15th Field Artillery Regiment
The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
1963
as at 13 October 2018
Sub-units
31st Field Battery, RCA
​85th Field Battery, RCA
158th Field Battery, RCA
209th Field Battery, RCA
​210th Field Battery, RCA
Band of the 15th Field Regiment, RCA
Key Appointments
​158 Battery or 210 Battery
Top Row - 1,2,3,4,
4th Row - 5,6,7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
3rd Row - 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 2122, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,30, 31
2nd Row - 32, 33, 34, 35, Maj Ernest Pellant, MWO George Chow, 38, 39
Front Row - 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47
​Promotions and Appointments
Bombardier Robert (Bob) E Mugford promoted to Sergeant.
​

15 Jan 1963 - Gunner Al Yelland promoted to Lance Bombardier.

​1 Jun 1963 – Lance Bombardier Al Yelland promoted to Bombardier.
Stone Frigate Shield
​The shield was presented by Colonel JKG Magee MC and was used as a rifle competition between the units in the Armoury. Colonel Magee, MC passed away in White Rock, BC on August 6, 1956.   The Stone Frigate Shield is named after Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Stone Frigate, a dormitory and classroom block of the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario. A former naval storehouse it was converted to its present use in 1876 on the establishment of the College.   31 Battery won the trophy this year with a team consisting of the following members: Captain A Langmuir, Bombardier Fung HW, Bombardier Newby ID, Gunner Langeman G and Gunner Holland KE.
​Keen Plate
The silver plate was presented to the 15th Field Regiment RCA by Mrs J.F. Keen in 1953. It was originally won by her husband, Colonel J.F. Keen CMG TD who was a very accurate shooter. Colonel Keen had won the Queen’s Purse from Queen Victoria and was excluded from Bisley Competitions after winning three years.  The Regiment uses the plate as a trophy for a rifle competition between batteries. This year it was won by the 85th Battery.
Wallace Trophy​
The Regiment is awarded the Wallace Trophy for the most proficient unit in 24 Militia Group.
Glenemma Range Exercise, Vernon, BC
Back row – Bombardier Eric Tyldesley-Gore, Bombardier Norm Kincade, Bombardier Heinz Winter, Bombardier Al Yelland.
Front Row – Bombardier James Willett, 6, 7, Bombardier Clay Harmon.
Bombardiers Al Yelland and Eric Tyldesley-Gore pose in front of Bessborough Armoury.
Glenemma Range ?
I have a series of undated photos. The first three show soldiers all wearing bush uniforms with bushcaps. I've dated this to be 1963 as the soldier is holding up a copy of the May 1963 Playboy. That discovery came only after exhausting google searches! The next ten photos appear to be in the same era but all the soldiers are wearing berets, The photos are similar in quality and it was thought that they would have been two different years due to the difference in headwear. However, examining the Glenemma picture above we see 4 bushcaps and two berets. Different course standards? Same year?
​See more...
Training Day
​Not exactly sure of the details on these two photos. It appears that the BC District Public Affairs came down to take some photos of a training day at the Armoury. Only person I can make out is Bombardier Eric Tyldesley-Gore.
Albert Head
​Bombardier Al Yelland in the barracks and Bombardier Eric Tyldesley-Gore on the 105mm C1 Howitzer. It appears to be Albert Head and the two pictures are probably from the same exercise....Maybe.
Stanley Park Salute 1963
There's not much of a description on the slides but I would be reasonably safe to say that the salute was for Dominion Day (or was it Victoria Day?) 
The band is in attendance, the flagpole has been stood up with the Union Jack flying and the guns are ready to fire.
Can you recognize anyone in these photos? send me an email with their names to president.vcrgunners.@gmail.com!
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Royal Salute
Salute for the 10th Anniversary of Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Recruiting Program
Local Vancouver militia units set up displays of their equipment at the Northeast corner of the Oakridge mall parking area at 41st and Cambie, on 29 - 31 of August 1963.  The displays operated from 0900hrs to 2200hrs. each day.  On the 30 August, the British Columbia Regiment band and a fifty-man composite militia honour guard, formed from the summer Youth Temporary Service Plan (YTSP) course of 1963, performed a sunset ceremony.  The next evening the band of the 15th Field and the guard performed a second ceremony.  The Daily Province and the Oakridge News advertised the event and over 800 citizens watched both performances.  In the foreground is an original US M1A1 (C2) 105mm Howitzer belonging to 15 Field at that time.  Behind that is a Sherman tank from the British Columbia Regiment and to the right of the tank is what looks like the back end of a 1953 International Harvester 3 Ton (SCP) Stake truck.
​Ferguson Point
Concrete o-Pip and powerhouse were demolished in 1963.
Vancouver Defended, Peter Moogk, page 111 
13 Pounder Muzzle Loaders
It appears that the Regiment owned a couple of 13 Pounders back in the day. Their history is unknown at this  time  and their exact whereabouts is somewhat unclear. More to follow as we track them down! We've found one in 2018 and it's now back home!
Apprentice Battery
A future Commanding Officer, 15th Field Artillery Regiment RCA John Carter receives the best 2nd year bandsman trophy with the Apprentice Battery in Shilo MB.
​The Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess
Picture
Full Achievement
Bombardier W.G. Palmer, at the age of 88, presented the Mess with a beautiful handmade silk embroidery of the Royal Coat of Arms surmounting the Royal Artillery Crest. He had encouraged his Chinese wash girl to do this embroidery from a hand drawn sketch while he was serving with the Royal Artillery in Hong Kong from 1897 to 1905. He eventually came to Victoria in about 1912 to assist in the installation of its shore Batteries around Esquimalt Harbour. At the time of the presentation, he was living with his son in Vancouver and wanted the piece kept safely in an Artillery Sergeants Mess. 


