The 30th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA () is a bilingual

Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also re ...

(

Primary Reserve The Primary Reserve of the Canadian Armed Forces () is the first and largest of the four sub-components of the Canadian Armed Forces reserves, followed by the Supplementary Reserve, the Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service (f ...

) artillery regiment located in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, and is allocated to 33 Canadian Brigade Group,

4th Canadian Division The 4th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army. It is currently responsible for Canadian Army operations in the Canadian province of Ontario and is headquartered at Denison Armoury in Toronto. The division was first created as ...

. The unit parades at a new complex at the Canadian Forces Support Unit (Ottawa) - Uplands Site following the collapse of their former location at CFRB Dows Lake under the weight of snow in 2009. The unit performs ceremonial gun salute duties when required in the National Capital area, and is a field unit equipped with 105 mm Howitzers, C3.

Allocated batteries

*1st Field Battery, RCA, the Leadership and Recruit Training Battery (internal designation) *2nd Field Battery, RCA,Canadian Forces Publication A-DH-267-003 Insignia and Lineages of the Canadian Forces. Volume 3: Combat Arms Regiments. the Firing Battery (internal designation)

Lineage

Originated by/from the ''2nd "Ottawa" Battery'' on 27 Sept, 1855

30th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA

*Originated 9 May 1905 in Ottawa, Ontario as the ''8th Brigade of Field Artillery, CA'' *Redesignated 2 February 1920 as the ''1st Brigade, CFA'' *Redesignated 1 July 1925 as the ''1st Field Brigade, CA'' *Redesignated 3 June 1935 as the ''1st Field Brigade, RCA'' *Redesignated 7 November 1940 as the ''1st (Reserve) Field Brigade, RCA'' *Redesignated 1 March 1943 as the ''1st (Reserve) Field Regiment, RCA'' *Redesignated 1 April 1946 as the ''30th Field Regiment, RCA'' *Redesignated 12 April 1960 as the ''30th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA'' There is no lineal connection to previous artillery units in Ottawa. (British North American Act, 27 Sept 1855) basis for Artillery units continuously located in Ottawa since 1855, officially. Artillery unit established by British government prior to 1855.

Operational history

The 1st Field Artillery Brigade, CFA, CEF was authorized on 6 August 1914 and embarked for Britain on 27 September 1914. It disembarked in France on 12 February 1915, where it provided artillery support as part of the

1st Canadian Division The 1st Canadian Division (French: ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short notice, and is staffed and ...

's Divisional Artillery in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The brigade disbanded on 23 October 1920.

War In Afghanistan

The regiment contributed individual augmentees to the various Task Forces which served in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2014. 30th Field Artillery Regiment

UN Missions

* UNMOGIP - India/Pakistan * UNEF 2 - Egypt * UNDOF - Golan Heights * UNFICYP - Cyprus * UNPROFOR - Former Republic of Yugoslavia * SFOR - Bosnia-Herzegovina * MONUC - Congo

Domestic Operations

Members of the unit have taken part in: * Operation Lentus - Ontario and Quebec (2019 and 2017) * Operation Cadence - Ontario (2011) * Operation Recuperation - Ontario (1998) * Operation Assistance - Manitoba (1997).

Current Operations

Members of the unit have taken part in: *Operation REASSURANCE - Latvia *Operation UNIFIER - Ukraine, United Kingdom

Museum

In 2013, the regiment officially established and had certified, a regimental museum called The Bytown Gunners Firepower Museum. Since that time, this museum has continued to develop into a significant OMMC military museum open to the general public based upon reservations.

Notable people

* Lieutenant-Colonel

John McCrae Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae (November 30, 1872 – January 28, 1918) was a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during World War I and a surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres, in Belgium. He is best known for writing th ...

, MD (30 November 1872 – 28 January 1918) best known for writing the famous war memorial poem ''

In Flanders Fields "In Flanders Fields" is a war poem in the form of a rondeau, written during the First World War by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. He was inspired to write it on May 3, 1915, after presiding over the funeral of friend ...

''. At the outbreak of the First World War he immediately volunteered for service either as a doctor or as a gunner. He achieved both; he was appointed surgeon to the 1st Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery. The 1st Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, now disbanded, is perpetuated by the 30th Field Artillery Regiment. *

Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...

(Ret'd) Andrew Leslie CMM MSC MSM CD , retired

Canadian Armed Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

lieutenant-general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...

who served as Chief of Transformation and earlier as Chief of the Land Staff. He was the Member of Parliament for the riding of

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and October 19, 2015, federal election until he stood down at the

2019 Canadian federal election The 2019 Canadian federal election was held on October 21, 2019. Members of the House of Commons were elected to the 43rd Canadian Parliament. In keeping with the maximum four-year term under a 2007 amendment to the ''Canada Elections Act'', ...

. He joined the 30th Field Artillery Regiment in 1977 while at the

University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a Official bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ot ...

. In 1981 he transferred to the Regular Force.

Precedence

References

External links

The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery (RCA) site

Unit page on Canadian Army site
{{Royal Canadian Artillery Regiments Field artillery regiments of Canada Military units and formations established in 1946 Military units and formations of Ontario