100 Years Ago Today

​The 15th Field Artillery Regiment RCA perpetuates the following sub units:
31st Battery, Canadian Field Artillery, Canadian Expeditionary Force,
58th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery, Canadian Expeditionary Force,
5th Canadian Siege Battery, Canadian Artillery, Canadian Expeditionary Force,
68th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery, North Russia Expeditionary Force, and the
85th Battery, Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force.
 
One hundred years ago, on 9 April 1917 the batteries disposition was as follows:
31st Battery, Canadian Field Artillery was a sub-unit of the 8th Canadian Field Artillery Brigade in the 3rd Canadian Division. The Brigade war diary records:
Berthonval Farm 6.10 p.m. F.O.O. 38th Battery reports enemy infantry concentrated PETITVIMY. 3 Companies observed marching overland in this vicinity. Movement also observed on the Ridge.
5.40 p.m. F.O.O. 38th Battery, reports 500 of the enemy marching overland towards VIMY now in the vicinity of T.24.a.
5.55 p.m. Advanced C.D.A. report numbers of enemy coming down the long railway from AVION toward VIMY.
9.55 p.m. 31st Battery report that they are in good communication with their forward station near SPANDAU HAUS.
 
58th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery, Canadian Expeditionary Force was a sub-unit of the 14th Canadian Field Artillery Brigade in the 5th Canadian Division. The Division was training in England and the Brigade war diary records:
WITLEY - SIR R.L. BORDEN visited and inspected the Camp at 10.30 A.M. This BDE were(?) at BATT GUN DRILL in GUN PARK.  The five SGT.’S-MAJ were confirmed in their ranks in today’s orders, the appointments dating back some considerable time.
 
5th Canadian Siege Battery, Canadian Artillery, Canadian Expeditionary Force war diary records:
Mt St Eloy - A continuous bombardment was kept up all day on Hostile Batteries T64 at T26a 80.70, T65 at T20c 10.28, T59 at T19b 75.80, and T52 at T13b 45.00. 406 Rounds being expended on these Batteries. There were also a good many special targets which claimed our attention during the day, A large body of troops were seen massing in S24d, we immediately switched and fired 50 Rounds into them, and succeeded in dispersing them. A H.V. Gun in T20c 10.80 gave a lot of trouble during the day and we were ordered to silence it, which we succeeded in doing after 50 Rounds. Six other Hostile batteries which gave a considerable amount of trouble also claimed our attention, some being effectively silenced and others being compelled to reduce their fire, These batteries were S53 at T14a 08¼70, S54 at S18b 00.10, S55 at S18b 45.85, S62 at S24b 12.85, T50 at T13a 14.55 and S26a S12d 48.15. We then turned our attention on Banff Trench and fired 50 Rounds into the trench from S22b 20.75 to S16c 9.1, immediately switching to Hostile Battery T50 at T13a 14.55 and firing 35 Rounds into it. A Plane then registered us on Hostile Battery T65 at T20c 10.28 after giving us three observation,  which were very good, plane gave C I and 16 Rounds were then fired without observation. Another plane then called up and directed our fire on H.B. T65 with better results, several O.K’s and Y ½ and Z’s being obtained. The Battery was effectively silenced. Plane then directed our fire on junction Banff and Bean Trenches at S16c 50.50.  Out of 20 Rds fired on this point there were 18 O.K’s the remaining two being an A and B. From 6.15 p.m. to 9.p.m 207 Rounds were fired into Beano and Cyclist Trench after which we switched to Houses and Trenches in eastern half of Sr4d. During the night we kept up a continuous fire at slow rate on S10d 9.4., S17c 7.7 and S18a 1.2.
 
68th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery, North Russia Expeditionary Force was not authorized to be formed until 3 August 1918.
 
85th Battery, Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force was not authorized to be formed until 12 July 1918.