For many years Cronyn Memorial Church was the Garrison Church of The Royal Canadian Regiment and of the Permanent Force Detachments stationed in London following the First World War. During the First World War, Bishop Cronyn Memorial was the Garrison Church of the 70th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). The church was originally called The Memorial Church and officially opened on December 14, 1873.
70th Battalion CEF deposited their Colours in Cronyn Memorial Church on February 12, 1922. In earlier times, Colours played a prominent part in many battles. They served to identify units in battle, often marking the focal point of a struggle. Captured Colours were a prized trophy and attracted enemy attention and inspired much gallantry. By the late 19th and 20th Century, however, they were no longer carried in battle, but their status as the heart and soul of a Regiment continued, and the laying up of Colours signifies and helps keep holy the memories of the men who sacrificed their lives.
In 2016, when Bishop Cronyn Church was re-designated, The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum retrieved The Royal Canadian Regiment Colours that were laid there in 1932, and 1991. The 70th Battalion CEF Colours were not claimed and the museum agreed with the church’s representative that the museum should take them for safekeeping. 70th Battalion CEF was disbanded shortly after the First World War and are currently in temporary custody with The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum.
