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Royal Canadian Regiment

The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the primary reserve. The RCR is ranked first in the order of precedence amongst Canadian Army infantry regiments, but in a quirk of the rules of seniority, its 4th battalion is ninth.

The RCR was originally authorized as the Infantry School Corps on 21 December 1883, and established its first three company stations at Fredericton, New Brunswick; St Jean, Quebec; and Toronto, Ontario. In 1887 a fourth company was authorized and the next year was established at London, Ontario. Now consisting of three Regular Force battalions and one Reserve Force battalion, the regiment's four battalions are now stationed in Ontario and New Brunswick. With many of its soldiers drawn from Ontario and the Atlantic Provinces in recent decades, the regiment maintains a general connection as the "local" infantry regiment for anglophone eastern Canada.

The regiment is a "British-style" infantry regiment that is the spiritual home and repository of customs and traditions for a number of battalions that do not necessarily serve together operationally. The RCR maintains its Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) in Petawawa, Ontario, which has no operational command role but handles regimental affairs outside the responsibility of the individual battalions. The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum is located within historic Wolseley Hall in London, Ontario. Wolseley Barracks in London has been continuously occupied by some element of the regiment since construction of Wolseley Hall was completed in 1888. At various times Wolseley Barracks has been the home of the Regimental Headquarters, the 1st and 2nd Battalions, and remains the home of the 4th Battalion today.

Royal Canadian Regiment

 * Originated 21 December 1883 as the Infantry School Corps
 * Redesignated 14 May 1892 as the Canadian Regiment of Infantry
 * Redesignated 24 May 1893 as the Royal Regiment of Canadian Infantry
 * Redesignated 1 April 1899 as the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry
 * Redesignated 1 November 1901 as The Royal Canadian Regiment
 * Amalgamated 25 April 1958 with The London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment)' retaining its designation.
 * The 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers) redesignated in 1970 as the 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers)
 * 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers) designated as the 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment on 22 May 1990.

London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment)

 * Originated 27 April 1866 in London, Ontario as the 7th Battalion Infantry, "Prince Arthur's Own"
 * Redesignated 1 May 1866 as the 7th Battalion Infantry
 * Redesignated 15 February 1867 as the 7th Battalion "London Light Infantry"
 * Redesignated 16 January 1880 as the 7th Battalion "Fusiliers"
 * Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 7th Regiment "Fusiliers"
 * Redesignated 29 March 1920 The Western Ontario Regiment
 * Redesignated 1 August 1924 as The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
 * Amalgamated 15 December 1936 with the Headquarters and A Company of the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC and redesignated as The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (Machine Gun)
 * Redesignated 29 January 1942 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
 * Redesignated 24 March 1942 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (Machine Gun)
 * Redesignated 1 April 1946 as The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (Machine Gun)
 * Amalgamated 1 October 1954 with The Oxford Rifles and redesignated as the London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment)
 * Amalgamated 25 April 1958 with The Royal Canadian Regiment and redesignated as the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers).

Oxford Rifles

 * Originated 14 August 1863 in Woodstock, Ontario as the Twenty-second Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles, Canada or The Oxford Rifles
 * Redesignated 13 April 1866 as the 22nd Battalion The Oxford Rifles
 * Redesignated 8 May 1900 as the 22nd Regiment The Oxford Rifles
 * Redesignated 29 March 1920 as the Oxford Rifles
 * Redesignated 18 March 1942 as the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion, The Oxford Rifles
 * Redesignated 1 June 1945 as The Oxford Rifles
 * Amalgamated 1 October 1954 with The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (Machine Gun) and redesignated as the London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment).

2nd Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC

 * Originated 1 June 1919 in London, Ontario as the 2nd Machine Gun Brigade, CMGC
 * Redesignated 15 September 1924 as the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC
 * Amalgamated 15 December 1936 with The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)

War of 1812

 * The Loyal London Volunteers
 * 1st Regiment of Middlesex Militia
 * 1st Regiment of Oxford Militia

Great War

 * 1st Battalion (Ontario Regiment), CEF
 * 33rd Battalion, CEF
 * 71st Battalion, CEF
 * 142nd Battalion (London's Own), CEF
 * 168th Battalion (Oxfords), CEF
 * 2nd Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps, CEF

Alliances

 * 🇬🇧 – The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
 * 🇬🇧 – The Rifles
 * 🇯🇲 – The Jamaica Regiment

Battle honours
The Royal Canadian Regiment has been awarded a total of 61 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. Battle honours in bold type are emblazoned on the regimental colours.

War of 1812

 * Non-emblazonable honorary distinction
 * Non-emblazonable honorary distinction
 * Non-emblazonable honorary distinction
 * Non-emblazonable honorary distinction

Great War
•

• Gravenstafel

• St. Julien

•

•

•

• Pozières

• Flers–Courcelette

• Ancre Heights

•

• Vimy, 1917

• Arleux

• Scarpe, 1917, '18

•

• Passchendaele

•

• Drocourt–Quéant

•

• Canal du Nord

• Cambrai, 1918

•

•

Second World War
•

• Valguarnera

• Agira

•

• Regalbuto

•

• Landing at Reggio

• Motta Montecorvino

• Campobasso

• Torella

• San Leonardo

• The Gully

• Ortona

•

• Gustav Line

•

• Hitler Line

•

•

• Misano Ridge

•

• San Martino–San Lorenzo

• Pisciatello

• Fosso Vecchio

•

• Apeldoorn

•

Early history
The Royal Canadian Regiment is one of Canada's oldest Regular Force military units. In 2012 the regiment was assigned the perpetuation of the 1st Regiment of Middlesex Militia (1812–15) and the 1st Regiment of Oxford Militia (1812–15) from the War of 1812, and as a result carries three battle honours from that conflict. The RCR was also assigned the perpetuation of The Loyal London Volunteers which was accompanied by a non-emblazonable Honorary Distinction.

The regiment itself was formed as the Infantry School Corps on 21 December 1883, authorized by a Militia Act which also created the Cavalry School Corps. These school corps were created as regular units that would train the Canadian militia. The first companies stood up in Fredericton NB, St Jean-sur-Richelieu QC, and Toronto ON in 1883, with a fourth company standing up in London ON several years later.

The Infantry School Corps' first battle honours were earned during the North-West Rebellion in 1885, where it fought at Batoche and Cut Knife Creek. The regiment later provided personnel to the Yukon Field Force (1898–1900), which assisted the North-West Mounted Police in the Yukon during the Gold Rush. The regiment served in the South African (Boer) War (1899–1903). Its Great War deployment was delayed by a garrison assignment in Bermuda from September 1914 until August 1915. Upon returning to Nova Scotia, its members attested for overseas service with the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), arriving in France in October 1915 to fight in WW1.

South African War
The regiment's name was changed to The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry in 1893, with a new emphasis on being combat capable. William Dillon Otter, formerly of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, was the first Commanding Officer. He would later become the first Canadian-born Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Army.

During the South African War (Second Boer War), the "2nd (Special Service) Battalion" was raised from across the country to contribute Canada's First Contingent in this war, with Otter in command. This battalion was quickly disbanded in 1900 upon its return to Canada, even though they were considered by many British officers to be the best infantry battalion in the country. The "3rd (Special Service) Battalion" was also raised at this time, in 1900, and was employed as a garrison force in Halifax until 1902 when it was also disbanded.

In the Boer War, the Toronto company of the 2RCRI fought Canada's first overseas battle at Sunnyside, Cape Colony, on January 1, 1900, defeating a Boer commando in an action led by Australia's Queensland Mounted Infantry. The unit as a whole then joined and played an instrumental role in the victory at the Battle of Paardeberg Drift (18–27 February 1900), including an advance by night towards the enemy lines, quietly digging trenches on high ground 65 yards from the Boer lines. On February 27, 1900, the Boers, staring into the muzzles of Canadian and British rifles, surrendered, thus removing the commando blocking the way to the first Boer capital, Bloemfontein, Orange Free State. This date has since been celebrated by the Regiment as Paardeberg Day. Having delivered the first unqualified good news of the war for the British Empire, the Regiment also distinguished itself on the march north, arriving first at the gates of Pretoria.

During the South African War Private Richard Rowland Thompson was awarded a Queen's scarf, one of the four presented to soldiers of the Dominions, a further four scarves crocheted by Queen Victoria went to non-commissioned officers of the British Army.

A small statuette (1999) by André Gauthier (sculptor) commemorates the centennial of the Royal Canadian Regiment's Battle of Paardeberg during the Boer War.

