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In
1802 a detachment of the 49th
Regiment of Foot was stationed at
Fort St. Joseph. The number designation of today’s unit is derived from
the original Regiment of Foot. In 1862 one rifle company consisting of 3
officers and 81 other ranks was formed under Captain John Davidson in
Sault Ste. Marie. At that time, Sault Ste. Marie was the western end of
Upper Canada. In 1865, the first active militia infantry company was
formed under Captain Joseph Wilson. Later, in 1879, this infantry company
was divided with 21 men being formed into a half battery of mountain
artillery armed with two 7-pound mountain guns. The remaining 34 men were
grouped together into a half company of infantry.
In
1889, the half company of infantry was raised to company strength becoming
No. 6 Company of the 96th District of
Algome Rifles, the RHQ being located in Port Arthur. In 1892, the company
of infantry became independent and at the end of 1892, the half battery of
artillery was disbanded.
In
1900, a new Regiment called the 97th
Regiment Algonquin Rifles was
formed with RHQ in Sault Ste. Marie.
Captain
T. H. Elliot was promoted to LCol to command the regiment. The regiment
sent volunteers to the South African War and also furnished aid to the
civilian government by quelling a riot in the town of Paper Mill. The
regiment had companies in Thessalon, Sudbury and Sturgeon Falls.
In
1913, the 51st Regiment
known as Soo Rifles was formed under LCol S. L. Penhorwood. In October
1914, one company, 125 all ranks, under Captain J. Johnston preceded to
England with the 2nd
Canadian Infantry Battalion.
Later
in 1915, a second company of 125 men under Captain F. J. Buchanan went
overseas with the 19th Battalion
Canadian Expeditionary Forces. This was followed in 1916 by a third
detachment from Sault Ste. Marie under Captain A. G. Tweedie of 150 men
joining the 37th
Battalion.
Previously,
in November 1915, the 119th
Battalion was organized under LCol
P. T. Rowland. This was followed in March 1916 by the organization of 227th
Battalion organized under LCol C.
H. L. Jones. Upon arrival in England, these battalions were broken up and
the men were sent as replacements to other units.
Between
the years 1922 and 1936, the Sault Ste. Marie Regiment was formed. In
1936, an alliance was formed with the Sudbury Regiment to form the Sault
Ste. Marie and Sudbury Regiment. On the 24th
of May 1932, the Sault Ste. Marie
Regiment formed an affiliation with the Royal Hampshire Regiment in
England. This affiliation continues to this day, through the Princess of
Wale’s Royal Regiment (Queen’s and Royal Hampshires).
49th Field Regiment was
authorized on 1 April 1946 as ‘58th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Sault
Ste. Marie and Sudbury Regiment), RCA’ through the conversion of the 2nd
(Reserve) Battalion, The Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury Regiment. In 1947
the regiment was renumbered as the 49th going through a number of name
changes. From 1947 to 1952, it was designated the ‘49th Heavy
Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Sault Ste. Marie Regiment), RCA’ and consisted
of three batteries: No’s 30; 148; and 153. The designation was then
changed to the 49th (Sault Ste Marie) Medium
Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA, then 49th Field
Artillery Regiment, RCA in 1962, and redesignated '49th (Sault Ste. Marie)
Field Artillery Regiment, RCA' on 22 December 1998.
The regiment was granted
the Freedom of the City of Sault Ste. Marie on the 1st
of
July 1967. On the 1st
of
April 1970, 153 Battery was transferred to the supplementary order of
battle. |
