Loyal Gunners uniquely encapsulates the experience of Canadian militia
gunners and their units into a single compelling narrative that centres
on the artillery units of New Brunswick. The story of those units is a
profoundly Canadian story: one of dedication and sacrifice in service of
great guns and of Canada.
The 3rd Field Regiment (The Loyal Company), Royal Canadian Artillery, is
Canada's oldest artillery unit, dating to the founding of the Loyal
Company in Saint John in 1793. Since its centennial in 1893, 3rd
Field--in various permutations of medium, coastal, and anti-aircraft
artillery--has formed the core of New Brunswick's militia artillery, and
it has endured into the twenty-first century as the last remaining
artillery unit in the province.
This book is the first modern assessment of the development of Canadian
heavy artillery in the Great War, the first look at the development of
artillery in general in both world wars, and the first exploration of
the development and operational deployment of anti-tank artillery in the
Second World War. It also tells a universal story of survival as it
chronicles the fortunes of New Brunswick militia units through the
darkest days of the Cold War, when conventional armed forces were
entirely out of favour. In 1950 New Brunswick had four and a half
regiments of artillery; by 1970 it had one--3rd Field.
Loyal Gunners traces the rise and fall of artillery batteries in New
Brunswick as the nature of modern war evolved. From the Great War to
Afghanistan it provides the most comprehensive account to date of
Canada's gunners.
