King’s Own Calgary Regiment History

The King’s Own Calgary Regiment has a history that dates back to 1910.

Into the Past

With over a century of service to Canada, The King’s Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) has been at the forefront of Canadian military actions, having fought in The First and Second World Wars, and serving numerous UN, NATO and domestic missions. Today soldiers of the King’s Own continue to stand ready to perform their duty to Canadians whenever and wherever they are needed.

The history of The King’s Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) began on April 1^st, 1910 with the authorization and formation of the 103^rd Regiment – Calgary Rifles. With the outbreak of the First World War the Regiment was divided into several battalions for overseas service, which the King’s Own perpetuate to this day. These battalions included the 50^th, 89^th and 137^th all of which saw service in Europe and were comprised of men from central and southern Alberta. During the war they took part in some of the most hard-fought battles on the western front. These included The Battle of Ypres (1915, 17), The Somme (1916), Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele to name but a few. During the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Pte John G. Pattison of the 50^th Battalion CEF was awarded the Commonwealths’ highest award for gallantry, the Victoria Cross, for his heroic actions on April 10^th, 1917, storming a German machine-gun nest.

The conclusion of World War I and the interwar years saw the Regiment change roles and names several times, however it has always maintained its ancestral home at Mewata Armoury in downtown Calgary. In 1924 the unit was titled “The Calgary Regiment.” In 1936 it was one of a handful of infantry regiments selected to become an armoured unit. With this evolution the name was changed to “The Calgary Regiment (Tank)”. As the Second World War began soldiers of the Regiment again answered the call and training began in anticipation of deployment to the European theatre. On the 19^th of August, 1942 the King’s Own as the “14^th Army Tank Regiment, (The Calgary Regiment-Tank)” was the first Canadian unit of the newly formed Royal Canadian Armoured Corps to go into combat at the ill-fated Battle of Dieppe.

In July of 1943 the regiment went to Sicily with the 1^st Canadian Army Tank Brigade as part of the 1^st Canadian Division and then on to Italy in September of that year. The Calgary Tanks saw action at several decisive battles throughout the Italian theatre, including San Leonardo, Monte Cassino (II), the Gustav Line and Liri Valley among others. Following the Regiment’s substantial contribution in Italy, the Calgary Tanks fought as part of the 1^st Armoured Brigade in North-West Europe taking part in the liberation of Holland before the conclusion of the war.

Following the war, soldiers of the Regiment returned to their homes and lives in Canada. After the honour of being titled “The King’s Own” by King George VI in 1946, the Regiment underwent its final name change in 1958 when it became The King’s Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC). Throughout the past 60 year members of the King’s Own have deployed on UN and NATO peacekeeping operations around the world, contributing professionalism and dedication to Canada’s international security efforts. These have included operations in places such as the Golan Heights, Cyprus, the Former Yugoslavia and Kosovo. Canada’s participation in the War in Afghanistan saw many soldiers from the King’s Own deploy in a variety of roles throughout the conflict. On September 24^th, 2007 the King’s Own suffered its first combat fatality since the Second World War, when Cpl Nathan Hornburg was killed in action while serving in Kandahar province. Cpl Hornburg was posthumously awarded the “Mention in Dispatches” for his exemplary performance in combat. As a result of the unit’s contribution the War in Afghanistan the King’s Own were awarded the “Afghanistan” battle honour in 2014, which the Regiment now proudly displays on their Guidon.

Soldiers of the King’s Own continue to serve Canada abroad but have always maintained strong capabilities to respond to domestic emergencies. In 2005 members deployed to British Columbia to combat forest fires which were threatening communities there. When Southern Alberta and Calgary experienced one of the most costly natural disasters in Canadian history during the 2013 floods, the King’s Own were one of the first military units to respond. Soldiers from the unit worked tirelessly in and around Calgary assisting their neighbours and the local authorities throughout the emergency. Today the King’s Own carry on this proud legacy by continuing to train soldiers for armoured fighting vehicle crews in support of Canada’s defence needs.