7th Toronto Regiment, RCA - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 7th Toronto Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery is a militia (i.e. part time reserves) regiment of Land Force Central Area

Land Force Central Area

Land Force Central Area is responsible for the administration of the Canadian Army in the province of Ontario, from the Quebec border to the northern Lakehead region...

's 32 Canadian Brigade Group

32 Canadian Brigade Group

32 Canadian Brigade Group is part of Land Force Central Area, under the Canadian Army. It is centered around the Greater Toronto Area, as well as Grey and Simcoe Counties...

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The regiment was formed in 1965 when all the gunner units within the Toronto garrison (29th Field Regiment, 42nd Medium Regiment and 1st Locating Regiment) were merged. The regiment is proud to be the only Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery in Canada to include the name of its home city in its title. The City of Toronto has recognized this distinction by granting the Freedom of the City to the regiment in May 1966. As with all regiments with the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery it has two mottos: Ubique ("Everywhere") and Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt ("Whither Right and Glory Lead"). These mottos replaced individual battle honours carried by artillery units until 1832. Ubique denotes the active service of the regiment everywhere in the world and the major part played by the artillery regiment in all battles. It takes the place of all past or future battle honours and distinctions gained in the field.

There are three batteries

Artillery battery

In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...

within the regiment, 9 Bty – the howitzer or gun battery, 15 Bty – the mortar battery, and 130 Bty – the headquarters battery as well as training and recruiting. Currently all three batteries parade at Moss Park Armoury

Moss Park Armoury

Moss Park Armoury is a Canadian Forces facility located at 130 Queen Street East, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is at the northeast corner of Jarvis Street and Queen Street East, in the neighbourhood of Moss Park...

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The regiment currently operates the 105mm C3 Howitzer

M101 howitzer

The 105 mm M2A1 howitzer was the standard light field howitzer for the United States in World War II, seeing action in both European and Pacific theaters. Entering production in 1941, it quickly entered the war against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific, where it gained a reputation...

along with the 81mm Mortar. As well as 105mm C1 Howitzers for ceremonial salutes such as the one fired in Queen's Park

Queen's Park

There are a number of places in the world called Queen's Park or Queens Park.- Australia :* Queens Park, New South Wales, suburb* Queens Park, Victoria ** Queens Park, Newtown, Victoria Queen's Park Golf Course...

on Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...

. Gun crews are also trained in the C6

FN MAG

The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...

, C7

Diemaco C7

The Colt Canada C7 rifle is a service rifle variation of the M16 rifle that is manufactured by Diemaco/Colt Canada, a subsidiary of Colt Firearms after 2005, and used by the Canadian Forces, Hærens Jegerkommando , Military of Denmark , Iceland Crisis Response Unit, the Military of the Netherlands ...

, C9A1

FN Minimi

The Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of over thirty countries...

, M72

M72 LAW

The M72 LAW is a portable one-shot 66 mm unguided anti-tank weapon, designed in the United States by Paul V. Choate, Charles B. Weeks, and Frank A. Spinale et al...

and 84mm Carl Gustav

Carl Gustav recoilless rifle

The Carl Gustav is the common name for the 84 mm man-portable reusable multi-role recoilless rifle produced by Saab Bofors Dynamics in Sweden...

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The regiment has sent its volunteer citizen soldiers to serve with NATO forces in Germany as part of 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery and to United Nations peacekeeping efforts in Cyprus and the NATO Stabilization Force in Bosnia. Gunners have deployed on two civil emergency operations: to Manitoba to stem the Red River flooding; and to Eastern Ontario to help communities recover from the devastating ice storm of 1998. Other members of the regiment have most recently served with the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

History

The history of artillery units in Canada begins with the professional batteries of New France, whose ability to move ordnance great distances through the wilderness impressed Montcalm. Canadian gunners served with the British Army during the American War of Independence and again in the War of 1812.

Before and after Confederation

The 7th Toronto Regiment, RCA traces its historical roots to the Volunteer Incorporated Artillery Company formed in 1813 under the command of Captain Alexander Cameron. On December 5, 1837 under the command of Major T. Carfrae the 1st Toronto Artillery Company, as the Volunteer Incorporated Artillery Company had become, put an end to the Mackenzie Rebellion by firing upon Montgomery’s Tavern. Following the 1855 Militia Act the Company was redesignated The Toronto Field Bty, which in turn became No. 9 “Toronto” Field Bty in 1894 and the 9th “Toronto” Field Bty in 1895. On July 1, 1889 the 9th “Toronto” Field Bty CA, along with the 4th “St. Catharines” Field Bty CA and the 7th “Hamilton” Bty CA formed the 2nd Bde Div of Field Artillery, Canadian Artillery.

