History
Good-natured Capt Alfred Farley honed artillery skills with B Bty in 1880s
March 13, 2023
The RCA Museum has a striking collection of heritage photographs showing Capt Alfred A. Farley, a good-natured and ubiquitous soldier from B Bty and the Royal School of Gunnery in the 1880s. Capt Farley joined B Bty as a Non-Permanent Active Militia soldier in 1882, then as a founding member of the Regiment of Canadian Artillery in 1883 and as a Permanent Active Militia or permanent force soldier in 1884.
Colourful Gen Thomas Strange considered ‘Father of Canadian Artillery’
March 13, 2023
The second son of a Scots officer, Thomas Bland Strange was born in Meerut, India, on Sept. 15, 1832 and educated at Edinburgh Academy. Unable, for financial reasons, to follow his brother to Sandhurst, young Tom was accepted at the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich. Here, talent and performance were more important than good breeding. He graduated at age 20, was commissioned in the Royal Artillery and posted to Gibraltar.
Camp Sewell scrapbook in focus thanks to photographer Sgt George Morrow
March 10, 2023
The RCA Museum has a rare scrapbook containing photographs, and insightful commentary from Camp Sewell dated 1911 to 1914. The military training camp, located approximately 10 kilometres west of Carberry, operated from 1910 to 1934. The camp was renamed Camp Hughes after MGen Sir Sam Hughes in 1915, a year into the Great War.
LETTERS HOME FROM FRANCE — great-great-niece Kendra Minary uses mail to research family military history
March 10, 2023
When he wasn’t leading his Lewis gun crew on the battlefield in France, during Great War, Pte Cecil Minary of Nesbitt wrote letters from the trenches or his billet’s home away from the fight with Germans to family back home in Manitoba.
LETTERS HOME FROM FRANCE — Kendra Minary uses mail to research family military history
March 5, 2023
When he wasn’t leading his Lewis gun crew on the battlefield in France, during Great War, Pte Cecil Minary of Nesbitt wrote letters from the trenches or his billets home away from the fight with Germans to family back home in Manitoba.
Cousin, dad in Canada receive March letters from Pte Cecil Minary
March 2, 2023
When he wasn’t leading his Lewis gun crew on the battlefield in France, during Great War, Pte Cecil Minary of Nesbitt wrote letters from the trenches or his billets home away from the fight with Germans to family back home in Manitoba.
RCA Museum in possession of Mackenzie brothers’ war letters
February 21, 2023
Bob Ferguson, from the RCA Museum’s board of directors, gave me a copy of First World War letters from brothers Bert and Don Mackenzie they wrote to loved ones back home in Canada. Bob thought I might be interested in reading about two Canadian Gunners who fought during the Great War, and then came to rural Manitoba to work and raise their families.
Trained at Camp Hughes, Manitoba private put in charge of Lewis Gun crew
February 11, 2023
Hello Teddy and how are you anyway feeling jake a loo I hope and ready for a tussle any old time eh?
Do you recall final Regimental shoot for self-propelled M109?
February 5, 2023
Canadian artillery systems normally have a lifespan of twenty years. The M109, a self-propelled, 155mm howitzer was in Canadian service for a record 37 years — from 1968 to 2005. The 155mm cannon could fire in a 360 degree circle. The secondary armament was a 50-calibre M2 heavy barrel machine gun.
Taking aim on Germans, Pte Cecil Minary put in charge of Lewis machine gun crew in France
February 1, 2023
Great-great niece Kendra Minary’s favourite letter written 105 years ago today. Well Annie here I am again I guess you will be thinking by this time that I am beginning to forget about you. But no that is not the reason at all, for I have been on the move so much latley (sic) that I really could not get settled down to write and then again I was not getting any mail.
