Fort Garry Horse facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Fort Garry Horse
The Fort Garry Horse badge
Active	1912–present
Country	Canada
Branch	Canadian Army
Role	Armoured reconnaissance
Part of	38 Canadian Brigade Group
Garrison/HQ	Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan, VC MC Armoury (formerly McGregor Armoury), 551 Machray Avenue, Winnipeg
Nickname(s)	The Garrys
Motto(s)	Facta non verba (Latin for 'deeds, not words')
March	"El Abanico" (quick), "Red River Valley" (slow), alternate quick march: "St. Patrick's Day"
Engagements	First World War Second World War War in Afghanistan
Battle honours	See #Battle honours
Insignia
NATO Map Symbol

The Fort Garry Horse is a special army unit in Canada. It's like a team of soldiers who use armoured vehicles for scouting and fighting. They are based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This unit is part of the Canadian Army Reserve, which means its members are often part-time soldiers.

The Fort Garry Horse has a long history, starting way back in 1912. They have served Canada in big wars like the First World War and the Second World War, and also in more recent missions like the War in Afghanistan. Their nickname is "The Garrys."

History of the Fort Garry Horse

Early Beginnings: Boulton's Mounted Infantry

The story of the Fort Garry Horse connects to an older unit called Boulton's Mounted Infantry. This group was formed in 1885. They helped during the North-West Rebellion, a conflict in Canada. After a few months, the unit was disbanded. Later, the Fort Garry Horse was given the honour of carrying on the history of Boulton's Mounted Infantry.

Forming the Fort Garry Horse

The Fort Garry Horse officially started in Winnipeg on April 15, 1912. It was first called the 34th Regiment of Cavalry. A year later, it became the 34th Fort Garry Horse. The name "Fort Garry" comes from an old trading post in Winnipeg.

Over the years, the unit's name changed a few times. In 1936, it joined with another unit called the Manitoba Horse. During the Second World War, it became an armoured unit, using tanks and other protected vehicles.

The Manitoba Horse

Another important unit in this history was The Manitoba Horse. It began in Roblin, Manitoba, in 1912. It also changed its name a few times before joining with the Fort Garry Horse in 1936.

After the Big Wars

After the Second World War, the Fort Garry Horse continued to serve. For a while, there was a "Regular Force" part of the unit, meaning full-time soldiers. They served in Canada, in West Germany with NATO, and on United Nations missions in places like the Sinai and Cyprus. This full-time unit was later closed in 1970.

The unit has a special flag called a guidon. One of these guidons is kept safe in the Manitoba Legislative Building. The unit still uses another guidon today.

In 2003, the Fort Garry Horse helped start a new engineering unit for the army. These engineers wore a special black beret, different from other engineers, for a time. Today, they wear the green beret like other engineer units.

The Fort Garry Horse uses modern vehicles for scouting, like the Mercedes Benz G-Wagon LUVW and the Textron Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV).

What They Did in Wars

The First World War (Great War)

The FGH's Great War Canadian Cavalry Brigade identifying flash.

When the First World War started in 1914, soldiers from the Fort Garry Horse helped protect local areas. Many members also joined other Canadian units that went overseas.

A special unit called The Fort Garry Horse, CEF, was formed in England in 1916. They went to France and Belgium, fighting as part of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade. They fought until the war ended in 1918. A brave soldier from the regiment, Harcus Strachan, won the Victoria Cross for his actions in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. The Victoria Cross is one of the highest awards for bravery.

The Second World War

The camp flag of the Fort Garry Horse.

In 1939, when the Second World War began, the Fort Garry Horse became an active service unit. They trained and then went to Britain in 1941.

On June 6, 1944, a very important day known as D-Day, the regiment landed in Normandy, France. They were part of the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade and helped support other Canadian soldiers. They fought through North-West Europe until the war ended in 1945.

Friends and Allies

The Fort Garry Horse has a special friendship with a British army unit:

•  United Kingdom - The Royal Dragoon Guards

Battle Honours

The guidon of the Fort Garry Horse.

Battle honours are special awards given to military units for their bravery and success in battles. They are like badges of honour that show where the unit fought. The Fort Garry Horse has many battle honours, and some of the most important ones are written on their guidon (their special flag).

Here are some of the battles and campaigns they are honoured for:

North West Rebellion

First World War

Second World War

War in Afghanistan

• Afghanistan

The Armoury and Memorials

The Fort Garry Horse has its home in the Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan, VC, MC Armoury in Winnipeg. This building is also where the regimental museum is located. It's an old building, built in 1914-1915, with a special Tudor-Revival style.

Memorial Wall

Inside the armoury, there is a memorial wall. It was dedicated in 1995 to remember all the members of the Fort Garry Horse who died while serving. The wall shows their battle honours, the names of those who died, and the unit's motto.

Monument in France

In Masnières, France, there is a special stone monument. It was put there in 2004 to remember a brave charge by the unit's 'B' Squadron during the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. It also honours Lieutenant Harcus Strachan, who won his Victoria Cross there.

Plaques and Windows

There are several plaques in the armoury that remember different parts of the regiment's history. One plaque honours those who helped free The Netherlands in 1944–45. Another remembers the soldiers who landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.

Stained glass windows from a church in Germany were brought to Winnipeg. They are a memorial to the regiment's time serving in Europe from 1962 to 1966.

Vehicles on Display

You can see some of the vehicles the Fort Garry Horse used over the years at the armoury:

• A Lynx reconnaissance vehicle, which was used for scouting.
• A Sherman M4A2 tank, which the unit used from 1946 to 1969.
• A LAV III armoured personal carrier.

Order of Precedence

See also

• Military history of Canada
• History of the Canadian Army
• Canadian Forces
• List of armouries in Canada
• Did you know? Winnie-the-Pooh was inspired by a bear named Winnipeg, who was looked after by a veterinary officer from the Fort Garry Horse before the First World War! You can learn more about Winnipeg the Bear.