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BRITISH ARTILLERY IN WORLD WAR 2 |
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Updated 14 June 2014 |
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FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENTS OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN ARTILLERY IN WORLD WAR 2
Between the Wars the Canadian Army comprised a very small Permanent Force and a Non-Permanent Active Militia. In 1939 there was one PF unit (1 RCHA) and approximately 36 NPAM field artillery units. These were all part of a planned Mobile Force of one cavalry and 6 infantry divisions, although only two armoured and three infantry divsions served overseas. At the outbreak of war units were mobilised as the Canadian Active Service Force (CASF).
However, the peacetime NPAM batteries were very small (35 all-ranks) and required a large number of recruits to bring them up to strength. Canadian practice was to select NPAM batteries, recruit them to strength and then create new CASF regiments (initially in 1939 they were still called 'Field Brigades RCA' with 4 batteries). The National Resources Mobilisation Act (NRMA) provided conscripts, but only volunteers could serve overseas unless an 'Order in Council' was issued by the Governor-General. The dates on which regiments were 'created' by appointing a commander and the dates their batteries came together varied quite widely.
ARMY GROUPS ROYAL ARTILLERY (AGRA)
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Formation |
Origin |
Where - When - With |
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F UK 10/42 fm HQ Med Arty 1 Cdn Corps |
UK 1942-3 |
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F UK 11/42 |
UK 1942-4 |
ROYAL CANADIAN HORSE ARTILLERY (FIELD) REGIMENT
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Regiment |
Type |
Origin/Change |
Where - When - With |
Disposal |
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1 Fd Regt RCHA |
PF |
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UK 1939-43 - 1 Cdn
Div |
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FIELD REGIMENTS RCA
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Regiment |
Type |
Origin/Change |
Where - When - With |
Disposal |
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1 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Ottawa, Ont |
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CASF |
F Ottawa 9/39 |
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To 1 ATk Regt 10/39 |
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2 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Montreal, PQ |
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2 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F as 2 Fd Bde RCA in Montreal 11/39 |
UK 1939-43 - 1 Cdn Div |
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3 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Toronto, Ont |
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3 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F as 3 Fd Bde RCA in Edmonton 11/39 |
UK 1939 - 1 Cdn Div |
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CASF |
F Guelph 11/39 |
UK 1940 - 1 Cdn Div |
To 11 Army Fd Regt 2/40 |
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4 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Cobourg, Ont |
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4 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F Petawawa 5/40 |
UK 1940-4 - 2 Cdn Div |
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CASF |
F Regina 12/39 |
UK 1940 - 1 Cdn Div |
To 8 Army Fd Regt 2/40 |
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5 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Winnepeg, Man |
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5 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F Petawawa 5/40 |
UK 1940-4 - 2 Cdn Div |
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CASF |
F Petawawa 9/39 as 5 Army Fd Bde |
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To 21 Fd Regt 7/40 |
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6 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Sherbrooke, PQ |
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6 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F Shilo 5/40 |
UK 1940-4 - 2 Cdn Div |
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7 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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London, Ont |
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CASF |
Fm 21 Army Fd Regt 8/40 |
UK 1941-2 |
To 7 Med Regt 6/42 |
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8 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Hamilton, Ont |
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CASF |
Fm 4 Army Fd Bde 2/40 |
UK 1940-3 - 1 Cdn Corps, 5 Armd, 1, 2, 3 Cdn Divs,
1 & 2 Cdn AGRA |
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9 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Kingston, Ont |
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10 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Regina, Sask |
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11 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Guelph, Ont |
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CASF |
Fm 3 Army Fd Bde 2/40 |
UK 1940 - 1 Cdn Div |
To Fd Regt 7/44 |
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12 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Fredericton, NB |
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12 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F Petawawa 9/40 |
UK 1941-4 - 3 Cdn Div |
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13 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Quebec, PQ |
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13 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F Shilo 10/40 |
UK 1941-4 - 3 Cdn Div |
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14 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Yarmouth, NS |
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14 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F Petawawa 8/40 |
UK 1941-4 - 3 Cdn Div |
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15 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F Shilo 7/41 |
UK 1942-4 - 4 Cdn Armd Div |
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16 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F 1/41 |
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To 8 LAA Regt 1/41 |
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17 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Saskotoon, Sask |
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17 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F 1/41 |
UK 1941-3 - 5 Cdn Armd Div |
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18 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Lethbridge, Alb |