End of the Victorian era and the Great War; 1900–1919
In October 1901 the regiment received new colours from the Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V) during his visit to Canada, and the regiment's name was changed to The Royal Canadian Regiment. In 1914, the regiment was deployed to the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda for garrison duties, replacing the 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, from September 1914 (arriving at Bermuda on 3 September, 1914, aboard HMCS Canada, escorted by HMCS Niobe) to August 1915, when it was replaced by the 38th Battalion (Ottawa), CEF and returned to Halifax and reattested for overseas service. The RCR arrived in France in October 1915 to join the new 3rd Canadian Division. The regiment combined with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and the 42nd and 49th Canadian Infantry Battalions to form the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade. Battle honours awarded to The Royal Canadian Regiment for its actions in the First World War included: "Mount Sorrel, Somme, 1916, Flers-Courcelette, Ancre Heights, Arras, 1917, 18, Vimy, 1917, Hill 70, Ypres, 1917, Passchendaele, Amiens, Scarpe, 1918, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, Pursuit to Mons, FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1914–18".

Among the honours and awards to members of the regiment in the First World War was the Victoria Cross (VC) won by Lieutenant Milton Gregg. The RCR also recognizes the VC won by Lieutenant Frederick William Campbell, who was an officer of the 1st (Western Ontario) Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, one of the battalions now perpetuated by The RCR.

Inter-war years; 1919–1939
The RCR remained a Permanent Force regiment between the wars and returned to its role of providing instruction to the Militia through garrisons in London (Ontario), Halifax (Nova Scotia), Toronto (Ontario) and Montreal (Quebec).

Second World War; 1939–1945
On 1 September 1939 the regiment was mobilized as part of the Canadian Active Service Force as Canada prepared for participation in the Second World War. When war was declared on September 10, the RCR had already been allocated to the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade, a formation made up entirely of Ontario units. Moving to the United Kingdom in December 1939 as a component of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, the RCR saw hard training for almost four years.

On 10 July 1943, the RCR landed at Pachino in the opening waves of the Allied invasion of Sicily – the last member of the regiment to participate in these original waves – George F. Burrows of Chatham Ontario – died on April 11, 2012, in Windsor, Ontario at the age of 88. The regiment and its sister units in the 1st Brigade, The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment and the 48th Highlanders of Canada fought in several battles as the division advanced north and then east towards Messina. After the 38-day campaign on the island was completed, the regiment was involved in another amphibious landing (codenamed Operation Baytown) at Reggio di Calabria, as part of Allied invasion of the Italian mainland in September.

The RCR fought in several battles of the Italian campaign, including key engagements in the Moro River valley near Ortona in December 1943. During 1944, the regiment took part the Battle of Monte Cassino in attacks on German defensive lines called the Hitler Line and later the Gothic Line.

The regiment was transferred to northwest Europe in February 1945 during Operation Goldflake and took part in the liberation the Dutch city of Apeldoorn. The regiment received 28 battle honours for its participation in the Second World War. The regiment returned home to Canada in 1945.

Post-war period and the Korean War; 1945–1953
In 1950 the regiment was called upon to contribute to Canada's forces for the Korean War. A new Active Service Force (Special Force) was to be raised, and the regiment expanded to a two-battalion, then a three-battalion, organization. The 2nd Battalion, followed by the 1st and 3rd Battalions, each saw service in Korea. The 2nd Battalion helped stabilize the 38th parallel, most notably at the Chail-li sector. In October 1952, the 1st Battalion fought the Chinese at the battle of Kowang-san (Hill 355 – Little Gibraltar). It was replaced by the 3rd Battalion, which took over the Jamestown Line on Hill 187, where it fought one of the last engagements before the armistice in 1953. After the end of the Korean War, the regiment was reduced to two battalions, when the 3rd Battalion was disbanded in July 1954.

Cold War; 1953–1992
In 1954 two London, Ontario, Militia regiments, the Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (MG) and The Oxford Rifles were amalgamated and redesignated The London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment). This unit thus became the Reserve component of The RCR. In 1958, it was renamed 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers).

In 1989, the designation of the Reserve battalion was shortened to 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment. This amalgamation also brought to the regiment the perpetuation of a number of battalions of the First World War Canadian Expeditionary Force, including the 1st, 33rd, 71st, 142nd and 168th Battalions as well as the 2nd Battalion of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps. The amalgamation also saw the total battle honours for the First World War, based on the combined list of amalgamated components of the regiment, increase to the full list seen below.

The Militia battalion (3rd Battalion) was renumbered as the 4th Battalion in 1970 when the Canadian Guards were reduced to nil strength and the soldiers of that regiment's 2nd Battalion (at CFB Petawawa) became the restored 3rd Battalion, The RCR, on the Regular Force order of battle. At the same time, the 2nd Battalion of The RCR was relocated to CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick, and reconstituted from the soldiers of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada as its two battalions there were also reduced to nil strength and removed from the active regiments in the army's Regular Force order of battle.

During the 1950s and 1960s, battalions of The RCR were stationed as part of 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group at Fort York, Germany. These deployments were executed by 1RCR (1955–57 and 1962–65) and 2RCR (1953–55 and 1965–70). 3rd Battalion was later deployed to Germany, stationed in Baden-Söllingen 1977–84 and 1988–93.

All three Regular Force battalions of The RCR were deployed during the October Crisis in 1970 as part of the government's response to the FLQ. Major John Hasek became the first commander of the Skyhawks Parachute Team when it formed in 1971. The three Regular Force battalions were also deployed in to support the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec.

Throughout the Cold War period, The RCR participated in Canada's contributions to United Nations peacekeeping. For battalions of the regiment, this meant rotating tours on the island of Cyprus. The six-month tours of this mission, named Operation Snowgoose, were executed by elements of the regiment 13 times between 1966 and 1992.

In 1977 the 3rd Battalion was posted to CFB Baden-Soellingen in Germany.

In 1983, a Century of Service plaque at the Royal Military College Saint-Jean commemorates the centennial of the Royal Canadian Regiment, 1883–1983 Canada's oldest permanent force infantry regiment. Elements of the regiment garrisoned at Saint John sur Richelieu from 1884 to 1908 and 1924–.

In 1984 the battalion was rotated to Winnipeg. In 1988 the battalion was rotated back to Baden until the base was closed in 1993 at which time it was disbanded in Germany and subsequently stood up at CFB Borden, Ontario, as a "10/90" battalion. The "10/90" concept created an infantry battalion in each Regular Force regiment with approximately 10 per cent of its personnel being full-time Regular soldiers, while the remaining positions were filled by Reserve Force soldiers from affiliated units in the region. These units existed until 1996 when the three 10/90 battalions were stood down and replaced by light infantry battalions on the Regular Force order of battle. Initially formed without specific regimental affiliation, within the year the light infantry battalion was relocated to CFB Petawawa and officially designated the 3rd Battalion, The RCR.

In 1990, HQ and Duke of Edinburgh's Company (the first rifle company) of the 1st Battalion deployed to Cornwall, Ontario, as part of Operation Kahnawake. The 2nd Battalion, as part of 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, deployed to the Montreal region to partake in Operation Salon. These deployments were part of the government's response to the Oka Crisis.

In 1991, M Company and a platoon from P Company from 3rd Battalion (CFB Baden-Soellingen, Germany) and C Company from 1RCR (CFB London, Ontario) served in the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the first Gulf War. These companies were employed on airfield and field hospital security duties.

Peacekeeping era; 1992–2004
In 1992, soldiers from the English-speaking N Company of the 3rd Battalion (Major Devlin), based in Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Baden-Soellingen in Germany, as an attachment to the French-speaking Royal 22e Régiment, operationally secured the Sarajevo airport during the Yugoslav wars. This operation saw a redeployment of the entire battle group from Croatia to Sarajevo, under the command of General Lewis MacKenzie.

Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, made mention of this operational force and its commitment to international peace while she was in the National Capital Region that same year during Canada's 125th, stating:

"I am delighted to be here with you once again, to share in this day of national celebration, and, as a member of the Canadian family, to wish Canada a happy birthday on this one hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary of Confederation. We have an occasion, and a country, worth celebrating ... I want to say a special word about the brave Canadian soldiers who today seek to bring peace, under the United Nations auspices, to a dangerous situation in Bosnia. They serve both Canada and the cause of peace with courage and conviction. As Queen of Canada, I salute their contribution with pride ... You have inherited a country uniquely worth preserving. I call on you all, wherever you live, whatever your walk of life, to cherish that inheritance, and to protect it with all your strength. May God bless each and every one of you as you go about that task. And may God bless Canada."

