A number of militia artillery batteries were raised in Prince Edward Island from 1875. When the First World War broke out, three battery-sized units were raised and deployed from the island as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
Garrison Artillery in Prince Edward Island From 1763, with the close of the Seven Years' War, the British government began stationing its 'regular army troops', and foreign troops in service, on the Island.LAC British Colonial Era. Reviewed 12.12.2015 The first artillery units on the Island of Saint John were manned by a mix of Royal Regiment of (Garrison) Artillery British regulars, Island volunteers and the colonial militia until 1871. In 1871, as British troops departed Canada, an initial permanent active militia element of Canadian Artillery emerged, on 20 October 1871, with the formation of two batteries of garrison artillery in Kingston and Quebec City.A Short History Of The RCA: 1534–2014 Chapter 1, Para 103, Page 1-2/27. accessed 17.10.2015
In 1875, having joined The Dominion, with most of the Island colonial units deactivated, and as the 'Canadian' militia reorganized; new PEI 'active militia' units were authorized. In Military District No.12 (PEI), two batteries of artillery were stood-up, the Charlottetown Battery of Garrison Artillery (OC Major J.B. Pollard) and the Georgetown Battery of Garrison Artillery (OC Captain C. Owen).Canada Gazette Vol. 8 No. 52, Dated 26 June 1875. Militia General Orders, HQ Ottawa, dated 25 June 1875, GO (17) No.1, Page 1708. Reviewed 17.10.2015 Recognizing significant success in recruiting in the capital city, a second battery was authorized in Charlottetown, necessitating the first of may re-designations: No.1 Charlottetown Battery of Garrison Artillery (General Order No. 17 – 25 June 1875) and No.2 Charlottetown Battery of Garrison Artillery (OC Major Morris).Canada Gazette Vol. 9 No. 1, Dated 3 July 1875. Militia General Orders, HQ Ottawa, Dated 2 July 1875, GO (18) No.4, Page 3. Reviewed 17.10.2015
As reported by the 'District' Inspector of Artillery (Maritime Provinces) and by Lieutenant Colonel J.H. Gray, on the state of the militia in PEI, they acknowledged an existing fourth Island battery, the Summerside Battery of Garrison Artillery (authorized MGO G.O. 21 No.1 – 13 August 1875).Sessional Papers (No.7): 29 Victoria, A.1876. Report State of Militia: 1875, Ottawa, February 1876, Pages 69 and 178. Reviewed 17.10.2015 The previously 'independent' city and county batteries were 'gathered together' in March 1882, when the 'Prince Edward Island Provisional Brigade of Garrison Artillery' was authorized. Initially composed with an establishment of three Batteries, No.1 and No.2 in Charlottetown and No.3 in Georgetown, the PEI Brigade soon added No.4 Battery in Souris (24 Jan 1884), and No.5 Battery in Montague (17 October 1884).Canada Gazette Vol. 15 No. 40, dated 1 April 1882. Militia General Orders, HQ Ottawa Dated 31 March 1882, G.O. No.4, Page 1489. Reviewed 17.10.2015LAC Guide to Sources Relating to the Canadian Militia (Infantry, Cavalry, Armored) Page 58. Reviewed 09.11.2015 The 'PEI Garrison Brigade' ended its early history of re-designations, in June 1912, when it was designated the 'Prince Edward Island Heavy Brigade, Canadian Garrison Artillery', composed of the 3rd Heavy Battery CGA and 4th Heavy Battery CGA, in Charlottetown.LAC Guide to Sources Relating to the Canadian Militia (Artillery), Page 71. Accessed 15.11.2015LAC Guide to Sources Relating to the Canadian Militia (Artillery), Page 770. Accessed 15.11.2015] While the Georgetown, Souris and Montague 'Garrison Artillery Batteries' came together as the 37th (Souris) Battery, Canadian Field Artillery.LAC Guide to Sources Relating to the Canadian Militia (Artillery), Page 770. See: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/Documents/RG9-59_EN_final.pdf Accessed 15.11.2015Ten Farms Become A Town: A History of Souris 1700 – 1920, Adele Townshend, Ann Thurlow Ed., Souris, 1986, Page 118. See: http://www.islandimagined.ca/fedora/ilives_book_viewer/ilives:209293 Reviewed 15.11.2015Cape Breton at 200: Historical Essays, K.J. Donovan Ed., UCCB Press, Sydney, NS, City Printer Ltd., 1985, Page 142.
