Regimental Headquarters

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20th Field Artillery Regiment
Edmonton, Alberta

On 2 February 1920, 20th Brigade CFA was formed. It consisted of: 61st Battery CFA, 78th Battery CFA, and attached was the 20th Hvy Battery CA. It went through several paper shuffles, gained 2 more Batteries and by 03 June 1935 the 20th Field Brigade RCA was formed. It consisted of the 78, 92, 96 Batteries and had attached to it the 20 Medium Battery, RCA. The regiment was disbanded in 1936.

During World War II the batteries saw action, fighting with the 1st, 3rd, 4th Armoured, and 5th Armoured Divisions in France and Germany. The 92nd Battery was first to cross the Atlantic where it fought through Italy, France and Germany in the 3rd Field Regiment, a part of the First Canadian Division.

The 95th Battery was next, recruited in 1941. It went overseas in August part of the 15th Field Regiment. It later joined the 4th Armoured Division in England. The 95th Battery with towed 25 pdrs, landed in France shortly after D-Day and returned home in January, 1946.

78th Battery was authorized on 2 February 1920 as the ‘78th Battery, CFA’ and allocated to the 20th Brigade, CFA. It was redesignated: ‘78th Field Battery, CA’ on 1 July 1925; ‘78th Field Battery, RCA’ on 3 June 1935; and ‘78th (Reserve) Field Battery, RCA’ on 7 November 1940. The 78th Battery, RCA, CASF, mobilized in Red Deer, and formed part of 13 Field Regiment, RCA, CASF. In England, the regiment drew 25-pdrs and trained with 3rd Canadian Division in Scotland for a year. In September 43, the 13th Field Regiment drew the Priest 105mm self-propelled guns and trained in Bournemouth to continue assault training. On the 6th of June 1944, D-Day, the regiment hit the beaches at Courelles-Sur-Mer. It was to support the attack of the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade (Royal Regiment of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Canadian Scottish Regiment). Many casualties were suffered.

From June to August the 13th Field Regiment took part in various battles including Operation Atlantic and after 55 days of bitter fighting they were withdrawn and were reconverted to 25 pdrs. To make the change from a self-propelled regiment to a towed regiment took 4 days and on the 8th of August the regiment joined OPERATION TRACTABLE. On 14th August 1944, the 13th Field Regiment, part of OPERATION TRACTABLE, to effect a breakthrough to Falaise provided part of a giant smoke screen on the thrust. The regiment continued on in NW Europe in such places as Boulogne, Calais, The Scheldt, Wortburg, Niemejan, Millimgen, Through Dec 44; OPERATION VERTITABLE, OPERATION BLOCKBUSTER, OD Aenterwitk, Joune and Bolsward on 16 Apr 45.

The regiment was disbanded on 14 November 1945.

After the war, 78th battery was converted and redesignated: ‘78th Anti-Tank Battery (Self-Propelled), RCA’ and reallocated to the 41st Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA, on 1 April 1946; ‘78th Medium Battery, RCA’ and reallocated to the 19th Medium Regiment, RCA, on 1 October 1954; and ‘78th Field Battery, RCA’ and reallocated to the 20^th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA, on 4 December 1964. It currently continues to serve with the Militia as part of the 20th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA.

61st Battery was authorized on 1 May 1936 as the ‘96th Field Battery, RCA’ and allocated to the 20th Field Brigade, RCA. It was redesignated ‘96th (Reserve) Field Battery, RCA’ on 7 November 1940; and 96 Anti-Tank Battery, RCA in 1941. The 96 Battery mobilized for active service in October 1941. It together with the 14th, 65th and 3^rd Batteries were to form the 5th Anti-Tank Regiment. On 3 January 42 the 5th AT Regiment sailed in the DUCHESS OF YORK sailed for England as part of the 5th Armoured Division. By January 1943 all the regiment’s guns were 6-pdrs and in August 1943, the 96th and 14th Batteries went SP with the new M10’s. The regiment landed in Normandy in July and suffered many losses from Caen to Calais and from Falaise to the Somme. The 96^th Battery was actively employed in the early stages of the Canal de Ghent (Belgium) crossing. The regiment did much more fighting and carried out various tasks in addition to their regular AT role. They did infantry and ammo transportation, armoured recovery, infantry and long range recce partols, field artillery, coastal artillery, engineers and acted as an anti-airborne group. In garrison they did so many things they redesignated themselves the 5th “any-task” Regiment. The battery was converted and redesignated ‘96th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, RCA’ on 1 April 1946. The battery was amalgamated with the 20th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA, and its 61^st and 92nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Batteries, converted and redesignated ‘96th Independent Medium Battery, RCA’ on 21 September 1954. It was redesignated ‘96th Independent Medium Artillery Battery, RCA’ on 12 April 1960, converted and redesignated ‘96th Field Battery, RCA’ on 4 December 1964; and ‘61st Field Battery, RCA’ on 1 April 1970.