In the autumn of 1917 and spring of 1918 the enemy submarines raided the Atlantic coasts of the United States and Canada, and it was very essential that the important port of Sydney, N.S., should be more strongly defended, so new guns of heavier calibre were sent from Halifax and mounted there. This necessitated additional men, and drafts from Toronto and British Columbia were detailed for this purpose.
These men, some of them called under the Military Service Act, were an exceptionally good type and quickly made efficient specialists and gunners. Some were sent for training as officers and would have relieved those officers in the Forts who had been unable to get away. Unfortunately for them the Armistice was declared and hostilities ceased, so that this scheme did not materialize, though some of these men obtained probationers’ certificates.
An important branch of the R.C.G.A. in Halifax is the Royal School of Artillery (Coast Defence and Siege) and this School, the only Siege Artillery School in Canada, was responsible for the training of most of the Siege Artillery Officers and Specialists, as well as several Batteries and Drafts that went Overseas after the First Contingent.
In addition to this, a gun practice at Halifax, Sydney and St. John was carried out under the supervision of the R.S.A. Staff, while courses for officers and specialists, Coast Defence Artillery, were also given.
The establishment of Instructors was one officer and three other ranks, but as one N.C.O. Instructor was stationed at St. John, this was increased by a N.C.O. from the 1st Regiment, C.G.A. Officers from the C.G.A. were attached as assistants for varying periods.
In June, 1915, the I.G., now Lieut.-Col. W. G. Beeman, D.S.O., R.C.A., went Overseas, and in 1916 his successor, Major H. R. N. Cobbett, R.C.A., went over with No. 9 Siege Battery. In 1918 one Warrant Officer Instructor was permitted to go; he was immediately appointed Instructor at the Canadian School of Gunnery, Witley, England, and it was only with great difficulty that he managed to reach France, where he again was utilized as an Instructor.
The rest of the Staff felt most keenly the fact that they had to be retained in Canada, as their position after the War, when dealing with classes who had seen Overseas service, would not be at all enviable. It was very unfortunate that arrangements had not been made to replace them, so that they might go to the Front even for a short time, because although it is a fact that good teachers are born, not made, there is a tendency to think that anyone with long experience in the fighting line must be a good instructor.
Officers from all parts of Canada took courses at the R.S.A., and it speaks well for the training which they received that on reaching England further training, other than three weeks’ at Lydd, was considered unnecessary in most cases, and at Lydd these officers usually took first place in the examinations held there.
Many of them, who were unable to get positions in the C.E.F., were given commissions in the British Artillery, and in several cases commanded Batteries.
Owing to the smallness of Staff and limited demand for siege artillery the actual numbers trained were not as large as those in other Artillery Schools, but with small classes the training was naturally very thorough.