1945

1943

15th (Vancouver) Coast Regiment
The Royal Canadian Artillery
​Active Force
1944

as at 7 October 2016

Sub-units
31st Coast Battery, RCA
58th Coast Battery, RCA
85th Coast Battery, RCA

Key Appointments

 
Lieutenant Colonel Charles K. Rosebrugh proceeds to assume command of 17 (North B.C.) Coast Regt RCA at Prince Rupert, B.C. on 27 Mar 1944

​58th Coast Battery RCA
Major H.W. Selbie Battery Commander
Captain P.A.T. Ellis
Captain F.C. Whitehead

Structural Changes

General Order 149
HQ 15 (Vancouver) Coast Regiment RCA disbanded
31st Heavy Battery RCA disbanded as per General Order 149 

General Order 151 
This GO indicates that establishment lists have been amended. Copies of Vancouver Defences (Cdn. V/319F/2)-Amendment No4, 58th Coast Battery, R.C.A. (Cdn. V/325C/3) and V/324H/4, 85th Coast Battery, R.C.A. (Cdn. V/325C/3) and V/325C/2, 31st Coast Battery, R.C.A. (Cdn. V/323G/1) and Headquarters 15th (Vancouver) Coast Regiment, R.C.A. (Cdn. V/321P/1).

General Order 300
GO 300 amends the 85th Coast Battery V/325C/3

Yorke Island
The fort had now reached its peak in armament and no major additions or removal of equipment were to occur although some surveys for siting coast artillery radar were carried out in 1944.
​Vancouver Defended, Peter Moogk pg 9

Point Grey
On March 2, 1944 Vancouver's examination service was ended. The two guns that had given force to the port's security regulations were dismantled in the following summer
Vancouver Defended, Peter Moogk pg 98

The burden of Vancouver's defence fell increasingly on the Point Grey fort and the 58th Coast Battery. Plans to add a rapid-firing, twin barrel 6-pounder gun on the south side of the First Narrows were shelved and the existing installations were gradually reduced. After August 1943 there was only a skeleton detachment at Stanley Park to maintain the guns. Under the reduced examination service, Narrows North was only to challenge large ships and naval vessels that had not been cleared by the one remaining patrol boat.
Vancouver Defended, Peter Moogk pg 106

On March 1st, 1944, the 58th and 85th became Independent Coast Batteries. Freed of close surveillance, the author of the 58th's war diary became less formal and, on occasion, humorous. Here are some sample entries
1944
Vancouver, B.C.
March
1  Effective 7 Mar. 44, 58th Coast Battery, R.C.A. becomes an independent Battery, H.Q. 15 (Van) Cst Regt RCA and 31 Cst Bty RCA being disbanded as of 29 Feb. 44. 58 Cst Bty RCA now, under command of Major H.W. Selbie, with Battery Headquarters and one Section at Point Grey Fort, also one section in each of the following forts, Narrows North and Point Atkinson, all of which are situated at Vancouver, B.C.
58 Cst Bty RCA comes directly under H.Q. Vancouver Defences in all matters concerning training, administration, etc. Strength of Battery as of this date: 8 Officers - 284 other ranks. (...)
7  Capt. F.C. Whitehead proceeds to Point Atkinson Fort from Point Grey Fort, and assumes command of Point Atkinson Fort, vice Capt. P.A.T. Ellis (o.c. Narrows North). Smoke Bomb let off at Point Grey Fort provides some excitement for Fire Piquet on duty, (... )
13  Capt Cunningham and Capt McKiel of N.D.H.Q. visited Point Grey Fort re Proposed Radar O .P . site , (. . .)
Dominion Bridge Company tested 2 pdr, equipment at Point Grey Fort (...)
14  Inspector-General, Major-General J.P. McKenzie, and Staff, including Major Bartlett, Capt Hassell and Capt G. Rhodes of H.Q. Vancouver Defences, inspected Point Grey Fort from 1330 hours to 1600 hours this date. This was a very thorough inspection, and, surprisingly, very satisfactory (also very dry). In the evening personnel of Point Grey Fort played host to a party of C.W.A.C. (Canadian Women's Army Corps) personnel at a dance held in the Men's Canteen (approximately 40 CWAC personnel attending) The girls voiced their appreciation and asked for a repetition. The Commanding Officer definitely approved of this. (...)
23   Major H.W. Selbie visited Narrows North and Point Atkinson Forts this date. Much damage has been done to camouflage by recent gales; all nets and dummy positions (to deceive enemy aircraft) need rep air and replacements. A very successful party (concert) was held at Point Grey Fort in the evening by the Blues Chasers; all ranks are very well inclined to agree that Fort life isn't so dreary, after all, (,..)
25  Farewell party held at Point Grey Fort Officers' Mess for Lt-Col. C.K. Rosebrugh, late Commanding Officer of 15 (Van) Cst Regt RCA., who proceeds to assume command of 17 (NBC) (North B.C.) Coast Regt RCA at Prince Rupert, B.C. on 27 Mar, 44, (...)
26  C. of E. (Anglican) Church Parade held at Point Grey Fort, H/ Capt. E. Linfoot officiating. R.C. Church Parades held at Narrows North and Point Atkinson Forts. (…)
27  Very poor American propaganda film shown at Point Grey Fort this evening. Personnel of this Unit do not appreciate films of this type. (...)
April
10  Draft of six (6) other ranks (practically all remaining active personnel of suitable age and Pulhems (physically fit) for overseas service with exception of N.C.O's) proceed to Wetaskiwin, Alta., on 8th lnput, 1 Cdn. Trg (training) Bde, 1915 hours this date. (. . .)
14  All barrack stores removed from Steveston Fort this date, with exception of that necessary for two O.R. caretakers (...)
19  Padre's Hour inaugurated this date (...) Concert entitled 'V for Vaudeville' held at Point Grey Fort in evening, which was very enjoyable. (...)
24  6th Victory Load Drive commenced this date; results for day fair. (…)
May
5  Interviews for N. C. O. 's eligible for reversion for Overseas service. (...)
8  Motion Picture entitled ‘Lost Horizon' shown at Point Grey Fort this evening. (...)
9  Training Films shown during day, Gunners show a great deal of interest in these films. (...)
18  Battery Commander's Parade held at Point Grey Fort, at which the best dressed and equipped man was awarded a 48 hour pass. Much competition over this. (...)
19  43rd A.A. Bty conducted a 3.7" shoot in Fort area, (parachute flares were used as night-time targets)
20  General Alarm sounded at 1015 hours this date, on the report that a submarine had been sighted in Active Pass, proceeding South East. The All Clear was received at 1137 hours. Strength: 70 Officers, 265 Other Ranks. (...)
June
7  A special V.D. Film was shown at Point Grey Fort this date, with lecture by Capt. M.L, Edgar, RCAMC, Unit Medical Officer. (There had been "Private Consultations with Medical Officer" on May 26th.)
8  Weather - Warm; visibility - good. A special Garrison Parade was held at Connaught Park at 0900 hours to-day, in honour of the King's Birthday, His Majesty King George Vl. Some 1800 troops took part in the parade. 58 Cst Bty RCA as expected, acquitted themselves very well under the command of Major C.H. Munsie, Capt. M.O.F. Cartwright being 2 i/c. Following the March Past, an address was given by His Honour, Lieut-Governor W.C. Woodward, Lieut-Governor of British Columbia.
Following the parade Sunday routine was in effect.
ln the afternoon a Swimming Parade was held to Spanish Banks, under Lieut. J.E.E. Osborne . In the evening a motion picture was shown at Point Grey Fort, in Men's Canteen. (...)
August
7  Troops being moved to Point Grey Fort from Narrows North and Point Atkinson in preparation for York (sic) lsland changeover. (60 O.Rs. were dispatched on the 15th) (,..)
18 0400  First Party of 49 O.Rs. arrive at Vancouver from York Island, very grateful to see civilization again. (...)
       2100  Second Party of 60 O.Rs. left Vancouver for York lsland; all men present and seemingly happy to be off .
Vancouver Defended, Peter Moogk pg 106

