Pacific Coast Militia Rangers

[Bill A]

Not much has been posted about the PCMR. The unit was a para-military group tasked with being the observers of unusual activity in the remote coastal and mountain areas of British Columbia. To ensure their status as combatants, they were issued armbands which could be worn on civilian clothing or military uniforms, a distinctive headdress and insignia.
A short explanation of the role and history of the unit can be found in this article Pacific Coast Militia Rangers. In the linked pages, the dress regulations of the group are outlined.
The armband was the basic identifier for the PCMR. Doe anyone have a list of the PCMR companies?

[bgpipes]

My armband is like yours, it says"No.1 Coy. PCMR/ S.V.I. Rangers, (South Vancouver Island)" I once saw a collection of these armbands with names like "Alert Bay" "Fanny Bay" "Shuswap Rangers" "Nanaimo Rangers" etc.etc.

[Voltigeur]

Hi guys, Bill is this what you're looking for?
Jo

http://www.navalandmilitarymuseum.or...companies.html

[Phillip Herring]

Here is a list of the companies that I got from CFB Esquimalt Museum web site.

Pacific Coast Militia Rangers

PCMR Companies
Vancouver Island: Lt.-Col. C.W. Peck, VC, DSO
Lower Fraser Valley: Lt.-Col. A.L. Coote, VD
Bridge River Area: Maj. H. Ashby, DCM, MM


