About August 16, 1914, the first Canadian Contingent commenced mobilizing at Valcartier, and orders were received calling for volunteers from the Garrison. The 1st C.A. were to provide one officer and twenty-five other ranks. Capt. George M. Brew proceeded to Valcartier with the draft, and on arrival was told he was not wanted and ordered to return to Halifax. This officer was so disappointed that he resigned his commission and travelled to England at his own expense, where he joined a Unit of the Imperial artillery and served with it during the greater part of the War.
In September, 1914, it was considered unnecessary to keep the Units on garrison duty at full strength, and a reduction was proposed. The naval authorities, however, insisted that a fully garrisoned fortress was necessary as a protection for the Naval Base, and no reduction was made. Later on the artillery forces were increased. All of which shows the importance placed on the Fortress by the Imperial authorities during war time.
From time to time the Commanding Officer offered the services of the Unit for Overseas, and asked permission to form Batteries of heavy and field artillery, but without result. Small detachments were allowed to volunteer as emergencies arose, such as artillery Units being short of men, on account of casualties occurring, while passing through Halifax, and then only on condition that men were found to replace them. It was not until 1917 that permission was given to form an ammunition column, and immediately on its completion a second one.
Much might be written of happenings during the war period which, while of interest to the officers, non-commissioned officers and men, were all in the day’s work and of no historical value. It is sufficient to say that this Unit with the other Units of the Garrison performed their duties well and satisfactorily.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
THE 11th BRIGADE, C.F.A., AND COMPOSITE ARTILLERY COMPANY.
The 11th Brigade was the junior Artillery Brigade of the 6th Military District. It comprised in addition to the Headquarters Staff, the 27th (Digby) Battery, the 28th (Pictou) Battery and the 29th (Yarmouth) Battery. Although the Brigade was not ordered out on active service, it contributed possibly more than its original strength in personnel to the prosecution of the Great War. Almost the first day of the War the Commanding Officer (Lieut.-Col. T. M. Seeley, of Yarmouth, N.S.) wired the offer of services to headquarters and the Battery officers busied themselves with looking to the details of organization.
Capt. F. W. Pickles, O.C. 29th Battery (Yarmouth), joined the 17th Battery of Sydney, one of the first Units on the march, with a detachment of eighteen non-commissioned officers and men from his Battery. Subsequently every artillery Unit and many of the Infantry Battalions had on their strength representatives of the 11th Brigade. This was made possible largely by the untiring efforts of a few senior officers, who for some good reason or other, were unable to proceed Overseas. Prominent among these were Majors H. S. Hamilton, of Pictou; D. C. McKay, of Digby, and A. K. Van Horne, of Yarmouth.
The services of the officers of the 11th Brigade, summarily put, were: Lieut.-Col. T. M. Seeley, O.C., was successful in organizing the 23rd Battery, C.E.F.; a Company for guard duty at Barrington Passage, Radio Station, and a Company in the 112th Battalion, C.E.F., under Colonel Tremaine, with which the latter crossed the Atlantic. Capt. A. A. Durkee, Adjutant of the Brigade, organized at Valcartier the first Ammunition Unit in the C.E.F., and proceeded Overseas with the First Contingent. He was early at the Front, and was promoted to Major and Lieut.-Colonel, and commanded, in turn, a Brigade Ammunition Column, a Battery, and a Brigade of Artillery. He was mentioned in dispatches and was awarded the D.S.O. Lieut.-Col. Durkee is also a South African War veteran. Capt. V. F. Connor, C.A.M.C., was on duty through the greater part of the War, and rendered valuable service at the time of the great explosion in Halifax, December, 1917.
The 27th Battery contributed to the C.E.F. Capt. Glidden Campbell, of Weymouth, who went over with the 85th Battalion, and who was awarded the M.C.; Lieuts. C. D. Shreve, M.C., killed in action in the artillery; K. V. Schurman and H. A. Marshall.
The 28th Battery had to its credit in the C.E.F., Major J. K. McKay, of Pictou, who went over in command of the 23rd Battery, C.E.F. He commanded a Battery and a Brigade of Artillery at the Front, being latterly promoted to the rank of Lieut.-Colonel. He was severely wounded and received the D.S.O. From the 28th, Lieuts. C. E. Churchill, H. P. MacKeen, J. E. Read, J. D. Hickman, H. P. MacKenzie, and possibly others, entered the C.E.F. Capt. V. C. Johnson, Corps Reserve, was Overseas.