Yeohelmetguy
Well-known member
This new post, number 8, highlights a brief history of the Governor General’s Body Guard (of Canada) and show cases an 1871 pattern dragoon troopers’ dragoon helmet currently house in my collection as worn until the regiments’ amalgamation in 1936.
The Governor General's Body Guard was a Royal guard regiment of the Canadian Army that formed part of the country's household troops. The Body Guard was the senior regiment of the Canadian Army and the equivalent of the British Army's Lifeguards and Royal Horse Guards. In 1936 the regiment amalgamated with the Mississauga Horse to become The Governor General’s Horse Guards Originated in 1810 as Button's Troop
• Formed on 16 August 1822 as the York Dragoons from the 1st West York Regiment of Volunteer Infantry
• Redesignated in 1837 as the Queen's Light Dragoons for duty during the 1837 rebellion
• Separated in 1839 as an independent unit from its parent infantry battalion
• Redesignated on 27 December 1855 as the 1st Toronto Troop of The Volunteer Militia Cavalry of the County of York
• Redesignated on 27 April 1866 as The Governor General's Body Guard for Upper Canada
• Redesignated on 1 July 1867 as The Governor General's Body Guard for Ontario
• Reorganized on 5 May 1876 as a two troop squadron
• Reorganized on 17 May 1889 as a full regiment
• Redesignated on 13 July 1895 as The Governor General's Body Guard
• Amalgamated on 15 December 1936 with The Mississauga Horse and redesignated as The Governor General's Horse Guards
The regiment dates as far back as 1822 in York, Upper Canada, now Toronto. For the remainder of the 19th century this troop was recognized as the cavalry of the city of Toronto. It has links to the 1st York Light Dragoons formed in 1810 by Major John Button or Button's Troop which he commanded until 1831. Also known as “Denison's Troop”, it began as the York Dragoons under the command of Captain George Taylor Denison. Under the Militia Act of 1793, service in the militia was mandatory for all healthy male citizens aged 16 to 60 years. Like most militia in Canada during this period, the Dragoons were raised and financed by wealthy gentry, in this case the Denison family, as volunteers were not part of a regular army. The dragoons began as a local mounted infantry companies linked to the parent West York Regiment of Militia. This peculiar organization was a practice that started during the American Revolution with the Loyalist militia regiment the "Queen's York Rangers". Light cavalry was needed to provide dispatch duty, scouting, flank protection and picketing for the infantry battalion. Full militia cavalry regiments were too expensive to operate and large-scale cavalry operations were of little use in the dense forests of eastern North America. The cavalry troop was sufficient to serve the purpose and militia infantry were allowed to raise cavalry troops under the Militia Act of 1808. This unit, like many local military units, was made up of volunteers and formed to supplement the presence of British Army units in Upper Canada. The company or troop broke from the parent infantry battalion and became an independent troop of cavalry in 1839.
The troop was one of only two fully uniformed militia units to rally to the flag with the threat of unrest and rebellion within the colony, in 1837. The troop was given new uniforms, fully armed and redesignated the "Queens Light Dragoons". Operating alongside the local Markham Troop, forming a squadron, the QLD participated in a number of actions during the rebellion to include Gallows Hill, Navy Island and Town of Scotland. The Toronto troop was on active service for several months during this crisis.
In 1866, the troop was the only cavalry in Upper Canada to be placed on active duty, engaged and employed against the Fenian Irish Republican Army invasion from the United States. The troop lead Col Peacock's Column to meet the Fenian force along the Niagara Peninsula as scouts. The troop was the first unit to enter and relieve the town of Fort Erie - capturing several Fenians before they escaped across the Niagara River. The Fenian force was defeated and many of its members arrested by Canadian and American authorities.