Company Area Ranger Captain
No. 1 Company Victoria Goldstream, Sooke, the Jordan River area
No. 2 Company West Vancouver Ambleside, Caufield, Horseshoe Bay
No. 3 Company Sidney Sidney, North Saanich Peninsula, Patricia Bay
No. 4 Company Brentwood Brentwood, Tod Inlet M. Atkins
No. 5 Company Port Alberni Alberni, Great Central Lake, Franklin River
No. 6 Company Clo-oose Clo-oose K.T. Baird
No. 7 Company Camps 3 and 6, Youbou Youbou and North Cowichan Lake
No. 8 Company Youbou Youbou and West Cowichan Lake
No. 9 Company Rounds Rounds, South Cowichan Lake
No. 10 Company Camp 9 Duncan Area
No. 12 Company Mayo Duncan Area
No. 13 Company Hillcrest Hillcrest, Mesachie Lake
No. 14 Company Bamfield Bamfield, Cable Station
No. 15 Company Duncan Duncan, Sahtlam, Paldi
No. 16 Company Crofton Crofton, Westholme
No. 17 Company Duncan Duncan, Somenos, Quamichan No. 18 Company Cowichan Lake Cowichan Lake, HIllbank, Cherry Point
No. 19 Company Shawnigan Lake Shawnigan Lake, Cobble Hill No. 20 Company Cowichan Lake Cowichan Lake, Chanlog
No. 21 Company Fanny Bay Fanny Bay, Bowser F. Curran
No. 22 Company Cumberland Cumberland W.H. Cope
No. 23 Company Courtenay Courtenay, Merville
24 Company Tsolum Tsolum, Courtenay, Sandwick
No. 25 Company Oyster Bay Oyster Bay, Oyster River
No. 26 Company Campbell River Campbell River, Cape Mudge
No. 27 Company Quinsam Quinsam, Campbell Lake, Forbes Landing
No. 28 Company Bloedel Bloedel, Camp 1 and Camp 5 Timber Area
No. 29 Company Sardis Rosedale, Sardis, Vedder, Cheam
No. 31 Company Nanaimo Nanaimo, Yellow Point, Wellington
No. 32 Company Parksville Parksville, Qualicum, HIlliers, Coombs
No. 33 Company Ocean Falls Ocean Falls, Link Lake, Cousins Inlet
No. 34 Company Bralorne Bralorne, Shalath, D'Arcy
No. 35 Company Pioneer Mines Goldbridge, Pioneer Mines
No. 37 Company Lillooet Lillooet, Pachelqua, Moha
No. 38 Company Ganges Ganges, Fulford
No. 39 Company Williams Lake Williams Lake, Likely, Alexis Creek, Forest Grove
No. 40 Company Sechelt Sechelt, Halfmoon Bay, Pender Harbour
No. 41 Company Bowen Island Bowen Island, Cowan's Point
No. 42 Company Gibsons Landing Gibsons Landing, Roberts Creek
No. 43 Company Port Alice Port Alice, Holberg, Quatsino, Marble Creek
No. 45 Company Salmon Arm Salmon Arm, Shuswap Lake
No. 46 Company Peachland Peachland, Westbank
No. 47 Company Lasqueti Island Lasqueti Island, False Bay, Squitty Bay
No. 48 Company Oliver Oliver, Testalinda,Osoyoos
No. 49 Company Kingsgate Kingsgate, Yahk
No. 50 Company Creston Creston, Boswell, Crawford Bay, Gray Creek
No. 51 Company Armstrong Armstrong, Hullcar
No. 52 Company Smithers Smithers, Hazelton, Telkwa, Quick
No. 53 Company Castlegar Castlegar, Robson
No. 54 Company Alert Bay Alert Bay, Malcolm Island
No. 55 Company Nimpkish Lake, Englewood Englewood
No. 56 Company Port McNeill Port McNeill, Cluxeive River
No. 57 Company Englewood Englewood, Beaver Cove, Nimpkish River
No. 58 Company Port McNeill Port McNeill, Suquash, O'Connor Lake
No. 59 Company Port Hardy Port Hardy, Duval, Dillon Point
No. 60 Company Whonnock Whonnock, Ruskin, Silverdale
No. 61 Company Haney Haney, Pitt Meadows, Albion
No. 62 Company Deroche Deroche, Nicomen, Errock Lake
No. 63 Company Langley Langley Prairie
No. 64 Company Clinton Clinton, Bridge Lake, Gang Ranch, Jesmond
No. 65 Company Zeballos Zeballos, Ceepeecee
No. 66 Company Dewdney Dewdney, Nicomen
No. 67 Company Vernon Vernon, Coldstream, Lumby, Oyama
No. 68 Company Lytton Lytton, Styne, Botania
No. 69 Company Butedale Butedale, Gragan, Kilcane Inlet
No. 70 Company Terrace Copper City, Lower Skeena, Usk
No. 71 Company Penticton Penticton, Kaleden
No. 72 Company Trail Fruitvale, Rossland, Tadanac, Casino
No. 73 Company Hope Hope, North Bend, Boston Bar, Laidlaw
No. 74 Company Bella Coola Bella Coola, Anahim Lake, Hagensborg
No. 75 Company Bella Bella Bella Bella, Namu, North Bentinck Arm
No. 77 Company Coquitlam Coquitlam, Port Moody, Sunnyside, Maillardville
No. 78 Company Kimberley Kimberley, Chapman Camp