Shortly thereafter the Governor General of Canada bestowed the Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation to N Company. The official warrant stated:

"... The first was to the 1st Battalion of the Royal 22e Regiment Battle Group (Including N Company, 3rd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment) for having opened the airport in the besieged city of Sarajevo in July 1992 (OP HARMONY). The Commendation was officially presented to the unit by Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, CC, CMM, COM, CD, Governor General of Canada and Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces during a ceremony which took place at the Citadel in Quebec City on 9 September 2002 ...'."

The unit returned to Bosnia for a tour with the Stabilization Force, SFOR, in 1998 and 1999.

All three Regular Force battalions served as peacekeepers in the Sinai Peninsula, in Bosnia. The 1st Battalion served in Kosovo under NATO mission Operation Kinetic, Rotation 1, December 1999–May 2000.

In 2000, the 2nd Battalion had the honour of mounting the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace, when a detachment came to London to commemorate the Canadian involvement in the Second Boer War, and to celebrate the re-opening of Canada House. Later that year, H Company Group of 2nd Battalion deployed to eastern Africa as part of UNMEE.

As the United States prepared to launch military actions against Iraq, 2 RCR formed a provisional battle group and was warned off that if the government decided to participate, it would deploy. The government decided against participation and instead decided to return to Afghanistan. I Company Group deployed to Kabul on 26 May 2003 to form the Defence and Security Company for the construction of the Canadian camp. It returned to Canada in August of that year after 3rd Battalion Group took on ISAF operations.

The "Leadership Award" (2000) by André Gauthier (sculptor) was commissioned for The Royal Canadian Regiment.

In March 2004 the same company deployed to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as part of Operation Halo (Operation "Secure Tomorrow" as the United States called it) to conduct security operations as part of the Multinational Interim Force. This force was set in place in order to set the conditions for the United Nations to take over. I Company conducted a relief in place with H Company Group in June. H Company changed roles to the UN force and redeployed to Gonaïves, Haiti. It returned to Canada in September of that year.

Afghanistan; 2003–present
In August 2003, the 3rd Battalion deployed to Kabul Afghanistan as part of Operation Athena for a six-month tour of duty. The battalion suffered the first Canadian casualties effected by enemy action in the war and conducted the first Canadian company-level direct action raid against insurgent forces since the Korean War.

In August 2006, the 1st Battalion deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Athena, replacing the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) for a six-month tour of duty in theatre.

In February 2007, the 2nd Battalion replaced the 1st Battalion in Afghanistan for a tour of duty.

In September 2008, 3rd Battalion replaced 2nd Battalion, PPCLI, as part of Operation Athena, Roto 6, forming the core of the Task Force Kanadahar Battle Group. It served until relieved in place by 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment in April 2009. The predeployment training of a platoon from the battalion was filmed for the reality television series Combat School.

In April 2010, the 1st Battalion deployed for Task Force 1–10

In February 2012, the 2nd Battalion formed the core of Rotation 1 of the Canadian Contribution Training Mission – Afghanistan and deployed to Kabul on Operation Attention till November 2012.

In October–November 2018, an 82-strong contingent from all four battalions and 38 members of the Royal Canadian Artillery Band provided the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace and the Tower of London, as well as Windsor Castle.

The RCR has contributed personnel to Canadian Forces Joint Task Force-Ukraine since 2014.

Recognition
Freedom of the City was exercised by the Royal Canadian Regiment in Fredericton, New Brunswick on 2 June 1973 and in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador on June 19, 2005.

On 10 November 1983 Canada Post issued 'The Royal Canadian Regiment, The British Columbia Regiment' as part of the Canadian Forces, Regiments, 1883–1983 series. The stamps were designed by Ralph Tibbles, based on a painting by William Southern. The 32¢ stamps are perforated 13.5 × 13 and were printed by Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited.

Colonel-in-chief
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was appointed as the colonel-in-chief of the RCR on 8 December 1953 and held the appointment until his death in 2021. Prince Philip had only one predecessor in this appointment: Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, from 1929 to 1942.

Colonel of the regiment
The colonel of the regiment, through such appointment, holds the pre-eminent position in the conduct of regimental affairs. He is the senior member of the Regimental Council, an advisor to The RCR Association Board of Directors and The RCR Trust Fund. The Colonel of the Regiment is former Governor General of Canada David Johnston, who accepted the appointment on August 4, 2018.

Honorary lieutenant-colonel, 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment
The honorary lieutenant-colonel, through such appointment, is specifically an adviser and mentor to the 4th Battalion, as the Colonel of the Regiment is to the Regiment as a whole. The Honorary Lieutenant Colonel is a member of The RCR Senate and acts as an adviser to The RCR Association Board of Directors and The RCR Trust Fund. The current honorary lieutenant-colonel (HLCol) of the 4th Battalion is Colonel Bruce W. Burnham, of Ilderton, Ontario.

Patron
On 5 June 2012, Judith Irving was officially appointed first patron of the Regiment.

In December 2013, Mike Holmes was officially appointed a patron of the Regiment.

Regimental Sculptor
On 26 June 2013, Christian Cardell Corbet was officially appointed the first Regimental Sculptor. This took place at Canada House, London, UK where Corbet was presented with a regimental tie following the unveiling of his portrait bust of the Colonel in Chief of The Regiment, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT.

RCR cap badge
"An eight-pointed diamond cut star; upon the star a raised circle surmounted by the crown; within the raised circle, the block letters "VRI", the Imperial Cypher of Queen Victoria." (Description of the badge of The RCR as presented in Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army, published by the Army Historical Section, 1964)

The letters VRI on the cap badge of The RCR stand for Victoria Regina Imperatrix, which is Latin for "Victoria, Queen and Empress". The right to wear the imperial cypher and crown was granted to the regiment by Queen Victoria in 1893.

When a royal or imperial cypher forms part of the badge of a regiment it is normal for it to change with each succeeding sovereign. During the period 1901 to 1919, the officially authorized versions of the regiment's cap badge were those with Edward VII's and George V's cyphers, although the regiment continued to use the "VRI" ensigned badges throughout this time while petitioning for their formal return. In 1919, George V granted The Royal Canadian Regiment permission to wear "VRI" in perpetuity – a unique privilege.

Company designations
The companies of the battalions of The RCR are lettered sequentially across the regiment:
 * 1st Battalion – A to F
 * 2nd Battalion – G to L
 * 3rd Battalion – M to R
 * 4th Battalion – S, T and X (S Company consists of a company headquarters as well as two rifle platoons in London, Ontario, and 3 Platoon in Stratford, Ontario. T Company consists of a company headquarters in Stratford, Ontario, and X Company consists of the battalion headquarters personnel.)

In the Regular Force battalions, the first four companies are rifle companies, and the latter two are combat support (weapons) and administration company (combat service support).

When on parade, companies parade in alphabetic order. Companies are normally addressed by the NATO phonetic alphabet for their designation letter with the following exceptions:
 * A Coy, 1RCR, is designated and always referred to as "Duke of Edinburgh's Company" or, colloquially, "Duke's Company"
 * C Coy, 1RCR, is known as "Charles" Company. This unique designation was adopted during the Korean War, as the company was noted for maintaining a very high standard of dress and deportment.
 * M Coy, 3RCR, is often referred to as "Para" Company, short for Parachute Company, at the discretion of the commanding officer, although this title is not officially recognized by the regiment as other than a colloquial nickname, even as the 3rd Battalion is now airborne-capable

Bugles and Drums
The first band of The RCR was formed under "A" Company of the Infantry School Corps in 1894, when Sergeant Charles Hayes, a graduate of Kneller Hall Music College, enlisted in January 1894. That same year the corps also reported training nine buglers for the Militia.

By 1899, the authorized establishment for the regiment included four "Sergt. Trumpeters or Drummers" on the staff of the Regimental Depots along with 16 "Trumpeters, Buglers or Drummers" between the stations of the regiment. By 1901, the authorized establishment had changed to one "Sergt. Trumpeters or Drummers" and 12 "Trumpeters, Buglers or Drummers", possibly indicating a consolidation of musicians into a regimental band rather than a training cadre at each garrison.

The regiment reported having an active band throughout much of the First World War, once their instruments were smuggled forward for them to use. With few lapses, the regiment maintained a Drum and Bugle band at least until the 1990s, when the 1st Battalion had a Drum and Bugle Corps within the ranks of C Company.

Pipes and Drums
In 1970, following a review of the regular army, a number of infantry battalions were disbanded. The Canadian Guards and the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada lost both of their regular battalions, with personnel being distributed to The Royal Canadian Regiment. The 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment adopted the Pipes and Drums of the Black Watch, becoming the Pipes and Drums of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment. The 3rd Battalion of The RCR, similarly, adopted the Pipes and Drums of the 2nd Battalion, The Canadian Guards, when they were disbanded. In 1977 the 3rd Battalion Pipes and Drums were redesignated the Special Service Force Pipes and Drums.

