15th Field Artillery Regiment
The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
1966
as at 9 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
Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
Captain-General, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
Her Majesty The Queen
 
Colonel Commandant, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
Major-General AB Matthews CBE DSO ED CD

Chief of Artillery
Colonel JP Beer MBE CD
Key Appointments
Promotions and Appointments
1 Aug 1966          Warrant Officer Class II Patrick H Smith, CD promoted Warrant Officer Class I and appointed Regimental Sergeant Major
Change of RSM Parade
The outgoing Regimental Sergeant Major, Warrant officer Class 1 Dave Penman CD turns over the RSM's sword to the Honorary Colonel. ​Warrant Officer Class I Patrick H Smith, CD accepts the RSM's sword in his new appointment as Regimental Sergeant Major. 


​1 March 1966 - Lieutenant William (Bill) T. Wickett promoted Captain.
​​New Members
Sergeant Brian Philip Cormier transferred into the Regiment after moving to Vancouver from Montreal. Brian was born 4 May 1943, joined 80th Field Battery, RCA of the 6th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA located in Montmagny, Quebec. In 1960 he had transferred to 7th Field Battery, 34th Field Artillery Regiment. He has been posted into 158 Battery as of September 1966.
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Members Extra-Regimentally Employed
Lance Bombardier Avery joins the Regular Force.
Ferguson Point Plaque
The plaque at Ferguson Point in Stanley Park is unveiled on 16 October 1966 by Major General Albert Bruce Matthews, CBE DSO ED. Warrant Officer Class II Ray Guttridge, 2,3,4,5,6, Brigadier Theo Dumoulin, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, Major General Albert Bruce Matthews, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, RSM Warrant Officer Class I Pat Smith.
Wainwright Alberta
​Captain Bob Spring in his OP. The cam net and a few tree branches provides some camouflage protection.
The field of view from the OP in Wainwright leaves much to be desired. A few higher hills would certainly be a benefit.
Of course the OP attracts mosquitoes, blackflies and a host of VIPs to see what the "sharp" end looks like.
Meanwhile, back at camp.....Border Lake makes it look so inviting.  See more...
Summer Wainwright Exercise
Back Row: Sergeant Al Yelland, Sergeant LD (Bud) Taylor, Sergeant Eric Tyldesley-Gore; Sergeant Peter Erwin; Sergeant Gordie Wright; Sergeant Rollie Weibe, Sergeant Doug McCloy; Sergeant Heinz Winter. Front Row: Warrant Officer Class II Ray Guttridge, Reg Force member, Warrant Officer Class I Dave Penman, Warrant Officer Class II Pat Smith.
​?, Warrant Officer Class II Ray Guttridge, ?, Sergeant Heinz Winter, Sergeant Eric Tyldesley-Gore, ?
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.
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Commanding Officer's Parade
The CO, Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon Platt leads the reviewing party inspecting the troops on parade. Behind him is the Batter Commander Major Ron Abbott, the Second in Command Major Barry Clemons and the Adjutant, Captain Bob Spring. The Assistant Adjutant Captain Jane Best is out front. Having their photos taken in the Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess are Warrant Officer Class II Dwillies, Eric Tyldesley-Gore, RSM Warrant Officer Class I Pat Smith, Warrant Officer Class II Ray Guttridge, Major Ron Abbot, Major Barrie Clemons, CO Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon Platt, Adjutant Captain Bob Spring and Major Al Langmuir.
District Commanders Parade
The Commanding Officer leads the 15th Field Regiment RCA marching into the Empire Stadium. He is followed by the Adjutant and Second in Command with the Acting RSM. The first Battery Commander is followed by his Battery Sergeant Major, Ray Guttridge.
Regimental Band Recruitment
The Band is looking for new members and placed the following ad in the Musical Instruments section of the Vancouver Sun on 13 December 1966. I wonder if it attracted any new Bandsmen?
Regimental Wedding
Sergeant Al Yelland married Sylvia Henderson on 23 April 1966. It was a truly Regimental wedding with the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel G.M. Platt giving the bridal party the run of the armouries. The reception was held in the Sergeants’ Mess, the receiving line in the Officers’ Mess, the dinner in the lecture room and the dancing in the Junior Ranks Mess. The best man was Sergeant Eric Tyldesley-Gore and the ushers were Sergeant Bob Mugford and Sergeant Jim Willett. The sword party consisted of Warrant Officer Class II Peter Dwillies, Staff Sergeant Gary Angell, Staff Sergeant Lorne Bamford, Sergeant Heinz Winter, Sergeant Bud Taylor, Sergeant Dag Gruban, Sergeant Ralph Cowan, and Sergeant Doug McCloy. The Regimental Sergeant Major, Warrant Officer Class I Dave Penman gave the toast to the bride and the cake was cut with the Comanding Officer's sword.
Sylvia worked across the street at Jones Tent and Awning where flags were made; she donated the Canadian Maple Leaf Flag on the mantel piece in the Sergeants’ Mess to replace the Canadian Red Ensign in 1965.
Sergeant Eric Tyldeley-Gore on his way to the Armoury for a parade night.
Regimental Padre
Captain (ret'd) Joseph Patrick Carney, former regimental Padre, makes the news with his acceptance as an Anglican priest.
This illustration was drawn by GH Shorey and appears to have been clipped from the Sentinel magazine, a Canadian Forces publication. 
RCA History
Volume 1 of The Gunners of Canada will be published by McClelland and Stewart, Ltd., early in the summer of 1967. This official history of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, written by Colonel GWL Nicholson, former Director of the Army Historical Section, has been commissioned by the Royal Canadian Artillery Association.
See more...
Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess
Ramsay's Guns
The widow of Sir Michael W.S. Bruce presented the Mess with a water colour of Norman Ramsay's Guns at Fuentes d’Onor in Spain. This picture had been presented to him by the Officers of I Battery (Bull's Troop) Royal Horse Artillery in memory of his service with that troop during the 1914 - 1918 War. It is interesting to note that Sir Michael Bruce until his death in the late 1960's was a well-known writer of children’s’ books and also wrote a column for the Vancouver Sun.
See more...
​The Brigadier DuMoulin Trophy
This trophy is awarded to the most efficient member of the Sergeants’ Mess as determined by the displayed rating system. Sergeant Peter Erwin was presented the trophy for his performance during 1965.
Royal Canadian Artillery Association
MINUTES OF THE 81st GENERAL MEETING OF THE RCAA[i]
HELD AT CFB SHILO, MAN, 29-30 SEPTEMBER 1966
The eighty-first Annual Meeting opened at 2:00 PM, September 29, 1966, with the President, Lt. Col. E.R. Clemis, MBE, ED, CD, in the Chair.
The president called on Col. J.S. Orton, MBE, MC, CD, Commandant, Royal Canadian School of Artillery, who welcomed the delegates to the Home Mess of the Regiment and expressed the wish that their stay would be an enjoyable one.
See more...
Regular Force Artillery
2nd Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, in Germany, is outfitted with the new M-557A1 armoured personnel carrier for use as command posts. 
Picture

