Our Guidon

THE GUIDON OF THE QUEEN’S YORK RANGERS (1st AMERICAN REGIMENT) (RCAC)

Historically the Guidon was a consecrated flag carried by a military unit as a marker or rallying point in battle. Today, it is a symbol of spirit, history and sacrifice and is that unit’s most honoured possession, recording the heroic actions of its soldiers and embodying the ideals of duty, tradition and honour. 

Armoured regiments use a single Guidon as their “colours” rather than the Queen’s Colours and Regimental Colours used by the infantry. Only one Guidon is permitted to exist at a time, with retired ones being “laid up” in a sacred or public setting once they are too worn to be used.

The predecessor of The Queen’s York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (RCAC) was the Queen’s Rangers, who were presented with their first colours during the American Revolutionary War. Those colours evaded capture at Yorktown in 1781, and were smuggled to England by the commanding officer, John Graves Simcoe. Nearly two centuries later they were discovered and returned to the Regiment and are now displayed in the Officers’ Mess at Fort York Armoury. They are the oldest known colours in North America, and amongst the oldest in the world.

As a unit of the Armoured Corps, The Queen’s York Rangers possess a Regimental Guidon.  The design features the badge surrounded by its Battle Honours.  The Regiment’s first Guidon was formally presented in person by HM The Queen to the Regiment in 1984, on the occasion of the City of Toronto’s 150th anniversary. A new guidon, reflecting new Battle Honours as shown here, was presented to the Regiment in 2022 by Her Excellency The Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada.

The new Guidon presented on May 14, 2022, incorporates a selection of the thirty-five battle honours awarded to the Regiment, including five new honours listed below. Please visit our Gallery page to view photos from the event.

THE NEW BATTLE HONOURS OF THE QUEEN’S YORK RANGERS (1st AMERICAN REGIMENT) (RCAC)

Battle and theatre honours are awarded to provide public recognition and to record a military unit's active participation in battle against a formed and armed enemy. The Canadian Armed Forces system of honours system draws on the rich heritage of the British military. Battle honours are awarded for a specific engagement, usually confined to a geographic location and conducted over a timeline of days, weeks or perhaps months. An example is the WW1 battle honour of “Hill 70”. Sometimes multiple battle honours were awarded for events in the same geographic area and are indicated with separate years, as in the case of “Somme 1916, ‘18”. 

Theatre honours are awarded for campaigns that were conducted over a much larger geographic area and over a long time span. In the Regiment’s case, theatre honours includes “France and Flanders 1915–18”.

In 2012 the Regiment was awarded three battle honours plus a theatre honour for the War of 1812 and in 2014 was awarded the theatre honour “Afghanistan”.

QUEENSTON

On October 13, 1812, British, Canadian and First Nations forces marched to Queenston to oppose an invasion by a numerically superior American army, forcing the surrender of nearly 1,000 American soldiers. This victory early in the war was vital in bolstering the morale of Upper Canada as it showed that Canada could be successfully defended.

NIAGARA

Fought on the Niagara peninsula between December 1813 and September 1814, the Niagara campaign, which includes the Battle of Lundy’s Lane, was the last determined effort by the invading American army to gain exclusive possession of Upper Canada. Had the Americans succeeded in their invasion of the Niagara Peninsula, it could have led to their dominance of Lake Ontario and of Upper Canada. This also would have led to the isolation of Lower Canada and possibly to complete victory. Only through the determined efforts of allied forces was this offensive defeated.

DETROIT

The Battle of Detroit was fought in the territory bordering the Detroit River on August 15-16, 1812. After a failed attempt by the Americans to invade Canadian soil, a small force of professional soldiers, including the Royal Newfoundland Fencible infantry, Canadian militia and First Nations allies set up cannon positions in Upper Canada and crossed the Detroit River to lay siege. With only a few cannon shots and a display of force, the Americans were bluffed into surrendering Fort Detroit, some 2,500 troops, and the entire territory of Michigan. From their new base at Fort Detroit, the British were able to support Tecumseh and his First Nations warriors in a joint offensive against the Americans in north-western Ohio early in 1813.

DEFENCE OF CANADA 1812–1815

This Theatre Honour was awarded to units who participated in a successful engagement against an armed enemy during the War of 1812.  It is intended to both recognize their contribution to the success of British Forces during the war, and also to recognize their contribution to the foundation of Canada.

AFGHANISTAN

This Theatre Honour was awarded to units of the Canadian Army whose cumulative contribution of personnel in the geographical area of Afghanistan reached a minimum level of 20 per cent of the effective strength of the originating unit.