Standing Orders - Appendix 7, Annex A, Chapter 10
2nd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA
Montréal, QC

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 Compagnie Franche de la Marine – had an 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 Bie 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, FLERS-COURCELETTE, THE SOMME, VIMY RIDGE, HILL 70, PASSCHENDAELE, 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. It was redesignated ‘2nd Medium Artillery Regiment, RCA’ on 12 April 1960. The regiment was reduced to nil strength, made dormant and transferred to the Supplementary Order of Battle on 26 February 1965. It was reactivated, converted and redesignated ‘2nd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA’ on 1 June 1966. 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.