No. 79 Company Merritt Merritt, Douglas Lake, Nicola, Quilchena
No. 80 Company Princeton Princeton, Hedley, Copper Mountain
No. 81 Company Invermere Invermere, Spillimacheen, Canal Flats
No. 82 Company Sicamous Sicamous, Malakwa
No. 83 Company Squamish Squamish, Garibaldi, Pemberton
No. 84 Company Ladner Ladner, East Delta, Boundary Bay, Canoe Pass
No. 85 Company Kamloops Barriere, Savona, Blackpool, Blue River
No. 86 Company Britannia Beach Britannia Beach, North East Howe Sound
No. 87 Company West Summerland West Summerland, Trout Creek
No. 88 Company Abbotsford Straiton, Matsqui, Brander, Sumas
No. 89 Company Burnaby South Burnaby Lake, Central Park, Royal Oak
No. 90 Company Burnaby North Capitol Hill, Barnet
No. 91 Company Burnaby East Lozells, Edmonds
No. 93 Company Surrey White Rock, Cloverdale, Colebrook
No. 94 Company Agassiz Agassiz, Harrison Mills
No. 95 Company Port Simpson Port Simpson, Finlayson Island
No. 96 Company Queen Charlotte City Queen Charlotte City, Tlell, Skidegate
No. 97 Company Quesnel Quesnel, Kersley, Marguerite
No. 98 Company Wells Wells, Barkerville
No. 99 Company Stave Falls Stave Falls, Hatzic Prairie, Ferndale
No. 100 Company Kelowna Okanagan, Rutland, Glenmore
No. 101 Company Ladysmith Ladysmith, Blainy, Brenton
No. 102 Company Ucluelet Ucluelet, Port Albion, Stapleby, Wreck Bay
No. 103 Company Tofino Tofino, Long Beach, Clayoquot
No. 104 Company McBride McBride, Dore Creek, Teare Mountain
No. 105 Company Masset Masset, Northern Graham Island
No. 106 Company Hudson Hope Hudson Hope, Moberly Lake, Gold Bar
No. 107 Company Port Renfrew Port Renfrew, Malahat, Hennigson
No. 108 Company Cumshewa Cumshewa Inlet, J.R. Morgan Ltd.
No. 109 Company Cumshewa Inlet (Queen Charlotte Islands) Cumshewa Inlet, Louise Island, Skedans Bay
No. 110 Company Kaslo Kaslo, Lardeau, New Denver
No. 111 Company Nakusp Nakusp
No. 112 Company Chamis Bay Chamis Bay, Kyuquot
No. 113 Company Huxley Island (Queen Charlotte Islands) Huxley Island, Wernier Island
No. 114 Company Cumshewa Inlet Cumshewa Inlet, Skidegate Lake
No. 115 Company Golden Golden, Parson, Field
No. 116 Company Enderby Enderby, Hullcar
No. 117 Company New Westminster Queensboro, Brunette, Poplar Island
No. 118 Company West Point Grey West Point Grey, Vancouver South, Marpole
No. 119 Company Gambier Island Gambier Island, Port Mellon, East Bay
No. 120 Company Ashcroft Ashcroft, Hat Creek, Spences Bridge
No. 121 Company South Slocan South Slocan, Brilliant, Bonnington
No. 122 Company Nootka Nootka, Maquinna Point, Friendly Cove
No. 123 Company Ahousat Ahousat, Refuge Cove
No. 124 Company Chase Chase, Tappen, Sorrento, Pritchard
No. 125 Company Richmond Richmond, Steveston, Brighouse
No. 126 Company Galiano Island North and South Galiano Island, Mayne Island
No. 127 Company Pender & Saturna Islands Pender Island, Saturna Island, Hope Bay
No. 128 Company Deep Cove Deep Cove, North Arm
No. 129 Company Grand Forks Grand Forks, Rock Creek
No. 130 Company Naas River Naas River, Aiyanch, Kincolith, Canyon City
No. 131 Company Prince George South Fort George, Sinclair Mills, Dome Creek
No. 132 Company Rivers Inlet Rivers Inlet, Goose Bay, Draney Inlet
No. 133 Company James Island James Island
No. 134 Company Woodfibre North West Howe Sound
No. 135 Company Dawson, Y.T. Dawson, Bear Creek, Moosehide
No. 136 Company Pinchi Lake Pinchi Lake
No. 137 Company Vanderhoof Vanderhoof, Fort St. James, Fort Fraser
No. 138 Company Juskatla (Queen Charlotte Islands) Juskatla, Tlell, Skidegate

[Bill A]

Jo & Phil, Great work. (Jo, I guess it would be even better if I checked all the info on the link I provided.)
Phil, With your interest in BC militaria, can you confirm that all of these companies would have had the printed armband for their unit?

[Phillip Herring]

I thought that each company had their own arm band, however, I would have to see to believe.
For some reason, No 124 Company Shuswap Rangers seems to be the most common.
In all my years living on Vancouver Island, I never saw any of these arm bands for sale or in collections.