​The Gong
On the 3rd of July 1963 the Mess was presented a gong by Lieutenant Colonel J.M. Reynolds CD RCA for the recording of the names of mess members and (of course!) for the use of members to signify a round at the bar.
 
Ladies Auxiliary painting
The ladies presented a painting to the mess.
Gonged
​Colonel Graham Blyth is gonged by the Regimental Sergeant Major Warrant Officer Class I Dave Penman in October 1963. Warrant Officer Class II Pat Smith is one of the loading numbers.
The Brigadier DuMoulin Trophy
This trophy is awarded to the most efficient member of the Sergeants’ Mess as determined by the displayed rating system. Warrant Officer Class II WD Cooper CD was presented the trophy for his performance during 1962.
Obituaries​
Picture
Driver Frederick Edward Browning – October 20, 1963, of 6181 Brooks St., aged 67 years. Survived by his wife Hilda; 1 son, Robert of this city; 1 daughter, Mrs. J. (Mary) Smith of Campbell River; 4 grandchildren; 2 sisters, Mrs. G. Hodges of Vancouver, Mrs. P. Hansen of Abbotsford. Deceased was a member of B.C. Electric Street Railwaymen’s Association. Rev. J.W. Ellis will conduct the funeral service in Mount Pleasant Chapel, Kingsway at Eleventh Ave., Wednesday, October 23 at 3 p.m., followed by cremation. No flowers by request.
Driver Browning enlisted with the 68th Overseas Depot Battery, Canadian Field Artillery on 21 February 21, 1916 and served in France and Belgium with the 61st Battery, 14th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery until returning to Vancouver in 1919.
Honorary Lieutenant Francis Ronald Graham CD passed away 6 April 1963. He began his working career as a $1.50 a week law clerk and became a multi-millionaire controlling lumber, real estate, mining and sugar enterprises. He was co-owner of FP Publications which in turn owned the Edmonton Bulletin the Daily Colonist and the Victoria Daily Times and the father of Bill Graham Minister of National Defence (2004-2006).
Lieutenant John Travers Pennington
1937 - 1963
Lieutenant Pennington died as the result of a traffic accident in Delta, BC.
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