Page needed|date=September 2010}}

On 1 June 1945, a second Active Force component of the regiment was mobilized for service in the Pacific theatre of operations, as under the 3rd Canadian Infantry Battalion (The Loyal Edmonton Regiment), CASF. The battalion disbanded on 1 November 1945.

File:Loyal Edmonton Regiment soldiers entering Modica Sicily July 1943.jpg|Troops of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment enter Modica during the Allied invasion of Sicily (1943)

File:LoyalEdmontonRegimentWithRadioOrtona1943.jpg|Infantrymen of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment operating a No. 18 wireless set outside Regimental Headquarters, Ortona, Italy, December 21, 1943

=Post-War: Korea and NATO=

On 4 May 1951, the regiment mobilized two temporary Active Force companies designated "E" and "F" Companies. "E" Company was reduced to nil strength when its personnel were incorporated into the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion (later the 3rd Battalion, The Canadian Guards) for service in Germany with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It disbanded on

29 July 1953. "F" Company was initially used as a reinforcement pool for "E" Company. On 15 May 1952, it was reduced to nil strength, when its personnel were absorbed by the newly formed 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion (later the 4th Battalion, The Canadian Guards) for service in Korea with the United Nations. "F" Company disbanded on 29 July 1953.

=Afghanistan=

The regiment contributed an aggregate of more than 20% of its authorized strength to the various Task Forces which served in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2014.{{cite web |url=http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/05/09/south-west-asia-theatre-honours |title=South-West Asia Theatre Honours | Prime Minister of Canada |access-date=2014-05-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512231549/http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/05/09/south-west-asia-theatre-honours |archive-date=2014-05-12 }} It suffered three dead and numerous injured during this war.

= Recent activities =

The unit continues to carry out individual and small unit training locally and across Canada. The L EDMN R has continued to support NATO, UN, and Canadian domestic operations with multiple individual and group deployments.

The regiment expanded to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, with the establishment of C Company, The Loyal Edmonton Regiment, in August 2009.{{cite web |date=August 17, 2009 |title=MacKay makes Arctic army reserve unit official |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/mackay-makes-arctic-army-reserve-unit-official-1.780272 |access-date=September 13, 2011 |publisher=CBC News}}

In the summer of 2018, The Loyal Edmonton Regiment and Calgary Highlanders were tasked with standing up a mortar platoon that deployed to the Forward Presence Battle Group in Latvia in early 2020. This was the first Primary Reserve mortar platoon to deploy overseas.{{cite web | url=https://canadianarmytoday.com/making-a-mortar-platoon-from-scratch/ | title=Making a mortar platoon from scratch | Canadian Army Today }}

=Lineage chart=

{{chart top|Lineage chart{{Cite web |date=2018-10-29 |title=The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry) |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/official-military-history-lineages/lineages/infantry-regiments/loyal-edmonton.html |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=www.canada.ca}}}}

{{chart/start}}

{{chart|aa908| | | | | | | |a101R| | | | | | | | | | |a101R=101st {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}|aa908=1908|border_aa908=0}}

{{chart|aa909| | | | | | | |101EF| | | | | | | | | | |aa909=1909|border_aa909=0|101EF=101st {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}} "Edmonton Fusiliers"}}

{{chart| | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | |}}

{{chart|aa914| | a49B| | | | |!| a51B| | 63OB| | | | |a51B=51st {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}, {{abbr|CEF|Canadian Expeditionary Force}}|a49B=49th {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}, {{abbr|CEF|Canadian Expeditionary Force}}|63OB=63rd "Overseas" {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}, {{abbr|CEF|Canadian Expeditionary Force}}|aa914=1914|border_aa914=0}}

{{chart|aa916| | |!| | | | | |!|Abbvg| | A9RB| | | | |A9RB=Absorbed by 9th Reserve {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}|aa916=1916|border_aa916=0|Abbvg=Absorbed by various regimental depots}}

{{chart| | | | | |!| | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | |}}

{{chart|aa920| |Dbndd| | 1ER |^|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| 2ER |aa920=1920|border_aa920=0|1ER=1st {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}} (172nd {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}, {{abbr|CEF|Canadian Expeditionary Force}}), The Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}|2ER=2nd {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}} (Edmonton Fusiliers) (9th {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}, {{abbr|CEF|Canadian Expeditionary Force}}), The Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}|Dbndd=Disbanded}}

{{chart|aa924| | | | | | 1ER | | 2ER | | 3ER | | EF |2ER=2nd {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}} (51st {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}, {{abbr|CEF|Canadian Expeditionary Force}}),{{efn|name=ROB|Reserve order of battle}} The Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}|1ER=1st {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}} (49th {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}, {{abbr|CEF|Canadian Expeditionary Force}}), The Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}|aa924=1924|border_aa924=0|EF=The Edmonton Fusiliers|3ER=3rd {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}} (63rd {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}, {{abbr|CEF|Canadian Expeditionary Force}}),{{efn|name=ROB}} The Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}}}

{{chart|aa936| | | | | | ER | |Dbndd| |Dbndd| | |:| |aa936=1936|border_aa936=0|Dbndd=Disbanded|ER=The Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}}}

{{chart| | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | |}}

{{chart|aa939| | ER | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | |ER=The Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}, {{abbr|CASF|Canadian Active Service Force}}|aa939=1939|border_aa939=0}}