The 2nd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment currently maintains the only Pipes and Drums in the Canadian regular army. Regimental pipers where a distinctive cap badge in their glengarry or feather bonnet. This is the regimental cap badge on a circular belt on which the Regiment's name is inscribed. This follows the practice of the Canadian Guards pipers' cap badge. In the 2000s, the Pipe Band began wearing an embroidered piper's badge with their feather bonnets.

RCR Band
The members of the regiment who form the Drum and Bugles and Pipes and Drums bands are trained infantrymen of their battalions who are employed secondarily as musicians. The RCR Band, in contrast, was a professional brass and reed band manned by military musicians. The band in its final state was formed at Wolseley Barracks in 1947. It subsequently moved to CFB Gagetown in 1970 as a consequence of the 1968 Canadian Forces unification. During this period, it participated in many high profile events including the Canadian Armed Forces Tattoo held as part of the 1967 Canadian Centennial. It also played at events as diverse as the 1980 Silver Broom curling championship in Fredericton, during the Royal Visit to New Brunswick in 1984, and at the 40th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands in 1985. The band also took part in the Trooping the Colours and other events as part of the RCR centennial celebration held in London, Ontario, in 1983. In its earlier forms, it was guided by the Standing Orders of The Royal Canadian Regiment of 1935, which constituted its activities. A notable member of the band is Jean-Pierre Montminy, an officer who has served in as well as at the Canadian Forces School of Music.

Directors

 * Bugle Band:
 * WO1 G. Noakes (1972)
 * CWO Passmans (1972-1973)
 * CWO W. Brooks (1973-1974)
 * CWO R.B. Williams (2 August 1976 – 21 July 1982)
 * CWO N. Devries (21 July 1982 – 27 July 1988)
 * CWO A.A. Van Gogh (27 Jul 1988-1 January 1993)
 * CWO P.J. Buiteman (1 January 1993 – 1 August 1994)
 * Pipe Band:
 * Pipe-Major William Gilmour (1970-1981)
 * Pipe-Major Gerry Pozywajlo (1981-1983)
 * Pipe-Major Doug Moulton (1983-1984)
 * Pipe-Major Richard Samways (1984-1986)
 * Pipe-Major Ken Whitehall (1986-1988)
 * Pipe-Major Hugh Macpherson (1988-1990)
 * Pipe-Major James McIntyre (1990-1992)
 * Pipe-Major Ian Ferguson (1992-1995)
 * Pipe-Major Bryan Duguid (1995-2002)
 * Pipe-Major Jeff Donnelly (2002-2004)
 * Pipe-Major Seann Alderman (2004-2006)
 * Pipe-Major Dave Lee (2006-2007)
 * Pipe-Major Mark Heagle (2007-2008)
 * Pipe-Major Dave Pierce (2008-2009)
 * Pipe-Major Brian Hilson (2009-2010)
 * Pipe-Major James Firth (2010-2014)
 * Pipe-Major James Malcolm (2014-2017)
 * Pipe-Major James Firth (2017-Present)
 * Regimental Band:
 * Captain Michael Ryan (21 June 1905 – 26 August 1916)
 * Lieutenant H.G. Jones (26 August 1916-November 1919)
 * Captain Michael Ryan (November 1919-22 January 1924)
 * Captain L.K. Harrison (July 1924-September 1939)
 * Lieutenant J.E. Proderick (September 1939-April 1945)
 * WO1 B. Bacah (Bandmaster) Apr 1945 - 1946
 * Lieutenant William Armstrong (31 March 1946-October 1953)
 * Captain J. Purcell (October 1953-June 1963)
 * Captain Derek Stannard (June 1963-September 1969)
 * Captain John D. Collins (September 1969-July 1978)
 * Captain J.D. Montminy (July 1978-16 May 1980)
 * Captain D.W. Embree (16 May 1980 – 8 September 1987)
 * Captain J. Van Liempt (8 September 1987 – 28 December 1988)
 * Captain Kenneth Killingbeck (23 January 1989 – 1 September 1993)
 * Captain W. F. Eberts (1 September 1993 – 1 August 1995)

Music

 * "Hurrah for our boys in khaki" by Fred & Chas Adams, which was respectfully inscribed to the Royal Canadian Regiment, was published in Toronto by R.S. Williams & Sons, c. 1900. First line: "We've heard in song and story about the soldiers of the Queen" Chorus: "They fought the Boers at Paardeberg."
 * "The Regimental March of the Royal Canadian Regiment" by Lieut. Langford and G. Offen was published by Capt. F.A. Lister, R.C.R., 1910. First line: "Oh! we're crushing the gravel again today"
 * "March, The Royal Canadian Regiment" by Arthur W. Hughes was published in Toronto and Winnipeg by Whaley, Royce & Co., c. 1900.

Perpetuation
War of 1812: The Royal Canadian Regiment perpetuates the 1st Regiment of the Middlesex Militia (1812–15) and the 1st Regiment of the Oxford Militia (1812–15).

First World War: The Regiment perpetuates a number of units of the Canadian Militia and the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) of the First World War:
 * Units of the Canadian Militia:
 * The London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment), which were formed by the amalgamation of:
 * The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), which started as the "7th Infantry Battalion, 'Prince Arthur's Own'" in 1866, and
 * The Oxford Rifles, which started as the "Twenty-second Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles, Canada" in 1863,
 * 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps (1919–1938).
 * Units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF):
 * 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF,
 * 33rd Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF,
 * 71st Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF,
 * 142nd Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF,
 * 168th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF,
 * 2nd Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps, CEF, which was formed from:
 * 4th Canadian Machine Gun Company,
 * 5th Canadian Machine Gun Company,
 * 6th Canadian Machine Gun Company, and the
 * 14th Canadian Machine Gun Company.

Order of precedence
Regular Force:

Reserve Force:

Possible specialist Arctic sovereignty role
It has been suggested in a Canadian professional military journal that the regiment's third battalion (3 RCR) could be adapted to become a specialized light infantry battalion that is able to deploy parachute infantry and marine infantry company groups to support the protection of Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic.

Books

 * Lt. Col. (RET) Reverend Lyman R. Coleman, Honorary Chaplain to The Royal Canadian Regiment. "Called To Serve" (The Regimental Warehouse; 31 May 2010).
 * Lt. Col. (RET) Reverend Lyman R. Coleman, Honorary Chaplain to The Royal Canadian Regiment. "In This Sign"
 * Strome Galloway "Sicily, to the Siegfried Line" (The Regimental Warehouse; 3 July 2009)
 * Strome Galloway "Some Died at Ortona; The Royal Canadian Regiment at War in Italy 1943" (The Regimental Warehouse; 3 July 2009)
 * Bernd Horn "Establishing a Legacy: The History of the Royal Canadian Regiment 1883–1953" (Dundurn; 19/05/2008) ISBN 1550028170
 * "Presentation of colours to the Second Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, by Field Marshal His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh K.G., Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment, nominated by Her Majesty the Queen to make this presentation, Fort York, Germany, 17th October 1955." (Aldershot, Gale & Polden, The Wellington Press, 1955)
 * "Honour roll : the Royal Canadian Regiment : Northwest Rebellion 1885 to United Nations operations Korea 1950–53" (Ottawa : Public Relations, the Royal Canadian Regiment, 1961)
 * "Standing rules for officers' messes of the Royal Canadian Regiment" (Canada; Director of Artillery, ©1913)
 * "A short history of the Royal Canadian Regiment, 1883–1964" (London Ont. : The Regiment, 1964.)
 * Bernd Horn "Doing Canada Proud: The Second Boer War and the Battle of Paardeberg."

Fiction

 * Martin Marais "The Battle of Paardeberg: Lord Roberts' Gambit."

title: Royal Canadian Regiment


text:
Nancy L. Zimpher

Nancy Lusk Zimpher (born October 29, 1946) is an American educator, state university leader, and former Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY). Prior to her service at SUNY, Zimpher was a dean and professor of education at Ohio State University (where she had earned her bachelors, master's and doctoral degrees); then Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee between 1998 and 2003; and President of the University of Cincinnati from 2003 through May 2009. Zimpher was the first woman to serve as Chancellor of SUNY, UWM's first woman chancellor, and UC's first female president. Zimpher is a native of the village of Gallipolis in southern Ohio.

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
At UWM (where she was the first female chancellor of that university), Zimpher created the now-defunct "Milwaukee Idea", a deliberately derivative variation on the historical Wisconsin Idea that "the University's boundaries are the State's boundaries", with a strategic plan that tied UWM, with its faculty knowledge base and research facilities, to the economic health and strength of the Greater Milwaukee area, and raised the profile of UWM in the region vis-a-vis crosstown rival Marquette University.

