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The British Columbia
Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own)
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The
British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) was a regiment of
infantry formed in the Canadian Army that later converted to
armour, and ended the 20th Century as an active armoured reconnaissance unit of the
Reserve Force.
Lineage
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On 12 October 1883 the
British Columbia Provisional Regiment of Garrison
Artillery was authorized; it was formed from an
independent company of rifles and two independent
batteries of artillery. It was redesignated the British
Columbia Brigade of Garrison Artillery on 7 May 1886,
the British Columbia Battalion of Garrison Artillery in
about April 1893, the 5th British Columbia Battalion of
Garrison Artillery about March 1895, and finally became
the 5th British Columbia Regiment of Garrison
Artillery on 28 December 1895
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On 29 September 1896 the
regiment was reorganized into two units, the 1st
Battalion, 5th British Columbia Regiment and the 2nd
Battalion, 5th British Columbia Regiment
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On 1 August 1899, the 2nd
Battalion was converted to infantry and redesignated
6th Battalion Rifles
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On 1 May 1900 the
regiment was again redesignated to become 6th
Regiment, "The Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles"
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On 15 March 1920, the
regiment amalgamated with the 104th Regiment,
Westminster Fusiliers of Canada and was redesignated
1st British Columbia Regiment
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Redesignated 1st British
Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) on 1
November 1920
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Redesignated The British
Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles)
15 January 1930
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Converted to armour and
redesignated 13th Armoured Regiment (The British
Columbia Regiment 1 April 1946
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Redesignated The British
Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) (13th
Armoured Regiment) 4 February 1949
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Redesignated The British
Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) (RCAC)
19 May 1958
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Redesignated The British
Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) 7
October 1985
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The
British Columbia Regiment
(Duke of Connaught's Own) |
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Headquarters:
Vancouver, BC
Predecessor: none
Perpetuates: 7th and 62nd Battalions, CEF
Raised: 12 October 1883, as artillery
Status 1 Jan 2000: Armoured Reconnaissance
Regiment in the Canadian Forces Reserve |
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History
The regiment
contributed men to the 2nd (Special Service) Battalion, Royal
Canadian Regiment during the South African War 1899-1902.
The 6th Regiment "The
Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles" mobilized men for local protective
duties on 10 August 1914, and contributed volunteers to the 7th
Battalion, C.E.F. on its formation in September 1914. The unit later
recruited for the 62nd Battalion, C.E.F.
The 7th Battalion
served in France and Flanders as a component of the 2nd Canadian
Infantry Brigade of the 1st Canadian Division. Three Victoria
Crosses were awarded to soldiers of the Battalion: Captain E.D.
Bellew (24 April 1915), Private M.J. O'Rourke (15-17 August 1917)
and Private W.L. Rayfield (2-4 September 1918).
The 62nd Battalion
provided reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field.
Details of The
British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles) were
placed on active service on 1 September 1939 for local protective
duty. On 24 May 1940 the regiment mobilized The British Columbia
Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles), CASF. The unit converted
to armour and was redesignated 28th Canadian Armoured Regiment (The
British Columbia Regiment) on 26 January 1942. The unit embarked for
the United Kingdom on 21 August 1942 where it trained with the 4th
Canadian Armoured Brigade of the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division.
The unit landed in Normandy on 26-27 July 1944 and saw action in
North-West Europe throughout the campaign. The active unit was
disbanded on 15 February 1946 after returning to Canada. A 2nd
Battalion of the unit served in the Reserve Army in its original
infantry role. After the war, the regiment converted to armour.
Battle Honours
The Battle Honours
held by the regiment as of 1 January 2000 were:
Battle Honours in bold were selected for
emblazonment:
South Africa, 1900
Gravenstafel
Festubert, 1915
Somme, 1916
Ancre Heights
Vimy, 1917
Hill 70
Amiens
Drocourt-Quéant
Canal du Nord
France and
Flanders, 1915-18
Falaise Road
Chambois
The Lower
Maas
The Hochwald
Twente Canal
Bad Zwischenahn |
Ypres, 1915, '17
St. Julien
Mount Sorrel
Thiepval
Arras, 1917, '18
Arleux
Passchendaele
Scarpe, 1918
Hindenburg Line
Pursuit to Mons
Falaise
The Laison
The Scheldt
The Rhineland
Veen
Küsten Canal
North-West Europe, 1944-1945 |
Note
on Battle Honours:
According to the
Directorate of History and Heritage, The British Columbia Regiment
(Duke of Connaught's Own) possessed the battle honour PURSUIT TO
MONS from the First World War, but on amalgamation with The Irish
Fusiliers of Canada (The Vancouver Regiment) in 2002 voided it as
the honour cannot be perpetuated if a regiment is already entitled
to VALENCIENNES or SAMBRE. As The Irish Fusiliers of Canada
possessed Valenciennes, that honour was perpetuated instead, as were
additional honours. The current list, valid from 2002, is as below:1
South Africa, 1900
Gravenstafel
Festubert, 1915
Somme, 1916, 18
Thiepval
Ancre 1916
Vimy, 1917
Hill 70
Amiens
Drocourt-Quéant
Canal du Nord
Valenciennes
Falaise
The Laison
The Scheldt
The Rhineland
Veen
Küsten Canal |
Ypres, 1915, '17
St. Julien
Mount Sorrel
Flers-Courcelette
Ancre Heights
Arras, 1917, '18
Arleux
Passchendaele
Scarpe, 1917, '18
Hindenburg Line
Cambrai, 1918
France and Flanders, 1915-18
Falaise Road
Chambois
The Lower Maas
The Hochwald
Twente Canal
Bad Zwischenahn |
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North-West Europe, 1944-1945. |
Insignia
The cap badge is
described as follows:
On a maple leaf Vert resting upon a scroll Argent inscribed
FRANCE FLANDERS 1915-18, two scrolls conjoined in pale Or
inscribed BRITISH COLUMBIA, all above a bugle horn Argent and
within a wreath of laurel Vert ensigned by the coronet of a
younger son of the Sovereign proper, environed with a battle
honour scroll Argent inscribed dexter VIMY 1917, SOMME 1916,
FESTUBERT 1915, HINDENBURG LINE and sinister AMIENS, CANAL DU
NORD, PASSCHENDAELE, DROCOURT-QUÉANT, the wreath surmounted
below the coronet by two battle scrolls conjoined in pale Argent
and inscribed SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1900 and YPRES 1915-17 and in
base by a scroll Argent inscribed DUKE OF CONNAUGHT'S OWN
RIFLES, all inscriptions in letters Sable.2
The symbolism of the badge is further
described there as thus:
The coronet of His Royal Highness Prince Arthur represents the
tie between the Duke of Connaught and the original regiment. The
maple leaf and scrolls represent the perpetuation of the 7th
Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF. The bugle, laurel wreath and
the inscription "DUKE OF CONNAUGHT'S OWN RIFLES" reflect the
unit's role as a rifle regiment from 1900 to 1920 and from 1930
to 1946. The battle honours represent the honours awarded to the
regiment and its perpetuated units.2
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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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 accessed
online at
http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-3/par1/arm-bli/BCR-eng.asp
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Ibid
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Ibid
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