Unit Appointments - Honourary Lieutenant Colonel
42nd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA
Lieutenant-Colonel James Edward Findlay Bryce CD

Lieutenant-Colonel Bryce was born on 5 September 1940 at Limerigg Scotland. His family emigrated to Canada in October of 1947 and settled in Port Credit which is now part of Mississauga.

He was very active in the Lorne Scots Army Cadets Corps at Port Credit High School and attained the rank of Major and the position of Second in Command of the Corps before joining the Reserves in 1958.

From 1958 to 1960 he served as a soldier and junior non-commissioned officer in “A” Company of the Lorne Scots then in 1960 transferred to the Regular Force as an Officer Cadet in the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. Over the next 35 years he served in many units and staff positions.

In 1970 the Army selected him to attend University under the University Training Plan (Officers) and in 1972 he completed his degree in Economics, History and Political Science at Queen’s University in Kingston. Highlights of his career include service in Germany, the UK and the United States.

His favourite jobs were his time as a Gun Position Officer in the 2nd Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in Germany, his service as a Launcher Position Officer in the 1st Surface-to-Surface Missile Battery, also in Germany, and his time in command of “F” Battery 2nd Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in Petawawa. While he was the Commanding Officer of Central Recruiting Zone in 1991 he was recognized for meritorious service to Mobile Command. He finished his Regular Force Career as a technical staff officer in Ottawa where he was responsible for the purchase of artillery equipment and ammunition.

After his retirement from the Regular Force he ran his own consulting business. From 2002 on, he began to reduce the time spent in his consulting work and took over increasing duties in a number of volunteer organizations.

In 2003 he was appointed as Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the 1st Air Defence Regiment, now the 42nd Field Regiment (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish), Royal Canadian Artillery. He is the President of the Royal Canadian Artillery Association, the Past President of the Ottawa Gunners Association and a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

He has been strongly supported in all his endeavours for the past 43 years by his wife Rita Barbara Bryce. They have two sons and two daughters all pursuing successful careers in their chosen fields.