With the coming of the First World War, applying the lessons of South Africa, the 'Canadian Permanent Force' field gunners moved in adopting the British model of designating their batteries as either 'Horse Artillery' or 'Field Artillery'. The newly designated 'Royal Canadian Horse Artillery' equipped with the light Ordnance QF 13-pounder (quick-firing) field gun, assumed the 'all mounted, highly mobile' task.A Short History Of The RCA: 1534–2014 Chapter 1, Section 111, Page 1-8/27. Reviewed 17.10.2015 Many Non-Permanent Active Militia gunner units became designated as 'Canadian Field Artillery' taking-up the 'less mobile, limber riding' task, equipped with the heavier Ordnance QF 18-pounder, and others remained standing as a 'heavy gun - garrison battery' designated as 'Canadian Garrison Artillery' (not being allocated guns).The Royal Regiment Of Canadian Artillery, Volume 3, Part 1: Artillery Regiments and Batteries, A-AD-267-000/AF-003, March 2010, Page 3-1-2. Reviewed 15.11.2015 As 'Canadian Garrison Artillery' was rearranged and divided into - Movable, Coast Defence, and Heavy or Siege Batteries / Companies,Nicholson Page 181. See: G.W.L. Nicholson, The Gunners of Canada. The History of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, Vol. 1, 1534 - 1919, McClelland and Stewart, The RCA Association, Toronto,1967. following arrangements in Britain, the Heavy or Siege Batteries were to become equipped with new howitzers. Designed and engineered to fire large calibre high explosive shells in high trajectory, (down) plunging fire, the howitzers designated for Siege Batteries were to be six-inch, eight-inch or 9.2-inch calibre.The Siege Batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery. See: Accessed 12.10.2105
No. 2 Canadian (Overseas) Siege Artillery Battery, CEF
What was to become a PEI recruited Canadian Garrison Artillery Siege Battery, mobilized at Charlottetown, had an initially approved manning of 5 officers and 161 other ranks.Atlas of Province of Prince Edward Island, Canada and The World, Cummins Map Co., Toronto, ON., n.d. 1928. Page 004 - 2nd Cdn Siege Battery. Reviewed 15.11.2015 'Created' by Order-in-Council PC 2831, in November 1914, and authorized by Militia Headquarters (Ottawa), on 20 April 1915, No. 2 Heavy Battery Depot (Charlottetown), as it was first designated, was charged with recruiting replacements for No. 2 Heavy Battery (Halifax).HQ Ottawa Militia General Orders: G.O. 103a Organization – Dated 15 August 1915. See:Canada Gazette: 23 October 1915, Pg 1255. Reviewed: 07.10.2015 "Most of the officers, and many of the men, who joined the battery, had served in the PEI Heavy Brigade ...", "... with a few from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Great Britain and the United States." The unit was first quartered in the Agricultural Building, in Charlottetown, being instructed in the workings of the 4.9-inch gun, and until late fall was then stationed in tents on the Armoury grounds, on Brighton Road, first commanded by Major A.G. Peake, who was to take it to England. The 105th – The Rise and Fall of the Island’s Battalion: Ryan O’Connor, Island Magazine, No. 60 Fall / Winter 2006, Prince Edward Island Museum, Pg 3. Reviewed 17-16.10.2015Archives Council of Prince Edward Island: Displaying Results for Fonds Acc4240, 2d Canadian Heavy Siege Battery, 1915. Reviewed 02.11.2015The Charlottetown Guardian, 12 November 1915, Page 6. Reviewed 21.11.2015
