A celebration of life for Brigadier-General William (Bill) T Wickett CD was held at the Bessborough Armoury. For more information, please link here.

Met up with Kim McGrath, another Australian Artillery Association executive, and received some great hospitality from him and his wife Tracey. A few bottles of Australian bubbly were consumed and some presentations were made. I presented Kim with our Vancouver Gunners Golf shirt, some of our museum information cards and a Ubique 150 patch and Kim presented Catherine and I with the item shown in the photo and a commemorative coin from the Royal Australian Artillery 150th anniversary. Can you identify the item in the photo? 

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of William Thomas Wickett, who died peacefully at the age of 87. William was surrounded by his loved ones at the time of his passing. He was a man whose kindness, humour, and generosity will be missed by all who knew him.
Born in Vancouver, William was a loving husband to Shirley and a caring father and grandfather to his family. His greatest treasure was his family, and the time he spent with them —at Birch Bay, dining together around the table, vacationing in Palm Springs, or watching his True Crime shows and Jeopardy.
William also dedicated his life to his country, having served in the military for over 30 years. He retired from military service as a Brigadier General, commanding all reserve soldiers in BC. Following his military career, he became an insurance underwriter, broker, and financial consultant. He served as president of both the New Westminster Life Underwriter's Association and CAIFA. William loved golf, gardening, and enjoying a glass of wine in his favourite recliner at his home in Birch Bay.
We are forever grateful for the life we shared with William, and though we will miss him dearly, his memory will live on in the hearts of his family and friends who love him.
A celebration of life will begin at 1:00 PM on February 24th, 2025 at 15th Field Artillery Regiment at the Bessborough Armoury, 2025 W 11th, Vancouver.
If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Capt Don Lamb   [email protected] so the Regiment can set up seating and get numbers for catering.

​Congratulations to Major (Ret'd) Peter Moogk, CD for his receipt of the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

Your webmaster and Vancouver Gunners President has run off to Australia for a month. My lovely lady and I have rented a campervan and are touring from Brisbane to Sydney. Part of the tour includes meeting up with the Australian Artillery Association and a quick tour at the 1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery. Oh, and there are beaches to wander.... More photos here.

Bombardier Martinez deployed with SFOR from September 1999 until September 2000 in a non-artillery role. The stated mission of SFOR was to "deter hostilities and stabilise the peace, contribute to a secure environment by providing a continued military presence in the Area Of Responsibility (AOR), target and co-ordinate SFOR support to key areas including primary civil implementation organisations, and progress towards a lasting consolidation of peace, without further need for NATO-led forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

​Congratulations to Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret'd) Jim Barrett and Captain (Ret'd) Doug Gayton, CD for their receipt of the King Charles III Coronation Medal.​

The Province newspaper reported on a tour provided to the Vancouver Junior Board of Trade.

Work continues on a guide to the many artefacts throughout the Armoury. Attached pdf provides an insight into those located in the Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess. It's not complete yet. Let me know if I've missed anything.

A couple of videos from Youtube on the 25 Pounder.