North West Canada Medal 1885, with Saskatchewan clasp to 90th (Winnipeg Rifles) Battalion
North West Canada Medal 1885, with Saskatchewan clasp to 90th (Winnipeg Rifles) Battalion
Named in contemporary engraved block capitals: John Raper 90th Battn.
GVF, with edge knocks.
Appears on the City Directory as a Builder, looks like he may of originated from Stockton-on-Tess, England.
In 1883, the 90th Winnipeg Battalion of Rifles was authorized by the Government, becoming the oldest infantry regiment in western Canada.
During the Northwest Canada Expedition in 1885 the Regiment faced its baptism of fire in the Battles of Fish Creek and Batoche. During the former an adversary was baffled as to who were the dark-coated men (referring to the Regiment’s dark green coats) fighting alongside the red-coated Canadian militia said “The redcoats we know, but who are those little black devils?”
The moniker stuck and the motto “HOSTI ACIE NOMINATI” (Named by the Enemy Force) and the rampant devil are emblazed on the Regiment’s cap badge. Since then, the members of the regiment proudly call themselves “Little Black Devils". (Although Hostium Acie Nominati is the grammatically correct Latin translation of the Regimental Motto, Hosti Acie Nominati has been in common use since 15 April 1913 and the Regiment has opted to continue to use this historically significant version vice the grammatically correct version.)