University of Cincinnati
At UC, she worked to eliminate the previous divisions among the colleges (such as by creating a single university commencement) and continuously championed UC|21, an academic plan which redefined UC as a "new urban research university" for the 21st century. It has also positioned Cincinnati as a candidate for AAU status. Her work was complicated by controversy over her ousting of longtime basketball coach Bob Huggins. Shortly after her arrival at UC, Huggins had been arrested for driving under the influence. This arrest, combined with the poor performance of Huggins' players in the classroom, were among many factors that led Zimpher to force Huggins to resign in 2005.

State University of New York
Soon after taking over at SUNY, Zimpher promised to visit all 64 campuses in the sprawling system—the largest university system in the nation under a single governing board.

Eight months after being sworn in, Zimpher had to deal with another athletic controversy, this time at Binghamton University. After a rash of incidents involving the school's basketball team, Zimpher ordered an audit of Binghamton's athletic department—to be overseen by the SUNY board of trustees, not Binghamton. The resulting report tallied what the New York Times described as "a litany of transgressions, including lowered admission standards and changed grades." In its wake, Binghamton president Lois B. DeFleur retired in July, athletic director Joel Thirer resigned and basketball coach Kevin Broadus, was placed on paid administrative leave and ultimately stripped of coaching duties.

Zimpher eventually assigned SUNY’s interim provost, David K. Lavallee, to lead an overall effort for the SUNY system to ensure that academics remain the highest priority; and Charles R. Westgate, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Binghamton, as a special adviser for academics and athletics for the SUNY system: moves some critics of the over-emphasis on athletics decried as insufficient.

Zimpher advocated the use of systemness to begin overhauling SUNY in her January 9, 2012 State of the University address.

On May 31, 2016, Zimpher announced her intention to step down as SUNY chancellor on June 30, 2017.

Family
Zimpher's husband is Kenneth R. Howey, Senior Fellow at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, a public policy research institute at the University at Albany. She was also married to Craig Zimpher, Director of OSU residence hall Scott House, while studying for their advanced degrees at The Ohio State University from c: 1968 through the early 1970s.

Key works

 * Percy, Stephen L., Nancy L. Zimpher, and Mary Jane Brukardt, eds. 2006. Creating a New Kind of University: Institutionalizing Community-University Engagement. Bolton, MA: Anker Publications. ISBN 9781882982882
 * Zimpher, Nancy L., and Kenneth R. Howey, eds. 2004. University Leadership in Urban School Renewal. Westport, CT: Praeger. ISBN 9780275980955
 * Zimpher, Nancy L., Stephen L. Percy, and Mary Jane Brukardt. 2002. A Time for Boldness: A Story of Institutional Change. Bolton, MA: Anker Publications. ISBN 9781882982547

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Nancy L. Zimpher


text:
Murder of Sarah Payne

Sarah Evelyn Isobel Payne (13 October 1991 – c. 1 July 2000) was the victim of a high-profile abduction and murder in West Sussex, England in July 2000.

Her disappearance and the subsequent investigation into her murder became a prominent case in the United Kingdom, as did the campaign for changes to child protection legislation that resulted from the murder. The murder investigation was also notable for the use of forensic evidence, which played a major role in securing a conviction.

Roy Whiting was convicted of abduction and murder in December 2001 and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Sarah Payne's disappearance
Sarah Payne, who lived in Hersham, Surrey, disappeared on the evening of 1 July 2000 from a cornfield near the home of her grandfather, Terence Payne, and his second wife Lesley, in Kingston Gorse, West Sussex, England. Payne had been playing with her two brothers (aged 13 and 11 at the time) and younger sister (aged 5) when she disappeared. A police search of the local area commenced, and quickly transformed into a nationwide search and national news story, with members of the Payne family (mostly her parents Michael and Sara) making numerous television and newspaper appeals for her safe return.

On the evening of 2 July 2000, officers from Sussex Police first visited Roy Whiting at his seafront flat in Littlehampton as part of their inquiries into Sarah Payne's disappearance. A number of other suspects, particularly convicted sex offenders, were also questioned and at least one other person was arrested.

Police officers and numerous volunteers scoured the area around Littlehampton for clues to Sarah's disappearance, and her family made daily appeals on national television news for help in finding her. On 10 July, police announced that they had received information regarding the sighting of a girl who matched Sarah's description at Knutsford Services on the M6 motorway in Cheshire on the morning after her disappearance. Three days later, Michael and Sara Payne were warned by police to "prepare for the worst", explaining that the emphasis of their inquiries had shifted and that there was a possibility that their daughter might not be found safe and well.

On 17 July, a body was found in a field near Pulborough, West Sussex, some 15 mi from Kingston Gorse where Payne had disappeared. The next day, Sussex Police confirmed that the body had been identified as that of Sarah Payne. Police first visited Whiting's flat on the afternoon of 2 July 2000, but he was not there. The police returned that evening and questioned Whiting for over an hour before leaving. The officers left Whiting's flat but were suspicious of his apparent lack of concern for Sarah, which differed from the attitude of at least one other known sex offender who had already been questioned. When Whiting re-appeared soon afterwards and attempted to drive away in his van, he was stopped by the police. He spent two days in custody but the police had no concrete evidence to press any charges, although they had found a receipt for fuel at Buck Barn garage near Pulborough, which contradicted his alibi of being at a funfair in Hove at 5:30p.m. and then returning to his flat by 9:30p.m. on the night Sarah disappeared. Whiting was released on bail. Police had found a receipt for fuel from Buck Barn garage on the A24, not far from Coolham where one of Payne's shoes was found, contradicting his alibi.

After his initial arrest, Whiting did not return to his Littlehampton flat and went to live with his father in Crawley.

On 20 July, three days after Payne's body was found, a shoe was recovered from a roadside in the village of Coolham, three miles from Pulborough, and identified as one of those belonging to Sarah Payne.

On 23 July 2000, Whiting stole a Vauxhall Nova in Crawley and was pursued by police at speeds of up to 70 mph before crashing into a parked vehicle. Whiting was arrested on a charge of dangerous driving. He was remanded in custody until 27 September 2000, when he admitted to the charges and was jailed for 22 months.

After Whiting began his jail term for the car theft and dangerous driving, detectives carried out forensic tests on his 1988 white Fiat Ducato van, which he had bought on 23 June 2000.

On 6 February 2001, following seven months of investigation, Whiting was charged with the murder of Payne.

Trial
On 6 February 2001 Whiting appeared at Lewes Crown Court charged with abduction and murder. Whiting pleaded not guilty to both charges and was remanded in custody while still serving his sentence for the motoring offences, but the new charges against him prevented his release from prison during the summer of that year.

Whiting's trial began on 14 November 2001, at Lewes Crown Court. The jury heard from several witnesses. The key witnesses included Sarah Payne's oldest brother who had seen a 'scruffy-looking man with yellowish teeth' driving through Kingston Gorse on the evening that Sarah Payne went missing. Lee Payne did not pick out Whiting, however, when he was selected for an identity parade. One of Payne's shoes was found by a member of the public in a country lane and forensic tests had found fibres from Whiting's van on the shoe. This was the only item of Payne's clothing to be recovered. A strand of blonde hair on a T-shirt was found in Whiting's van. A DNA test established there was a one-in-a-billion chance of it belonging to anyone other than Payne. The jury also heard the testimony of two motorists who recalled a white van being parked at the roadside and pulling off a track on the evening of 1 July 2000, near the site where Payne's body was later found.

On 12 December 2001, after a four-week trial before Mr Justice Curtis and a jury, Whiting was convicted of the abduction and murder of Payne and he was sentenced to life imprisonment. The trial judge said it was a rare case in which a life sentence should mean life.

After Whiting was convicted, his previous convictions were revealed, which had been withheld from the jury and media. Police feared that any knowledge of his previous conviction could jeopardize the trial. In the event of being convicted, Whiting could argue that he had been tried on the evidence of an earlier crime, paving the way for an appeal and possible freedom. The fact that Whiting had now been exposed as a repeat offender sparked renewed calls for the government to allow controlled public access to the sex offender's register, although on the day after Whiting's conviction, the Home Office commented that such a system would be "unworkable," running the risk of driving paedophiles "underground", making it more difficult for the police to monitor and locate them, and putting them in danger of vigilante attacks.

This case is also notable for the extensive use of forensic science in establishing the prosecution case against Whiting. Twenty forensic experts from a variety of fields were employed during the inquiry, including entomology, palynology and environmental profiling, oil and lubricant analysis, pathology, geology, and archaeology. It has been estimated that the investigation involved 1,000 personnel and cost nearly £3million.

