THE THOMPSON GUN &
THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE
BY
PETER RIPLEY
According to The Ultimate Thompson Book several Canadian police agencies were among
the original
consignees. This included the RCMP (4), the Alberta Provincial Police (1), the
British Columbia Provincial Police (6), the Winnipeg City Police (2) and the Vancouver City
Police (2).
Naturally, I was very interested to learn what had become of these Thompsons after ninety
years. Ms. Jodi Ann Eskritt, Curator, RCMP Historical Collections Unit, RCMP Heritage
Centre, was able to help me with that for the original RCMP Thompsons and, interestingly,
almost all the others.
In 1921 the RCMP purchased Thompsons #1056, 1674, 1806 and 3606. In 1932 the RCMP
absorbed the Alberta PP and along came their Thompson, #3500. In 1950 they absorbed the
British Columbia PP and Thompsons #3478, 4355, 4483, 4651, 4757 and 13551. These serial
numbers all match those published in TUTB. As far as Thompson use in service with the
RCMP, it was mainly for Bank of Canada currency shipment escort.
Regrettably, all of the RCMP Thompsons except for #1674 and #3500 were destroyed in 1969.
Thompson #3500, originally from the Alberta PP, is on display at the RCMP Heritage Centre in
Regina along with its original C drum. Thompson #1674, from the original RCMP purchase, is
in storage.
Interestingly, there is one other Thompson (AO44229) in storage at the HCU. This is the
1928A1 which was carried by the driver of the get away car in a hold up of the Coquitlam
Royal Bank on April 3, 1956.
The Vancouver Police Thompsons can be seen today in a museum dedicated to policing in that
). They also have two Colt Model 1927s which I believe
have consecutive serial numbers. The Vancouver Police Museum is on my list of places to visit.
One of the Winnipeg Thompsons is in a private collection in Alberta. I
don't know the
whereabouts of the other but suspect it may also be in a collection
