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The
Artillery School traces its origins to the year 1871 when Militia Order No
24 authorized the formation of two batteries of garrison artillery. The
order specified that the two batteries would serve as “Schools of Gunner
for
the Militia. Thus, “A” and “B” Battery Schools of Gunnery in
Kingston and Quebec City respectively were formed.
By
1880, the two schools had been granted the titles “Royal Schools of
Gunnery” by Queen Victoria and could look back on a decade of much
progress under the tutelage of Major-General Thomas Bland Strange, the
“Father of Canadian Artillery”. It was he who wrote the first Canadian
artillery manual which would be the basis for all Militia training until
the end of the 19th Century. 1880 also saw the arrival of “C” Battery
in Victoria, as the young nation turned its attention towards the Pacific.
After The Great War, the schools were reorganized. Both “A” and
“B” Batteries were stationed at Kingston, while “C” Battery was
moved to Winnipeg. Artillery training continued throughout the twenties
and thirties in spite of the restraints imposed by the Depression. Regular
courses took place in the winter at one of the schools with summer
concentration of Militia gunners at camps in Petawawa, Valcartier and
Sarcee.
1939
saw the British Empire once more at war. During the six long years of The
Second World War, field artillery training in Canada took place in several
locations, but was largely concentrated at large “Artillery Training
Centres”
in Petawawa, Brandon and Shilo. Their work was supplemented by that of the
Royal School of Artillery at Larkhill in Britain, which had now become the
focal point for Canadian gunners serving in the European theatre. A
Canadian School of Gunnery was eventually established in Seaford, England,
but the association with the British school has continued to this day.
The
Second World War saw Canada’s air defence forces expand dramatically to
11 regiments stationed in Canada and eight regiments stationed overseas.
The Royal Canadian School of Artillery (Anti-Aircraft) was formed
at Picton, Ontario during the same
period. The school was
later deactivated in 1960 when the Canadian Army decided
to cease Air Defence Training.
By
1947, the Artillery Training Centre in Shilo became the
Royal Canadian School of Artillery (Field, Medium and
Anti-Tank). Then, in 1960, with the close down of the
Royal Canadian School of Artillery (Anti-Aircraft) in
Picton,
Ontario, the school in Shilo assumed responsibility for
all artillery training.
With
the unification of the Canadian Forces on 1 February 1968,
the Royal Canadian School of Artillery became the
"Canadian Forces School of Artillery". In 1970, the school
was absorbed into the Combat Arms School under the
intriguing title of "Indirect Fire Company" and was moved
to CFB Gagetown. Two further changes were to follow
in the seventies: by 1974, the school was known as
the "Artillery Department" and then re-emerged as the
"Artillery School" when the Combat Arms School was
disbanded in 1979.
Air
Defence training resumed in 1975 with the requirement to
provide ground based Air Defence Artillery on
Canadian airfields in Germany. The school created the
Air Defence Battery to meet the individual training
requirements
of the various Air Defence Units located in
Canada and Germany.
On
11 September 1985, the Air Defence Artillery School
was officially formed at CFB Chatham. All Air Defence
advanced training was then centralized at CFB Chatham,NB. The AD Artillery
School was comprised at
the
time of Gunnery trg Battery, Maintenance Training Battery,
Headquarters Battery, 210 AD Workshop and 4
AD Bty. Upon the establishment of the Air Defence Artillery
School at Chatham, New Brunswick, in 1986, the
school assumed its title prior to the amalgamation:
"The
Field Artillery School".
In
1994/95, The Canadian Armed Forces had to reduce operating
costs. Therefore, reorganization plans were developed
and implemented which included the closure of
many small bases including CFB Chatham. With the Air
Defence Artillery School moving to CFB Gagetown in
1995 and the requirement for further cost savings, OP
MISTRAL directed that the Field Artillery School and
the Air Defence Artillery School amalgamate to
form
the Artillery School. This new school now housed all
instructors wearing the artillery cap badge in CTC.
Also
part of the amalgamation was the transfer of 210 Air
Defence Workshop from the former Air Defence Artillery
School to 4th Air Defence Regiment. And to
streamline Artillery School support requirement, 4 Air
Defence
Battery was reduced to nil strength with the personnel
and equipment transferred to "W" Battery in
1994/1995.
The
Artillery School which is currently located in Bulding
J-7, CFB Gagetown with the Armour, Tactics and
Infantry Schools consists of four sub-units which includes
Headquarters Battery, Gunnery Training Battery,
Maintenance
Training Battery and W Battery. The school manning
consist of approximately 50 Officers, 85 Senior
Non-Commissioned Officers, and 150 Junior Non-commissioned
members for a total strength of 285
all
ranks including five civilians. |
