Dufferin Rifles of Canada

The Dufferin Rifles of Canada
Active	1866-1936
Country	Canada
Branch	Canadian Militia
Type	Rifle Regiment
Part of	Non-Permanent Active Militia
Garrison/HQ	Brantford, Ontario
Engagements	First World War
Battle honours	Somme, Arras, Vimy, and others

The Dufferin Rifles of Canada was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Non-Permanent Active Militia (now the Canadian Army) 1866-1936.

In 1936, the regiment was amalgamated with the Haldimand Rifles to form the Dufferin and Haldimand Rifles of Canada. Later that unit was converted to artillery as the 56th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA.

Notable members of the regiment included Sergeant William Merrifield, who won the Victoria Cross, and Lieutenant-General Ernest Charles Ashton.

Lineage

• Originated on 28 September 1866, in Brantford, Ontario, as the 38th Brant Battalion of Infantry.
• Redesignated on 30 November 1866, as the 38th Brant Battalion of Infantry.
• Redesignated on 24 March 1871, as the 38th Brant Battalion of Rifles.
• Redesignated on 3 July 1874, as the 38th Brant Battalion or Dufferin Rifles.
• Redesignated on 28 September 1883, as the 38th Battalion Dufferin Rifles of Canada.
• Redesignated on 8 May 1900, as the 38th Regiment Dufferin Rifles of Canada.
• Redesignated on 1 May 1920, as The Dufferin Rifles of Canada.
• Amalgamated on 15 December 1936, with The Haldimand Rifles and C Company of the 3rd Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC, and Redesignated as The Dufferin and Haldimand Rifles of Canada.

Chart

Lineage chart

1856 Paris Rifle Coy 1861 No. 1 Brantford Rifle Coy 1862 No. 2 Brantford Highland Rifle Coy 1863 Mount Pleasant Infy Coy 1866 Brantford Infy Coy Burford Infy Coy Newport Infy Coy 1866 38th "Brant Bn of Infy" 1866 38th "Brant" Bn of Infy 1871 38th "Brant" Bn of Rifles 1874 38th "Brant" Bn or "Dufferin Rifles" 1883 38th Bn "Dufferin Rifles of Canada" 1900 38th Regt "Dufferin Rifles of Canada" 1914 4th Bn, CEF 36th Bn, CEF 1915 125th "Overseas" Bn, CEF 1916 215th "Overseas" Bn, CEF 1917 Absorbed by 3rd Reserve Bn, CEF Absorbed by 2nd Reserve Bn, CEF 1918 Absorbed by 8th Reserve Bn, CEF 1920 Disbanded 1st Bn (4th Bn, CEF), The Dufferin Rifles of Canada 2nd Bn (36th Bn, CEF), The Dufferin Rifles of Canada 3rd Bn (125th Bn, CEF), The Dufferin Rifles of Canada 4th Bn (215th Bn, CEF), The Dufferin Rifles of Canada 1st Bn (114th Bn, CEF), The Haldimand Rifles C Coy, 3rd MG Bn, CMGC 1936 Disbanded Disbanded Disbanded 1936 The Dufferin and Haldimand Rifles of Canada

Perpetuations

• 4th Battalion (Central Ontario), CEF
• 36th Battalion, CEF
• 125th Battalion (1st Overseas Battalion of 38th Regiment Dufferin Rifles), CEF
• 215th Battalion (2nd Overseas Battalion of 38th Regiment Dufferin Rifles), CEF

Organization

38th Brant Battalion of Infantry (28 September 1866)

• No. 1 Company (1st Brantford Rifles) (Brantford, Ontario) (first raised on 13 December 1861 as the 1st Brantford Rifle Company)
• No. 2 Company (2nd Brantford Rifles) (Brantford, Ontario) (first raised on 3 July 1862 as the 2nd Brantford Highland Rifle Company)
• No. 3 Company (Paris Rifles) (Paris, Ontario) (first raised on 26 June 1856 as the Volunteer Militia Company of Paris)
• No. 4 Company (Mount Pleasant Infantry) (Mount Pleasant, Ontario) (first raised on 30 January 1863 as the Mount Pleasant Infantry Company; later disbanded 6 February 1869)
• No. 5 Company (3rd Brantford Rifles) (Brantford, Ontario) (first raised on 1 June 1866 as the 3rd Brantford Infantry Company)
• No. 6 Company (Burford Infantry) (Burford, Ontario) (first raised on 17 August 1866 as the Burford Infantry Company of Volunteer Militia)
• No. 7 Company (Newport Infantry) (Newport, Ontario) (first raised on 31 August 1866 as the Newport Infantry Company; later disbanded on 14 December 1866)

The Dufferin Rifles of Canada (01 September, 1920)

• 1st Battalion (perpetuating the 4th Battalion, CEF)
• 2nd (Reserve) Battalion (perpetuating the 36th Battalion, CEF)
• 3rd (Reserve) Battalion (perpetuating the 125th Battalion, CEF)
• 4th (Reserve) Battalion (perpetuating the 215th Battalion, CEF)

Battle honours

In 1929, the regiment was granted these honours for the Great War. The list is identical to the honours granted at the same time to the 4th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF.

• Ypres 1915, '17
• Gravenstafel
• St. Julien
• Festubert, 1915
• Mount Sorrel
• Somme, 1916
• Pozières
• Flers-Courcelette
• Ancre Heights
• Arras 1917, '18
• Vimy, 1917
• Arleux
• Scarpe, 1917, '18
• Hill 70
• Passchendaele
• Amiens
• Drocourt–Quéant
• Hindenburg Line
• Canal du Nord
• Pursuit to Mons
• France and Flanders, 1915–18