World War I

In World War I, the 9th Bty equipped with 18 pdrs fought as part of 3rd Fd Bde, 1st Cdn Div until 1917 when it was transferred to the 3rd Fd Bde, 4th Cdn Div for the remainder of the war with 4.5 in. howitzers. 15th, 30th, and 53rd Btys were formed in 1916, all with 18 pdrs. The 15th were assigned to 4th Fd Bde, 2nd Div, the 30th went to 6th Fd Bde, 3rd Div, while the 53rd went to 13th Fd Bde, 5th Div. Thus the Toronto gunners were represented in all W.W.I Canadian divisions. In addition, the 1st Siege Bty equipped with 9.2 in. howitzers fought with 1st Bde, Cdn Garrison Artillery, Cdn Corps Heavy Artillery.

Interwar period

A formation was authorized on March 15, 1931 as the ‘7th Toronto Regiment, CA’. It was redesignated:

‘7th (Toronto) Regiment, CA’ on October 1, 1933; ‘7th (Toronto) Regiment, RCA’ on June 3, 1935; ‘7th (Reserve) (Toronto) Regiment, RCA’ on November 7, 1940; and ‘7th (Reserve) (Toronto) Group, RCA (CA)’ on October 1, 1942; converted and redesignated ‘Royal Canadian Artillery, 2nd Division’ on April 1, 1946; and ‘Royal Canadian Artillery, 2nd Armoured Division’ on June 19, 1947. The formation was disbanded on October 1, 1954.

World War II

In W.W.II 9 Bty fired both 25 pdrs and 105mm SP, with 3rd Field Bde, 11th Army Field Regt, 1st Canadian Corps Artillery, both in Italy, where at one time they were part of the 8th Army, the “Desert Rats”, and later in Northwest Europe as part of the 1st Canadian Army Artillery. 15 Bty became part of the 7th Anti-Tank Regt and saw action with 2, 6, and 17 pdrs and the M-10 SP 3 in. 23 Bty served with both 1st and 5th Med Regts firing 6in. how. And 5.5 gun while 25 Bty with similar weapons served with 18th Fd Regt and 2nd Med Regt, 1st AGRA. Both 30 and 53 Btys became LAA btys with 40mm Bofors, one with 6 LAA Regt, 2nd Corps Artillery and the other with 4th Fd Regt, 3rd LAA Regt, 2 Div and 11th LAA Regt.

Throughout World War II a reserve regiment was maintained in Toronto to recruit and train replacements for the batteries overseas.

Post World War II-1965

Following the end of W.W.II, Headquarters RCA, 2nd Div was set up in Toronto with 29th Fd Regt, 32nd Fd Regt, 42nd Med Regt, 49th HAA Regt, and 69th Survey Regt all located within Toronto. In 1947 reorganization saw the loss of the 49th HAA, the 69th became an Observation Regt while the designation SP was added to the 29th and 32nd Regts. In 1950 the 1st Anti-Aircraft Gun Operations Room was established. The next reorganization in 1954 saw the loss of the 32nd Fd and the 1st AAOR. The 69th became the 1st Locating Regt with 134 Svy & Rad Bty and 208 Loc Bty.

In May 1951, the 27th Canadian Infantry Brigade Group was raised to become Canada’s contribution to the NATO forces stationed in Europe. As part of that the 209th Fd Bty was formed from members of 9 Bty and conducting its initial training in Toronto before joining the 79th Fd Regt, which sailed along with rest of the Bde to Germany in December of that year. Subsequently, the 79th Fd Regt was renamed the 3rd Regt RCHA and 209th Bty became G Bty. 3 RCHA served in Korea from May to November 1954.

The 7th Toronto Regiment RCA made its reappearance in 1965 when, as a result of the Suttie Commission the 29th Fd, 42nd Med and the 1st Loc Regts were transferred to the supplementary Order of Battle. 9th, 15th and 130th batteries from 29th Field Regiment were transferred to 7th Toronto Regiment, which moved into its present location in Moss Park Armoury following the demise of the University Avenue Armoury.

The 7th Torono regiment is affiliated to the 105 Royal Canadian Streetsville Army Cadet Corps