3rd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA

The official lineage of the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA.

Lineage

This Reserve Force regiment originated on 28 May 1869 and incorporates the following regiments.

The 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA originated in Saint John, New Brunswick on 28 May 1869, when the 'New Brunswick Brigade of Garrison Artillery' was authorized to be formed.^{Footnote 1} It was redesignated: 'New Brunswick Battalion of Garrison Artillery' on 1 January 1893;^{Footnote 2} '3rd "New Brunswick Battalion" of Garrison Artillery' on 1 January 1895;^{Footnote 3} '3rd "New Brunswick" Regiment of Garrison Artillery' on 28 December 1895;^{Footnote 4} '3rd "New Brunswick" Regiment (Heavy Brigade)' on 2 April 1907;^{Footnote 5} '3rd "New Brunswick" Heavy Brigade, CGA' on 2 May 1910;^{Footnote 6} '3rd "New Brunswick" Regiment, CGA' on 15 April 1912;^{Footnote 7} '3rd (New Brunswick) Heavy Brigade, CA' on 2 February 1920;^{Footnote 8} '3rd (New Brunswick) Heavy Brigade, CA' on 12 March 1920;^{Footnote 9} '3rd (New Brunswick) Medium Brigade, CA' on 1 July 1925;^{Footnote 10} '3rd (New Brunswick) Medium Brigade, CA (The Loyal Company of Artillery)' on 1 March 1930;^{Footnote 11} '3rd (New Brunswick) Medium Brigade, RCA (The Loyal Company of Artillery)' on 3 June 1935;^{Footnote 12} '3rd (New Brunswick) Coast Brigade, RCA (The Loyal Company of Artillery)' on 15 April 1938;^{Footnote 13} '3rd (Reserve) (New Brunswick) Coast Brigade, RCA (The Loyal Company of Artillery)' on 7 November 1940;^{Footnote 14} '3rd (Reserve) (New Brunswick) Coast Regiment, RCA (The Loyal Company of Artillery)' on 21 September 1945;^{Footnote 15} '3rd (New Brunswick) Coast Regiment, RCA' on 1 April 1946;^{Footnote 16} '3rd (New Brunswick) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA' on 29 April 1948;^{Footnote 17} and '3rd (New Brunswick) Medium Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA' on 22 August 1955.^{Footnote 18} On 1 September 1959, it was amalgamated with the '23rd Medium Anti- Aircraft Regiment, RCA' (see below) under the same designation.^{Footnote 19} It was redesignated: '3rd (New Brunswick) Medium Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment, RCA' on 12 April 1960;^{Footnote 20} '3rd Field Artillery Regiment (The Loyal Company), RCA' on 10 December 1962;^{Footnote 21} and '3rd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA' on 20 November 1975.^{Footnote 22}

Notes:

Only those pre-Confederation units which were re-enrolled under the Act 31 Vic., Cap. 40, respecting the Militia Defence of the Dominion of Canada, and were declared to be existing by General Order of 6 February 1869, legally exist. It is known that a number of units had existed in New Brunswick prior to Confederation, but, as in the case of the Provinces of Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, units that did not re-enrol, as referred to above, automatically ceased to exist without formal announcement of their removal (viz., disbandment). There can be no legal continuity of a former unit - or ante-dating of authorization. This would contravene the legal requirement of conforming with Section 7 of the aforementioned Act.

The 3rd (New Brunswick) Heavy Brigade, CA was authorized a Reserve order of battle counterpart on 1 November 1920 (GO 186/20). The reserve unit was disbanded on 14 December 1936 (GO 3/37).

The 23rd Medium Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA originated in Saint John, New Brunswick on 15 February 1924, when the '9th Mounted Brigade Headquarters' was authorized to be formed.^{Footnote 24} It was converted to artillery and redesignated: '23rd Field Brigade, RCA' on 15 December 1936;^{Footnote 25}'23rd (Reserve) Field Brigade, RCA' on 7 November 1940;^{Footnote 26} '23rd (Reserve) Field Regiment, RCA' on 1 September 1943;^{Footnote 27} '23rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA' on 1 April 1946;^{Footnote 28} and '23rd Medium Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA' on 22 August 1955.^{Footnote 29} On 1 September 1959, it was amalgamated with the '3rd (New Brunswick) Medium Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA', as above.

