Royal Winnipeg Rifles
| Royal Winnipeg Rifles | |
|---|---|
Cap badge of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles
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| Active | 1883–present |
| Country | Canada |
| Branch | Canadian Army |
| Type | Rifles |
| Part of | 38 Canadian Brigade Group |
| Garrison/HQ | Minto Armoury, Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Nickname(s) | Little Black Devils |
| Motto(s) | Hosti acie nominati |
| March | "Old Solomon Levi" |
| Website | army-armee |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel-in-Chief | HRH the Prince of Wales |
| Abbreviation | R Wpg Rif |
| Location | Minto Armoury, 969 St. Matthews Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
|---|---|
| Type | Military Museum |
The Royal Winnipeg Rifles (R Wpg Rif) are a Primary Reserve one-battalion infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. Nicknamed the "Little Black Devils", they are based at Minto Armoury in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Royal Winnipeg Rifles are part of 3rd Canadian Division's 38 Canadian Brigade Group.
The 90th Winnipeg Battalion of Rifles were formed on 9 November 1883 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William Nassau Kennedy. Within two years of formation, the 90th battalion served in the 1885 North-West Rebellion, fighting at Fish Creek and Batoche. The regimental Latin motto is Hosti Acie Nominati, which means “named by the enemy in battle”. After the Battle of Fish Creek during the North-West Rebellion of 1885, a captured Métis asked, "The red coats we know, but who are those little black devils?", a reference to the fact that while infantry of the line wore red coats, the Winnipeg soldiers were clad in traditional rifle green. From that point on, the 90th Rifles (and later Royal Winnipeg Rifles) became informally nicknamed the "Little Black Devils".
Some former members of the 90th Rifles served in South Africa during the Boer War as members of other Canadian units, resulting in the award of the South Africa 1899–1900 battle honour.
The regiment raised several battalions for the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the Great War, the most notable being the 8th Battalion (90th Winnipeg Rifles), CEF, which served in the 2nd Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Division. The Battalion saw some of the heaviest fighting in World War I, distinguishing itself at battles such as Ypres, the Somme, Vimy, Passchendaele, Amiens, Arras and Cambrai.
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