Prince Edward Island Regiment

The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) is a Primary Reserve armoured reconnaissance regiment of the Canadian Forces, 5th Canadian Division, 36 Canadian Brigade Group. The regiment is based in Charlottetown and Summerside, Prince Edward Island.^[1][2][3]

The Prince Edward Island Regiment
Regimental badge
Active	1946–present
Country	Canada
Branch	Canadian Army
Type	Cavalry
Role	Armoured reconnaissance
Size	One regiment (140 soldiers)
Part of	36 Canadian Brigade Group
Garrison/HQ	J. David Stewart Armoury, Charlottetown
Motto(s)	Parva sub ingenti (Latin for 'The small under the protection of the great')
Colors	Gold and black
March	"Old Solomon Levi"
Engagements	Second Boer War First World War Second World War War in Afghanistan
Battle honours	See #Battle honours
Website	army-armee.forces.gc.ca/en/5-canadian-division/the-prince-edward-island-regiment/index.page
Commanders
Current commander	LCol J.P. (Jean-Paul) Pendergast
Colonel-in-chief	Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
Insignia
Abbreviation	PEIR
NATO Map Symbol

Organization

The Prince Edward Island Regiment is organized into the following components:

• Regimental Headquarters
• Recce Squadron
• Headquarters Squadron
• Band

Lineage

The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC)

Main article: The Prince Edward Island Highlanders

• Originated on 25 June 1875, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, as the Queen's County Provisional Battalion of Infantry.
• Amalgamated on 30 June 1876, with the Charlottetown Provisional Battalion of Infantry and redesignated as the Queen's County Battalion of Infantry.
• Redesignated on 4 October 1878, as the 82nd Queen's County Battalion of Infantry.
• Redesignated on 8 May 1900, as the 82nd Queen's County Regiment.
• Redesignated on 5 June 1906, as the 82nd Abegweit Light Infantry.
• Redesignated on 29 March 1920, as The Prince Edward Island Regiment.
• Redesignated on 15 June 1927, as The Prince Edward Island Highlanders.
• Redesignated on 1 January 1941, as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Prince Edward Island Highlanders.
• Redesignated on 1 June 1945, as The Prince Edward Island Highlanders.
• Converted to armour and amalgamated on 1 April 1946, with the 17th (Reserve) Armoured Regiment (Prince Edward Island Light Horse), RCAC and redesignated as the 17th (Prince Edward Island) Reconnaissance Regiment
• Redesignated on 4 February 1949, as The Prince Edward Island Regiment (17th Reconnaissance Regiment).
• Amalgamated 28 February 1955, with the 28th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA.
• Redesignated on 19 May 1958, as The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC).^[1]

The Charlottetown Provisional Battalion of Infantry

• Originated on 2 July 1875, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, as the Charlottetown Provisional Battalion of Infantry.
• Amalgamated on 30 June 1876, with the Queen's County Provisional Battalion of Infantry and redesignated as the Queen's County Battalion of Infantry.^[1]

The Prince Edward Island Light Horse

Main article: The Prince Edward Island Light Horse

• Originated on 1 June 1901, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, as “L” Squadron, Prince Edward Island Mounted Rifles.
• Redesignated on 1 October 1901, as “L” Squadron, Canadian Mounted Rifles.
• Redesignated on 1 April 1903, as the Prince Edward Island Light Horse
• Granted full regimental status on 16 February 1914, with the formation of an additional squadron in Summerside, PEI.
• Redesignated on 1 April 1914, as the 36th Prince Edward Island Light Horse.
• Redesignated on 15 March 1920, as The Prince Edward Island Light Horse.
• Redesignated on 1 April 1941, as the 17th (Reserve) Armoured Regiment (Prince Edward Island Light Horse).
• Amalgamated on 1 April 1946, with The Prince Edward Island Highlanders to form the 17th (Prince Edward Island) Reconnaissance Regiment.^[1]

