The Royal Montreal Regiment traces its origins to August, 1914 as part of country’s response to the outbreak of war. The “1st Regiment, Royal Montreal Regiment” was raised by the amalgamation of several companies of each of three existing Montreal Militia Regiments: The 1st Regiment, Canadian Grenadier Guards (372 men and 12 officers); The 3rd Regiment, Victoria Rifles of Canada (355 men and 12 officers), and the 65th Regiment, Carabiniers Mont-Royal (276 men and 8 officers). As the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was organized by the Minister of Militia, the RMR was re-designated as the 14th Battalion (RMR), part of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division. 983 men and 32 officers departed Montreal as the RMR, bound for Valcartier, QC for further training and reinforcement.
In October 1914 the RMR, over a thousand strong, arrived in Britain, together with the rest of the first contingent of the CEF. Six months after leaving Montreal, elements of the Regiment were already committed to the Western front, soon to be followed by the remainder of the RMR. The Regiment’s first battle honour, YPRES, was coincidental with the first use of poison gas by the Germans. As can be clearly seen from the many battle honours proudly emblazoned upon the regimental colours, the RMR fought through much of the bitter trench warfare that characterized the Great War. In the process, the Regiment left a battalion, 1192 strong, in the fields of France and Flanders. By war’s end, of the six thousand soldiers who had worn the RMR badge, three-quarters were casualties, and over half had suffered serious wounds.