By the mid-19th Century, Britain began to pull its army out of Canada for the Crimea War and the need to establish a Canadian army became clear. With the enactment of the Militia Act of 1855, the Canadian Militia Department was established. Under the act, the Canadian Militia unit establishment was drafted by the new department. Local militia units for the first time were recognized as standing units to become a more critical part of the defense of Canada. In 1847 the unit was gazetted and became known as the 1st Toronto Independent Troop of Cavalry. It was renamed again in 1855 as the 1st Troop of Volunteer Militia Cavalry of the County of York and placed on the Militia list 27 Sept 1855. In 1866 it was renamed 1st York Troop The Governor General's Body Guard for Upper Canada and in 1867 became The Governor General's Body Guard for Ontario. After British forces completely left Canada in 1870 the Canadian Government raised a small regular force and began to look at reorganizing the Militia cavalry into full regiments. Most of the independent troops across the country were amalgamated into numbered regiments of dragoons or hussars during the 1870s. The Governor General’s Body Guard was the only non-numbered corps and was expanded to squadron strength in 1876. With a final rationalization of the Canadian Cavalry Corps in 1889, the Governor General's Body Guard was brought to full regimental strength with the amalgamation of the local Markham and Oak Ridge’s Troops of the 2nd Regiment of Cavalry (later the 2nd Dragoons). The name was changed a final time in 1895 to The Governor General's Body Guard of Canada
The Governor General’s Body Guard was mobilized as a full squadron and participated in the Northwest rebellion in 1885 as rear area security for General Middleton’s force. The squadron's task was to protect the main supply route for the force in place with routine patrols from the rail line to Batoche and to secure the only supply depot and telegraph station at Humboldt. A fort was built, consisting of an earthen berm, around the telegraph station and named "Fort Denison". Middleton’s force defeated the Metis at Batoche.
The Governor General’s Body Guard, as a regiment, supplied some 50 men to augment the small Canadian Regular Army for service in South Africa in 1900. Lieutenant Hampton Cockburn earned the Victoria Cross while serving as a volunteer with the Royal Canadian Dragoons during the war.
Like all of the Canadian militia during the First World War, the Governor General’s Body Guard was not activated for active service overseas, but rather assisted in raising numbered battalions for the Canadian Expeditionary Force and recruiting to fill the CEF ranks. Thousands of Toronto's citizens were recruited through the Governor General Body Guard for service in the trenches. The Governor General’s Body Guard supplied soldiers for the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles and 124th and 216th Battalions to name a few. In 1936 the regiment was amalgamated with The Mississauga Horse to become The Governor General’s Horse Guards.
The Governor General’s Body Guard has been awarded the battle honors: Rebellions of 1837-1838 /Upper Canada Rebellion; Fenian Raids1866; Northwest Rebellion 1885; Boer War (1899); First World War 1914-1918.
By May 1889 The Governor General's Body Guard for Ontario was organizes into four troops: A Troop (York, Ontario), B Troop (York, Ontario), C Troop (Oak Ridge’s, Ontario) (redesignation of No. 2 Troop, 2nd Cavalry Regiment), D Troop (Markham, Ontario) (redesignation of No. 3 Troop, 2nd Regiment of Cavalry). By March 1921, The Governor General's Body Guard had evolved into a three-squadron regiment with the regimental headquarters split between Toronto and Ontario with the three squadrons, A, B and C all located in Toronto and Ontario.
The focus of this post is fine example of the 1871 pattern dragoon helmet as worn by the Governor General’s Body Guard (Canada). The helmet is made of German silver with all brass fitting. The helmet is surmounted with a white horsehair plume. The central devise displays a Canadian Maple Leaf within a band inscribed “Governor General’s Body Guard” and a supplementary scroll below in scribed with the regimental motto “Nulli Secundus”, Second to None. The regiment adopted this helmet in 1871 when a major change in uniform occurred, the regiment discarding its light dragoon dress in favor of adopting the uniform worn by dragoons and in the case of the Governor General’s Body Guard a dragoon uniform closely styled like that worn by the regular British army’s 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers).
Please enjoy!!
David
The four Canadian dragoon helmets in my collection, Left to Right: Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians); Governor General's Body Guard; Royal Canadian Dragoons; Princess Louise's (Canadian) Dragoon Guards.
