Reg.#12572, Peter Seddon Oliver - RCMP Honour Roll # 72

Snippets of RCMP History

The following note was received from Mr. Richard Clarke, QC. In his letter, Mr. Clarke points out that the RCMP in WWII were distinguished by being permitted to wear the RCMP crest as their military shoulder patch as well as on their berets.

Mr. Clarke says: 'Peter Oliver was originally transferred from the RCMP to the Canadian Army Provost Corps along with about a hundred other members in 1939. The formed No 1 Provost Company at the time. But Pete Oliver must have been quite a guy and a natural leader because he quickly earned promotion within the Corps and was commissioned as an Officer in the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He was subsequently promoted again to 1st Lieutenant and transferred to No 2 Provost Company which is the unit he was serving in when our troops landed at Dieppe in August 1942.

Mr. Clarke is a nephew of Reg.#12572, Peter Seddon Oliver who died in the Dieppe raid on August 19th, 1942. Peter Seddon Oliver's name is listed as #72 on the RCMP Honour Roll at 'Depot' Div.

The letter from Mr. Richard Clarke, QC.

Dear Joe, All RCMP personnel who transferred to the Provost Corps were allowed to wear their RCMP cap badge and Royal Canadian Mounted Police shoulder flashes on their uniforms, as a distinction from the rest of the Provost Corps personnel. 

It was considered a major concession on the part of the Army to allow this. However, several RCMP personnel who served in the Army at this time would rise to senior rank in the Force, including L.H. Nicholson, who would eventually serve as Commissioner of the Force in the 1950's. In 1945, Nicholson was promoted to Provost Marshal of the Army.  

The photos of Reg.#12572, Peter Oliver were taken from the website http://www.rcmpgraves.com/. I am appreciative to web contributors Mr. Richard Clarke and Vet. Murray Adair for the photographs.

We thank Mr. Clarke as he has been a faithful contributor to http://www.rcmpgraves.com/

'Maintain Our Memories'