{{chart|aa940| | 1ER | | 2ER | | | | | | | | | | | | |aa940=1940|border_aa940=0|1ER=1st {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}, The Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}, {{abbr|CASF|Canadian Active Service Force}}|2ER=2nd (Reserve) {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}, The Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}}}

{{chart|aa943| | 1LER| | 2LER| | | | | | | | | | | | |1LER=1st {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}, The Loyal Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}|aa943=1943|border_aa943=0|2LER=2nd (Reserve) {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}, The Loyal Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}}}

{{chart|aa945| | |!| | | |!| | | 3CIB| | | | | | | | |3CIB=3rd Canadian {{abbr|Infy|Infantry}} {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}} (The Loyal Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}), {{abbr|CASF|Canadian Active Service Force}}|aa945=1945|border_aa945=0}}

{{chart|aa945| |Dbndd| | LER | |Dbndd| | | | | | | | |LER=The Loyal Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}|aa945=1945|border_aa945=0|Dbndd=Disbanded}}

{{chart| | | | | | | | | |`|-|-|-|.| | | | | | | | | |}}

{{chart|aa951| | ELER| | FLER| | |!| | | | | | | | | |ELER="E" {{abbr|Coy|Company}},{{efn|name=Regular|Regular Force}} The Loyal Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}|FLER="F" {{abbr|Coy|Company}},{{efn|name=Regular}} The Loyal Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}}|aa951=1951|border_aa951=0}}

{{chart|aa951| |A1CIB| | |!| | | |!| | | | | | | | | |A1CIB=Absorbed by 1st Canadian {{abbr|Infy|Infantry}} {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}|aa951=1951|border_aa951=0}}

{{chart|aa952| | | | | |A2CIB| | |!| | | | | | | | | |A2CIB=Absorbed by 2nd Canadian {{abbr|Infy|Infantry}} {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}|aa952=1952|border_aa952=0}}

{{chart|aa954| | | | | | | | | | LER | | | | | | | | |aa954=1954|border_aa954=0|LER=The Loyal Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}} (3rd {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}, {{abbr|PPCLI|Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry}})}}

{{chart|aa970| | | | | | | | | | LER | | | | | | | | |aa970=1970|border_aa970=0|LER=The Loyal Edmonton {{abbr|Regt|Regiment}} (4th {{abbr|Bn|Battalion}}, {{abbr|PPCLI|Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry}})}}

{{chart| | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | |}}

{{chart/end}}

{{chart bottom}}

Alliances

Battle honours

In the list below, battle honours in capitals were awarded for participation in large operations and campaigns, while those in lowercase indicate honours granted for more specific battles. Those battle honours followed by a "+" are emblazoned on the regimental colour.

File:LER colour.jpg|The Regimental Colour

=Great War=

=Second World War=

=War in Afghanistan=

  • {{smallcaps|Afghanistan}}+{{cite web|title=South-West Asia Theatre Honours|url=http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/05/09/south-west-asia-theatre-honours|publisher=Office of the Prime Minister of Canada|access-date=11 May 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512231549/http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/05/09/south-west-asia-theatre-honours|archive-date=12 May 2014}}

Victoria Cross recipients

Regimental badge

The maple leaves symbolise service to Canada and the regiment's perpetuated units, the 51st and 63rd Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and the crown, service to the Sovereign. The number 49 represents the service of the perpetuated unit, the 49th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and the windmill sails allude to the battlefields in Flanders on which the battalion fought in the First World War. The coyote's head commemorates "Lestock", a prairie coyote presented to the regiment as a mascot prior to the 49th Battalion's departure for overseas service in 1915. The red rose came from the badge of the former allied regiment The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) (now, through amalgamation, the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment). "THE LOYAL EDMONTON REGIMENT" is a form of the regimental title.{{cite web | url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/official-military-history-lineages/lineages/infantry-regiments/loyal-edmonton.html | title=The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) | date=29 October 2018 }}

Loyal Edmonton Regiment Military Museum

The Loyal Edmonton Regiment Military Museum is in Edmonton in the Prince of Wales Armouries

Heritage Centre,{{cite web|title=Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre|url=http://www.edmonton.ca/attractions_events/prince-of-wales-armouries.aspx|publisher=City of Edmonton|access-date=19 August 2016}} the building where the regiment was based from 1920 to 1965. The building also houses the City of Edmonton Archives{{cite web|title=City of Edmonton Archives|url=http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/edmonton_archives/city-of-edmonton-archives.aspx|publisher=City of Edmonton|access-date=19 August 2016}} and the Telephone Historical Centre. The museum features two galleries and several smaller exhibits, and displays include historic firearms, uniforms, souvenirs, memorabilia, military accoutrements, and photos. The museum features an exhibit on the role of the 49th Battalion, CEF in Canada's Hundred Days Offensive.

Media

  • A City Goes to War: History of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment (3PPCLI) by Lieut-Colonel G. R. Stevens (1964)
  • Our Quarrel with the Foe: Edmonton's Soldiers 1914-1918 by Ian Edwards (2020)

Order of precedence

{{S-start}}

{{order of precedence

|before= The Rocky Mountain Rangers

|title= The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry)

|after= The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada

}}

{{S-end}}

{{Canadian Army Infantry Regiments}}

{{Canadian Forces Land Force Command}}

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{Portal|Canada}}

{{reflist}}