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General
Many of the units and
batteries of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery are older than
Canada itself, and the history of artillery in Canada
is older yet. The first company of artillery to be formed in Canada was
organized in Quebec in 1750. The Regiment has always been formed from two
important components:
the Regular Force and the Reserve Force.
Pre-Confederation
The Militia Act of 1855
authorized the first Canadian paid force of 5,000 men. This force included
seven independent batteries of artillery. Three of the original seven
batteries are perpetuated by Reserve Force batteries today. Prior to 1855,
volunteer Canadian artillery batteries existed but the continuity of some
of these batteries is difficult to trace. One of these pre-1855 units, the
“Loyal Company of Artillery”, was formed in Saint John, N.B., in 1793,
and is perpetuated today by the 3rd
Field
Regiment RCA.
Post
-
Confederation
 Artillery
was first element of the regular component of the fledgling nation of
Canada’s military. On 20
October 1871, The Royal Regiment formed the first Canadian Regular army
units when two batteries of garrison artillery were created.
A and B Batteries located in Kingston and Quebec respectively were
to perform garrison duties and also to serve as “Schools of Gunnery”.
They serve today as part of
the 1st
Regiment
Royal Canadian Horse Artillery.
The
Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery has served valiantly in every major
conflict in
our Nation's history
. For a more information on
the heritage
of The Royal Regiment,
please visit the RCA Museum website. A
condensed history of The Royal Regiment is found in chapter 10 of The
RCA Standing Orders. |
