LIMBER GUNNERS

c/o 7^th Toronto Regiment, RCA

130 Queen Street East

Toronto, Ontario

M5A 1R9

What and who are the Limber Gunners ?

It is an organization formed to assist with both the current and future acquisition, restoration, maintenance and display of the historic artillery and associated military equipment owned under the umbrella of the Toronto Artillery Foundation (TAF) and on loan to the 7^th Toronto Regiment, RCA.

The formation of this organization was a joint effort of the Toronto Artillery Officers Association and the Toronto Artillery Ex-Sergeants Association on behalf of the Toronto Artillery Foundation and its Historic Gun Committee to oversee their combined assets.

A number of interested ex-gunner types got together informally in Jun 1997 at the request of the Toronto Artillery Foundation Historic Gun Committee to see how the equipment held by the Foundation could be better cared for and displayed to the public. Out of these ad hoc meetings came the Limber Gunners.

Our association has been named the Limber Gunners after the gun number of the gun detachment who was detailed as the "Limber Gunner" to care for the maintenance and preservation of the detachment's gun which today are the tasks of our association as they relate to the current inventory of the Foundation. Although there is no exact date when the position of Limber Gunner was created, we do know that the rank of Lance Bombardier, the rank that a Limber Gunner was appointed to, has survived (together with the rank of Bombardier) from the old Grenadier Battalions of the British Army that lasted up to disbandment in 1855.

Our first operational asset is the 25 Pounder Field Artillery Gun/Howitzer used by Canadian, British and other Commonwealth Gunners in World War II and the Korean Conflict. It was the most famous artillery piece in both these conflicts. Even today the

25 Pounder can be found on the military strength of a number of third world countries.

Now all other arms of the military services have their Ceremonial Flags (Regimental Colours), Guidons, etc. which are stored away in secure repositories and brought out for special occasions and regimental parades - but since the Guns are the Regimental Colours of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery and cannot be stored in the same manner as other Colours, they require constant maintenance, etc. The Guns are the Colours of the Royal Regiment by virtue of them having the Royal Cypher of the Reigning Monarch inscribed on each barrel at the time of manufacturing.

The Toronto Artillery Foundation established the Historic Gun Committee (HGC) in 1993 to procure appropriate historic Canadian artillery equipment before it became extinct. It is intended to obtain one gun from each era that the gunners of the senior battery (9Bty) of the Regiment served. As noted above the first asset acquired by the HGC was the 25 Pounder Suite including the 25 Pounder Gun, the Field Artillery Tractor (FAT or Quad) and the Ammunition Trailer (Limber). The Historic Equipment was restored both operationally and cosmetically and given to the 7^th Toronto Regiment on loan for recruiting, parades, salutes and display purposes as well as storage at Moss Park Armoury. Due to other Regimental commitments the Limber Gunners have taken over a number of these tasks to free up Regimental members for their day to day military duties.

The procurement of the 25 Pounder Suite was the first project of the Toronto Artillery Foundation. Through an advertisement in the Truck Trader, the Field Artillery Tractor (Quad) was located in the Summer of 1993 in a wreckers yard in Orillia. Although not in the best of condition (it had been used as a general service vehicle in a local quarry) it was purchased immediately and delivered to our restorer in Cheltenham. Prior to this fortuitous find of the Quad, the 25 Pdr and Limber were located in the Fall of 1992 and purchased from the 1^st Field Regiment, RCA in Halifax.

Due to the 25 Pdr and Limber being on "strength" with the 1^st Field, they were in good shape and required minimal restoration but the Quad on the other hand required major work as can be seen by the before and after photos included in this brochure to illustrate the magnificent work done by the restorer.

The original target for the completion of the restoration was to be the 51^st Anniversary of the Invasion of Sicily but with the 50^th Anniversary of the Invasion of France (D-Day) pending in Jun 1994, it was decided to move the schedule forward to meet this date instead. Through the tremendous efforts of the restorer and the HGC Restoration

Co-ordinator, Roy Munro, the equipment was delivered to Moss Park Armoury on 4 Jun 1994 for its introduction to the Regiment and its first Regimental Parade. The Co-Chairmen of the HGC, David Burnett and Paul Kernohan, the Restoration Co-ordinator, Roy Munro and the Restorer, Nick Rampling were all on hand to witness the successful completion of the initial project and the official hand over to the 7^th Toronto Regiment, RCA. Commemorative plaques honouring Roy Munro, who passed away in May 1996, and the HGC are carried and displayed on the Quad.

