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, colors = , march = Quick: "Fare Ye Well Inniskilling (5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards)"
Pipe bands: "
Scotland the Brave "Scotland the Brave" ( gd, Alba an Àigh) is a Scottish patriotic song, one of three often considered an unofficial Scottish national anthem (the others being " Flower of Scotland", and "Scots Wha Hae"). History The tune probably originated i ...
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First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see al ...
, notable_commanders = , anniversaries = 1 April 1911 (BC Horse formed) , identification_symbol_2 =
, identification_symbol_2_label = NATO Map Symbol , identification_symbol_4 = BCD , identification_symbol_4_label = Abbreviation , battle_honours = See #Battle honours The British Columbia Dragoons (BCD) is a
Primary Reserve The Primary Reserve of the Canadian Armed Forces (french: links=no, Première réserve des Forces canadiennes) is the first and largest of the four sub-components of the Canadian Armed Forces reserves, followed by the Supplementary Reserve, th ...
armoured Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...
reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops ( skirmishe ...
regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...
of 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 ...
. It is based in
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 ' ...
and
Vernon, British Columbia Vernon is a city in the Okanagan region of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is northeast of Vancouver. Named after Forbes George Vernon, a former MLA of British Columbia who helped establish the Coldstream Ranch in nearb ...
, and is part of
3rd Canadian Division The 3rd Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of all army units in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as all units extending westwards from t ...
's
39 Canadian Brigade Group 39 Canadian Brigade Group (39 CBG; french: link=no, 39e Groupe-brigade du Canada) is a Canadian Forces formation of the Canadian Army under the 3rd Canadian Division. The brigade group is composed of Canadian Forces (CF) Primary Reserve units, all ...
.


Detachments

*Regimental Headquarters (
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 ' ...
) *A Squadron ( Vernon) *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 ' ...
)


Lineage


The British Columbia Dragoons

* Originated on 1 April 1911, in
Vernon, British Columbia Vernon is a city in the Okanagan region of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is northeast of Vancouver. Named after Forbes George Vernon, a former MLA of British Columbia who helped establish the Coldstream Ranch in nearb ...
, as one of two four-squadron regiments designated the ''British Columbia Horse''. * Reorganized on 1 December 1911, as the ''1st Regiment, British Columbia Horse''. * Redesignated on 15 April 1912, as the ''30th Regiment, British Columbia Horse''. * Redesignated on 15 March 1920, as ''The British Columbia Mounted Rifles''. * Redesignated on 15 March 1929, as ''The British Columbia Dragoons''. * Redesignated on 11 February 1941, as the ''2nd (Reserve) Regiment, The British Columbia Dragoons''. * Redesignated on 1 April 1941, as the ''9th (Reserve) Armoured Regiment, (The British Columbia Dragoons)''. * Redesignated on 1 April 1946, as the ''9th Reconnaissance Regiment (The British Columbia Dragoons), RCAC''. * Redesignated on 4 February 1949, as ''The British Columbia Dragoons (9th Reconnaissance Regiment)''. * Redesignated on 19 May 1958, as ''The British Columbia Dragoons''.


Lineage chart

Lineage of the British Columbia Dragoons: , style="text-align: left;", class="wikitable" + Abbreviations used in the chart - ! Abbreviation !! Phrase - Armd Armoured - Bn Battalion - CAC
Canadian Armoured Corps The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC; french: links=no, Corps blindé royal canadien) is the armoured corps within the Canadian Army, including 3 Regular and 18 Reserve Force regimentsThe Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army (Queen's Printe ...
- CASF
Canadian Active Service Force Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
- Cav. Cavalry - CEF
Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry divisi ...
- RCAC
Royal Canadian Armoured Corps The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC; french: links=no, Corps blindé royal canadien) is the armoured corps within the Canadian Army, including 3 Regular and 18 Reserve Force regimentsThe Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army (Queen's Prin ...
- Recce Reconnaissance - Regt Regiment - Sqn Squadron


History


Early history

The British Columbia Dragoons trace their origins to the formation of the ''Canadian Mounted Rifles'', two independent squadrons of horse in Kamloops and Vernon in 1908. In 1910 two additional squadrons were raised and the regiment was renamed the ''British Columbia Horse''. In 1912 the unit was reorganized into two separate regiments: the ''30th Regiment, British Columbia Horse'' and the ''31st Regiment, British Columbia Horse'' (later known as the British Columbia Hussars). 1914 saw the formation of the Victoria Independent Squadron on
Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...
.


First World War

In the
Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
the regiment was not mobilized, but in December 1914 many volunteers from the regiment joined the newly formed 2nd Regiment Canadian Mounted Rifles. After some limited service in France as cavalry, the unit was reroled to infantry as 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion on January 1, 1916. The battalion became part of the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade, and fought with great luck and success on the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers * Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...
. Despite being trained as cavalry but deployed as infantry, the regiment managed the war well. Captain "Jock" MacGregor was awarded the Victoria Cross for actions taken in the battle at
Cambrai Cambrai (, ; pcd, Kimbré; nl, Kamerijk), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord department and in the Hauts-de-France region of France on the Scheldt river, which is known locally as the ...
on September 29, 1918. The actions and awards of the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles are perpetuated today by the British Columbia Dragoons, their direct descendants. The British Columbia Dragoons perpetuate the following units of the
Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry divisi ...
: * 2nd Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles * 11th Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles Cathays Cemetery The Cathays Cemetery is one of the main cemeteries of Cardiff, Wales. It is in the Cathays district of the city, about north of Cardiff city centre. At 110 acres it is the third largest cemetery in the United Kingdom. History The cemetery was ...
, Cardiff"> File:CathaysCemy CWGSection CanMtdRifles Tremain.jpg, Grave of Sgt W Tremain, died 19 November 1917 File:CathaysCemy CWGSection CanMtdRifles White.jpg, Grave of Pte JW White, died 24 December 1917


