Artifact 6 : Military Cap Badge, 22nd Canadian Infantry Battalion
Citation :
Snob, Alphonse. Military Cap Badge, 22nd Canadian Infantry Battalion. Canada War Museum, Tilston Memorial Collection of Canadian Military Medals. CWM 19920166-1493. https://www.museedelaguerre.ca/collection-medailles-tilston/recipients/53736/
Label :
One of the factors that played into the lack of enrollment in Quebec was the barrier of the language. Most regiments and battalions were using the English language, and a lot of French Canadians only spoke French, which made it more difficult for them on the field. The 22nd Royal Regiment was the only francophone unit that participated in the Great War. Its creation was a direct response to the need for a French-speaking unit in a predominantly English-speaking environment. This regiment is colloquially known as “Van Doos”, a name that comes from the English pronunciation of “vingt-deux” which means twenty-two in French. This artifact is a wall plaque of this regiment. We can see the number 22 as well as two inscriptions, “Je me souviens” (I remember) and “Régiment Canadien-Français” (French-Canadian Regiment), representing the legacy of this battalion and symbolizing the French Canadians’ contribution to WWI despite the difficulties. The history of the regiment reflects the need to create a specific and adapted space for French Canadians in reaction to this domination of British legacy that we find even in the nickname given to the 22nd Regiment.
Bibliography :
Bruemmer, René. “Let’s remember: Van Doos fought for the honour of French Canada.” Montreal Gazette. November 10, 2018. Last modified November 11, 2018. https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/lets-remember-van-doos-fought-for-the-honour-of-french-canada
Wikipedia contributors, "Royal 22nd Regiment," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last modified November 13, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_22nd_Regiment&oldid=1257189069