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15th Field Artillery Regiment advertises in The Canadian Gunner, Volume 2, 1966
US Field Artillery - Weapons of the Field Artillery
​Features, use and capabilities of field artillery weaponry in the cannon type artillery category, rocket and missile category.
Obituary
Lieutenant Edward Noel Bagshawe 25 December 1894 - 1 June 1966
Served with the 88th Victoria Fusiliers, 30th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force and 7th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force before transferring to the 2/1st Hartfordshire Battery 4th East Anglian Brigade Royal Field Artillery on 14 October 1915. After the war he served with the 5th Medium Battery from 1925 to 1928. Interred at Ross Bay Cemetery Victoria BC.
Honorary Colonel (Brigadier ret'd) Aeneas E. McBean Bell-Irving OBE ED 
Brigadier Bell-Irving served in the Artillery as a Second Lieutenant in World War I and as the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RCA in the World War II. He was the Honorary Colonel 43rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RCA from 1949 to 1954 and the  Honorary Colonel of the 15th Field Artillery Regiment RCA from 1957 to 1959. After the war he became an influential business man and was elected City of Vancouver Councillor from 1962 to 1966. He passed away 20 November 1966.
Gunner Frank George Hickling - 1 May 1966
​Gunner Hickling passed away in Houlton, Aroostook, Maine, USA at the age of 82. He was a member of the 5th Canadian Siege Battery, Canadian Garrison Artillery during the First World War.
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