3rd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA, The Loyal Company

3rd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA,
The Loyal Company
The Barrack Green Armoury
60 Broadview Ave
Saint John, NB 
E2L 5C5

Who Are We

The 3rd Field Regiment Royal Canadian Artillery, The Loyal Company, is an artillery regiment with a Regimental Headquarters and two Batteries (Bty).  The RHQ and one Bty are located in Saint John, NB with its second Bty located in Woodstock, NB. Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Strachan currently commands the unit.

What We Do

We provide indirect fire support (guns and mortars) to the Army.

When We Train

Thursday evenings (7-10 pm), and selected weekends.

Recruiting Contact

1-877-5-GO ARMY Ext 3

Orderly Room Contact

506-637-7789

History

On May 4, 1793, the Loyal Company was formed in Saint John in response to the threat of attack by French privateers. In 1838 all artillery Batteries around the province were constituted into the New Brunswick Regiment of Artillery. This makes the Regiment the oldest continuous serving artillery unit in Canada.

The Regiment manned local defences during the War of 1812. Gunners volunteered for service during the Aroostook, or 'Pork 'n Beans' war. In 1866, the St. Andrews Battery, under Captain Osborn, was reformed in preparation against a Fenian attack. In June 1866, Captain Pick's Battery manned the guns at Partridge Island to defend Saint John from Fenian attack. The Carleton Martello Tower and Sand Cove beach were also defended. 

Captain Gillespie's Battery in Chatham underwent annual summer gun drill in the 1870's. Newcastle also had a battery. Gunners from around the province, including eighteen from Woodstock, served in South Africa from 1899 to 1902. The Regiment's first battle casualty was Corporal Fred Withers who was killed in action at Paardeburg. A Regimental officer, Captain Fred C. Jones, received the flag-of-surrender from General Cronje at Paardeburg. Captain Jones subsequently died servicing in World War One.

The Regiment was placed on active service during the Great War 1914-1918. Over 2000 gunners were sent overseas, including the 4th and 6th Siege Batteries, the 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, and re-enforcement drafts of the 9th Siege Battery. The first Canadian killed during this war was Captain Ernest Jones who died on August 5, 1914 while serving with a British Regiment. Captain Jones had served with the Regiment in the 1890's, as had two brothers, one of whom commanded the Regiment.

In 1939 the Regiment manned coast and anti-aircraft defences in Saint John. Fort Mispec was the heavy counter-bombardment battery for Fortress Saint John, with Partridge Island serving as both counter-bombardment and as the examination battery. Colonel J. Gil Hart, former Commanding Officer, was Fortress Commander. 

Annual summer training took the Regiment to Fort Dufferin, Petawawa, Camp Utopia and Picton, Ontario from the 1900's to the 1950's. Gunners trained at Tracadie and on Woodstock Island, New Brunswick during World War Two.

In 1953 the 115th Battery went to Devil's Battery in Halifax where it established a shooting record for destroying six aircraft drones. The Regiment began training in Camp Gagetown in the 1960s, conducting live and dry exercises with the 105mm howitzer. In 1966 the 89th Battery from Woodstock rejoined the Regiment.

A volunteer battery was established in Carleton County in 1840. It was not until 1866 that the Woodstock Battery was officially authorised and in 1869 joined the Regiment as No.5 Battery. In 1874 it was detached from the Regiment and re-designated as the Woodstock Field Battery.

During World War One many members of the unit joined the 65th Overseas Battery, Canadian Expeditionary Force. After the war the Woodstock Battery was re-designated the 89th (Woodstock) Battery.

During World War Two the 89th Battery served in England, Sicily and Italy as an anti-aircraft battery and as a company of infantry as part of the Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment. In March 1945 the Unit was converted back to artillery as the 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment. At war’s end the Unit was in Northern Holland and spent six weeks on escort and guard duties. In 1946 the battery became an anti-tank battery, reverting to field again in 1954 and attached to the 12th Field Regiment. In 1966 the 89th Battery was transferred to the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment (T2012-05-03n disrupted in 1874.

The Regimental Band, begun in the 1870's, was reconstituted in 1947 and continues to serve the Regiment and community proudly.

The Regiment goes into its third century of service with a renewed emphasis on the Reserves, as it becomes part of the Total Force concept, integrating the Reserves with the Regular Force. 3^rd Field Regiment has had its soldiers deployed in Bosnia, Golan Heights and Afghanistan during TF 1-07. The Regiment currently has 2 soldiers deployed in support of 4 AD Regt for Task Force (Afghanistan) 3-08, with 3 more soldiers training for Task Force 1-09.