Loyal Edmonton Regiment

The Loyal Edmonton Regiment , 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".

Lineage

The Loyal Edmonton Regiment

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 Battalion, The Edmonton Regiment
Redesignated 7 July 1943 as the 2nd Battalion, The Loyal Edmonton Regiment
Redesignated 1 November 1945 as The Loyal Edmonton Regiment
Redesignated 19 October 1954 as The Loyal Edmonton Regiment
Redesignated 1 April 1970 as The Loyal Edmonton Regiment
Perpetuations

The Great War

The 49th Battalion, 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, 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, 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.

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. Billeted in the Oxted and Limpsfield area, memorialised with memorabilia in the clubhouse. "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.
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, CASF. The battalion disbanded on 1 November 1945.

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 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 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. 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.
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.

Lineage chart

Alliances

: The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment
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.

Great War

+, 2–13 June 1916
+, 1 July–18 November 1916
Flers–Courcelette+, 15–22 September 1916
Ancre Heights, 1 October–11 November 1916
, 9 April–4 May 1917
Vimy, 1917+, 9–14 April 1917
+, 15–25 August 1917
, 31 July–10 November 1917
Passchendaele+, 12 October 1917 or 26 October–10 November 1917
+, 8–11 August 1918
+, 26 August–3 September 1918
Scarpe, 1918+, 26–30 August 1918
+, 12 September–9 October 1918
Canal du Nord, 27 September–2 October 1918
+, 11 November 1918
Second World War
+, 9–12 July 1943+
Piazza Armerina, 16–17 July 1943
Leonforte, 21–22 July 1943
Agira, 24–28 July 1943
+, 29 July–7 August 1943+
Troina Valley, 2–6 August 1943
, 9 July 1943 – 17 August 1943
Colle d'Anchise, 22–24 October 1943
The Gully, 10–19 December 1943
Ortona+, 20–28 December 1943+
+, 18–30 May 1944+
Hitler Line, 18–24 May 1944
+, 25 August–22 September 1944+
Monteciccardo, 27–28 August 1944
Monte Luro, 1 September 1944
+, 14–21 September 1944+
Pisciatello+, 16–19 September 1944+
San Fortunato, 18–20 September 1944
Savio Bridgehead+, 20–23 September 1944+
Naviglio Canal+, 12–15 December 1944+
Fosso Munio, 19–21 December 1944
, 3 September 1943 – 22 April 1945
Apeldoorn, 11–17 April 1945
+
War in Afghanistan
+
Victoria Cross recipients
Private Cecil John Kinross, VC
Private John Chipman Kerr, VC
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 . "THE LOYAL EDMONTON REGIMENT" is a form of the regimental title.