Governor General's Foot Guards

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Governor General's Foot Guards
Cap badge of the Governor General's Foot Guards
Active	1861-
Country	Canada
Branch	Militia
Type	Foot Guards
Role	Light Role
Size	One battalion
Part of	Canadian Forces Land Force Command
Garrison/HQ	Ottawa
Motto	Civitas et Princeps Cura Nostra (Our Care is Queen and Country)
March	Quick: Milanollo Slow: Non piu Andrai
Commanders
Colonel in Chief	HM The Queen
Colonel of the Regiment	HE Rt Hon Michaëlle Jean, CC, CMM, COM, CD

The Governor General's Foot Guards is one of three Household regiments in the Canadian Army reserve forces, along with The Governor General's Horse Guards and the Canadian Grenadier Guards. The GGFG is the most senior militia infantry regiment in Canada.

"Civitas et Princeps Cura Nostra" is the official motto of the regiment. It can be translated as "Our Care is Queen and Country".

The regiment has an operational role that encompasses both the territorial defence of Canada and supporting regular Canadian forces overseas. In addition to this, it also performs a ceremonial role similar to that of the Guards regiments of the British Army, mounting the guard on Parliament Hill and at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, a task it shares with the Canadian Grenadier Guards. (See Ceremonial Guard)

The Governor General's Foot Guards were formally allied with the Coldstream Guards of the United Kingdom (General Order 106 of 1929) after being informally allied with them since the formation of the Regiment.

1 Rank names
2 Battle honours
3 Regimental museum
4 Alliances
5 Order of precedence
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Rank names

Ensign: Infantry second lieutenants are referred by their former title of ensign (Esgn). The name derives from the task the newest joined officers were entrusted with, carrying the ensign or colours.
Colour sergeant: Infantry warrant officers are called by their former title of colour sergeant (CSgt). This rank originated from the appointment of specific sergeants to escort and defend the colours.
Guardsman: Upon successful completion of recruit training soldiers are to be addressed as guardsman (Gdsm). King George V awarded this honour in 1918 to mark the service of regiments of Foot Guards during the First World War. General Order 138 of 1928 promulgates this honour.
Musician: Upon successful completion of recruit training members of the band are addressed as musician (Muscn).

[edit] Battle honours

North West Canada, 1885
South Africa 1899-1900
World War I: Ypres, 1915, 1917, Flers-Courcelette, Passchendaele, Gravenstafel, Ancre Heights, Amiens, St. Julien, Arras, 1917, 1918, Drocourt-Queant, Festubert, 1915, Vimy 1917, Hidenburg Line, Mount Sorrel, Arleux, Canal du Nord, Somme, 1916, Scarpe, 1917-18, Pursuit to Mons, Pozières, Hill 70, France and Flanders, 1915-1918
World War II: The Hochwald, The Rhineland, Chambois, Falaise, Veen, The Sheldt, Falaise Road, Bad Zwichenahn, The Lower Maas, The Laison, North West Europe, 1944-1945

[edit] Regimental museum

The Guards' museum holds many artifacts from throughout the history of the regiment. Some of the artifacts displayed are a captured German trench periscope, various firearms from past wars including a Second World War–era German MG42, and a copy of Mein Kampf signed by Adolf Hitler. Also on display are several books containing photographs from World War II. The museum is located in the south end of the Cartier Square Drill Hall and is open on parade nights or by appointment.