2nd Field Artillery Regiment (Canada)

Côte-des-Neiges Armoury

The 2nd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA (French: 2^e Régiment d'artillerie de campagne, ARC) is a Royal Canadian Artillery reserve regiment. It is located in Montreal and shares its headquarters with The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal) at the Côte-des-Neiges Armory.

Although there had been temporary volunteer artillery units formed in Montreal as early as 1828, the regiment has its origin in the 3rd Montreal Battery formed in 1855^[2] as a result of the departure of British regular troops for the Crimean War and the passage of the Militia Act of 1855. Militia forces, including the five field batteries formed, would for the first time be maintained at public expense. In 1856 the Battalion of Montreal Artillery was formed and in 1895 it was renamed the 2nd "Montreal" Regiment, CA.^[3]

War in Europe

In the First World War several batteries of artillery were raised in Montreal and the 2nd Brigade included the 3rd Montreal Battery amongst its four batteries. During the war, the unit took part in ever action taken by the 1st Canadian Division and later on the Canadian Corps. In a series of reorganizations the battery was renamed the 7th Field Battery, the name it continues to hold. This battery was commanded at the outbreak of the war by Major Andrew McNaughton. Wounded at the 2nd Battle of Ypres, he went on to command the Canadian Corps Heavy Artillery and, in the Second World War, the First Canadian Army. The 2nd Brigade served in the divisional artillery of the 1st Canadian Division for the duration of the war.

In the Second World War the 2nd Field Regiment was once again mobilized in the divisional artillery of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division with the 7th Field Battery amongst its batteries. After training in England it served in Italy from July 1943 until January 1945 when it, along with I Canadian Corps, was transferred to Holland.

After the Second World War the regiments of artillery in the post-war Militia were renumbered and the 2nd Field Regiment was removed from the order of battle. The reorganizations of the 1964 Suttie Commission and the ensuing reduction in the number of units in the Militia would eventually see the 2nd Field Regiment reforming in 1966 with initially two and then three batteries. They were the 7th, 50th, and 66th Field Batteries, each perpetuating a different regiment of the post-war artillery in Montreal.

Modern Era

Today, it is primarily made up of militia from the city of Montreal as part of the Canadian Army Reserves. After over 50 years of peacetime operations, the regiment fields a single artillery battery of six 105 mm C3 howitzers. However, it has sent its members abroad to serve in peacekeeping and anti-terrorist roles and has yearly gunnery exercises.

The regiment is commanded by a Canadian Reserve lieutenant-colonel, with a new commanding officer appointed, on average, every three years. The regiment is officially bilingual and functions in both English and French. The commanding officers of the re-formed 2nd Field Regiment are listed:

• 1966–1969 – LCol J.H.E. Day, CD
• 1969–1970 – LCol W.L.M. Cloutier, CD
• 1970–1973 – LCol J.R.G. Saint-Louis, CD
• 1973–1975 – LCol P.B. Fecteau, CD
• 1975–1979 – LCol T.K. Stafford, CD
• 1979–1985 – LCol S.J. Goldberg, CD
• 1985–1988 – LCol J.F. Stirling, CD
• 1988–1991 – LCol J.M. Pronkin, CD
• 1991–1995 – LCol J.M. Lewis, CD
• 1995–1998 – LCol D.A. Patterson, CD
• 1998–2001 – LCol J.G.M.B. Lefebvre, CD
• 2001–2005 – LCol J.M.N. Bernier, CD
• 2005–2008 – LCol M. Bourque, CD^[4]
• 2008–2013 – LCol D. Parent, CD
• 2013–2015 – LCol R. Garon, CD

2015- present – LCol S. Pelletier, CD

Armoury

During November 1970 the regiment moved to its current location at the Côte des Neiges Armoury, after its Craig Street Armoury was demolished, the regiment had been based there for 75 years.^[2]

Site	Date(s)	Designated	Location	Description	Image
Côte des Neiges Armoury 4185 Chemin de la Côte des Neiges,	1934-35	Canada's Register of Historic Places; Recognized - 1991 Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings	Montreal, Quebec	on a treed site on the southwest perimeter of Mount Royal Park houses The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal); 2nd Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

Recognitions

On April 29, 2000, the regiment was awarded Freedom of the City of Montreal^[2] in recognition of its historical link to the city. Then in 2007 the city of Terrebonne also awarded the regiment the same courtesy.

Precedence

See also

• Military history of Canada
• History of the Canadian Army
• Canadian Forces
• List of armouries in Canada

Canadian Armed Forces
Royal Canadian Navy Canadian Army Royal Canadian Air Force
Military history	Royal Canadian Navy Canadian Army Royal Canadian Air Force
Leadership	Commander-in-Chief Chief of the Defence Staff Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Armed Forces Council Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy Commander of the Canadian Army Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer
Commands	Canadian Joint Operations Command Canadian Special Operations Forces Command Canadian Forces Intelligence Command Primary Reserve
Bibliography Conflicts Operations Victories Peacekeeping
Category Portal WikiProject

Canadian Army
History	History of the Canadian Army Canadian Corps First Canadian Army Military History of Canada Fort Frontenac Library
Structure	Structure of the Canadian Army 2nd Canadian Division 3rd Canadian Division 4th Canadian Division 5th Canadian Division List of Units
Mechanized brigade groups	1 CMBG 2 CMBG 5 CMBG
Brigade groups	31 CBG 32 CBG 33 CBG 34 CBG 35 CBG 36 CBG 37 CBG 38 CBG 39 CBG 41 CBG
Small arms	C9 machine-gun C7A1 rifle/C8A1 carbine/C7A2 rifle C6 machine-gun Browning .50 calibre heavy machine gun Browning-HP 9 mm pistol P225, 226 C15 Long Range Sniper Weapon (LRSW) C3A1 sniper rifle C14 Timberwolf C13 fragmentation grenade M203 grenade launcher M72 SRAAW(L)
Crewed weapons	Carl Gustav SRAAW(M) ERYX SRAAW(H) TOW LRAAW(H) 81 mm mortar 60 mm mortar Javelin short-range air defence missile Skyguard C1 close support howitzer C3 close support howitzer LG1 Mark II 105 mm towed howitzer M777 lightweight 155mm howitzer C16 CASW
Armoured fighting vehicles	LAV III Coyote Reconnaissance Vehicle ADATS Leopard C2 Leopard 2 Bison APC M113A3 and MTVL RG-31 Textron TAPV
Schools	Canadian Army Command and Staff College Peace Support Training Centre Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre
Category Portal WikiProject

Royal Canadian Artillery Regiments in order of precedence
1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery 5e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada 4th Air Defence Regiment, RCA 1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, RCA 2nd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA 5th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment, RCA 6th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA 7th Toronto Regiment, RCA 10th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA 11th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA 15th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA 20th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA 26th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA 30th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish), RCA 49th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA 56th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA 62nd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA

References