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In
early Colonial times an organized Militia was extant in New France. Such,
however, did not include Gunners. A
locally-recruited Crown force – known as the Compagnies Franche de la
Marine – had on artillery element. A
company of this title was raised in September 1812 as part of the Montreal
Incorporated Volunteers. It was embodied
for service 8 November 1813 and disbanded 24 November 1813, 3 days after
the Battle of Chrysler’s Farm.
Montreal Gunners may have taken part in that action
A
company of Royal Montreal Artillery was raised in 1828 and was used to
patrol the city during the riots of November
1837. All Corps of this type were privately organized and financed.
3rd Montreal Field
Battery, The battery was authorized on 27 September 1855 as the
‘Volunteer Militia Field Battery of
Artillery of Montreal, and exists today as 7th
Fd Bty RCA. The battery began with
three 6 pdr guns and one 12 pdr how
and fired one of its first salutes for the 39th
Regiment of Foot, returning from
the Crimea in 1856.
The
Battalion of Montreal Artilllery was raised on 27 November 1856 (with 6
Btys) and was re-designated “2nd
(Montreal) Regiment of
Garrison Artillery” in 1895. The Garrison Artillery were trained as
static fortress Gunners and
their roles would eventually change to manning the Heavy, Siege and Medium
batteries of the two world wars. They
are today perpetuated by the 50e Brie de Campagne, ARC.
3rd Montreal Field
Battery was called out on 1 June 1866 and on 25 May 1870, but did not see
action. Both the battery
on the battalion provided personnel for “E” Battery, RCFA which saw
action in South Africa.
21ST (Westmount) Field
Battery was formed in 1905 to join the 3rd Montreal
Battery in the Montreal-based 6th Brigade
of Field Artillery. At this time the Harrison Artillery was re-designated
the Montreal Heavy Brigade, signifying
an end to fortress duties. In 1912 the Montreal Heavy Brigade was
re-organized with the 1st
and 2nd Montreal
Heavy Batteries equipped with 4.7” guns and 60 pdr B.L.s. The 3rd battery was re-titled 2nd
(Montreal) Siege
Company.
39th Field Battery was
raised in May 1914 to complete the 6th Brigade to 3
batteries. As was the case across the
country, the Militia and Regular Army organizations were cast aside. The
Montreal Gunners joined units as shown:
1st Cdn Div
2nd Bde CFA (LCol JJ
Creelman)
4th Bty CFA from 3rd
Montreal Battery (Maj AGL
McNaughton)
5th Bty CFA from 21st
Westmount Battery
1st Cdn Hy Bty from 1st
and 2nd Montreal Heavy
Batteries.
The
batteries of 1st Cdn Div were
in action at: NEUVE CHAPELLE, SECOND YPRES, ST.JULIEN, FESTUBERT,
GIVENCHY. All of the
Montreal batteries were in action subsequently at MOUNT SORREL,
FLERSCOURCELETTE, THE
SOMME, VIMY RIDGE, HILL 70, PASSSCHENDALELE, AMIENS, ARRAS, CANAL
DU
NORD.
2nd Cdn Div
21st Bty CFA, recruited
in Montreal and broken up for reinforcements on arrival in UK.
26th Bty CFA and 27th
Bty CFA, recruited in Montreal and
joined 7th
Bde CFA.
1st Cdn Siege Bty was
raised from the Montreal Depot of 1st Cdn Hy Bty.
With
the re-organization to 4-gun batteries, 4th
Bty CFA was re-titled 7th Bty CFA,
which title survives to this day. During
WW II Montreal was, indeed, a Gunner City; supplying 9 batteries for
overseas service and 4 for home defence.
In addition, thousands of Montrealers passed through these and other arty
units as the war began to erode
the system of direct regional reinforcement. Further, with the younger men
passed into the mobilized CASF, thousands
more enrolled in the non-CASG Militia. Montreal Gunners saw action as
follows:
7
Bty/2 Fd Regiment RCA
SICILY
27
Bty/ 1 ATk Regiment
ITALY:
San Marco, R. Biferno, R. Moro,
5
Bty/2 LAA Regiment RCA
Ortona,
Liri Valley, Monte Cassino, Hitler Line, R. Melfa, Rimini Line, Gothic
Line. HOLLAND
5
Bty/5 Fd Regiment RCA
FRANCE
& BELGIUM: Caen, Dunkirk, Albert Canal.
HOLLAND: The Scheldt. GERMANY: Battle of the Rhineland
66
Bty/14 Fd Regiment RCA
FRANCE:
D-Day (first round at H-1), Caen, Boulogne.
HOLLAND: Harlingen. GERMANY: Battle of the Rhineland
50
Bty/4 Med Regiment RCA
FRANCE
& BELGIUM: Caen, Tilley-la-Campagne, Caen, Boulogne, Albert Canal.
HOLLAND &
GERMANY: Battle of the Rhineland
7
Bty/5 Med Regiment RCA
ITALY:
Aci Trezza, Ortona, Hitler Line, San Lorenzo, Tiber Valley, San Fortunato,
R. Savio, Ravenna.
1
Bty/2 HAA Regiment RCA
UK:
Thames Estuary, Colchester. FRANCE:
Boulogne, Dunkirk.
HOLLAND:
Middelkerke. GERMANY: Op PLUNDER
The
regiment was amalgamated with its 50th and 83rd Medium Batteries, the 51st
Medium Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA,
and its 79th, 112th and 126th Medium Anti-Aircraft Batteries, and used to
form the ‘2nd Medium Regiment, RCA’,
and its 50th and 83rd Medium Batteries, on 15 September 1959.15
It was redesignated ‘2nd Medium
Artillery Regiment,
RCA’ on 12 April 1960.16
The regiment was reduced to nil
strength, made dormant and transferred to the
Supplementary Order of Battle on 26 February 1965.17
It was reactivated, converted and
redesignated ‘2nd Field
Artillery Regiment, RCA’ on 1 June 1966.18
Thus was re-born the traditional
“Second” Regiment of Montreal Gunners,
joining one of the original 1855 batteries (successor of the “Field”
Gunners) to the battery whose roots lie
with the old Garrison, Heavy Siege and Medium Gunners. Indeed it is
fitting to note that for the Gunners of Montreal
the seniority of the “lights” precedes that of the “heavies’ by
less than twelve months. |