Perpetuations

‘1st and 2nd Battalions, Charlotte County Regiment (1812-1815)’, '3rd Brigade, CGA, CEF', 'No. 4' and 'No. 6 Canadian Siege Battery, CEF'

Headquarters Location

Saint John, New Brunswick

Allocated Batteries

89th Field Battery, RCA
115th Field Battery, RCA

Operational history

The First World War

The 3rd "New Brunswick" Regiment was mobilized for active service on 6 August 1914 to provide coastal artillery support on Partridge Island, New Brunswick.^{Footnote 30}

The 3rd Brigade, CGA was mobilized in England as the '3rd Brigade, Canadian Garrison Artillery, CEF' on 22 January 1918 from personnel of the Reserve Artillery.^{Footnote 31} It disembarked in France on 20 March 1918,^{Footnote 32} where it provided siege artillery support as part of the Canadian Corps troops in France and Flanders until the end of the war.^{Footnote 33} The brigade was disbanded on 23 October 1920.^{Footnote 34}

No. 4 Canadian Siege Battery was authorized on 22 December 1915 as 'No. 4 "Overseas" Battery Siege Artillery, CEF'.^{Footnote 35} It was redesignated: '131st (Canadian) Siege Battery' on 7 May 1916;^{Footnote 36}and 'No. 4 Canadian Siege Battery, CEF' on 24 January 1917.^{Footnote 37} It embarked for Britain on 1 April 1916.^{Footnote 38} The battery disembarked in France on 31 July 1916,^{Footnote 39} where it provided siege artillery support as part of the 2nd Brigade, CGA, CEF in France and Flanders until the end of the war.^{Footnote 40}The battery was disbanded on 23 October 1920.^{Footnote 41}

No. 6 Canadian Siege Battery was authorized on 15 July 1916 as 'No. 7 "Overseas" Battery Siege Artillery, CEF'.^{Footnote 42} It was redesignated: '167th (Canadian) Siege Battery' on 10 June 1916;^{Footnote 43} and 'No. 6 Canadian Siege Battery, CEF' on 24 January 1917.^{Footnote 44} It embarked for Britain on 18 September 1916.^{Footnote 45} The battery disembarked in France on 27 September 1916,^{Footnote 46} where it provided siege artillery support as part of the 2nd Brigade, CGA, CEF in France and Flanders until the end of the war.^{Footnote 47} The battery was disbanded on 23 October 1920.^{Footnote 48}

Notes:

When an artillery regiment and its allocated batteries are amalgamated with another regiment and its allocated batteries, perpetuation is assigned to the batteries which maintain the same numerical designation. When a numerical designation is not continued, the perpetuation goes to the regiment as a whole.

The Second World War

The '3rd (New Brunswick) Coast Brigade, RCA (The Loyal Company of Artillery)' was called out on service for local protection duties on 26 August 1939.^{Footnote 49} Details from the brigade were also mobilized for active service under the designation '3rd (New Brunswick) Coast Brigade, RCA, CASF (Details)' on 1 September 1939.^{Footnote 50} The details called out on active service were disbanded on 31 December 1940 and the brigade mobilized an active service unit designated '3rd (New Brunswick) Coast Brigade, RCA, CASF' on 1 January 1941.^{Footnote 51} It was redesignated '3rd (New Brunswick) Coast Regiment, RCA, CASF' on 1 August 1942.^{Footnote 52} The regiment provided coastal artillery support as part of the defences of Saint John, New Brunswick.^{Footnote 53} The regiment was disbanded on 1 September 1944.^{Footnote 54}

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Footnotes

Footnote 1

MGO 28 May 1869. Formed from nine existing and one newly organized garrison batteries authorized on the following dates: 'No. 1 Battery' at St. John (St. John Battery of Garrison Artillery, 14 November 1859), 'No. 2 Battery' at Carleton (Carleton Battery of Garrison Artillery, 6 December 1859), 'No. 4 Battery' at St. Andrews (St. Andrews Battery of Garrison Artillery, 14 February 1866), 'No. 5 Battery' at Woodstock (Woodstock Battery of Garrison Artillery, 30 May 1866), 'No. 6 Battery' at St. George (St. George Battery of Garrison Artillery, 9 September 1865), 'No. 7 Battery' at Chatham on (Chatham Battery of Garrison Artillery, 6 March 1860), 'No. 8 Battery' at St. Stephen (St. Stephen's Battery of Garrison Artillery, 13 June 1866, 'No. 9 Battery' at St. George (St. George Battery of Garrison Artillery, 6 February 1869), 'No. 10 Battery' at St. John (St. John Battery of Garrison Artillery, 5 March 1869) and the newly authorized 'No. 3 Battery' at Portland

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Footnote 2

No authority for a change of designation of artillery brigades in 1892 is contained within the applicable Militia General Orders or Annual Militia Report sessional papers. However, the date of 1 January 1893 is consistent with the nomenclature used in the aforementioned sources of 1893 and the Department of Militia and Defence, The Militia List of the Dominion of Canada, 1893. (GO 21/93 - Establishment Lists of the Active Militia of the Dominion of Canada for the Financial Year 1893-94)

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Footnote 3

MGO 9/95; and The Militia List of the Dominion of Canada corrected to 1st January 1895.