Troop Sargeant, Governer General's Body Guard Officer, Governor General's Body Guard
The Governor General's Body Guard was a Royal guard regiment of the Canadian Army that formed part of the country's household troops. The Body Guard was the senior regiment of the Canadian Army and the equivalent of the British Army's Lifeguards and Royal Horse Guards. In 1936 the regiment amalgamated with the Mississauga Horse to become The Governor General’s Horse Guards Originated in 1810 as Button's Troop
• Formed on 16 August 1822 as the York Dragoons from the 1st West York Regiment of Volunteer Infantry
• Redesignated in 1837 as the Queen's Light Dragoons for duty during the 1837 rebellion
• Separated in 1839 as an independent unit from its parent infantry battalion
• Redesignated on 27 December 1855 as the 1st Toronto Troop of The Volunteer Militia Cavalry of the County of York
• Redesignated on 27 April 1866 as The Governor General's Body Guard for Upper Canada
• Redesignated on 1 July 1867 as The Governor General's Body Guard for Ontario
• Reorganized on 5 May 1876 as a two troop squadron
• Reorganized on 17 May 1889 as a full regiment
• Redesignated on 13 July 1895 as The Governor General's Body Guard
• Amalgamated on 15 December 1936 with The Mississauga Horse and redesignated as The Governor General's Horse Guards
The regiment dates as far back as 1822 in York, Upper Canada, now Toronto. For the remainder of the 19th century this troop was recognized as the cavalry of the city of Toronto. It has links to the 1st York Light Dragoons formed in 1810 by Major John Button or Button's Troop which he commanded until 1831. Also known as “Denison's Troop”, it began as the York Dragoons under the command of Captain George Taylor Denison. Under the Militia Act of 1793, service in the militia was mandatory for all healthy male citizens aged 16 to 60 years. Like most militia in Canada during this period, the Dragoons were raised and financed by wealthy gentry, in this case the Denison family, as volunteers were not part of a regular army. The dragoons began as a local mounted infantry companies linked to the parent West York Regiment of Militia. This peculiar organization was a practice that started during the American Revolution with the Loyalist militia regiment the "Queen's York Rangers". Light cavalry was needed to provide dispatch duty, scouting, flank protection and picketing for the infantry battalion. Full militia cavalry regiments were too expensive to operate and large-scale cavalry operations were of little use in the dense forests of eastern North America. The cavalry troop was sufficient to serve the purpose and militia infantry were allowed to raise cavalry troops under the Militia Act of 1808. This unit, like many local military units, was made up of volunteers and formed to supplement the presence of British Army units in Upper Canada. The company or troop broke from the parent infantry battalion and became an independent troop of cavalry in 1839.
The troop was one of only two fully uniformed militia units to rally to the flag with the threat of unrest and rebellion within the colony, in 1837. The troop was given new uniforms, fully armed and redesignated the "Queens Light Dragoons". Operating alongside the local Markham Troop, forming a squadron, the QLD participated in a number of actions during the rebellion to include Gallows Hill, Navy Island and Town of Scotland. The Toronto troop was on active service for several months during this crisis.
In 1866, the troop was the only cavalry in Upper Canada to be placed on active duty, engaged and employed against the Fenian Irish Republican Army invasion from the United States. The troop lead Col Peacock's Column to meet the Fenian force along the Niagara Peninsula as scouts. The troop was the first unit to enter and relieve the town of Fort Erie - capturing several Fenians before they escaped across the Niagara River. The Fenian force was defeated and many of its members arrested by Canadian and American authorities.