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CASF |
F 6/41 |
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To 2 Med Regt 1/42 |
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19 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Calgary, Alb |
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19 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F 9/41 |
Canada 1941-3 - 8 Div |
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20 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Edmonton, Alb |
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20 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F 8/41 |
Canada 1941-4 - 7 Div |
Disb 12/44 |
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21 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Listowel, Ont |
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CASF |
Fm 5 Army Fd Regt 7/40 |
Canada 1941-2 - 6 Div |
To 7 Army Fd Regt 8/40 |
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22 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Moosomin, Sask |
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22 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F 3/42 |
Canada 1942-3 - 8 Div |
Disb 10/43 |
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23 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Moncton, NB |
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23 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F 3/42 |
Canada 1942-3 - 7 Div |
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24 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Cranbrook, BC |
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24 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F Shilo 3/42 |
Canada 1942-3 - 6 Div |
Disb 2/45 |
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25 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Simcoe, Ont |
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25 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F 7/42 |
Canada 1942-5 - 6 Div |
Disb 1/45 |
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26 Fd Bde |
NPAM |
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Brandon, Man |
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26 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F 7/42 |
Canada 1942-3 - 7 Div |
Disb 11/43 |
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27 Fd Regt |
CASF |
F 7/42 |
Canada 1942-3 - 8 Div |
Disb 10/43 |
MEDIUM REGIMENTS RCA
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Regiment |
Type |
Origin/Change |
Where - When - With |
Disposal |
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1 Med Bde |
NPAM |
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Charlottetown, PEI |
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1 Med Regt |
CASF |
F 12/39 as 1 Med Bde |
UK 1940-3 - 1 Cdn Div |
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2 Med (2 Montreal Regt) Bde |
NPAM |
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Montreal, PQ |
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CASF |
F 10/39 |
UK 1942-3 - 1 Cdn AGRA |
To 2 HAA 5/41 |
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3 Med Regt |
CASF |
F 4/42 Petawawa |
UK 1942-4 - 1, 2 Cdn AGRA |
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4 Med (7 Toronto Regt) Bde |
NPAM |
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Toronto, Ont |
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4 Med Regt |
CASF |
F 2/42 Petawawa |
UK 1942-4 - 2 Cdn AGRA |
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5 Med Regt |
CASF |
F UK 9/41 |
UK 1941-3 - 1 Cdn AGRA |
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6 Med Bde |
NPAM |
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Levis, PQ |
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7 Med Bde |
NPAM |
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Winnepeg, Man |
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CASF |
Fm 7 Army Fd Regt 6/42 |
UK 1942-4 - 2 Cdn AGRA |
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SURVEY REGIMENTS RCA
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Regiment |
Type |
Origin/Change |
Where - When - With |
Disposal |
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1 Svy Regt |
CASF |
F Montreal 12/39 fm 2 Svy Bty |
UK 1940-3 - 1 Cdn Div, 1 Cdn Corps |
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2 Svy Regt |
CASF |
F UK 9/43 |
UK 1943-4 - 2 Cdn Corps |
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Regiment |
Type |
Origin/Change |
Where - When - With |
Disposal |
| CASF |
Fm 1 Cdn Army Fd Bde 10/39 |
UK 1939-43 - 1 Cdn Inf Div |
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2 ATk Regt |
CASF |
F Shilo 5/40 |
UK 1940-4 - 2 Cdn Inf Div |
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3 ATk Regt |
CASF |
F Debert 10/40 |
UK 1941-4 - 3 Cdn Inf Div |
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4 ATk Regt |
CASF |
F Petawawa 1/41 |
UK 1941-3 - 5 Cdn Armd Div |
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5 ATk Regt |
CASF |
F New Brunswick 9/41 |
UK 1942-4 - 4 Cdn Armd Div |
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6 ATk Regt |
CASF |
F Petewawa 4/42 |
UK 1943 - 2 Cdn Corps |
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7 ATk Regt |
CASF |
F UK 7/42 |
UK 1942-3 - 1 Cdn Corps |
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AIR OBSERVATION POST SQUADRONS RCAF
| Squadron |
Origin/Change |
Where - When - With |
Comments |
| 664 AOP Sqn |
F UK 12/44 |
NW Europe 1945 - 1 Cdn Army |
Disb 7/46 |
| 665 AOP Sqn |
F UK 1/45 |
NW Europe 1945 - 1 Cdn Army |
Disb 10/45 |
| 666 AOP Sqn |
F UK 3/45 |
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Disb 10/45 |
In addition 1 Cdn Army had a Calibration Troop, in August 1944 an Army Radar Bty was formed in it and in early 1945 a Rocket Bty added. Perhaps the shortest lived unit was 1 Cdn Centaur Bty that existed for a very few weeks in Aug-Sep 1944, this battery took over 12 × 95-mm Centaurs SPs and 3 Sherman OP tanks from the Royal Marines when the RM batteries disbanded and continued to support 6 Abn Div.
In early 1945 the Canadian Army Occupation Force formed for the occupation of Germany. It comprised a new 3 Cdn Inf Div with units formed from men in the theatre who either volunteered or had a low priority for demobilisation. The artillery regiments wer 2/12, 2/13 and 2/14 Fd Regts and 2/3 ATk Regt.
Finally in mid 1945 Canada started to form the Canadian Army Pacific Force in the form of the 6 Cdn Inf Div to be organised and equipped on US Army lines for the war against the Japanese islands. The only artillery unit that started forming was 1 Cdn Fld Arty Bn. With the defeat of Japan and the demise of the CAPF this unit became 2/1 Fd Regt RCHA.
Copyright © 2002 - 2008 Nigel F Evans. All Rights Reserved.