The British Columbia Hussars was a light cavalry regiment of the

Non-Permanent Active Militia The Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) was the name of Canada's part-time volunteer military force from 1855 to 1940. The NPAM (also called "the Militia" though that term could also encompass the full-time standing army known as the Permanent A ...

of the Canadian Militia (now the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...

). In 1939, the regiment was converted from light armour to artillery.

Lineage

* Originated on 1 April 1908, as the ''British Columbia Horse''. * Reorganised on 1 December 1911, into two separate regiments: the ''1st Regiment, British Columbia Horse'' (now

The British Columbia Dragoons The British Columbia Dragoons (BCD) is a Primary Reserve armoured warfare, armoured reconnaissance regiment of the Canadian Army. It is based in Kelowna and Vernon, British Columbia, and is part of 3rd Canadian Division's 39 Canadian Brigade Group ...

) and the ''2nd Regiment, British Columbia Horse''. * Redesignated on 15 April 1912, as the ''31st Regiment, British Columbia Horse''. * Redesignated on 1 November 1920, as the ''5th British Columbia Light Horse''. * Redesignated on 15 August 1932, as the ''British Columbia Hussars''. * Amalgamated on 15 December 1936, with the Headquarters and B Company of the ''11th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC'', and redesignated as the ''British Columbia Hussars (Armoured Car)''. * Converted on 15 May 1939, from light armour to artillery and redesignated as the ''1st Searchlight Regiment, RCA''.

History

On 1 April 1908, the British Columbia Horse was authorized to be formed. It had independent squadrons based at

Kamloops Kamloops ( ) is a city in south-central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the South flowing North Thompson River and the West flowing Thompson River, east of Kamloops Lake. It is located in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, w ...

, Vernon and

Lower Nicola Lower Nicola is a rural community in the Nicola Country region of the Southern Interior of British Columbia. It is located at the confluence of Guichon Creek and the Nicola River The Nicola River , originally French Rivière de Nicholas or Rivi� ...

. On 1 April 1911, four more squadrons were authorized to be raised for the BC Horse in order to create two regiments of four squadrons each. Later that same year on 1 December 1911, these two regiments were formed and designated as the ''1st Regiment, British Columbia Horse'' (now

) and the ''2nd Regiment, British Columbia Horse''. The Regimental Headquarters of the 2nd BC Horse were first established at Meritt and had squadrons based at Kamloops,

Salmon Arm Salmon Arm is a city in the Columbia Shuswap Regional District of the Southern Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia that has a population of 17,706 (2016). Salmon Arm was incorporated as a municipal district on May 15, 1905. The ...

, Wallachin and Merritt. On 15 April 1912, the 2nd BC Horse was redesignated as the ''31st Regiment, British Columbia Horse''. On 1 November 1920, as a result of the Canadian Militia reorganization following the

Otter Commission The Otter Commission, or Otter Committee, was established after the First World War to tackle a problem created by the chaotic mobilization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In 1919 units of the CEF, intended as a wartime expeditionary force, ret ...

, the 31st Regiment British Columbia Horse was redesignated as the ''5th British Columbia Light Horse''. On 15 August 1932, they were again redesignated as the ''British Columbia Hussars''. A few years later in March 1934, they relocated to

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

and were based at the

Bessborough Armoury Bessborough Armoury is a Canadian Forces armoury located at 2025 West 11th Avenue in Vancouver, British Columbia. History Construction of the armoury began in September 1932 and was completed in the following spring. Architecture The architec ...

which they shared with the 15th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery. On 15 December 1936, as part of the 1936 Canadian Militia reorganization, the ''British Columbia Hussars'' were amalgamated with the Headquarters and “B” Company of the 11th Machine Gun Battalion and Redesignated as the ''British Columbia Hussars (Armoured Car)'', becoming one of three designated armoured car regiments in the pre-war Canadian Militia. On 15 May 1939, the British Columbia Hussars were converted to artillery and redesignated as the 1st Searchlight Regiment,

Royal Canadian Artillery , colors = The guns of the RCA themselves , colors_label = Colours , march = * Slow march: "Royal Artillery Slow March" * Quick march (dismounted parades): "British Grenadiers/The ...

. As part of the coastal artillery defences of

the searchlight regiment worked closely with the 15th (Vancouver) Coast Regiment, RCA and other units.

Organization

2nd Regiment, British Columbia Horse (1 December 1911)

* A Squadron (Lumby) * B Squadron (

Kelowna Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna derives from the Okanagan word ''ki� ...

) * C Squadron (

) * D Squadron (Wallachin)

2nd Regiment, British Columbia Horse (1 March 1912)

* Regimental Headquarters ( Merritt moved 1915 to Kamloops) * A Squadron (

) * B Squadron (Salmon Arm moved 1916 to

) * C Squadron (Wallachin moved 1915 to Langley Prairie) * D Squadron (Merritt formerly at

)

5th British Columbia Light Horse (1921)

* Regimental Headquarters (Kamloops) * A Squadron (Kamloops) * B Squadron (Merritt moved 1924 to Vancouver) * C Squadron (Langley Prairie moved 1924 to Merritt)

The British Columbia Hussars (Armoured Car) (12 December 1936)

* Regimental Headquarters (Vancouver) * A Squadron (Kamloops) * B Squadron (Vancouver) * C Squadron (Vancouver)

1st Searchlight Regiment, RCA (15 May 1939)

A Squadron in Kamloops disbanded and remainder of the regiment converted to artillery * 1st Searchlight Battery, RCA * 3rd Searchlight Battery, RCA

Alliances

Since the 1920s, the 5th British Columbia Light Horse and later the British Columbia Hussars were allied to the

4th Queen's Own Hussars The 4th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, including the First World War and the Second World War. It amalgamated with the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, to ...

Battle Honours

Ypres, 1915 During the First World War, the Second Battle of Ypres was fought from for control of the tactically important high ground to the east and south of the Flemish town of Ypres in western Belgium. The First Battle of Ypres had been fought the pre ...

Festubert, 1915 The Battle of Festubert (15–25 May 1915) was an attack by the British army in the Artois region of France on the western front during World War I. The offensive formed part of a series of attacks by the French Tenth Army and the British ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:British_Columbia_Hussars Hussar regiments of Canada Military units and formations of British Columbia 1908 establishments in British Columbia Military units and formations established in 1908