Unique Regimental Traditions

[jranrose]

I am curious. Does your regiment have any unique regimental traditions that other regiments don’t? I remember being a young royal in battle school (RCR) and being taught a different way of doing the halt. It looked very sharp and distinctive, where the right foot shoots forward then comes back.  Also our company names where also different. For example “A” Coy was the Duke of Edinburgh Company, “B” Coy was the City of London Company and “C” Coy was always referred to as Charles Company. I also remember 4RCR wearing the white hackle due to the merging of the London and Oxford Fusiliers and Royal Regiment of Fusiliers to form 4RCR. Although I don’t know if they still wear them or why it changed. Also M/Cpl’s and above wore Artillery whistle and lanyards on their left shoulder of their combat dress. Rumor has it that the regiment earned the right to wear them after the Artillery abandoned their guns and RCR cooks manned the guns after they retreated. The Regiment also has a relationship with “A” bty 1RCHA where the regimental cipher is worn on the guns. I would like to here your input on your regimental customs and traditions.
Cheers

 

[paracowboy]

try combining The RCR halt with the PPCLI Right Dress. I almost broke m'damn leg!

The RCR has Pachino Day, PPCLI has the French Grey Cup. There's a host of other similarities/differences.

 

[3rd Herd]

Since the regiments inception "First into Battle"

 

[navymich]

try combining The RCR halt with the PPCLI Right Dress. I almost broke m'damn leg!

I had heard about the RCR halt, and got the chance to see it recently while doing drill practice on my ILQ.  But what is the PPCLI Right Dress?  I haven't heard about that before.

 

[paracowboy]

I had heard about the RCR halt, and got the chance to see it recently while doing drill practice on my ILQ.  But what is the PPCLI Right Dress?  I haven't heard about that before.

there's an extra stomp thrown in there, just before you scuttle back to line off with the marker. When it's done right, it looks/sounds really sharp. When you have an ex-Royal thrown into the mix, with no previous warning, it's damn ugly. Poor RSM didn't know whether to laugh or just beat me to death. He settled for a loud groan, and a threatening look.

 

[davidk]

For some reason, we do both a PPCLI right dress and an RCR halt.

Any RCR's know when that halt was added to your drill? I'm curious whether it started with you or it came along with all the RHC guys when the two RegF battalions were reduced to nil strength.

 

[seaforth93]

The whistle is called a "rap" (sp?) whistle. It is the prerogative of leaders (NCO and Officers) within line infantry regiments to wear one on a lanyard over the left shoulder. It has nothing to do with battle honours and less to do with the artillery. It is simply for communications during battle.

This whistle is not exclusive to line infantry as it can also be seen on Rifle infantry and other arms, however in the case of the RCR lanyard it is a holdover.

With thanks to Mike Dorosh CD
http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/mediawiki-1.5.5/index.php?title=Lanyard#History

 

[medicineman]

An odd tradition in the Medical Branch is we're not supposed to have fixed bayonets on parade and officers are to keep their swords sheathed.  Having said that, it's conveniently ignored alot, especially when on parade with a combat arms unit, as heaven forfend if we don't all look alike  ;D.

At one point in 1 Fd Amb, we weren't even issued them for field use - on GOC's one chilly morning, I was asked if I had all my EIS and answered yes sir.  The Brigade Commander then asked me if I had all my EIS, then where was my bayonet?  I told him that despite us having them in the RQ, we weren't actually issued them.  I then added that they are considered offensive weapons, but only after my CO went a funny colour of white/grey.  The RSM was laughing his hole off...

MM

 

[armyvern]

I told him that despite us having them in the RQ, we weren't actually issued them.  I then added that they are considered offensive weapons, but only after my CO went a funny colour of white/grey.  The RSM was laughing his hole off...
MM

I know you, and am picturing this, and am laughing too.

 

[a_majoor]

WRT the white "Hackle" for 4 RCR, it was a holdover from the "Canadian Fusiliers" (City of London Regiment), and all white to match the sister "City of London Regiment" (which I believe was the 11th Fusiliers). The hackle was a bit of an anomaly anyway, Fusiliers generally wear "Plumes" which enhance the stature of the troop wearing them (a bit of psyops from the black powder era). All white really has no meaning other than a unit identifier, each Fusilier regiment used to have a different colour tip to the plume.