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Footnote 4

GO 58/95.

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Footnote 5

GO 58/07.

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Footnote 6

GO 57/10.

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Footnote 7

GO 72/12.

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Footnote 8

GO 13/20; and GO 25/20.

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Footnote 9

MO 58/20.

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Footnote 10

GO 82/25.

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Footnote 11

GO 33/30.

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Footnote 12

GO 58/35.

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Footnote 13

GO 71/38.

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Footnote 14

GO 273/40.

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Footnote 15

GO 358/45.

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Footnote 16

GO 116/46 (redesignated the unit '3rd Coast Regiment, RCA' andt GO 161/46 (changed the designation with the same effective date / changea la désignation avec la même date de mise en vigueur).

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Footnote 17

CAO 76-3, Supp Issue No 74/48.

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Footnote 18

CAO 76-3, Pt 'B', Supp Issue No. 458/55.

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Footnote 19

CAO 76-3, Pt 'B', Supp Issue No. 652/59.

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Footnote 20

CAO 76-3, Pt 'B', Supp Issue No. 670/60.

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Footnote 21

CAO 76-3, Pt 'B', Supp Issue No. 740/63.

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Footnote 22

CFOO 3.310, 20 Nov 75.

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Footnote 23

CFOO 3.310, 3 May 79.

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Footnote 24

GO 22/24.

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Footnote 25

GO 191/36.

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Footnote 26

GO 273/40.

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Footnote 27

GO 44/45.

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Footnote 28

GO 115/46.

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Footnote 29

CAO 76-3, Pt 'B', Supp Issue No. 458/55.

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Footnote 30

GO 142/14; et G.W.L. Nicholson, The Gunners of Canada. The History of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, vol. 1 (Toronto, 1967), p.217.

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Footnote 31

List of Canadian Artillery units during the First World War. Compiled from ledger of C.E.F. Units (Mr. Pye) for Col. Nicholson, Sep 63, Kardex file 112.3H1.005 (D4)).

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Footnote 32

War Diary, 3rd Brigade, Canadian Garrison Artillery, 20 March 1918/20 mars 1918, NAC/AN, RG9/GE 9, Series III-D-3, Vol. 4975, File 567.

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Footnote 33

G.W.L. Nicholson, The Gunners of Canada. The History of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, vol. 1 (Toronto, 1967), passim.

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Footnote 34

GO 191/20; and CEF RO 1960/19. Although this formation is not specifically listed, this is considered the official date of disbandment as it is the General Order in which the batteries of the brigade were disbanded.

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Footnote 35

GO 151/15.

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Footnote 36

Official History of the CEF 1914-1919, Formations and Units Ledger, Document Collection, 87/252 LG; and G.W.L. Nicholson, The Gunners of Canada. The History of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, vol. 1 (Toronto, 1967), p. 402.

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Footnote 37

CRO 334, 29 Jan 17.

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Footnote 38

CEF Sailing List, vol. XII.

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Footnote 39

War Diary, 4th Canadian Siege Battery, 31 July 1916, NAC/AN, RG/GE 9, Series 111-D-3, Vol. 4976, dossier 571.

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Footnote 40

G.W.L. Nicholson, The Gunners of Canada. The History of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, vol. 1 (Toronto, 1967), passim.

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Footnote 41

GO 191/20.

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Footnote 42

GO 69/16.

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Footnote 43

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Footnote 44

CRO 334, 29 Jan 17.

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Footnote 45

CEF Sailing List, vol. XII.

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Footnote 46

Official History of the CEF 1914-1919, Formations and Units Ledger, Document Collection, 87/252 LG.

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Footnote 47

War Diary, 6th Canadian Siege Battery, NAC/AN, RG/GE 9, Series 111-D-3, Vol. 4976, File 573; and G.W.L. Nicholson, The Gunners of Canada. The History of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, vol. 1 (Toronto, 1967), p. 402.

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Footnote 48