28th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA

• Originated on 31 March 1882, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, as the Prince Edward Island Provisional Brigade of Garrison Artillery.
• Redesignated on 1 January 1893, as the Prince Edward Island Battalion of Garrison Artillery.
• Redesignated on 1 January 1895, as the 4th Prince Edward Island Battalion.
• Redesignated on 28 December 1895, as the 4th Prince Edward Island Regiment of Garrison Artillery.
• Amalgamated on 1 January 1904, with the Charlottetown Field Company.
• Redesignated on 1 April 1908, as the 4th Prince Edward Island Regiment (Heavy Brigade).
• Redesignated on 2 May 1910, as the 4th Prince Edward Island Heavy Brigade, CGA.
• Redesignated on 1 June 1912, as the Prince Edward Island Heavy Brigade, CGA.
• Redesignated on 2 February 1920, as the 1st (Prince Edward Island) Heavy Brigade.
• Redesignated on 15 March 1920, as the 1st (Prince Edward Island) Heavy Brigade, CA.
• Redesignated on 1 July 1925, as the 1st (Prince Edward Island) Medium Brigade, CA.
• Redesignated on 3 June 1935, as the 1st (Prince Edward Island) Medium Brigade, RCA.
• Redesignated on 1 April 1946, as the 28th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA.
• Amalgamated on 28 February 1955, with The Prince Edward Island Regiment (17th Reconnaissance Regiment).^[1]

The Charlottetown Field Company

• Originated on 16 August 1878, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, as the Charlottetown Engineer Company.
• Redesignated on 1 August 1899, as the Charlottetown Field Company.
• Amalgamated on 1 January 1904, with the 4th Prince Edward Island Regiment of Garrison Artillery.^[1]

Lineage chart

Lineage chart[4]

1875 Queen's County Provisional Bn of Infy Charlottetown Provisional Bn of Infy Independent arty btys 1876 Queen's County Bn of Infy 1878 82nd Queen's County Bn of Infy Charlottetown Engineer Coy 1882 PEI Provisional Bde of Garrison Arty 1893 PEI Bn of Garrison Arty 1895 4th "PEI" Bn 1895 4th PEI Regt of Garrison Arty 1899 Charlottetown Field Coy 1900 82nd Queen's County Regt 1901 "L" Sqn, PEI Mounted Rifles 1901 "L" Sqn, CMR 1903 PEI Light Horse[a] 1904 4th PEI Regt of Garrison Arty 1906 82nd "Abegweit Light Infy" Regt 1908 4th PEI Regt (Heavy Bde) 1910 4th "PEI" Heavy Bde, CGA 1912 "PEI" Heavy Bde, CGA 1914 PEI Light Horse[b] 1914 36th PEI Light Horse 1915 No. 2 Heavy Bty Depot, CEF 1915 105th "Overseas" Bn, CEF 2nd "Overseas" Bty Canadian Siege Arty, CEF 1916 Canadian Bde Siege Arty, CEF 98th (Canadian) Siege Bty, CEF No. 5 "Overseas" Bty Siege Arty, CEF 1916 1st Canadian Heavy Arty Group, CEF 272nd (Canadian) Siege Bty, CEF 1917 Amalgamated with 104th "Overseas" Bn, CEF No. 2 Canadian Siege Bty, CEF No. 8 Canadian Siege Bty, CEF 1918 1st Bde, Canadian Garrison Arty, CEF 1920 Disbanded Disbanded Disbanded 1st (PEI) Heavy Bde 1920 1st Bn (105th Bn, CEF), The PEI Regt 1st Regt, The PEI Light Horse 1st (PEI) Heavy Bde, CA 1925 1st (PEI) Medium Bde, CA 1927 1st Bn (105th Bn, CEF), The PEI Highlanders 1935 1st (PEI) Medium Bde, RCA 1936 The PEI Highlanders The PEI Light Horse 1941 1st Bn, The PEI Highlanders, CASF 2nd (Reserve) Bn, The PEI Highlanders 1st Canadian Armd Bde HQ Sqn (The PEI Light Horse), CASF 2nd (Reserve) Regt, The PEI Light Horse 1941 17th (Reserve) Armd Regt (PEI Light Horse) 1943 2nd Corps Defence Coy (The PEI Light Horse), CIC, CASF 1945 Disbanded The PEI Highlanders 1946 Disbanded 28th Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, RCA 1946 1946 17th (PEI) Recce Regt 1949 The PEI Regt (17th Recce Regt) 1955 The PEI Regt (17th Recce Regt) 1958 The PEI Regt (RCAC)

Perpetuations

The PEIR perpetuates the following units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force:

• 1st Brigade, Canadian Garrison Artillery, CEF
• No. 2 Canadian Siege Battery, CEF
• No. 8 Canadian Siege Battery, CEF
• 105th Battalion (Prince Edward Island Highlanders), CEF^[1][5]

History

In 1946 the amalgamation of The Prince Edward Island Light Horse and The Prince Edward Island Highlanders created The Prince Edward Island Regiment, 17th Reconnaissance Regiment.

