British Columbia Military Heritage Society

In the centre of Vancouver's Stanley Park is the war memorial dedicated to Japanese Canadians who served in the First World War. Names are all listed. HMCS Discovery, a naval museum, is also in the Park. Remnants of gun emplacements in Stanley Park that protected us from the Kaiser's navy can still be found.

The First World War cenotaph was designed after the Whitehall Cenotaph. It is located walking distance from the Gastown district.

At the front of the old C.P.R. train station on the waterfront is "Winged Victory," a Coeur de Lion MacCarthy statue of an angel carrying a soldier - dedicated to the railway employees of the C.P.R. who served in the Great War.

Christ Church Cathedral is open during the day for viewing. This church has a number of First World War regimental colours, memorial windows dedicated to Nursing Sisters, the 102nd Battalion C.E.F., etc., a Roll of Honour plaque, and other individual memorial plaques.

The Seaforth Armory on Burrard Street is an excellent military museum.

Beatty Street Armoury houses a small museum for the B.C. Regiment covering both wars.

Hycroft Mansion is a beautiful sprawling place which served as a hospital for Great War wounded. The RCMP's Fairmont Barracks also served as a hospital during the War.

New Westminster Regiment Museum is worth seeing.

In Victoria the Bay Street Armory home of the Canadian Scottish and other Regiments that are perpetuated by them is a must see, a very nice museum.

In Kelowna, find the 12th Division memorial cross transported from Ovillers on the Somme.

Near Kamloops is the village of Walhachin, home of Gordon Flowerdew V.C. and other Britishers.

The British Columbia Military Heritage Society, also known as the BCMHS, is unfortunately vanishing.

For further information on the BCMHS, please contact the webmaster via email.

Here is an example of how militia regiments provided men to the war effort. In 1914 the 104th Westminster Fusiliers of Canada became a training unit for battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (C.E.F.) and a home defense unit.

More than 6500(?) men from New Westminster and the Fraser Valley received their initial training in the 104th Westminster Fusiliers of Canada. On August 22nd 1914, six officers and 140 men from the regiment left for Valcartier, Quebec to join the 7th Battalion (1st Division) C.E.F. Then in November 1914 seven officers and 238 men left to join the 29th (Tobin's Tigers) Battalion (2nd Division) C.E.F. Twelve officers and 608 men formed the 47th (British Columbia) Battalion (4th Division) C.E.F. in February 1915. The 104th Westminster Fusiliers of Canada gathered 1200, all ranks, to form the 131st (Westminster) Battalion C.E.F.

These were not the only Battalions whom received troops who were trained by the Depot in New Westminster. The following Battalions also received troops:

30th (Vancouver) Battalion
48th (Victoria) Battalion C.E.F. became 3rd Pioneers, 3rd Canadian Division
54th (Kootenay) Battalion, 11th Brigade, 4th Division
62nd (Vancouver) Battalion
67th (Western Scots) Battalion became 4th Pioneer Battalion, 4th Canadian Division
72nd (Seaforth) Battalion, 12th Brigade, 4th Canadian Division
88th (Victoria Fusiliers) Battalion
102nd (Northern British Columbia) Battalion, 11th Brigade, 4th Canadian Division
103rd (Victoria Timber Wolves) Battalion
121st (Western Irish) Battalion
143rd (British Columbia Bantams) Battalion - became part of the Canadian Railway Troops
158th (Duke of Connaughts Own) Battalion
172nd (Rocky Mountain Rangers) Battalion
211th (American Legion) Battalion - became part of the Canadian Railway Troops
225th (Kootenay) Battalion
231st (Seaforth) Battalion
238th (Ottawa/Western Canada) Battalion - became part of the Canadian Forestry Corps
2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles, 3rd Canadian Division
11th Canadian Mounted Rifles
1st Pioneer Battalion, 1st Canadian Division
Number 2 and Number 4 Tunneling Companies.

The 104th Westminster Fusiliers of Canada continued in this capacity until 1919. Source: Department of National Defence.