1934

1932

15th Field Brigade
Canadian Artillery
1933

as at 14 November 2020

Sub-units
31st Field Battery
68th Field Battery
85th Field Battery
Attached – 5th Medium Battery
Detached: 58th Field Battery CA-Victoria; attached to 5th (British Columbia) Regiment Canadian Garrison Artillery

Key Appointments

​Promotions and Appointments

Warrant Officer Class II Willard J. Purdy EM
Promoted Warrant Officer Class 1 and appointed Regimental Sergeant Major of 15th Field Brigade, CA. He was born in Grafton, Ontario on 12 July 1892 and had been a labourer and a member of the 40th Regiment in Cobourg, Ontario for a year before signing up for the Canadian Over-seas Expeditionary Force on 19 August 1915. 

​ William Charles Woodward ED
Appointed Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel. He was born April 24, 1885 in Gore Bay on Manitoulin Island, Ont. He came to Vancouver with his father Charles Woodward. At 16, William worked as a $15/month Royal Bank clerk. In 1908 he joined Woodward's as bookkeeper. In World War One he served with the First Canadian Heavy Artillery, then with Occupation forces (1916-18) joining 15th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery as a Lieutenant after the war.

Sarcee Exercise
The Brigade trains at Camp Sarcee. 18 pounders, 4.5" howitzers. The end of the clip features some high-jinks at the new Bessborough Armoury. Is there anyone willing to guess what they're doing?

BC Artillery Leader in All-Canada Competitions
The Commanding Officer can be justifiably proud of the results of the Sarcee Exercises over the summer in which the Brigade was awarded the Shaughnessy Challenge Cup for Brigade general efficiency. The local newspaper reports that the 31st Field Battery (Major J.E. Piercy) won the Governor-General's Cup and the Stradbrooke Challenge Cup for first place in battery general efficiency, the 68th Battery (Major C.G. Beeston) won the Landsdowne Cup for second place and third place went to 62nd Battery (Major A.B. Matthews DSO) in Duncan. In battery competition for medium and heavy batteries, the 5th Medium Battery (Major C.T. Batten) in Vancouver came in third.
In field battery gun practice for the Oswald Challenge Cup, the 62nd Field Battery came in first with the 31st Field Battery second. The 62nd Field Battery also won the Grant Challenge Cup in battery tactics. In the medium and heavy battery class, the 5th Medium Battery came in fourth.
The Hurdman Challenge Cup for efficiency of personnel was won by the 68th Field Battery while the George Washington Stephens Cup for second place was awarded to the 31st Field Battery.

Armoury Construction
The new Armoury, built by Smith Brothers and Wilson Ltd, General Contractors, nears completion. Moving day for the 15th Brigade and the British Columbia Hussars, with whom they shared quarters, came early in 1933. See more...

In the News
The approval for the name of the Bessborough Armoury was announced.

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The Band of the 15th Field Brigade, Canadian Artillery 
The Band of the 15th Field Brigade, Canadian Artillery is stood up under the guidance of Captain Henry Arthur Slatter MSM. Ads are placed for bandsmen, newspaper articles wrtten and the band performs at public events. See more...

Reverend George Biddle
Reverend Biddle accepted the call from St. Phillips Church in Vancouver. A veteran of the First World War, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant with the 31st Battalion, CEF, he would later become the Chaplain for the 11th (Reserve) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, (RCA) in the Second World War.

With the Canadian Guns in North Russia 1918-'19
Colonel Walter Hyde, the former Battery Commander 68th Battery, provides an excellent overview of the Battery's performance with the North Russia Expeditionary Force. Captain Mowat figures prominently in the narrative as does Lieutenant Winslow. Colonel Hyde also provides insight into duck hunting with an 18 pounder! Unfortunately we are missing the second to last page 46. See more...

Lists
​The following pages contain additional information relating to the 15th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA
Honours and Awards
Trophies
Commanding Officers and Regimental Sergeants Major
Honoraries
Battery Commanders and Battery Sergeants Major
Band Appointments
Nominal Roll
Guns of the Regiment
Memorial Page