I am saddened that reminders of unique historical associations like the hackle were allowed to be dropped, the corporate identity of 4 RCR includes the "Canadian Fusiliers", the "Oxford Rifles", the "Perth Regiment" (sadly struck from the order of battle), and the 3rd Machine Gun Battalion. One can only imagine what sort of finery would be possible if some accoutrement of every predecessor regiment was represented on the current DEU's ; the Regimental Adjt and the unit RSM would certainly have a field day.

 

[Michael OLeary]

For The RCR:

Perpetuated Militia Regiments and Battalions of the CEF are listed here - http://thercr.ca/history/general_history/perpetuation.htm
More details on the CEF Battalions here - http://thercr.ca/history/general_history/perpetuation_of_cef_units.htm

The Perth Regiment connection is an informal one, based on the number of troops that joined the 3rd Battalion in 1965 when the perths were disbanded.  It is, therefore, a connection of similar importance to remember as part of our history as that of the Regiment's connections to the Black Watch and the Canadian Guards.

Customs and Traditions:

Website page - http://thercr.ca/customs_and_traditions.htm
Regimental Standing Orders - http://thercr.ca/rcr_publications/rso/05_rso-chap_5_2003.doc

 

[Haggis]

there's an extra stomp thrown in there, just before you scuttle back to line off with the marker. When it's done right, it looks/sounds really sharp. When you have an ex-Royal thrown into the mix, with no previous warning, it's damn ugly. Poor RSM didn't know whether to laugh or just beat me to death. He settled for a loud groan, and a threatening look.

1 RCR used that "stomp" in the mid/late 70's.  Don't know exactly when it died, but when I went to the Hill (the pre ski-mask one) in '81 I was a treated as a drill heretic in the eyes of a certain Patrica Sgt-Maj.

 

[medicineman]

Thinking about hackles, I had the pleasure to be part of a Trooping of the Colour with 2RCR in 2002 when the Batallion received it's new Queen's Colour.  We had several reserve augmentees on the parade, many from the PLF in Halifax.  They were categorically told to remove their plumes/hackles from their berets when they showed up for the full dress rehearsal and again reremindedhe night of the real parade.  I thought this as rather disdainful (as myself and my other medic buddy stood there with our bayonets fixed) to their Regimental traditions (and ours).  Surprising in some ways when one considers where it came from.  Oh yeah - we had to perfect that goose step/stomp (well I did for certain, as my parade position was right in front of the CO) and actually exaggerate it while doing our right and left forms.

MM

 

[PPCLI Guy]

We eat our weak.

Does that count?

 

[RangerRay]

Ram's p!$$.  ;D :-X

 

[old medic]

....(as myself and my other medic buddy stood there with our bayonets fixed) .....

Astounding.  Simply astounding.

 

[Trooper Hale]

Speaking of the right dress, i'm pretty sure the RCD's dont do anything special with it but it certainly made me look like a knob a couple of times. I was expecting our drill wouldnt be too dissimilier when i formed up for our morning roll call. "Attention" was a doddle although you chaps lift the foot and put more pressure coming down then we do and then came "Righhhhtttt DRESS!" and every one took 2 or 3 steps back!
There i am in the same spot with my head snapped around to the side getting bumped into by the bloke in front of me! Not a great way to start my exchange now was it?

While all the young digs did the Halt the same, i was really interested in the SSM's and senior NCO's little foot slide. I didnt get around to asking any one about that except to find out (according to the boys) that it was what they were technically supposed to do but simply didnt.
I know its something you folks all see as simple and a tad off topic but anyone know what the deal with that foot slide is? Also the Right dress, is that a Canadian thing or have we Aussies just slack with our drill?

 

[xo31@711ret]

We eat our weak.

'We bury our mistakes' 

  Militi Succurrimus    "We hasten to aid the soldiors"

-gerry

 

[211RadOp]

Ahem... the SigsPig... http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/49255.0.html

Technically this is not a Regimental tradition. This is usually only done on tour. But what fun that is... ;D

 

[245SiegeBtyRCA]

It is tradition that  the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery when on parade is taken over while standing at ease vice at attention.

It is said that the tradition derives following the Battle of Waterloo when Lord Wellington arrived to inspect the guns, the gunners were completely worn out from their efforts that he had them remain at ease.