VANCOUVER GUNNERS
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        • 1953 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
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        • 1953 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
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        • 1954 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1954 - 102nd Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1954 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
      • 1955 >
        • 1955 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1955 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
      • 1956 >
        • 1956 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1956 - 43rd MAA Regt, RCA
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        • 1957 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1957 - 43rd MAA Regt, RCA
      • 1958 >
        • 1958 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1958 - 43rd MAA Regt, RCA
      • 1959 >
        • 1959 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1959 - 43rd MAA Regt, RCA
    • The 1940s >
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        • 1940 - 15th (Vcr) Coast Bde, RCA, CASF
        • 1940 - 15th (Vcr) Cst Bde, RCA NPAM
        • 1940 - 1st AA Regt, RCA, CASF
      • 1941 >
        • 1941 - 15th (Vcr) Coast Bde, RCA, CASF
        • 1941 - 15th (Vcr) Cst Bde, RCA NPAM
        • 1941 - 1st (Res) AA Regt, RCA
      • 1942 >
        • 1942 - 15th (Vcr) Coast Bde, RCA, AF
        • 1942 - 15th (Vcr) Cst Bde, RCA RF
        • 1942 - 1st (Res) AA Regt, RCA
      • 1943 >
        • 1943 - 15th (Vcr) Coast Bde, RCA, AF
        • 1943 - 39th (Reserve) Fd Regt, RCA RF
        • 1943 - 1st (Res) AA Regt, RCA
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        • 1944 - 15th (Vcr) Coast Bde, RCA, AF
        • 1944 - 11th AA Regt, RCA RF
        • 1944 - 1st (Res) AA Regt, RCA
      • 1945 >
        • 1945 - Vancouver Defences
        • 1945 - 11th AA Regt, RCA RF
      • 1946 >
        • 1946 - 15th Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1946 - 11th (Res) AA Regt, RCA
      • 1947 >
        • 1947 - 15th Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1947 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
      • 1948 >
        • 1948 - 15th Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1948 - Vancouver Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1948 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
      • 1949 >
        • 1949 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1949 - Vancouver Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1949 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
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        • 1917 - 5th CSB, CGA ,CEF
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          • 1917 - Hastings Park
      • 1918 >
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        • 85th Battery CFA
        • Obituaries 1918
      • 1919 >
        • 68th Bty, 16th Bde CFA
        • 5th Cdn Siege Bty, CGA
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      • Nom Roll Lee-Log
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”Gunners Return to Vimy” April 6, 2017
Dear All,
 
This is a summary of our travels so far.
 
We are 100 Gunners from across Canada, serving and retired, Regular and Reserve, male and female. We all wear the same cap badge; the badge of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery (RCA).
 
Last Sunday we boarded buses at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris (although some of us had arrived earlier in the week) and our first stop was the Normandy beach where The Winnipeg Rifles landed on June 6, 1944. For many of the Gunners, especially those under thirty years of age, it was their first experience in France - as it had been for thousands of other young Canadians on D-Day, 1944. 
 
The afternoon and the next day were educational and emotional; with visits to the adjacent beaches where The Canadian Scottish and The Regina Rifles landed on D-Day; accompanied by RCA forward observers and by engineers and signalers, and closely followed by tanks and artillery guns. Our tour guides expertly described the events of that 1944 day and answered our many questions. They are both RCA officers (BGen Dave Patterson, a Reservist and currently Deputy Commander of 4 Canadian Division) and (LCol (Retired) Brian Reid, formerly Regular Force and a published author of Canadian military histories).
 
In the heart of all of this is the Juno Beach Centre. It is a wonderful museum and interpretive centre and is visited by tens of thousands of Canadians, French and others each year. The guides are Canadian students, all bilingual and each one hired for the spring to fall “season”.
 
During our Normandy days we visited Verrieres Ridge, Hill 67, Carpiquet Airfield, Pegasus Bridge, Abbaye d’Ardenne and, of course the Canadian cemetery at Beny-sur-Mer. All are memorable examples of courage and sacrifice.
 
Tuesday morning at the Beny-sur-Mer Cemetery was a time of solemn remembrance and reflection. We were joined by 100 Canadian Signalers (RCCS), serving and retired, Regular and Reserve, male and female who are on a similar tour. We were 100 uniformed Canadian RCA and RCCS soldiers plus 100 RCA and RCCS retirees; a total of 200 Canadians, including our RCA trumpeter and our RCA piper. Representatives of each group placed wreaths at the Cross of Sacrifice and then the individual serving soldiers placed an RCA flag or an RCCS (Signals) flag at the grave of every RCA and RCCS soldier. This Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemetery is, predictably, beautiful, peaceful and immaculately maintained.
 
