The Guidon
Today every regiment of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps has in its possession either a Regimental Standard or a Regimental Guidon. These banners are considered a regiment's most precious possession and contain within a small space a complete capsule history of the unit.
Since the earliest days of warfare every formation has required some distinctive banner to use as a rallying point in battle. There are three forms of banners: the first is the Standard, carried by regiments of the Household Cavalry and Dragoon Guards; the second is the Guidon, carried by all armoured regiments; the third is a stand of infantry colours, a Queen's colour and a regimental colour. In all cases they represent "a sacred symbol of a soldier's duty to their sovereign and to their regiment."
These banners were always carried into battle under the guard of an armed escort. In recent times, the use of the Guidon as a rallying point has no longer been necessary, yet even today when they are paraded they are always under the guard of an armed escort. It is now taken on ceremonial parades and inspections to mark a unit's achievements, and displayed to soldiers and spectators that it may provide a memorial to the men and women of all ranks who served under it and to afford an inspiration for patriotic service and sacrifice to all who may behold it.
The Guidon is made of crimson silk damask, embroidered and fringed with gold, mounted on a lance. To the top left hand corner of the Guidon are attached tassels and cords of crimson silk and gold cord mixed. The central device is symbolic of the regiment and usually consists of a portion of the regimental badge. The device is encircled by the regiment's full tide and surmounted by the crown. The whole is enclosed by a wreath of autumnal tinted maple leaves, joined together at the bottom bearing the regimental motto.
All armoured regiments have either the White Horse of Hannover or a white ram in the upper left and lower right hand corners of the Guidon. The exception in the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps is the Guidon of The British Columbia Regiment (DCO), which has a cannon and bugle respectively to denote the Artillery and Rifle origins of the Regiment.
The Guidon also bears the Battle Honours won throughout its history, but since many regiments' involvements have been so wide-ranging and the World Wars so long, it was found to be impractical to place all of the honours on the Guidon. In addition to previous battle honours, like those from the Boer War, each unit selected up to ten honours from each World War to be emblazoned on the Guidon. The British Columbia Regiment (DCO) Guidon displays 21 of our 34 Battle Honours.
The Guidon Party.
Permission for the Regiment to carry a guidon was granted on 30 January 1958 by His Excellency Major-General Georges Vanier, Governor-General of Canada and was presented to the regiment on 22 May 1960. Our guidon was designed by Major-General Letson, then our Honorary Lt-Colonel, and it shows all of our previous affiliations, Artillery and Rifles. This set a new precedent for future conversions to armour from other branches. In the British Columbia Regiment, the Guidon is carried on parade by the most senior Master Warrant Officer who is escorted by two Sergeants armed with sabres.
As well as symbolizing the unit's loyalty to the Crown of Canada, they also commemorate the deeds and sacrifices of those members of the Regiment who have gone before. In the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps the special trust held in the Senior Non-Commissioned Officers has been demonstrated by granting them the honour of carrying the Guidon.
CELER
ET FORTIS
(Swift and Strong)
Just
a moth-eaten rag, on a worm-ridden pole
It doesn't seem much to stir a man's soul;
It's the deeds that were done, 'neath that moth-eaten rag
When the pole was a staff, and the rag was a flag.
Anonymous
The
word Guidon
is derived from the French
"Gayd-homme " or guide man.
BATTLE HONOURS
SOUTH AFRICA, 1899-1900
*
FIRST
WORLD WAR
YPRES,
1915-1917
GRAVENSTAFEL
ST. JULIEN FESTUBERT,
1915
MOUNT SORREL SOMME,
1916
THIEPVAL ANCRE HEIGHTS
ARRAS, 1917,1918 VIMY,
1917
ARLEUX HILL 70
PASSCHENDALE
AMIENS
SCARPE, 1918
DROCOURT-QUEANT
HINDENBURG LINE
CANAL DU NORD
PURSUIT TO MONS
FRANCE
AND FLANDERS, 1915-18
*
SECOND
WORLD WAR
FALAISE
FALAISE ROAD THE LAISON
CHAMBOIS
THE SCHELDT
THE
LOWER MAAS THE RHINELAND
THE HOCHWALD VEEN TWENTECANAL
KUSTEN CANAL BAD ZWISCHENAHN
NORTH-WEST EUROPE, 1944-45
Those
Battle Honours in BOLD PRINT
are emblazoned on
the Guidon of
The British Columbia Regiment
(Duke of Connaught's Own)
"Up The Dukes!"
The
British Columbia Regiment
620 Beatty Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6B 2L9
Recruiting:
(604) 666-4288
Orderly
Room: (604) 666-4368
E-mail: history@bcregiment.com