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The Governor General's Horse Guards
Gugga-cap
Cap Badge of the Governor General's Horse Guards
Active 1810-Present
Country Canada
Branch Militia
Type Household Cavalry
Role Armoured Reconnaissance
Size One Regiment
Part of Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
Garrison/HQ Denison Armoury, Toronto
Nickname(s) Gugga Huggas or Gee-Gees
Motto(s) Latin language: Nulli Secundus
(Second to None)
Honi soit qui mal y pense
(Norman: Shame to him who thinks evil of it)
March March - Men of Harlech
Trot - Keel Row
Commanders
Current
commander
LCol Christopher M. Stewardson, CD
Colonel-in-Chief HM The Queen
Colonel of
the Regiment
HE The Governor General
Insignia
Tactical Recognition Flash Gugga-flash

The Governor General's Horse Guards is an armoured reconnaissance regiment in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army, part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. Based in Toronto, it is the most senior reserve regiment in Canada, and the only Household Cavalry regiment of Canada's three Household units.[1]

Structure[]

The regiment maintains a traditional structure, with squadrons and units for deployment and active duty, training, ceremony, cadets, and administration.[2]

Field Squadron[]

The Field Squadron is the operational squadron and is manned by trained and deployable soldiers. It provides soldiers for Canadian Forces missions outside of Canada, and is expected to mobilize in national emergencies. The Field Squadron maintains no fewer than two armoured reconnaissance troops, using the military variant of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class Wagon, and also maintains a functional Squadron Headquarters and Administrative Echelon.

Training Support Squadron[]

The Training Support Squadron develops new soldiers skills to enable them to join the Field Squadron. This includes personal development through the completion of preliminary trade courses. Training Support Squadron staff also support operational planning and exercises by taking the role of an enemy unit against members of the Field Squadron in unit-level training.

Regimental Support Group[]

The Regimental Support Group is commanded by the Regular Force Cadre Operations Officer, and provides administrative facilities to the regiment.

Band[]

The full brass and reed military band provides concerts and music for regimental functions, other military events, and civilian enagements. The band includes three specialized musical sub-units: the Fanfare Trumpeters, the Brass Quintet, and the Woodwind Quintet.

Cavalry Squadron[]

The Cavalry Squadron provides a horse-mounted ceremonial presence at public and regimental events, to perpetuate Canadian cavalry traditions. Although it is under the command and control of the regimental commanding officer, it is privately funded by the Governor General's Horse Guards Cavalry and Historical Society Inc, a charitable organization incorporated and registered in 2012 explicitly for the purposes of supporting and promoting the traditions of the GGHG.

Cadets[]

The 748 Royal Army Cadet Corps and 2402 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps are affiliated to the regiment, and provides Canadian youth from 12 to 19 years of age with leadership training in a military setting.

Battle honours[]

Lineage[]

The Regiment perpetuates the history of its originating Troops from Markham and Toronto. The Markham Troop was active during the War of 1812, and both troops were active during the 1837 Rebellion and Fenian Raids of 1866.

  • Button's Troop - 1810 (founded in Markham, Ontario by Captain John Button)[3]
  • Denison's Troop - 1822 (founded in Toronto by George Taylor Denison)
  • Oak Ridges Troop - 1853 (founded in Richmond Hill by Norman T McLeod)
  • Governor General's Body Guard - 1866
  • The Mississauga Horse - 1901
  • The Governor General's Horse Guards - 1936 (formed by amalgamation of the Governor General's Body Guard and the Mississauga Horse)

Affiliated regiment[]

Alliances[]

Perpetuated and incorporated units[]

Perpetuated units:

  • 4th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF
  • 7th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF

Incorporated units:

Notable members[]

Armoury[]

Site Date(s) Designated Location Description Image
Denison Armoury 1 Yukon Lane Canada's Register of Historic Places Toronto, Ontario

See also[]

References[]

  • The Governor General's Horse Guards - Second to None, John Marteinson & Scott Duncan, 2002, Robin Brass Studio Books, ISBN 1-896941-28-1
  • Historical Record of the Governor General's Body Guard and its Standing Orders, Frederick Denison, 1876, Hunter, Rose, & Co

External links[]

Order of precedence[]

Preceded by
First in Order of Precedence
The Governor General's
Horse Guards
Succeeded by
The Halifax Rifles (RCAC)

Note: The Governor General's Horse Guards is first in precedence of Reserve regiments. Regular regiments maintain a separate precedence list.

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at The Governor General's Horse Guards and the edit history here.
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