CHAPTER XXIX.
THE ROYAL CANADIAN GARRISON ARTILLERY.
Lord Kitchener once remarked—in reply to a question—“The Front is where a soldier is ordered to be.” In accordance with this, those men whose duties necessitated their being retained in connection with the Coast Defences, were made to abide by the decision of those responsible for the strategy of the defence of Canadian shores.
After the War, the Permanent Force, of which the R.C.G.A. form a part, are the only persons in uniform; and the imputation of not being an Overseas Unit is not a good advertisement to attract recruits. Moreover, the imputation is not only unjust, but untrue, as the following will show:
In July, 1914, relations between the British Empire and the Central Powers were very strained, and on July 30th, four days before the War was officially declared, the R.C.G.A. were ordered to man the most important forts as a precaution, since it is an axiom in naval warfare that, if possible, a surprise attack is the first and best declaration of war.
On August 5th Fortress Orders contained the following:—“War having broken out with Germany, the Halifax Defence Scheme comes into force herewith.”
On the 6th August, the 1st Regiment, C.G.A., mobilized and proceeded to the Forts to complete the manning, since the R.C.G.A. alone were too few in number completely to man more than the two largest forts.
The first portion of the annual training for the year had just been completed, and one can truthfully say that Halifax was as well able to repel a raid as any other fortress in the Empire at that period.
It was thought by most people in the early days of the War that the War would last only a few months, and the personnel of the Defences had to find accommodation where they could, until well on into the winter; for coast forts in peace time are not provided with accommodation for lengthy occupation; consequently, both officers and men had a far from comfortable time until wooden huts were constructed.
None of the Artillery Units allotted to the Fortress were for any length of time up to full strength, so that barely sufficient men were available to form the necessary reliefs for the guns.
Night and day, all through the War, from July 30th, 1914, until after the signing of the Armistice, November 11, 1919, enough men to work the guns had to be near them and alert, while on each gun was a sentry, who was relieved every hour, and whose duty was to watch seawards for the approach of any hostile craft. Not a very arduous task at first sight, but enough to make most men long to be Overseas after a few months of it.