Sentencing
On 24 November 2002, Home Secretary David Blunkett ordered that Roy Whiting must serve a minimum of 50 years in prison. This made him ineligible for parole until 2051, when he would be at least 92 before parole could be considered. This was in effect an agreement with the trial judge's recommendation of a whole life tariff. Within 48 hours of the ruling being made, the Law Lords and the European Court of Human Rights had ruled in favour of another convicted murderer (Anthony Anderson) who was challenging the right of politicians to decide how long a murderer must spend in prison before being considered for parole.

In June 2004, the media reported that Whiting would apply to the Court of Appeal for a reduction of his 50-year minimum sentence. On 9 June 2010, Whiting's appeal resulted in a High Court Judge reducing his 50-year jail term by 10 years. Whiting's lawyers argued that the 50-year tariff, was politically motivated. The decision was also made at a time when the government was under fire from the public and media over a firefighters' strike. Mr Justice Simon said that under 2010 sentencing guidelines, Whiting might have received a whole life tariff. Whiting is now serving a 40-year minimum term, which will keep him in prison until at least 2041, when he will be 82. Payne's mother, Sara, was present and said she was "disappointed" by the decision and said that "life should mean life".

Roy Whiting
Roy William Whiting, the man found guilty of murdering Sarah Payne, was born in Horsham on 26 January 1959 and grew up in Crawley, where he lived for most of his life until he was convicted of the murder. He was one of six children born to George and Pamela Whiting, but three of his siblings died in infancy. He grew up in Langley Green, Crawley. In June 1986, he married Linda Booker. They separated before their son was born the following year and divorced in 1990. Whiting also fathered a daughter with another unnamed woman around 1990.

Whiting was involved in banger racing during his 20s and 30s, but eventually abandoned his interest in the sport due to a lack of success.

First conviction
On 4 March 1995, an eight-year-old girl was abducted and sexually assaulted in the Langley Green area of Crawley. Whiting was arrested several weeks later; a man who knew him came forward after hearing that the abductor's car was a red Ford Sierra, which matched the description of the car that Whiting had just sold. The vehicle was traced by police to its new owner and a knife was found hidden in it.

On 23 June 1995, Whiting admitted charges of abduction and indecent assault, and was sentenced to four years in prison. The maximum sentence for the crime was life imprisonment; however, he received a lesser sentence because he had admitted to the crime at an early opportunity, although a psychiatrist who assessed Whiting after his conviction said that he was likely to re-offend once he was released.

Whiting was released from prison in November 1997, having served 2 years and 5 months of his 4-year sentence, and was one of the first people in Britain to go on the sex offenders' register. He had been forced to serve an extra five months in prison before being released on licence as a penalty for refusing to participate in a sex offender rehabilitation programme.

Minimum sentence
On 24 November 2002, it was announced that Home Secretary David Blunkett had imposed a 50-year minimum sentence on Whiting, which meant that he would not be released from prison until 2051 at the age of 92.

Shortly afterwards, the High Court and European Court of Human Rights ruled in favour of another convicted murderer, Anthony Anderson, who was challenging the Home Secretary's right to decide whether a life sentence prisoner should be considered for parole.

In June 2004, the media reported that Whiting would appeal to the High Court for his sentence to be reduced. Whiting's appeal against the ruling was heard on 9 June 2010 at the High Court, which now has the final say on when or if a life sentence prisoner can be considered for parole. Whiting's lawyers argued that Blunkett's decision was politically motivated, as he had known for some time that he was likely to be stripped of his powers to decide on minimum terms for life sentence prisoners, that the government was under fire from the British public due to a firefighters strike, and that this would be an opportunity of setting a 50-year tariff for Whiting. The move that would prove popular with voters due to the high profile of the crime and the fact that it was still relatively fresh in the public imagination. Shortly before the decision was announced, Myra Hindley had died; she had been the life sentence prisoner whose minimum sentence had been gradually increased from 25 years to a whole life tariff by a succession of Home Secretaries, causing Hindley and her supporters to claim that her sentence was being increased in a similar fashion as Whiting's.

The High Court reduced Whiting's minimum term to 40 years, bringing forward his parole date to 2041, making him eligible for parole at the age of 82.

Attacks in prison
On 4 August 2002, Whiting was attacked with a razor by another prisoner while fetching hot water at HMP Wakefield. In June 2004, convicted murderer Rickie Tregaskis was found guilty of carrying out the slashing that left Whiting with a six-inch scar on his right cheek. Tregaskis, serving life for the murder of a disabled man in Cornwall, received a six-year sentence for the attack.

In July 2011, Whiting was again attacked in prison, and was stabbed in the eye. No charge was pressed by Whiting and consequently a police investigation into the assault was not undertaken. Whiting's injuries were not life-threatening.

A third attack on Whiting took place on 8 November 2018, when he was stabbed by two other prisoners in his cell at HMP Wakefield. He was taken to hospital for treatment but was returned to prison shortly after in a stable condition.

On 11 February 2024, Whiting was again attacked at HMP Wakefield. A police spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “At 5:14pm on Sunday 11 February 2024, police received a call from a member of staff at HMP Wakefield reporting a male prisoner had been stabbed. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life changing. Enquiries are going on with Wakefield CID.”

Sarah's Law
The campaign for Sarah's Law was spearheaded by the News of the World newspaper, and began in July 2000 in response to Payne's murder. This became the campaign for what is known as Sarah's Law, named after Megan's Law in the United States following a similar case several years earlier. Her parents backed the campaign as they were sure that their daughter's killer was a previously convicted child sex offender. Their belief was proved correct 17 months later when Roy Whiting was found guilty of the murder, and it was revealed that he already had a conviction for abducting and indecently assaulting an eight-year-old girl.

The aim of the campaign was for the government to allow controlled access to the sex offender registry, so parents with young children could know if a child sex offender lived in their area. Payne's mother has always insisted that such a law would have saved her daughter's life.

A modified scheme, whereby parents can enquire about a named individual who has regular access to their children, was introduced in four pilot areas of England and Wales in September 2008. In August 2010 the Home Office announced that, after proving successful, the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme would be extended to cover the whole of England and Wales by spring 2011. This law allows parents to ask the police if somebody with regular access to their children has a record of sexual offences.

Payne family
In July 2001, it was reported that Payne's parents received £11,000 compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, an executive agency of the UK Government. Sara Payne described the offer as a "sick joke" and "derisory", even though it was the maximum CICA could offer by law. Media sources were also keen to criticise the payout and compare it to much higher payouts made in criminal and civil law for relatively minor injuries and work related stress.

In 2004 the book Sara Payne: A Mother's Story, by Payne's mother Sara Payne, about her daughter's murder and the campaign for Sarah's Law, was published by Hodder & Stoughton.

Sara Payne was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in December 2008 for her work toward the passing of Sarah's Law. In December 2009, she suffered a life-threatening stroke and collapsed while at her home but went on to make a good recovery.

In July 2011, it was revealed that Sara Payne had been among those targeted in the News International phone hacking scandal. Payne refused to believe it, since the News of the World had been so helpful in championing Sarah's Law. She even wrote an editorial in the newspaper's final edition. Investigators initially thought she was not hacked because her name did not come up in records. However, personal details relating to her were found that were attributed to another suspected victim. Sara's phone that was hacked was given to her by the News of the World's Rebekah Brooks, editor at the time of Sarah's murder.

Payne's father, Michael, suffered from depression following the disappearance of his daughter. He separated from his wife of 18 years in August 2003, and subsequently became an alcoholic, leading to a 16-month jail term for attacking his brother with a glass in December 2011, while intoxicated. On 30 October 2014, he was found dead at his home in Maidstone, Kent. Police reported there were no suspicious circumstances; he was believed to have died of an alcohol related illness several days before his body was found.

title: Murder of Sarah Payne


text:
USS New Hampshire (SSN-778)

USS New Hampshire (SSN-778), a Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine, is the fourth vessel of the United States Navy to be named for the state of New Hampshire. She is the first of the Virginia-class Block-II submarines to enter service. Her name was awarded to the submarine after a letter-writing campaign by the third-graders from Garrison Elementary School and sixth graders from Dover Middle School in Dover to their members of Congress, the state governor, and the Secretary of the Navy.

History
The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut, on 14 August 2003. Construction began in January 2004. A keel-laying ceremony for the submarine was held at Electric Boat's Quonset Point facility in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, on 30 April 2007.