In this, and in other cemeteries of both World Wars, there are over 52,000 Canadians buried in France.
 
On Tuesday morning, we were aboard our buses and heading toward Dieppe. For 90% of us it was our first visit to the site of this August 1942 raid on the German-occupied coast of France. Standing on the pebbled beach at Dieppe, our guides briefed us on the battle and on individual unis actions and answered numerous questions. We were then driven to the CWGC cemetery and walked among the rows of headstones, most of which are Canadian and almost all of those are dated August 19, 1942.
 
Tonight (Wednesday) we are in Ypres after visiting the nearby Canadian memorial at St Julien, where the first gas attack on the Western Front was resisted and endured by Canadian soldiers. We also had an opportunity to visit Passchendaele and the enormous CWGC cemetery at Tyne Cot.
 
We visited the Ypres “Cloth Hall”; destroyed during WWI but rebuilt as a magnificent structure in the heart of Ypres. It is now largely occupied by a splendid, modern, museum with a focus on the First World War. Our tour of this museum culminated with a dinner on the main floor. This took place in a huge room with stone pillars, stone floors, wooden beams and a meal of tomato soup, Belgian beef stew and chocolate mousse.
 
The most enduring memory of Ypres, however, was the ceremony at the Menin Gate. Every evening hundreds of visitors attend a memorial ceremony at this very significant Ypres city gate; an imposing memorial structure engraved with the names of tens of thousands of British, Canadian and Empire (Commonwealth) WWI soldiers who have no known grave. Our Canadian serving soldiers (RCA and RCCS), wearing uniforms and medals, were formed up under the arches, the Belgian buglers played The Last Post and wreaths were placed in memory by the Colonel Commandant of the RCA and the Colonel Commandant of the RCCS. Inside the arches and around the memorial were three or four hundred spectators, including the retired members of our tour group. Our RCA piper played and, after several other groups placed wreaths, the ceremony came to an end and darkness fell once again on the city of Ypres.

