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 6 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:
Another rehearsal of our barrage for the VIMY RIDGE attack was put on this afternoon. All necessary adjustment between flanks of both Groups and battery barrages have now been made and the barrage is well placed and should be very successful.
The enemy lightly retaliated while our barrage was in progress but ceased as soon as our barrage was over.
 
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 - Fine spring day. Training in GUN PARK. Afternoon free. (?) allowed away on leave from yesterday afternoon to SUNDAY MIDNIGHT.
 
5th Canadian Siege Battery, Canadian Artillery, Canadian Expeditionary Force war diary records:
Mt St Eloy - During the morning we carried out a destructive shoot on Hostile Battery S53 at S18d 15.85 by aeroplane observation. Plane only stayed long enough to get us registered and then gave C I, so shoot was continued without observation, 200 Rounds being fired. We then checked error of day by firing 15 Rounds at Thelum Mill and then switched to a Machine gun emplacement at S15d 9.1, fired 65 Rounds observed by F.O.O. with very good results, no direct hits were observed but quantities of material were thrown up and emplacement considerably damaged.
 
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.