Sponsor
The ship's sponsor was Cheryl McGuinness of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the widow of Thomas McGuinness, co-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11, who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks when the jet was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Launched
The submarine was launched on 21 February 2008 and christened four months later, on 21 June 2008 in Groton, Connecticut, eight months ahead of schedule and $54 million under budget. New Hampshire finished sea trials and was delivered to the Navy on 28 August 2008. The boat was commissioned in a ceremony at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, on 25 October 2008. Although she is the fourth vessel to carry this name, one of her predecessors, USS New Hampshire (BB-70), was authorized but cancelled before keel laying.

Equipment failure while on deployment
During the week of 13 March 2011, while on a mission under the Arctic ice cap, New Hampshire suffered an oxygen generator failure. This failure required the submarine to surface through the ice. The crew had used oxygen candles to make oxygen until the boat surfaced. United Technologies, the company responsible for building the oxygen generator, dispatched a representative with needed replacement parts to the submarine by way of a temporary ice camp, to assist the crew in repairing the problem.

title: USS New Hampshire (SSN-778)


text:
François de Chasseloup-Laubat

François Charles Louis, marquis de Chasseloup-Laubat (August 18, 1754 – October 3, 1833) was a French general and military engineer during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

Biography
François de Chasseloup-Laubat was born at Saint-Sornin (Charente Inferieure), of a noble family, and entered the French engineers in 1774.

He was still a subaltern at the outbreak of the Revolution, becoming captain in 1791. His ability as a military engineer was recognized in the campaigns of 1792 and 1793. In the following year he won distinction in various actions and was promoted successively chef de bataillon and colonel. He was chief of engineers at the siege of Mainz in 1793, after which he was sent to Italy. He there commanded the positions and lines of advance of the army of Bonaparte. He was promoted brigadier-general before the close of the campaign, and was subsequently employed in fortifying the new Rhine frontier of France.

His work as chief of engineers in the army of Italy (1799) was conspicuously successful, and after the battle of Novi he was made general of division. When Napoleon took the field in 1800 to retrieve the disasters of 1799, he again selected Chasseloup as his engineer general. During the peace of 1801-1805 he was chiefly employed in reconstructing the defences of northern Italy, and in particular the afterwards famous Quadrilateral. His chef-d'œuvre was the great fortress of Alessandria on the Tanaro.

In 1805 he remained in Italy with André Masséna, but at the end of 1806 Napoleon, then engaged in the Polish campaign, called him to the Grande Armée, with which he served in the campaign of 1806–07, directing the sieges of Colberg, Danzig and Stralsund. During the Napoleonic domination in Germany, Chasseloup reconstructed many fortresses, in particular Magdeburg. In the campaign of 1809 he again served in Italy. In 1810 Napoleon made him a councillor of state. His last campaign was that of 1812 in Russia.

He retired from active service soon afterwards, though in 1814 he was occasionally engaged in the inspection and construction of fortifications. Louis XVIII made him a peer of France and a knight of St Louis. He refused to join Napoleon in the Hundred Days, but after the second Restoration he voted in the chamber of peers against the condemnation of Marshal Ney.

In politics he belonged to the constitutional party. The king created him a marquis. Chasseloup's later years were employed chiefly in putting in order his manuscripts, a task which he had to abandon owing to the failure of his sight. His only published work was Correspondance d'un général français, etc. sur divers sujets (Paris, 1801, republished Milan, 1805 and 1811, under the title Correspondance de deux générals, etc., essais sur quelques parties d'artillerie et de fortification). The most important of his papers are in manuscript in the Depot of Fortifications, Paris.

As an engineer Chasseloup was an adherent, though of advanced views, of the old bastioned system perfected by Vauban. He followed in many respects the engineer H.J.B. de Bousmard, whose Essai General de Fortification was published in 1797 and who fell, as a Prussian officer, in the defence of Danzig in 1807 against Chasseloup's own attack. His front as applied to Alessandria, contains many elaborations of the bastion trace, with, in particular, masked flanks in the tenaille, which served as extra flanks of the bastions. The bastion itself was carefully and minutely retrenched. The ordinary ravelin he replaced by a heavy casemated caponier after the example of Montalembert, and, like Bousmard's, his own ravelin was a large and powerful work pushed out beyond the glacis.

His wife, the daughter of François Fresneau de La Gataudière, brought him the Château de la Gataudière, at Marennes, Charente-Maritime; his youngest son, Prosper de Chasseloup-Laubat, was Minister of the Navy under Napoleon III.

title: François de Chasseloup-Laubat


text:
Rasputitsa

Rasputitsa (from распу́тица ; literally "season of bad roads" ), also called  (from ; ), is the mud season that occurs in various rural areas of Eastern Europe, when the rapid snowmelt or thawing of frozen ground combined with wet weather in spring, or heavy rains in autumn, lead to muddy conditions that make travel on unpaved roads problematic and even treacherous.

Rasputitsa has repeatedly affected wars by causing military vehicles and artillery pieces to become mired in the mud. In conjunction with the general conditions of winter, rasputitsa has been credited with encumbering the military campaigns of Napoleonic France in 1812 and Nazi Germany during Operation Barbarossa, as well as all belligerents in the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian war.

Etymology

The Russian term rasputitsa is derived from the root: путь (put, [putʼ]), meaning "road" or "way" or "travel"; + рас- (ras, [ras]), a word prefix meaning "discrepancy" or "divergence"; + -иц (-its, [it͡s]), a diminutive suffix; + а ([a]), a feminine noun ending.

The Ukrainian term бездоріжжя usually refers to spring, and occasionally to autumn, when rain and/or melting snow on unpaved roads, tracks, paths, or any poorly-drained off-road area turns the route into impassable deep mud.

Swedish menföre "bad going" and Finnish kelirikko "broken state of roads" (lit. "weather-break") also apply to when water is too iced over for boats but not strong enough to cross on foot or in other vehicles. Finnish eastern dialects also have the Russian loanword rospuutto, which has the same usage as rasputitsa.

In countries of the former Soviet Union, the concept is applied to two periods during the year – spring and autumn – and also refers to impassable road conditions during such a period, specifically the heavy rains of October and the thaw of the frozen steppe in March.

Effects

These conditions in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine are caused by high moisture storage capacity of black clay soils but not limited solely to the area of chernozem found in the region and works as a sponge. Roads are subject to weight limitations and closures during the period in certain districts. The phenomenon was a notable hindrance in the early 20th century, since 40% of rural villages in the erstwhile Soviet Union were not served by paved roads. The problem is less pronounced in elevated areas than in lowlands.

Roads that run through wetlands are particularly susceptible to damage. This phenomenon not only affects motorists but also pedestrians, mining, logging and agricultural companies creating deep ruts and furrows. During the time of rasputitsa, some farm products cannot be delivered to the city (i.e. to market) and must be destroyed.

Autumn thawing occurs when the average daily air temperature drops to +5°C, which reduces the evaporation of moisture, and the frequency of rains saturating the upper soil layer increases. In Canada there is definitely a rasputitsa period, though it does not occur everywhere or necessarily in the fall, and it is not considered a rasputitsa by name.

Climate change in Russia and warmer winters in the Russian Arctic are a big disadvantage: Rasputitsa lasted previously for 2–3 weeks, and now it reaches two months.

Armed conflict

The rasputitsa seasons are well-known as a defensive advantage in wartime. Spring thaw was a factor that helped prevent Novgorod from being overrun during the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus' in the 13th century. The 'season of bad roads' also proved to be a great hindrance in and after the Battle of Krasnoi, when many horses, carriages and cannon were stuck in the snow or mud and left behind during the French retreat from Russia. Rasputitsa reduced the mobility of both armies but it seemed to be more favorable to the defender.

 * Already on 29/30 June 1812 (five days after crossing the Russian border on their march towards Vilna) "Marshal Mud" played a significant role, when a violent thunderstorm struck Lithuania during the night and continued for a day. Ca 15 or 18,000 horses were lost; they sank to their knees on the primitively constructed roads through mostly swampy areas near Trakai. The Grande Armée lost 50,000 men in two days due to fatigue and want.

"General Mud" is a nickname (sometimes) used in the Western Front in the Battles of Ypres in December 1916.

During World War II, the months-long muddy period slowed the German advance into the Soviet Union during the Operation Typhoon on the Eastern Front, and may have helped save Moscow from falling under a German military occupation. The advent of Blitzkrieg had the disadvantage that while tanks could operate effectively in summer or in winter, they proved less useful in spring and autumn, when the functioning of an efficient railway system came into its own.

Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, some analysts identified the logistical challenges of the mud season as a likely hindrance to any large-scale invasion in spring. When Russia crossed the border, many of its mobile units found themselves stranded in fields and limited to major roads, where resistance and logistical issues significantly slowed the advance toward Kyiv and elsewhere.

title: Rasputitsa


text:
Danish Society of Engineers

IDA, The Danish Society of Engineers, (Ingeniørforeningen) is a Danish trade union and interest group for highly educated professionals with a background in technology, science or IT. It has the abbreviation IDA (Ingeniørforeningen i Danmark). IDA's headquarters are in Copenhagen, Denmark.

