This site displays examples of historic uniform and kit that were worn by Members of the North West Mounted Police (NWMP),
the Royal North West Mounted Police (RNWMP) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Images displayed on this site are held by various private collections.
This site is not affiliated with, nor sanctioned by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or its wife.

All rights reserved. © 2010-2017 Ottawa CANADA
CURATOR: rcmp.collector@gmail.com
UNIFORMS & EQUIPMENT
Exterior unilingual detachment sign (above), pre-1973.
Constables' forage caps, King's Crown pre-1953 (left) and Queen's Crown, post 1953 (right). Authorized uniform shoulder patch (below), unilingual, pre-1973.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Gendarmerie royale du Canada
Post-WWII RCMP
Brassard (left) worn by Members protecting King George and Elizabeth I during the 1939 Royal Visit.
Below are some photos of the 1959 Royal Tour of Canada by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
Scarlet Serge tunic, shoulder title
Forage cap, current cap badge
Scarlet Serge tunic, collar badge
Constable and NCO's forage cap
Patrol jacket, shoulder flash
Members ready for patrol duty
Collar badge
Shoulder title
Member in Review Order uniform (left) circa 1960, with scarlet tunic, blue breeches, Sam Browne with white pistol lanyard, S&W Model 10 revolver, Stetson, and high brown Strathcona boots.
Member in undress, office duty uniform (top) circa 1950, with brown jacket, cloth belt, shirt and tie, Stetson and gloves, and high brown Strathcona boots. Bottom photo shows a Member in detachment office, circa 1952.
75 years of shoulder flashes - some examples of cloth shoulder patches (below) from WWII to present day.
While they are in training at Depot, RCMP Cadets wear a similar work dress to the sworn members in the field. They do not wear the standard cavalry trousers, and a CADET slip-on, worn on the epaulette of the shirt. The yellow CADET slip-on pictured on the left is now obsolete.
HRH Princess Elizabeth inspecting the Coronation Troop, circa 1953.
Since 1885, almost all RCMP Members in Canada have gone through the RCMP’s Training Academy “Depot” in Regina, Saskatchewan. It is an incredibly grueling program that teaches respect, honour, and discipline. Depot teaches cadets the fundamentals of policing that they will need to face the daily challenges on the frontline.
Summer Students in training (right) at Depot Training Centre, Regina, SK. Cadets wear black forage caps with the RCMP cap badge. Uniform trousers lack the yellow cavalry stripe. The student's uniform shirts are worn with a brassard on the left arm with the words STUDENT ETUDIANT.
Royal Visits
Authentic King's Crown cap badges can be verified by checking the scroll at the bottom of the obverse side of the
badge (below). The background of the scroll should be pebbled around and between the letters that spell out
ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE.
A scroll with a smooth background suggests that the badge may likely be a poor quality copy.
Example of an authentic KC collar badge, stamped:
J.R. GAUNT
MONTREAL
and
MADE IN
ENGLAND
The King's Crown (KC) badges were authorized for wear from 1920 to 1953, including by members of the No. 1 Provost Company (RCMP) during WWII.
A KC badge may be authenticated by a small rectangle (above) on the reverse of the badge with the imprint:
J.R. GAUNT
MONTREAL
MADE N ENGLAND
The badge itself was struck - and so should have the look and feel of an imprinted piece of metal, normally not with a smooth backing which may indicate that it was produced from pouring into a mould. In addition, a number of badges were reproduced during the Force's Centennial in 1973 and may have a hallmark disk on the reverse of the badge (see below).
The absence of a hallmark on a badge does not necessarily mean that is not authentic. Conversely, the presence of a hallmark disk does not mean that a badge is authentic.
The round disk in the centre of reverse side of the KC cap badge (left) is not a validation of its authenticity, but rather indicates that this badge was reproduced likely during the RCMP's Centennial. Additionally, the back of the badge is flat, with most of the groves and crannies found on an authentic stamped badge, filled in by the mould process. The badge is hallmarked
GAUNT LONDON
who were contracted in 1973 to reproduce the badge.
Corporal's Service Order of dress, with brown jacket with Sam Browne duty belt, pouch for extra bullets and white pistol lanyard, QC buttons and collar badges, circa 1960.
Corporal, Roughrider's Scarlets with current Sam Browne holster for automatic pistol and magazine carrier (left);
an example of a typical patrol uniform (right) with the black utility belt, holster for the auto and magazine holder, with blue duty vest/carrier.
RCMP Reserve members are part of a program that allows for retired, regular RCMP Members or other provincially trained officers to provide extra manpower when a shortage is identified. R/Cst. are appointed under the RCMP Act as paid, part-time, armed officers with the same powers as regular Members. The unilingual shoulder title shown here (left) is obsolete.
Auxiliary Member, foreground, below, unarmed, (black forage cap, and blue trousers without the yellow cavalry stripe) provides support to regular Members at large gatherings and community events. All are wearing the standard blue carrier/vest.
Some photographs from the 1959 Royal Tour to Canada of HM The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh:
While many Members served overseas with the Canadian Provost Company during World War II, many more remained in Canada to provide homeland police service, guarding government buildings and installations, prisoner of war transport, etc. The photo above (c. 1942) was taken at the Niagara Falls Hydro Station where the member may have been part of the team responsible for security against enemy saboteurs. He is wearing standard patrol dress for the time and appears to be riding a modifed Harley Davidson bike with sidecar.
Example of an authentic KC cap badge, stamped:
SCULLY
below the lug post on the left reverse side of the badge.
Bilingual door decal, circa 1974
Unilingual door decal, circa 1960
Below, a new tactical assault vehicle (TAV), one of two based in Saskatchewan to be used by ERT Members dealing with hostage situations and armed stand-offs.
Post World War II, Canada continued to prepare and train for what was believed to be an imminent threat of invasion. The photo on the left shows RCMP members undergoing Canadian Military Police training at CFB Borden. Members can be seen wearing bush dress military uniforms with Royal Canadian Mounted Police shoulder flashes and RCMP cap badges on their Bush head gear. They are carrying Lee Enfield No. 4 Mk 1* rifles. The inspection is being carried out by officers of the Canadian Provost Corps.

The photo, below left, show three Members in military bush uniform with the white belt of the Canadian Provost Corps. The photo on the right shows a Member in battle dress, ready for inspection with his kit displayed on his bunk.
Duty shirt, shoulder flash
King's Crown blazer crest,
circa 1948.
Officer's cap badge,
circa 1960.
Goose Bay, circa 1953; a joint patrol with RCAF Police.
Three pairs of matching KC collar badges (below), with variant types of brass finish.
Review Order tunic with turban and female Member.
CLICK TO CONTACT US