"By 1 September there were enough volunteers to begin training at Brighton Camp, 200 strong; the Battery was a cross-section of the Island's population ...", though just before leaving for overseas a draft of regulars from the Royal Garrison Artillery were attached to the unit. On 25 September 1915, it was authorized to recruit a battery ammunition party and base (support) details, which brought the strength of the unit to 218 all ranks, and on 29 September, the battery was re-designated as No. 2 Overseas Battery, Canadian Siege Artillery."An Island Unit" The 2nd Siege Battery in the Great War: Earle Kennedy, Boyde Beck, Island Magazine, No. 49 Spring/Summer 2001, Prince Edward Island Museum, Pg 32. Reviewed 20.10.2015Guide to CEF Artillery Units: LAC Page 136, Accessed 11.10.2015Nicholson Page 402. See: G.W.L. Nicholson, The Gunners of Canada. The History of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, Vol. 1, Toronto, 1967 After a grand farewell in Charlottetown, on 26 November, the battery moved out of Charlottetown, on the "SS Northumberland" to Pictou, NS and Halifax.The Charlottetown Guardian, 25 November 1915, Page 1. SReviewed 30.11.2015The Charlottetown Guardian, 29 December 1915, Page 4. Reviewed 21.11.2015 It soon embarked on the "SS Lapland" sailing on 28 November, it arrived at Plymouth Sound, on 5 December, then with an increased strength of 6 officers and 273 other ranks.CEFSG Matrix Project – CEF Sailing List: Artillery, R.V. Laughton. Reviewed 12.10.2015Guide to CEF Artillery Units: LAC Page 136. Accessed 11.10.2015.
It proceeded immediately to Raffey Camp, at Horsham Siege Artillery School, in West Sussex, and was in training there, for four months, until 12 April 1916, when it moved to a second RGA School and Ranges in Lydd, Kent, for firing and ranging practices. Still under training, and not yet assigned to a Canadian formation, to conform to the system of numbering British heavy RGA batteries, the battery was re-designated as No. 98 (Canadian) Siege Battery, Canadian Siege Brigade, from 29 February 1916.Allocation of Heavy and Siege Batteries RGA, The National Archives (TNA) Kew, WO95/5494. See: Reviewed 13.10.2015Nicholson Page 402. See: G.W.L. Nicholson, The Gunners of Canada. The History of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, Vol. 1, 1534 - 1919, McClelland and Stewart, The RCA Association, Toronto 1967.
Prior to proceeding to France, Major W.B. Prowse was selected and appointed Officer Commanding, later Major S.T. Layton and then Major H.R.N. Corbett, as the Officers Commanding, succeeding him.Officers Overseas: Canadian Artillery 1914–1918, Cdn Artillery Assoc., Ottawa, ON, June 1922. Page 21. Reviewed 12.10.2015Nicholson Page 395. See: G.W.L. Nicholson, The Gunners of Canada. The History of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, Vol. 1, 1534 - 1919, McClelland and Stewart, The RCA Association, Toronto 1967. On 18 May, it moved to Stockcross, in Berkshire, where it sourced four of the newly produced BL 6-inch 26 cwt howitzer. On 31 May, the battery crossed the Channel from Southampton on board the S.S. "KING EDWARD", disembarking at Le Havre.War Diary 1st Cdn Heavy Group, June 1917. Reviewed 18.10.2015 The Royal Artillery : Depots, Training Units and Home Defences. Reviewed 13.10.2015 Landing in France on 1 June 1916, it was the first unit of Canadian (garrison) siege artillery to cross the Channel.Nicholson Page 244. See: G.W.L. Nicholson, The Gunners of Canada. The History of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, Vol. 1, 1534 - 1919, McClelland and Stewart, The RCA Association, Toronto 1967.