By 1944 most of the original members of the 15th Coast Brigade had gone overseas. Some were held back by health or family ties and a good number of experienced officers and NCO's were deliberately retained as a reliable core for training recruits. The untrained recruits who replaced those gunners who had left were increasingly conscripts and not volunteers. They had been summoned to military service for home defence under the National Resources Mobilization Act (N.R.M.A.) of June 1940. They were very different from those men who had been in Vancouver's pre-war militia.
Vancouver Defended, Peter Moogk pg 108

The conscripts who replaced the "active service" volunteers in the coastal forts of British Columbia were a more diverse group. 67 members of the lower ranks of the 58th Independent Coast Battery were listed in the unit's Part I Orders for August 77th, 1944. The 46 N.R.M.A. men can be identified by their six numeral serial numbers, the so-called "box-car numbers." The general service volunteers were predominantly of British origin as were the officers and senior NCO's. But so was the largest group among the conscripts. In order of prominence, the surnames of the home defence conscripts were British (18), Slavic (12), Germanic (6), Italian (4), Scandinavian (3) and French (2). The new elements brought into the coast artillery by conscription were the Ukrainian and German speaking men from the Prairies and others from ethnic minorities, such as the Italian-Canadians, in Central Canada. The reluctance of those of East European ancestry to enlist was understandable: they had unhappy memories of compulsory military service in the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires. The men from the Prairies also came from farms where their labour was needed and where they were isolated from world events. Put simply, they were indifferent to the war. The religious as well as cultural diversity of the 58th Battery was reflected in the provision made in April 1944 for leave during the Jewish Passover. It is, on the other hand, remarkable that in a region with a large Oriental population, the 15th Coast Brigade contained only one Chinese-Canadian; he was a volunteer who became a sergeant.
Vancouver Defended, Peter Moogk pg 109

Even before the reluctant decision of the Mackenzie-King government in November 1944 to send 16,000 conscripts to Europe, the Vancouver forts were closed down to release the soldiers there for other duties. The 58th Coast Battery was to be reduced to "A maintenance basis" on September 1st and the month of August was spent in preparation for that event. The gun and searchlights were removed from Point Atkinson and the installations at Narrows North, Stanley Park and Point Grey were to be looked after by a twenty man maintenance crew. Fifty N.R.M.A. gunners were transferred to a field artillery regiment on the 22nd of August while the remainder of the men were interviewed by an army examiner, presumably to obtain a few more volunteers. On the 31st these men and the last members of the disbanded 28th Anti-Aircraft Regiment were sent to the district depot for re-allocation. All that remained of the former 15th Coast Regiment were the twenty caretakers in Vancouver and the 85th Independent Coast Battery on Yorke Island.
Vancouver Defended, Peter Moogk pg 111

Fort Record Book - Point Grey
The Fort Record Book contained the technical information for the fort. Armament, personnel and equipment are listed.
​See more...

15 Field Artillery Regiment Museum and Archives Photo #P985.065.01

A Gun and limber is moved in the Bessborough Armoury compound.

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