This April, Branch No.8 of the Royal Canadian Legion will be holding an appreciation banquet for the Veterans and First Responders in Virden and area.
The true reason for this article is to encourage former Militia Members of the XII Manitoba Dragoons to attend. You, as a young man, signed the dotted line to serve the Crown and Canada as an Armoured Trooper in Sherman Tanks. There are a large number of you still in the Virden area. This banquet is for you, too, and you can bring an escort.
Using the coffee table hardcover book entitled XII Manitoba Dragoons - A Tribute by Bruce Tascona, I have found information about the Dragoons in our town and Western Manitoba. For instance, the Regimental March was "Colonel Bogey" and the Regimental Motto was "Unique Honour and Equis". The badge worn by the Dragoons here in Virden, in Minnedosa and in Neepawa was a buffalo charging on the prairie.
The Armoured Troopers, here in Virden at the armoury were the Headquarters and B Squadron. Minnedosa was A Squadron and Neepawa was C Squadron. The armoury was where the current Virden Post Office is located.
There are former Troopers who are now in their sixties and seventies with some now in their eighties. I state this because on Dec. 31, 1964 the XII Manitoba Dragoons were placed on the supplementary order of battle which is a nice way to say they were disbanded. 1964 was a horrible year for rural regiments across Canada and as the history book says, they were gutted. The XII Manitoba Dragoons served Canada for over 80 years and had won numerous Battle Honours (NW Canada 1885, South Africa 1900, and many more in World Wars One and Two).
The XII Manitoba Dragoons Regiment was the oldest cavalry regiment in Western Canada (source XII Manitoba Dragoons - A Tribute) and, also said to be one of the finest. That's a fact from page 180 in The Virden Story by Ida Clingan.
In 1903, when they were still using horses, there were five squadrons of cavalry and one headquarters squadron as decreed from Ottawa in General Order #19. The headquarters squadron at that time was in Brandon at the armoury.
Retired Troopers reading this in Virden and area - you're invited to the Appreciation Banquet on Saturday, April 23rd, with an escort (spouse, partner, son, daughter, etc.). We are saying thank-you to you for your service to the Crown and to Canada.
The banquet will be tops and there is a time of fellowship afterwards in the Legion Club Room.
This Appreciation Banquet 2022 is open to Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police plus Veterans of Allied Forces.
First Responders we truly hope that you'll be part of the evening. Wallace District Fire Department members of Virden and Elkhorn, Members of the Virden Detachment (RCMP), the Virden Paramedics, the Virden Natural Resources Officers, the Manitoba First Nations Police Service, and the Sheriffs, you're invited and your escort. There’s no charge, it’s our way of saying thank you on behalf of the community that you serve!