As of 2024, IDA has over 158,000 members. IDA's main objectives are "To gather Danish engineers and other eligible candidates to look after the interests of the engineerial profession" and "To assert the significance of technical and scientific education and research to society."

IDA organises both employees, managers and the self-employed, and offers advice and feedback on, for example, matters relating to career, job search, salary, legal issues and working environment.

As an association, IDA connects members based on their professional specialties e.g. IT, construction, environment or management. Members can also meet for personal development events or for social-cultural offers. IDA hosts around 3000 annual events throughout Denmark. Many of the events are organised by volunteer IDA members.

Denmark's Best Trade Union 2021, 2022 and 2023
IDA was named the best trade union in Denmark in 2021, 2022 and again in 2023 in the "Industry Index Trade Unions 2021, 22, 23” from Loyalty Group. In the survey, IDA scored highest on both member satisfaction and member loyalty.

IDA’s members
Highly educated STEM professionals make up the majority of IDA members.

Number of members as of 2022, 2012 and 2002: Unlike many unions, IDA organises both employees, managers (around 12%) and the self-employed (around 4%) and provides advice tailored to the different roles and work situations of members in each category.

International members
IDA has 10,400 (7%) English-speaking members who have either been recruited to Denmark for their professional skills and education, or who have completed their education in Denmark and chosen to settle there.

IDA supports non-Danish members in their transition to the Danish labour market by providing them with information on Danish workplace culture and the role of trade unions in Denmark. IDA provides the same advice to non-Danish-speaking members on legal matters, careers and working life, for example, as to Danish members.

IDA also organises a wide range of events in English.

Young professionals
In 2011 IDA established IDA Young Professionals (Danish: Yngre Fagligt Forum), a network for young professionals in Denmark. The network is active in the international umbrella organization European Young Engineers where it also represents young engineers from Denmark in the Council Meetings.

Requirements for membership
A wide range of university programmes in the fields of STEM are qualifying for becoming a member of IDA. It is also possible to join IDA with other university degrees as a professional in an IT, engineering or technology company, for example in consultancies, financial institutions and many start-ups.

In addition, IDA membership is open to those without a degree who work in one of the three areas (digitisation, technology and science) at such a high level that their skills are equivalent to a long university degree.

IDA's history
The Danish Society of Engineers, IDA, was founded on 1 January 1995 by a merger between the two former engineering associations Danish Engineers Association, founded 1892 and The Engineers' Association (Danish: Ingeniør-Sammenslutningen), founded 1937. The two engineers' associations differed mainly in the type of engineers they admitted and thus in the positions they held.

The Danish Engineers' Association, DIF, was founded in 1892 as an association for graduates of the Polytechnic Institute (which later became DTU). In 1933, the title "Master of Engineering" was introduced for graduates with an engineering degree of at least 5 years.

The Engineers' Association, I-S originally consisted of 3 graduate associations for constructor and BSc graduates. These graduates typically had a shorter education compared to their colleagues from the Polytechnic, and they often had a more technical or craft-oriented background.

The two associations worked closely together on several issues and slowly worked towards a merger. In 1975, the two associations' membership magazines were merged to form Ingeniøren, and in 1976 the merger was put to a vote in the two associations. But the members of DIF were not ready for a merger.

It took 18 years before the members of both associations finally voted in favour of a merger. The year after the vote in 1995, the merger was a reality.

Chairpersons through the years

 * Laura Klitgaard, Master of Engineering in Architecture, 2022
 * Aske Nydam Guldberg, Master of Engineering in circular economy (Acting Chairperson until 2023)
 * Thomas Damkjær Petersen, Master of Engineering, 2016-2022
 * Frida Frost, Master of Engineering, 2010-2016
 * Lars Bytoft, Bachelor of Engineering, 2004-2010
 * Per Ole Front, Master of Engineering, 1999-2004
 * Ole Schiøth, Master of Engineering, 1995-1999

Organisation
IDA works in three different areas simultaneously:

 * As a trade union: IDA's purpose is to ensure a good working life for its members, to train and retrain as many as possible to meet the needs of the labour market, and to provide advice on legal and career-related issues.
 * As a political interest group: IDA seeks to influence Danish politicians, the business community and other stakeholders to put knowledge and education first and base decisions on expert knowledge.
 * As a business: IDA Insurance and IDA Conference are independent companies that are part of IDA Group operate alongside the Danish Society of Engineers, IDA.

IDA as a trade union
A number of IDA branches have direct contact with members and assist them across a wide range of concerns and challenges related to their work life.

 * IDA helps the professional groups it represents to organise in the workplace, trains union representatives and assists in negotiations between employee organisations and employers.
 * IDA's legal department reads employment contracts for new recruits, negotiates resignations for terminated members and takes responsibility if a dispute between parties goes to court.
 * IDA's career counsellors helps members organise their working lives to best suit the individual.
 * IDA's occupational health and safety consultants assist both members and companies employing IDA members in ensuring healthy working conditions and practices for employees.
 * IDA Learning collects and compiles courses and continuing education in the fields in which IDA members work.
 * 73 volunteer-based technical networks are organised through IDA. The technical networks are made up of volunteer members who share a common professional interest and come into contact with other professionals in their field via IDA. The networks gather both for social events and professional conferences.
 * While still a student, one can join IDA and get access to low-cost insurance, social and professional networking events, online job search workshops and exam guides and tutoring.

Member democracy
The IDA Board of Representatives is the supreme authority of the association. The Board of Representatives consists of 65 persons elected by the voting members of the Association. Graduate members elect 61 persons to the Board of Representatives and student members elect 4 persons to the Board of Representatives.

Elections to the Board of Representatives are held every 3 years. The Board of Representatives elects an executive committee, which is responsible to the Board of Representatives for the management of the association. The Executive Committee is elected for a period of 3 years. The members of the executive committee can be re-elected only once. The Board of Representatives shall also elect a Chairperson for a term of three years. Re-election is possible once.

IDA is also the setting for a wide range of regional network all of which are run by active members on voluntary boards.

IDA as a political interest group
The political work of IDA is an extension of the work of the Board of Representatives. While the Board of Representatives sets the direction for the work of the IDA, the staff of the IDA Policy Department is responsible for implementing the decisions.

IDA Group
IDA also has a number of wholly or partly owned subsidiaries related to IDA's core businesses.

 * IDA Insurance- IDA Insurance is an insurance mediator offering insurance to members.
 * IDA Conference - IDA Conference is a conference centre located in the IDA headquarters in Copenhagen and offers facilities for meetings and conferences. It services both IDA's many professional groups and external companies and private persons hosting conferences, meetings, concerts, Christmas parties or private celebrations.
 * Teknologiens Mediehus A/S - IDA is also the major shareholder (5 million DKK) in the weekly magazine Ingeniøren, published by the media company Teknologiens mediehus. Teknologiens mediehus publishes both the general technology news magazine Ingeniøren and ing.dk, the IT media Version2.dk, PRO media - a number of niche media and the job portal Jobfinder.dk.
 * IEF - The IEF is an abbreviation of the Engineers' Further Education Fund. The IEF works to promote the professional competences and social understanding of engineers and graduates.
 * Mannaz - Mannaz is an international company that develops the skills of managers, project leaders and knowledge workers
 * AKA Akademikernes A-kasse - IDA does not run its own unemployment fund, but works closely with other academic organisations on the unemployment insurance fund AKA - Akademikernes A-kasse. IDA is represented on the AKA Board.
 * P+ and ISP - pension funds - IDA recommends that members take out a pension in either P+ or ISP. IDA is represented on the boards of both pension funds.

Danish and international organisations
IDA represents its members in a number of Danish and international organisations

At a national level
IDA belongs to The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).

Internationally

FEANI - a federation of national engineering organisations from 29 European countries.

ANE - the Association of Nordic Engineers.

title: Danish Society of Engineers


text:
Viriato

Viriato may refer to:

 * Viriathus (died 139 BC), a leader of the Lusitanian people that resisted Roman expansion in Iberia
 * Viriatos, named after Viriathus, Portuguese volunteers who fought with the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
 * HD 45652 b, named Viriato, an exoplanet

title: Viriato


text:
Oreana

Oreana may refer to:
 * Oreana (moth), a genus of moth
 * Oreana, Idaho
 * Oreana, Illinois
 * Oreana, Nevada
 * Oreana Peak, in Nevada

title: Oreana


text: Category:Manic Street Preachers albums

title: Category:Manic Street Preachers albums