Despite the change in deadline and this difficult restoration, the 25 Pdr, Ammunition Trailer and FAT (Quad) were ready for their first public parade held on 5 Jun 1994 to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of D-Day, 6 Jun 1944 when the allied armies, including Canada, invaded Normandy (France). This gun is also dedicated to 9^th Battery, the current senior Battery of the 7^th Toronto Regiment, RCA. 9^th Battery in World War II was the senior battery of the 11^th Army field Regiment which saw action all through Sicily and Italy (D-Day Dodgers) and was finally transferred to the 1^st Canadian Army in North-West Europe fighting through Belgium into Holland and eventually into Germany itself until V.E. Day in May 1945.

The vehicle tactical markings have been configured as "Alpha Alpha", the No. 1 gun of Alpha Troop of 9^th Battery during the Italian Campaign to commemorate the 51^st Anniversary of the landing of the Canadians at Pachino in Sicily which took place on

10 Jul 1943.

A suitable plaque on the equipment commemorates all those Gunners who served the guns during World War II and the Korean Conflict from 1950 to 1953.

Since these first parades in 1994, the Historic Equipment has attended many parades and has been exhibited in many shows both by the 7^th Toronto Regiment, RCA and the Limber Gunners. We have paraded with the Regiment to Queens Park to fire the Victoria Day Salutes and likewise the Remembrance Day Salutes. As the Colours of the Regiment, the 25 Pdr takes the place of honour as No. 1 gun of the Saluting Troop when it is on parade with the Regiment. The gun itself is fully operational, one of few and maybe the only one in Canada firing full size blank rounds.

The Quad, which was originally built by General Motors in Oshawa in 1944, is also fully operational with its original engine (modified to burn unleaded gas) still pulling the 25 Pdr and Ammunition Trailer which was manufactured in 1942.

Our annual schedule of events commences in mid - May with the Victoria Day Salute and continues through the Summer and Fall to end with the Remembrance Day Salute in November. In between we attend a number of regular events such as the annual Ontario Military Vehicles Association display and military equipment flea market at the Ontario Regiment (Ferret Club) Museum at the south side of the Oshawa Airport. Some of the other regular events we attend are the Heritage Day Parade at Highland Creek Village (West Hill), and the annual Canada Day Parade at the Highland Creek, Ontario Branch 258 of the Royal Canadian Legion, where we fire a Ceremonial Salute during its Remembrance Service. As well, on Labour Day weekend, we attend the Warriors Day Parade in Coe Hill, Ontario where we again fire a Ceremonial Salute during the Service of Remembrance.

In addition, because the equipment has become so well known and in demand, we have a number of special events during our display season so much so that we are usually busy at least an average of two events a month from May to November. Some of these other events have included the annual Warriors Day Parade during the CNE, various antique and collectible shows and the annual combined military Reserve Bands concerts sponsored by the Royal Canadian Military Institute at the Roy Thomson Hall.

We have a valuable liaison with the Ontario Regiment (RCAC) (Ferret Club) Museum whose members either own vintage military vehicles or are servicing vehicles owned by the Oshawa Aeronautical, Military and Industrial Museum located at the Oshawa Municipal Airport. These members have greatly assisted the Limber Gunners by donating their time and expertise in repairing and doing other maintenance on our Historic Equipment as well as providing blank rounds and in fact they have come to our assistance more than once in answer to our (sometimes urgent) requests for help.

Our base of operations is Moss Park Armoury where the Historic Equipment is stored over the Winter months and when not in use by the Regiment or the Limber Gunners for parades and displays.

Now we are looking for new members who would like to join this very active organization and be a living part of Canadian military history.

We welcome all serving members of the Canadian Forces, particularly the Royal Regiment, all retired gunners and members of all other branches of the military and their Associations who are willing to bring their expertise and time to the Limber Gunners.

Even those respondents who have no military background whatsoever, but who would be dedicated to the ideals and principles of our organization, are most welcome.

Finally we are looking for Corporate Sponsors, such as Maple Leaf Foods and Scarborough Lexus Toyota and others from the private sector who will further our aims and help us in our quest to teach the younger generation of Canadians about Canada's proud military history and to keep our "mobile museum" rolling. We must continue to recognize the thousands of Canadians who made the greatest sacrifice for their country, the surviving veterans and those who currently serve on behalf of Canada both as peacekeepers and peacemakers.

One of the major aims of the Limber Gunners is to continually inform the public about these brave men and women who serve this country every day not just once on Remembrance Day each year.

For more information on the Limber Gunners and to arrange for membership please contact the following members:

Ron Paterson, Chairman                       or                     Larry Goucher, Secretary

(Tel) 905 - 839 - 0415                                                         (Tel) 905 - 668 - 9052

e-mail: sevenartygunner@rogers.com             e-mail: limbergunners@hotmail.com

You may also visit our website at www.limbergunners.ca for more photos of our members and the equipment in "action":

UBIQUE

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