Regimental Headquarters

Graphics and images found on this website are the sole property of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery and may not be reproduced without express permission.

The King’s Banner

The Royal Canadian Artillery Standard

The Artillery Flag
Artillery Pennants

       Dimensions

       Colour Scheme

       Official Languages

       Identification

The Corps Colour of the Royal Regiment

The King's Banner

In November 1904 King Edward VII presented banners to the Royal Canadian Field Artillery and the Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery. He presented these banners to commemorate the service of C, D and E (Special Service) Batteries during the Boer War. 

The original King Edward VII Banners have not been paraded for many years. Only one remains, and it is in safekeeping in the RCA Museum. Because of its fragile state, it is no longer loaned out to units. 

A replica banner made, was made and may be paraded on memorial parades and other special occasions with the permission of the Colonel Commandant through RHQ RCA.

The Royal Canadian Artillery Standard

The Royal Canadian Artillery Standard is intended for ceremonial use only. It is not carried on parade. It is not broken and shall be flown from flagpoles. It is only flown on special occasions. 

The occasions when it will be flown are at the discretion of artillery commanders, but in general will be: visits of royalty; visits and inspections by the Colonel Commandant or artillery officers of brigadier-general rank and above; visits by the Director of Artillery; visits of allied artillery officers of comparable rank; visits and inspections by the Governor-General and by Lieutenant-Governors; and regimental birthdays, St. Barbara’s Day, Artillery Day and Canada Day.

On such occasions, the Standard may be flown at all artillery headquarters including formations, units, sub-units and artillery schools.

The Colonel Commandant may fly the Royal Canadian Artillery Standard at his residence on special occasions.

The Artillery Flag

The Artillery Flag is used as a camp flag in garrison and bivouac to mark the location of artillery units. It may be flown at headquarters, camps and bivouacs daily from sunrise to sunset. It will not be carried on parade.  

The Artillery Flag is bisected horizontally. The upper half shall be dark red and the lower half a dark blue colour. The RCA badge in gold is in the centre of the flag. RCHA units shall use the RCHA badge, in full colour. 

The normal size of the Artillery Flag is six feet long by three feet in breadth. A smaller version, three feet long by two feet in breadth is also authorized.

RCA Flag

RCHA Flag

Artillery Pennants

Artillery pennants are authorized for use by field officers and above who are commanders of sub-units, units, or formations (never flown at RSM or BSM levels). In order that all gunners and outside agencies readily recognize command position within The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery.  

The following instructions will apply to the production of vehicle pennants for RCA units:

Certain staff officers and commanding officers of regiments, schools or independent batteries shall be identified in the following manner:

Director of Artillery by the full achievement of the badge embroidered in colour and centred on the pennant,

COs of RCHA units by the RCHA badge embroidered in gold on the pennant and the number of the regiment clearly displayed in the canton, 

COs of RCA units (except Air Defence) by the RCA badge embroidered in gold on the pennant and the unit number clearly displayed in the canton,

COs of Air Defence units by the crossed gun barrel and missile superimposed over a vertical lighting bolt embroidered in Gold on the pennant and the unit number clearly displayed in the canton,

Independent batteries shall follow the guidelines for Commanding Officers

with the addition of the abbreviation “Bty” or “Bie” attached to the fly, 

Regimental Seconds-in-Command of RCHA units shall fly the white horse centred on the pennant with the number of the regiment displayed in the canton,

Regimental Seconds-in-Command of RCA units shall fly the abbreviated “2IC” or “CMDT A” over the number of the regiment in the canton,

Battery Commanders of RCHA gun batteries shall fly a horse of the appropriate battery colour centred on the pennant with the applicable battery letter, in white displayed in the canton. Battery  Commanders of headquarters and services batteries shall fly a white horse and the abbreviated “HQ” or “CS” over the number of the regiment in the red field, and

Battery Commanders of RCA gun batteries shall fly the number of their battery displayed in the canton. Battery Commanders of headquarters and services batteries shall fly the abbreviated “HQ” or “CS” over the number of the regiment in the red field.

The Corps Colour of the Royal Regiment

The corps colour of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery is red. 

It is a deeper shade than scarlet but lighter than cherry.

Blue has traditionally been the colour of an artilleryman’s coat. 

The reason for this has been lost to historical record but it has been suggested that blue was a preferable colour due to the dirty nature of working with black powder guns, and that cavalry and infantry alone were entitled to wear the royal scarlet being the servants of the sovereign.

Artillerymen, being originally the civilian employees of the various officials of the ordnance, did not enjoy this privilege and so adopted the sister colour of blue. This distinction was eventually recognized and perpetuated when clothing regulations were formalized, with blue being generally accepted as belonging to the artillery.

The corps colour, red, is not used on full dress or mess dress. The correct colour is the distinguishing colour of the Artillery, which is scarlet. The distinguishing colour is used for facings, cuffs, trouser stripes, busby bags, and similar applications. These applications of scarlet reflect the traditional royal facings on artillery uniforms and have nothing to do with the corps colour.

The Artillery uses red over blue on regimental flags, standards, pennants, signs, and wherever else artillery colours are required. The colours are a direct extract from the British Flag and are referred to as Union Jack Red and Blue.