1920s-1930s

In the post-war reorganization, the regiment was renamed ''The British Columbia Mounted Rifles'' in 1920, and then to the name still carried today, ''The British Columbia Dragoons'' in 1929. Part of the reason for the change was to forever divorce the regiment from infantry duties. When the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
loomed, the regiment once again stepped forward.


Second World War

The regiment was designated the 5th Motorcycle Regiment (BCD), and later an armoured car unit. Finally made into an armoured regiment, the 9th Armoured Regiment (BCD), they were deployed to Italy as part of the 5th Armoured Brigade, 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division. The regiment saw heavy action in the Liri Valley, were the first unit to break through the
Gustav Line The Winter Line was a series of German and Italian military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt and commanded by Albert Kesselring. The series of three lines was designed to defend a western section ...
in Italy, 1944, and helped smash the
Gothic Line The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence along the summits of the northern part of ...
, holding Point 204 right in the centre of the line. Part of the "D-Day Dodgers", a term used by soldiers fighting in Italy after D-Day, they continued to fight until orders were given to move the regiment to the northwest Europe area. They served with distinction until the end of the war, at which point the regiment was demobilized and returned to
Militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
service.


Post war to present

The regiment has since seen many ups and downs, with losses of manpower and funding, hostile popular attitudes, and the ever-changing nature of Canada. The 1970s and 1980s saw the deployment of individual members to Cyprus as part of the UN operations there as part of larger Canadian formations. The 1990s and the new century has seen numerous members deploy to Bosnia as part of NATO operations with the
Implementation Force The Implementation Force (IFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peace enforcement force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename ''Operation Joint Endeavour''. Background NAT ...
and the
Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina The Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Bosnian war. Although SFOR was led by NATO, several non-NATO countries contributed troops. It ...
. With the
Global War on Terror The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant ...
, members served overseas as part of NATO operations with the
International Security Assistance Force The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386, Resolution 1386 pursua ...
in Afghanistan and
Operation Impact On 3 October 2014, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that he would put forth a motion to send forces to participate in the coalition for military intervention against ISIL by deploying combat aircraft. On 7 October 2014, the Hous ...
in the Middle East as well as on
Operation Reassurance Operation Reassurance (OpRe) is an initiative of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) which dates from 2014, when NATO partners "agreed upon and began to enact a series of military measures on 16 April 2014", in response to the February 2014 annexation o ...
in Latvia, and on Operation Unifier in Ukraine prior to the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. A ...
.


Official links to other units

; Alliance : Between Canadian and Commonwealth units :* —
The Royal Dragoon Guards The Royal Dragoon Guards (RDG) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1992 by the amalgamation of two other regiments: The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. Based in Battlesbury B ...
; Partnership : Informal bond of friendship between a Canadian unit and a unit from an allied country :* — 161st Infantry Regiment


Battle honours

Battle honours in small capitals are for large operations and campaigns and those in lowercase are for more specific battles. Bold type indicates honours authorized to be emblazoned on the regimental guidon.


Great War


Second World War


War in Afghanistan


Recognition

The
Freedom of the City The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...
was granted by the City of Kelowna on February 11, 1963. The Freedom of the City was exercised by The British Columbia Dragoons in
Vernon, British Columbia Vernon is a city in the Okanagan region of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is northeast of Vancouver. Named after Forbes George Vernon, a former MLA of British Columbia who helped establish the Coldstream Ranch in nearb ...
, on 10 May 2008.Freedom of the City
/ref>


Cadet units

There are several
Royal Canadian Army Cadets The Royal Canadian Army Cadets (RCAC; french: Cadets royaux de l’Armée canadienne) is a national Canadian youth program sponsored by the Canadian Armed Forces and the civilian Army Cadet League of Canada. Under the authority of the National ...
units spread across
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...
which are affiliated to the British Columbia Dragoons. Cadet units affiliated to the British Columbia Dragoons receive support from the regiment and also are given permission to wear traditional regimental accoutrements on their uniforms.


Media

*''Sinews of Steel: The History of the British Columbia Dragoons" by R ginaldH. Roy (1965)


See also

*
List of regiments of cavalry of the Canadian Militia (1900–1920) This is a list of the named and numbered cavalry regiments of the Canadian Militia from around the start of 1900 until the Otter Commission The Otter Commission, or Otter Committee, was established after the First World War to tackle a problem crea ...


References


External links

*
Regimental association


Order of precedence

{{DEFAULTSORT:British Columbia Dragoons, The Dragoon regiments of Canada Kelowna Vernon, British Columbia Military units and formations of British Columbia Armoured regiments & units of Canada in World War II 1908 establishments in British Columbia Military units and formations established in 1908