Today, Thursday, we will continue in the direction of Vimy Ridge and will be there on Sunday in time to participate in the 100th anniversary of that iconic Canadian battle,.
​
Stu
​
Lists 
The following pages contain additional information relating to the 15th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA
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Commanding Officers and Regimental Sergeants Major
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Copyright © 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Webmaster/editor - Leon Jensen, OMM, CD, Commanding Officer 1998-2001, Regimental Sergeant Major 1986-1988
Additional photos and stories as well as comments regarding errors and omissions would be greatly appreciated. ​
​Have I inadvertently placed personal information of yours on line that you don't approve of?
​Please accept my apologies and contact me at president.vcrgunners@gmail.com and I’ll have it removed.
  • Home
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    • The Fallen
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    • Honours and Awards >
      • Distinguished Service Order
      • Distinguished Conduct Medal
      • Military Cross
      • Military Medal
      • George Medal
      • Croix de guerre
      • Mentioned in Despatches
      • Canadian Forces Decoration
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    • The 1960s >
      • 1960
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      • 1962
      • 1963
      • 1964
      • 1965
      • 1966
      • 1967
      • 1968
      • 1969
    • The 1950s >
      • 1950 >
        • 1950 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1950 - 102nd Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1950 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
      • 1951 >
        • 1951 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1951 - 102nd Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1951 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
      • 1952 >
        • 1952 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1952 - 102nd Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1952 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
      • 1953 >
        • 1953 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1953 - 102nd Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1953 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
      • 1954 >
        • 1954 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1954 - 102nd Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1954 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
      • 1955 >
        • 1955 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1955 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
      • 1956 >
        • 1956 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1956 - 43rd MAA Regt, RCA
      • 1957 >
        • 1957 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1957 - 43rd MAA Regt, RCA
      • 1958 >
        • 1958 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1958 - 43rd MAA Regt, RCA
      • 1959 >
        • 1959 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1959 - 43rd MAA Regt, RCA
    • The 1940s >
      • 1940 >
        • 1940 - 15th (Vcr) Coast Bde, RCA, CASF
        • 1940 - 15th (Vcr) Cst Bde, RCA NPAM
        • 1940 - 1st AA Regt, RCA, CASF
      • 1941 >
        • 1941 - 15th (Vcr) Coast Bde, RCA, CASF
        • 1941 - 15th (Vcr) Cst Bde, RCA NPAM
        • 1941 - 1st (Res) AA Regt, RCA
      • 1942 >
        • 1942 - 15th (Vcr) Coast Bde, RCA, AF
        • 1942 - 15th (Vcr) Cst Bde, RCA RF
        • 1942 - 1st (Res) AA Regt, RCA
      • 1943 >
        • 1943 - 15th (Vcr) Coast Bde, RCA, AF
        • 1943 - 39th (Reserve) Fd Regt, RCA RF
        • 1943 - 1st (Res) AA Regt, RCA
      • 1944 >
        • 1944 - 15th (Vcr) Coast Bde, RCA, AF
        • 1944 - 11th AA Regt, RCA RF
        • 1944 - 1st (Res) AA Regt, RCA
      • 1945 >
        • 1945 - Vancouver Defences
        • 1945 - 11th AA Regt, RCA RF
      • 1946 >
        • 1946 - 15th Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1946 - 11th (Res) AA Regt, RCA
      • 1947 >
        • 1947 - 15th Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1947 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
      • 1948 >
        • 1948 - 15th Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1948 - Vancouver Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1948 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
      • 1949 >
        • 1949 - 15th Fd Regt, RCA
        • 1949 - Vancouver Coast Regt, RCA
        • 1949 - 43rd HAA Regt, RCA
    • The 1930s >
      • 1930
      • 1931
      • 1932
      • 1933
      • 1934
      • 1935
      • 1936
      • 1937
      • 1938
      • 1939 >
        • 1939 - 15th (Vcr) Coast Bde, RCA, CASF
        • 1939 - 1st AA Regt, RCA, CASF
    • The 1920s >
      • 1920
      • 1921
      • 1922
      • 1923
      • 1924
      • 1925
      • 1926
      • 1927
      • 1928
      • 1929
    • The 1910s >
      • 1915 - 31st Bty, 8th Bde, CFA
      • 1916 >
        • 1916 15th Brigade, CFA
        • 1916 - 31st Bty, 8th Bde, CFA
        • 1916 - 68 Depot
      • 1917 >
        • 1917 - 31st Bty, CFA, CEF
        • 1917 - 5th CSB, CGA ,CEF
        • 1917 - 68 Depot >
          • 1917 - Hastings Park
      • 1918 >
        • 68th Depot Battery CFA
        • 85th Battery CFA
        • Obituaries 1918
      • 1919 >
        • 68th Bty, 16th Bde CFA
        • 5th Cdn Siege Bty, CGA
    • The 1890s >
      • 1893 - BC Garrison Artillery
      • 1894 - BC Garrison Artillery
      • 1898- BC Garrison Artillery
  • Nominal Roll
    • Nom Roll Aaa - Ang >
      • Nom Roll Ank - Azz
    • Nom Roll Baa - Bay >
      • Nom Roll Bea - Bil
      • Nom Roll Bin - Boy
      • Nom Roll Bra - Bry
      • Nom Roll Buc- Bzz
    • Nom Roll Caa - Cav >
      • Nom Roll Caz - Chu
      • Nom Roll Cla - Con
      • Nom Roll Coo - Cri
      • Nom Roll Cro- Czz
    • Nom Roll Daa - Den >
      • Nom Roll Der - Dru
      • Nom Roll Dry - Dzz
    • Nom Roll Eaa - Ezz
    • Nom Roll Faa - Foo >
      • Nom Roll For - Fzz
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      • Nom Roll Gin - Gra
      • Nom Roll Gre - Gzz
    • Nom Roll Haa - Han >
      • Nom Roll Har - Hei
      • Nom Roll Hel - Hog
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      • Nom Roll Kin - Kzz
    • Nom Roll Laa - Led >
      • Nom Roll Lee-Log
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    • Nom Roll Ma - Mal >
      • Nom Roll Man - McB
      • Nom Roll McC - McH
      • Nom Roll McI - Mei
      • Nom Roll Mel - Moo
      • Nom Roll Mor- Mzz
    • Nom Roll Naa - Nzz
    • Nom Roll Oaa - Ozz
    • Nom Roll Paa - Pek >
      • Nom Roll Pel - Pos
      • Nom Roll Pot- Pzz
    • Nom Roll Qaa - Qzz
    • Nom Roll Raa - Rho >
      • Nom Roll Ric - Ror
      • Nom Roll Ros - Rzz
    • Nom Roll Saa - Sey >
      • Nom Roll Sha - Sma
      • Nom Roll Sme - Spr
      • Nom Roll Spy - Sur
      • Nom Roll Sut - Szz
    • Nom Roll Taa - Til >
      • Nom Roll Tim - Tzz
    • Nom Roll Uaa - Uzz
    • Nom Roll Vaa - Vzz
    • Nom Roll Waa - Way >
      • Nom Roll Wea- Wig
      • Nom Roll Wil - Wol
      • Nom Roll Won - Wzz
    • Nom Roll Xaa - Xzz
    • Nom Roll Yaa - Yzz
    • Nom Roll Zaa - Zzz
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  • Yorke Island
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