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The British Columbia
Dragoons
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The
British Columbia Dragoons
was a regiment of
cavalry formed in the Canadian Army that later converted to
armour that served from its formation in 1911 to the end of
the 20th Century.
Lineage
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The Regiment originated at Vernon, B.C., on
1 April 1911 when "B" and "C" Independent
Squadrons, British Columbia Horse (originally formed as
"B" and "C" Independent Squadrons, Canadian Mounted
Rifles on 1 April 1908 and 1 April 1910 respectively)
were grouped with two other regiments authorized the
same day to create a regiment as yet unnamed1
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1 December 1911: regiment
designated 1st Regiment, British Columbia Horse
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Redesignated 30th
Regiment, British Columbia Horse 15 April 1912
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On 15 Mar 1920, amalgamated
with Victoria Independent Squadron (British Columbia
Horse) (originally authorized as "Victoria Indepenent
Squadron 15 July 1914") and redesignated The British
Columbia Mounted Rifles
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Redesignated The British
Columbia Dragoons 15 March 1929
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Redesignated 9th
(Reserve) Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia
Dragoons) 1 April 1941
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Redesignated 9th
Reconnaissance Regiment (The British Columbia Dragoons)
1 April 1946
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Redesignated The British
Columbia Dragoons (9th Reconnaissance Regiment) 4
February 1949
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Redesignated The British
Columbia Dragoons 19 May 1958
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The
British Columbia Dragoons |
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Headquarters:
Vernon, later Kelowna, BC
Predecessor: none
Perpetuates: 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles and
11th CMR, CEF
Raised: 1 April 1911
Status 1 Jan 2000: Armoured Reconnaissance
Regiment of Canadian Forces Reserve |
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History
The 30th Regiment,
British Columbia Horse mobilized on 10 August 1914 for local
protective duties and contributed volunteers to the 5th Battalion,
C.E.F., as well as recruiting later for the 2nd and 11th Regiments,
Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF.
The 2nd CMR was
authorized on 7 November 1914 as the "2nd Regiment, Canadian Mounted
Rifles, CEF". It embarked for the U.K. on 12 June 1915, then arrived
in France on 22 September 1915 where it served with the 1st Canadian
Mounted Rifles Brigade. The unit was reorganized as an infantry
battalion on 1 January 1916 and assigned to the 8th Canadian
Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Canadian Division. The regiment had been
amalgamated with "B" Squadron and headquarters troops of the 3rd
Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles, and served in the division as the
"2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion, CEF". The 2nd CMR Battalion
was disbanded on 6 November 1920. Captain J. McGregor, MC, DCM, was
awarded the VC for actions on 28 September - 3 October 1918.
The 11th CMR provided
reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field.
The British Columbia
Dragoons placed details on active service on 1 September 1939 for
local protective duty, and the 5th Canadian Motorcycle Regiment,
CASF was mobilized on 24 May 1940. The unit was converted to armour
and designated The British Columbia Dragoons on 9 February 1941,
then 9th Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia Dragoons) two days
later. The active service unit embarked for the United Kingdom on 13
November 1941 where it underwent training, then landed in Italy on
19 December 1943 as part of the 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division. It
served with the 5th Canadian Armoured Brigade in Italy until early
1945, then repatriated to First Canadian Army with the rest of I
Canadian Corps, travelling to North-West Europe in February. The
active unit returned to Canada and disbanded on 31 January 1946. A
9th (Reserve) Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia Dragoons)
served in Canada in the Reserve Army during the war.
Battle Honours
Battle Honours in bold were selected for
emblazonment:
Mount Sorrel
Flers-Courcelette
Arras, 1917, '18
Hill 70
Passchendaele
Scarpe, 1918
Canal du Nord
Pursuit to Mons
Liri Valley
Gothic Line
Lamone Crossing
Fosso Munio
Italy, 1944-45
Delfzijl Pocket |
Somme, 1916
Ancre Heights
Vimy, 1917
Ypres, 1917
Amiens
Hindenberg Line
Cambrai, 1918
France and Flanders, 1915-18
Melfa Crossing
Pozzo Alto Bridge
Naviglio Canal
Conventello-Comacchio
Ijsselmeer
North-West Europe 1945 |
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Insignia
The cap badge is
described as follows:
An oval inscribed "THE BRITISH
COLUMBIA DRAGOONS" surmounted by the Crown and flanked by sprays
of maple leaves; within the oval a maple leaf; loped through the
lower portion of the oval a scroll inscribed "QUANSEM ILEP".2
The motto of the Regiment translates as
ALWAYS FIRST. The motto is rendered in Chinook jargon, a language
derived from several Northwest Pacific indigenous languages. The
Thompson Rivers University has the same motto."3
References
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The Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army (Queen's
Printer, Ottawa, ON, 1964)
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Hampson, William C. A Catalogue of Twentieth-Century Canadian
Military and Metal Shoulder Titles 1900 to 1999 Part II: Royal
Canadian Armoured Corps (William C. Hampson Publishing, Calgary,
AB, 1999) ISBN 0-9685714-1-7
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Mazeas, Daniel Insignes de la Milice Canadienne - Canadian
Militia Badges Pre 1914
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Mazeas, Daniel Insignes Canadiens 1920-1950 - Canadian
Badges Revised Edition
Notes
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Regiments and Corps, p. 102, though
the DHH information contained in A-AD-267-000/AF-003 gives the
location as Vernon
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Regiments and Corps, p.103
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The CF website lists this motto. A-AD-267-000/AF-003
Official Lineages, Volume 3, Part 1: Armour,
Artillery and Field Engineer Regiments – Armour Regiments.
Directorate of History and Heritage. June 11, 2010
p.2-2-19
accessed online
http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-3/par1/arm-bli/BCD-eng.asp
Bill Laflin kindly contacted the webmaster to educate him about
the language which was incorrectly reported on this page as
Latin. (electronic correspondence, 13 Nov 2019).
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