The Prince Edward Island Regiment was amalgamated with the 28th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment in 1955.^[1][2]

Robert Cyril Claude Brooks

The youngest Canadian soldier to die in the Second World War, 14-year-old Robert Cyril Claude Brooks was a member of the 17th (Reserve) Armoured Regiment (Prince Edward Island Light Horse). He was killed in a training accident near Coleman, Prince Edward Island, at approximately 7:30 p.m. on 23 September 1944, when a Universal Carrier was driven through a guard rail on a bridge, overturning into the water below. He was trapped beneath the overturned vehicle and drowned, along with two fellow members of the regiment, Sergeant D.C. Ramsay and Trooper W.N. Dennis.^[6]

Alliances

•  United Kingdom – 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's)
•  United Kingdom – The Black Watch^[1]

Battle honours

Battle honours in small capitals are for large operations and campaigns and those in lowercase are for more specific battles. Bold type indicates honours emblazoned on the regimental guidon. The Second World War Battle Honour is for the service of the Prince Edward Island Light Horse which was, on 27 February 1941, Headquarters Squadron, 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade and on 1 November 1943 became the 2nd Corps Defence Company.

South African War

South Africa, 1900

First World War

• Arras, 1917, '18
• Ypres, 1917
• Amiens
• Hindenburg Line
• Pursuit to Mons

Second World War

North-West Europe, 1944–1945^[7]

Honorary distinction: The wartime badge of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders with the year dates "1944–45" in recognition of the role played by the Prince Edward Island Highlanders in the mobilization of the Canadian Active Service Force unit of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders.^[8]

South-West Asia

Afghanistan^[9]

Equipment

Model	Type	Dates	Builder	Details
Volkswagen/Bombardier Iltis	light utility vehicle	1985–2004	Volkswagen, Germany	optional M101 trailer unit; replaced by G-Wagen
LUVW C&R (G-Wagen) 4 × 4	light utility vehicle	2004-	Mercedes-Benz, Germany	replaced the Iltis light trucks in Afghanistan
LUVW MILCOTS (Milverado) - 2003 Silverado Basic model 861 (GM K25943HD)	light utility vehicle	2003-	Chevrolet, USA	replacing the Iltis jeeps in North American operations only
C9	light machine gun
Colt Canada C7 rifle	personal weapon	1984-	Diemaco/Colt Canada
C6	GPMG

The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) Museum

Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) Museum

Location	J. David Stewart Armoury, 3 Haviland Street, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N1
Type	Regimental Museum

The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) Museum collects, preserves, displays and studies the military history of the founding units of The Prince Edward Island Regiment, from the island's formation (founding). The main concentration is on the period 1870 until the present. The RCAC museum is at the J. David Stewart Armoury in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.^[10]

Order of precedence

Preceded by 1st Hussars

The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC)

Succeeded by The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal)

External links

• Official website
• PEIR Association
• 36 Canadian Brigade
• regiments.org

• Canada portal

Notes and references

1. Independent squadron
2. Regiment

1. Defence, National (2018-11-29). "The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC)". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
2. "Guide to Sources Relating to the Canadian Militia (Infantry, Cavalry, Armored)" (PDF).
3. "The Prince Edward Island Regiment". 2007-11-09. Archived from the original on 9 November 2007. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
4. "The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC)". www.canada.ca. 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
5. Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003/AF-001 -- Part One: Armour, Artillery and Field Engineer Regiments
6. Canada, WWII Service Files of War Dead, 1939-1947
7. "The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC)". Official Lineages Volume 3, Part 1: Armour, Artillery and Field Engineer Regiments – Armour Regiments. Directorate of History and Heritage. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
8. Canadian Forces General Message 031/15. 2015.
9. "South-West Asia Theatre Honours". Office of the Prime Minister of Canada. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
10. A-AD-266-000/AG-001 Canadian Forces Museums –Operations and Administration 2002-04-03