19th Alberta Dragoons

19th Alberta Dragoons

The Department of National Defence was created in 1923 by the National Defence Act which established one civil department in place of the previous Department of Militia and Defence, the Department of the Naval Service and the Air Board. The Canadian Forces Reorganization Act in 1968 unified the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force into a single service called the Canadian Armed Forces. The Department is responsible for the control and management of the Canadian Armed Forces, and all matters related to national defence establishments and the defence of Canada. The 19th Alberta Mounted Rifles originated in 1908, and was formed from four independent squadrons of mounted rifles. It was redesignated 19th Alberta Dragoons in 1911, but served in France and Belgium in the First World War as "A" Squadron, Canadian Light Horse. In the Second World War it served in Canada and its various units disbanded in 1943 and 1945. One battalion served in the reserve army. In 1936 it absorbed the Alberta Mounted Rifles, and in 1946 the Edmonton Fusiliers. The Alberta Mounted Rifles was originally authorized in 1908 as the 23rd Mounted Rifles, and redesignated the 21st Alberta Hussars and later the Alberta Mounted Rifles. The Edmonton Fusiliers was originally created as the 101st Regiment (Edmonton Fusiliers) in 1909; it provided troops for the 9th Battalion, CEF in the First World War, and was split into the Edmonton Fusiliers and the Edmonton Regiment (later the Loyal Edmonton Regiment) in 1924.