By the mid-19th Century, Britain began to pull its army out of Canada for the Crimea War and the need to establish a Canadian army became clear. With the enactment of the Militia Act of 1855, the Canadian Militia Department was established. Under the act, the Canadian Militia unit establishment was drafted by the new department. Local militia units for the first time were recognized as standing units to become a more critical part of the defense of Canada. In 1847 the unit was gazetted and became known as the 1st Toronto Independent Troop of Cavalry. It was renamed again in 1855 as the 1st Troop of Volunteer Militia Cavalry of the County of York and placed on the Militia list 27 Sept 1855. In 1866 it was renamed 1st York Troop The Governor General's Body Guard for Upper Canada and in 1867 became The Governor General's Body Guard for Ontario. After British forces completely left Canada in 1870 the Canadian Government raised a small regular force and began to look at reorganizing the Militia cavalry into full regiments. Most of the independent troops across the country were amalgamated into numbered regiments of dragoons or hussars during the 1870s. The Governor General’s Body Guard was the only non-numbered corps and was expanded to squadron strength in 1876. With a final rationalization of the Canadian Cavalry Corps in 1889, the Governor General's Body Guard was brought to full regimental strength with the amalgamation of the local Markham and Oak Ridge’s Troops of the 2nd Regiment of Cavalry (later the 2nd Dragoons). The name was changed a final time in 1895 to The Governor General's Body Guard of Canada
The Governor General’s Body Guard was mobilized as a full squadron and participated in the Northwest rebellion in 1885 as rear area security for General Middleton’s force. The squadron's task was to protect the main supply route for the force in place with routine patrols from the rail line to Batoche and to secure the only supply depot and telegraph station at Humboldt. A fort was built, consisting of an earthen berm, around the telegraph station and named "Fort Denison". Middleton’s force defeated the Metis at Batoche.
The Governor General’s Body Guard, as a regiment, supplied some 50 men to augment the small Canadian Regular Army for service in South Africa in 1900. Lieutenant Hampton Cockburn earned the Victoria Cross while serving as a volunteer with the Royal Canadian Dragoons during the war.
Like all of the Canadian militia during the First World War, the Governor General’s Body Guard was not activated for active service overseas, but rather assisted in raising numbered battalions for the Canadian Expeditionary Force and recruiting to fill the CEF ranks. Thousands of Toronto's citizens were recruited through the Governor General Body Guard for service in the trenches. The Governor General’s Body Guard supplied soldiers for the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles and 124th and 216th Battalions to name a few. In 1936 the regiment was amalgamated with The Mississauga Horse to become The Governor General’s Horse Guards.
The Governor General’s Body Guard has been awarded the battle honors: Rebellions of 1837-1838 /Upper Canada Rebellion; Fenian Raids1866; Northwest Rebellion 1885; Boer War (1899); First World War 1914-1918.
By May 1889 The Governor General's Body Guard for Ontario was organizes into four troops: A Troop (York, Ontario), B Troop (York, Ontario), C Troop (Oak Ridge’s, Ontario) (redesignation of No. 2 Troop, 2nd Cavalry Regiment), D Troop (Markham, Ontario) (redesignation of No. 3 Troop, 2nd Regiment of Cavalry). By March 1921, The Governor General's Body Guard had evolved into a three-squadron regiment with the regimental headquarters split between Toronto and Ontario with the three squadrons, A, B and C all located in Toronto and Ontario.
The focus of this post is fine example of the 1871 pattern dragoon helmet as worn by the Governor General’s Body Guard (Canada). The helmet is made of German silver with all brass fitting. The helmet is surmounted with a white horsehair plume. The central devise displays a Canadian Maple Leaf within a band inscribed “Governor General’s Body Guard” and a supplementary scroll below in scribed with the regimental motto “Nulli Secundus”, Second to None. The regiment adopted this helmet in 1871 when a major change in uniform occurred, the regiment discarding its light dragoon dress in favor of adopting the uniform worn by dragoons and in the case of the Governor General’s Body Guard a dragoon uniform closely styled like that worn by the regular British army’s 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers).
Please enjoy!!
David
The four Canadian dragoon helmets in my collection, Left to Right: Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians); Governor General's Body Guard; Royal Canadian Dragoons; Princess Louise's (Canadian) Dragoon Guards.
Troop Sargeant, Governer General's Body Guard Officer, Governor General's Body Guard
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Excellent helmets! Thanks for these posts. 
I also taught US History for many years so I am fairly well versed in the historical background of our American brethren as well. 
