The history of the Regiment can be traced to the raising of Butler's Rangers on 15 September 1777. Major John Butler, an officer in the Indian Department, was a Loyalist from the Mohawk Valley in New York. After the Battle of Oriskany, he convinced Sir Guy Carleton that a Ranger unit should be raised to fight on the frontiers in conjunction with the Indians. He eventually raised 10 companies and some 800 men served in the Rangers. The Corps fought on the frontiers of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. It was reduced to nil strength on 24 June 1784.

On the disbandment of the Rangers, John Butler, now a prominent leader in Niagara, was appointed Commanding Officer of three battalions of Nassau Militia. Nassau was one of the Districts of Upper Canada, Niagara being only part of the district. By 1791 the battalions had a strength of 835 all ranks.

With the reorganization of the province into sixteen counties in 1792, Lincoln County (with 20 townships) came into existence. The militia was renamed and the Lincoln Militia, with three battalions came into being, some 849 strong. By 1794, Butler was a full Colonel with four battalions reporting 976 all ranks. Most of the officers and a great many of the NCOs and men had served in the Rangers and had received land grants in Niagara for this service. With the gazetting of officers in this year, the Regiment marks it as the official birth of the Lincoln Militia.

Battle of Lundy's Lane

At the outbreak of the War of 1812, the Lincoln Militia was organized into five regiments. Flank companies of those regiments took the field in all major engagements from Niagara to Detroit including the battles of Queenston Heights, Lundy's Lane, Stoney Creek and Fort Detroit. In all cases they were a credit to their country. From the Regiment's association with Major General Sir Isaac Brock comes the scallop shell on the cap badge. It is taken from the coat of arms of Brock's family on the Isle of Guernsey.

During the rebellion of 1837, units of the Lincoln Militia were called out to quell rebel uprisings in the Niagara Peninsula and the 2nd Lincolns were warned for duty in Toronto. In 1838, the 2nd conducted marches into the Short Hills to subdue rebel activity there. In 1846, Lincoln County was divided and Welland County was formed with three battalions of militia. The militia "regiments" were renamed "battalions".

Market Square, St. Catharines, 1866

In 1863, the Lincoln and Welland Battalions were reorganized and renamed the 19th Battalion Volunteer Militia (Infantry), Canada with 10 companies, and the 20th Battalion Volunteer Militia (Infantry), Canada with six companies. Both had headquarters in St. Catharines.

In May of 1866, eight companies of the 19th and 20th Battalions were called out to repel the Fenian invasion of the peninsula. They formed part of Colonel Peacocke's field force.

As a result of the Fenian Raids, the 44th "Welland" Battalion of Infantry was raised. It took over companies from both the 19th and 20th Battalions. The 20th was redesignated the 20th "Halton" Battalion, and moved to Milton.

Between 1866 and 1914 there were various name changes and reorganizations. In 1914, the 19th Lincoln Regiment, with headquarters in St. Catharines, had eight companies, as did the 44th Lincoln and Welland Regiment, with headquarters in Niagara Falls. Although not mobilized, the Regiments contributed troops to contingents for the North-West Campaign and the Boer War.

Men of the 81st CEF Battalion

During the Great War, the two Regiments contributed over 5,000 men to various Canadian Expeditionary Force battalions, particularly the 81st, 98th and 176th. At the conclusion of the War, the CEF battalions ceased to exist. It was decided to award battle honours which a CEF battalion had won to militia units which had contributed 200 or more men to that battalion.

Both the 19th and 44th trained under extreme difficulties between the wars. An example of the little training done is that of the 19th which trained 12 days in 1920, 9 days a year between 1922 and 1927, 12 days a year from 1928 to 1931 and 10 days a year from 1932 to 1936.

On 15 December 1936, the two units were reorganized into The Lincoln and Welland Regiment with an establishment of 467 all ranks.

The day before the Second World War began, the Regiment was called out and posted to guard the Welland Ship Canal. It was demobilized in December 1939 and almost 500 men immediately volunteered with Toronto Units. In June 1940, the 1st Battalion, Lincoln and Welland Regiment was mobilized for active service. The 2nd Batallion was to remain in reserve. The 1st Batallion arrived in the United Kingdom in July of 1943 and on 19 August became a part of the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division.

After the Battle for Kapelsche Veer, Holland, 1 February 1945 (PA144706)

After landing in France in July of 1944, the Regiment formed part of II Canadian Corp's "long left flank" of the Allied advance. For the next nine months, it fought its way through Belgium and the Netherlands into Germany. This was some of the bitterest fighting of the war, consisting largely of clearing built-up areas and canals.

Clearing German snipers, Werlte, Germany, 11 April 1945 (PA113703)

From Tilly-la-Campagne on 31 July 1944 until Bad Zwischenahn on 1 May 1945, the Regiment distinguished itself in many actions. Over 1500 men of the Regiment were casualties. Of the original men who enlisted in 1940, only 3 officers and 22 men were on parade in St. Catharines in 1946 when the 1st Battalion was dismissed.

Portrait of Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) James F. Swayze DSO

In the years since World War II, the Regiment has busied itself with the many tasks entrusted to the Canadian Militia during peace time. Ceremonial parades have been attended and Guards mounted, most notably the visits of HRH The Princess Elizabeth (now HM Queen Elizabeth II) and HRH The Prince Philip to Niagara Falls in 1951 and HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother to Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1981.

During the Blizzard of 1977 in the Niagara Peninsula the Regiment was called out to provide assistance to the civil authority. It rescued over 1500 stranded school children and provided assistance to countless residents during the emergency. For this assistance, the Regiment received a vote of thanks from the House of Commons. More recently, the Regiment has provided volunteers to assist during the 1997 Floods in Manitoba and the 1998 Ice Storm in Eastern Ontario and Quebec.

Over the years, the Regiment has established formal ties with other units. Our Allied Regiments are:

	The Royal Anglian Regiment and The Royal Lincolnshire and Royal Anglian Regimental Assiciation
	The Rifles
	The Bermuda Regiment
	The Royal Queensland Regiment
	7th Wellington (City of Wellington's Own) and Hawke's Bay Battalion Group

1994 marked the 200th anniversary of the Regiment and was commemorated in many ways. The Trooping of the Colours, presentation of Freedom of the Town of Fort Erie and the dedication of the Regiment's Memorial Garden all served to remind the Regiment and the community of the service and sacrifice of two centuries.

Presentation of Battle Honours (Photo by Kevin Argue)

Recently, an error made over 50 years ago was corrected. Due to an administrative oversight, two battle honours won in north-western Germany during the final weeks of the Second World War had never been awarded to the Regiment. After Royal approval, National Defence Headquarters finally authorized the awards. In October 1995, at the Regiment's annual Church Parade, scrolls commemorating the battles of Küsten Canal and Bad Zwischenahn were presented by members of the Regimental Association. The full list of Battle Honours is as follows:

Battle Honours in CAPITALS are emblazoned on the Regimental Colour.

Rappel training

The training of young Canadians in the skills of war continues and great numbers of them have passed thought the ranks of the Regiment during the years. Parachute and reconnaissance training, air-mobile operations, exercises to Jamaica and the United States, and tours with United Nations peacekeeping forces around the world have all been accepted as routine tasks in recent years.

In peace and war, the Regiment is proud of its motto - Non Nobis Sed Patriĉ - Not for Ourselves but for Our Country.