Honours
Battle honours and honorary distinctions are awarded to provide public recognition of and to record a combatant unit’s active participation in battle against a formed and armed enemy.
Combatant units are those whose purpose is to close with and defeat, neutralize or destroy the enemy as an effective fighting force.
NOTE: Battle honours in BOLD are authorized for emblazonment on the Regimental cap badge and drums.
The Battle Honours
North-West Rebellion
FISH CREEK, BATOCHE, NORTH WEST CANADA, 1885
Drummer William Buchanan Mentioned in Dispatches (MID) 90th Winnipeg Battalion of Rifles
The first military honour granted to a member of the Regiment was to Drummer William (Willy) Buchanan for coolness and gallantry in battle during the April 1885 Battle of Fish Creek.
South African War
SOUTH AFRICA, 1899-1900
The First World War
YPRES, 1915, '17; Gravenstafel; St. Julien; FESTUBERT, 1915; MOUNT SORREL; SOMME, 1916, '18; Flers-Courcelette; Thiepval; Ancre Heights; Ancre, 1916; ARRAS, 1917, '18; Vimy, 1917; Arleux; HILL 70; Passchendaele; AMIENS; Scarpe, 1917, '18; Drocourt-Quéant; HINDENBURG LINE; Canal du Nord; Cambrai, 1918; VALENCIENNES; FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1915-18.
Pte. George “Nobby” Clark Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM): 8th Canadian Battalion (90th Winnipeg Rifles)
8th Battalion Chaplain Albert Woods described the act of “conspicuous courage” that won Clark a DCM
It was growing dark as we took over; the front or firing trench, being a scant 150 yards from the enemy front line. Clark looked across to the enemy trenches, and noticed about midway across no man's land, a man's hand raised above a shell hole. He at once wormed his way to the shell hole and in the face of rifle and machine gun fire carried his man back to our trench. He then returned to the shell hole and brought back an abandoned enemy machine gun.
Cpl. David Morgan MM ( Military Medal) 8th Canadian Battalion (90th Winnipeg Rifles)
Morgan was awarded the MM for carrying dispatches through an enemy bombardment of high explosives, shrapnel and gas shells on 18 August 1917 at the Battle of Hill 70.
Honorary Distinction
Oak leaf shoulder badge for the actions of the 10th Battalion, CEF, at Kitchener’s Wood on 22/23 April 1915.
Note:
The Regiment is entitled, through perpetuations of CEF units, to the battle honour PURSUIT TO MONS, but this honour cannot be perpetuated when a regiment already holds either VALENCIENNES or SAMBRE. The regiment is entitled to the honour of VALENCIENNES through the perpetuation of the 44th Battalion, CEF.
The Second World War
NORMANDY LANDING; Putot-en-Bessin; CAEN; Carpiquet; The Orne; BOURGUÉBUS RIDGE; FALAISE; The Laison; The Seine, 1944; Calais, 1944; THE SCHELDT; Leopold Canal; Breskens Pocket; THE RHINELAND; Waal Flats; Moyland Wood; THE RHINE; Emmerich-Hoch Elten; Deventer; NORTH-WEST EUROPE, 1944-1945.
Major Hugh Denison DSO (Distinguished Service Order) Royal Winnipeg Rifles
Medals on display in the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Museum
The London Gazette, dated May 26th, 1945:
On the 21st of February 1945 “D” Company, Royal Winnipeg Rifles, commanded by Captain (Acting Major) Denison was ordered to capture the high ground, which is thickly wooded and overlooks Moyland, Germany to the North East. This attack was quickly pushed home despite the heavy defensive fire put down by the enemy and the few enemy that were left alive withdrew.
Later in the day “D” Company was ordered to pass through “C” Company and to seize the high ground at the eastern tip of the wood. This required a 1000 yard advance through an extremely thick wood which was being subjected to the full weight of the enemy’s fire. Casualties amongst Major Denison’s men were heavy but ceaselessly moving from platoon to platoon he kept control of his company and by his own personal courage inspired his men to go on. Machine gun fire from prepared positions on the hill feature was intense but by skillfully maneuvering his men he got his now depleted company into an assaulting position and stormed the hill top with he himself leading.
During the consolidation phase they were counterattacked twice by the enemy, both of these were successfully beaten off with heavy casualties to the Germans. When the enemy were seen forming up for a third attack Major Denison, from the crest of the hill and in full view of the enemy personally sited and directed the fire of a troop of tanks, which had come up in the meantime. The defensive fire brought down by the company and the tanks quickly broke up the enemy attack and they withdrew.
By his initiative, leadership, courage and offensive spirit Major Denison was able to inspire his men to hold their hard won objective thus securing the left flank of the Brigade.
Awarded in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the field.
Jack Mitchell MC (Military Cross) Royal Winnipeg Rifles
Medals on display in the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Museum
Jack Mitchell, Winnipeg Free Press, 12 December 2015
On D-Day, Lieutenant Mitchell took a bridge by clearing it of grenades with his bare hands. For his bravery that day, ensconced in a full body cast, Mitchell received the Military Cross personally from King George V1 at Buckingham Palace. In 2004, the French Government bestowed on him the Legion of Honour.
South-West Asia
AFGHANISTAN
Honours
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross has been awarded to three Royal Winnipeg Rifles soldiers, all during the First World War, 1914-1918. We are proud to have Corporal Coppins’ Victoria Cross medal in our collection.