MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF OF ARTILLERY

From The Canadian Gunner 1969
Last summer it was my privilege to take over the appointment of Chief of Artillery from Colonel J.P. Beer whose well known devotion to the Regiment was immediately apparent from the healthy state of affairs which I inherited.
Alas, this situation was destined to be short-lived; indeed it had already begun to deteriorate with the rumours of impending reductions and these rumours soon proved to be well-founded. In September the new force structure was announced, and the resulting effect on the Royal Regiment became clear. On the surface, a loss of one unit seemed not unreasonable, but in terms of manpower the Regiment suffered a loss of approximately one-third of its strength. I would like to outline some of the consequences as I see them:

1. Our modest efforts to get back in the Air Defence field seemed doomed to failure and there is little hope of any progress except in a small way with the All Arms Air Defence weapon. Any force required to take the field will do so without adequate protection against hostile aircraft.
2. The Locating field, with the exception of regimental survey, seems to be lost. Our highly developed skills in counter-mortar radar, sound ranging and drones will shortly disappear and we shall not soon re-acquire them. Moreover, the effectiveness of any field force will be seriously impaired by the loss of these target acquisition capabilities.
3. Our nuclear capability, coupled with our expertise in the field of missiles and large rockets will disappear. Who is to say whether we may need them again?
4. The Air OP, which won its spurs in war and has consistently proven its ability to support the field force, is in danger of disappearing as the air experts attempt to reorganize it into a tactical aviation unit. The effectiveness of the Air OP support under such a system of command and control would be questionable unless adequate safeguards were built in.
5. The changes have resulted in an artillery structure which is out of balance with the other arms. Its ability to provide effective fire support on a sustained basis in a shooting war is highly suspect.
6. Lastly, the reduction will cause a surplus of artillery officers and men for whom useful employment must be found.

Well, where does this leave us? It leaves us in a very difficult position, facing a number of seemingly insurmountable problems. One wonders whether the very existence of the Regiment is not at stake. Yet is this situation really different from countless other difficult situations which Gunners have faced before? I think not. The simple truth is that factors over which we have no control have produced a bad situation and we must do our best to work it out. The Gunner specialty of providing fire support will survive but the Regiment entrusted with this specialty must be a dynamic organization oriented towards the present and future needs of the forces as a whole. We, as a corps, and as individuals, must be better at our jobs than ever before. We must strive to maintain the highest standards, and we must endeavour to correct weaknesses such as those outlined above. We must learn from past campaigns but we must be constantly on our guard not to be blinded by either tradition or prejudice.
                I have painted a not very attractive picture of what is taking place and how it affects our Regiment. Many fine officers and men are going to be disappointed and frustrated because career opportunities are bound to be fewer, and I can not bring myself at this time to offer words of optimism for the future. On the other hand, at the risk of pointing out the obvious, I would draw attention to two things: firstly, a public undertaking has been given that personnel will not be compulsorily released from the service for other than the normal reasons; secondly, we are a volunteer force and the choice of whether we serve or not is ultimately our own. I therefore urge each of you to assess your individual situation and make your decision as to whether some change or realignment of your personal career objectives is in order. Some will undoubtedly opt for retirement and others may be well-advised to seek re-mustering to other classifications or trades. To them I say sincerely that the Regiment appreciates the service they have given and wishes them the best of luck in their future endeavours. To those that remain, our course is clear, as it has always been; there is a job to be done – let’s get on with it!
The Canadian gunner 1969, Volume 5, December 1969

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