The Home Station

[elscotto937]

Shilo as the home station.. can anyone tell me how Shilo was named as the home station of the Royal Regiment. I mean I have read all the applicable historical reasons, but none stand out as anything special. In addition, wouldn't the new Regimental museum be better placed in a place where some one might actually see it, like for example Kingston.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

As much as I would love it in Kingston, I don't think it would get looked after properly there. At least it gives people in Shilo something to visit besides the pig farm.......

 

[George Wallace]

How would you feel about the historical signifigance of it being in Quebec City?  Maybe Louisbourg in Cape Breton?

 

[Old Sweat]

As far as I can determine, Shilo was selected because the school was there at the time, as was the regualr force field branch artillery, post-war. This was not universally greated by a giant wave of enthusiasm in the regiment, but them's the breaks.

 

[trajectomologist]

ewww kingston!

I would have thought of Gagetown or Halifax...

 

[elscotto937]

George, I could better understand the Citadel in Quebec or Louisbourg as these are very historical Artillery locations. And Old Sweat I guess there isn't something that I'm missing about the selection of Shilo as the home station.

 

[Gunner98]

History holds the answers to most questions.  A little digging...

According to The Home Station website:

The Canadian Army has had a continual presence in the CFB Shilo area since 1910.  Added by Gunner98 "Not so for the other choices you have suggested."

By 1947, the Artillery Training Centre in Shilo became the Royal Canadian School of Artillery (Field, Medium and Anti-Tank). Then, in 1960, with the close down of the Royal Canadian School of Artillery (Anti-Aircraft) in Picton, Ontario, the school in Shilo assumed responsibility for all artillery training.

CFB Shilo became home station of Gunners of all branches of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery in 1960.

The Royal Canadian Artillery Museum and The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery Regimental Headquarters are located at the Home Station.

 

[elscotto937]

The Royal Canadian Artillery Museum and The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery Regimental Headquarters are located at the Home Station.

If that simply a function of it being already the home station, because RHQ is like 10 people, right, and we could realistically put that anywhere. Further Question, was the museum in Shilo always a strictly an Artillery one?

 

[Old Sweat]

Scott937

The museum was started in Camp Shilo strictly as an artillery museum. It occupied a couple of Second World War H Huts with various guns, our own and trophies, scattered in various places around the camp. Eventually the Canadian guns were concentrated around the outside of N118, the current museum building.

As the story goes, one of the captured German heavy guns was inspected by base maintenance at one time. To CC1's surprise, it was found to have been prepared for demolition and the charges were still present, less detonators. In best army style this kicked off a panic-stricken inspection of all trophy and display weapons across Canada, and not just the ones on military bases.

 

[elscotto937]

I can imagine that, Wpns techs dispersing to every small town park in Canada

 

[mover1]

http://www.taniwha.mb.ca/MHSMb/hughes/hughes.html

As well about 15 minuets from Shilo is camp hughes which is a WW 1 training camp complete with trench system (still visible today) When the Camp in Shilo was built many of the buildings on the Hughes sight were moved to the new Shilo area.  One of them being the Old MIR. Its a really neat place to visit and walk around in. The cattle bones strewn about the area make it particularly surrealistic. And it gives you a good idea of what a trench system would look like. It is rather large and there is even a German trench system across no mans land.

Don't forget while you are there to visit the cemetery where a handfull of trainees are buried. Its a heritage area so souvenir hunting is strictly verboten.

 

[RCA]

The Artillery has had a continuous presence in Shilo since the 1930's unlike most other places mentioned. RHQ RCA and the RCA Museum are in Shilo because it is the Home Station, not the other way around. As well, the Officer's, and WO & Sgts Messes are the Artillery Home Station Mess.

As well http://www.artillery.net/english/RCA%20Standing%20Orders.pdf - RCA Standing Orders Section 107 & 108 explain the origin behind the Home Station and states it dates back to 1946 (for the RCA at least).

 

[mover1]

The greatest part about Shilo was seeing the sign at the front gate...in my rearview mirror as i was posted from there. Nice little base. But the locale sucked big time.     

 

[elscotto937]

Thanks mover, I so excited about my posting now

 

[MrGnr27]

( Yo....Bruce ! You are dating yourself ! The "Pig Farm" has been gone for years now !! )

As an old Airborne Gunner, I knew that Shilo was a training center for Canada's Parachute Corps during WW II. ( What Gunner has not used the old "HIgh Tower" as GAP 1 ?? ).

What I did not know was that Shilo was the mounting base for the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion in 1943. Further, it was the training center for para reinforcements until the end of the war. Curiously, there is no plaque or marker attesting to this.

Ubique

Ex Coelis

 

[elscotto937]

So lets change it, the Guns have been in Petawawa since 1905. And Kingston is the traditional home to the Regular Artillery....No one can provide a really substantial reason, in my humble opinion, why Shilo stands apart of from the other locations. In fact, correct me if I'm wrong but the Base Comd in Shilo is not a gunner. Should we not get a vote on it.... ;D

 

[Old Sweat]

Woah!! The guns have not been in Petawawa since 1905. The base was opened as a training centre for militia camps. While it was a Second World War artillery training centre, it was not until the early 1950s that a field regiment (81 Field) was based there, and that was only for a few months. IMO it was not until 1957, when 4 RCHA returned from Germany, that a regiment was permanently stationed there, and that was in the P lines near the main gate.

Kingston has a better claim, but is probably a non-starter. Let's move on.

Ubique

 

[Gunner98]

Why move a Home Station because of one "humble opinion?"  Shilo is proud and deserving Home Station. All of your arguments against Shilo being the Home Station are less convincing than the obvious ones - history, tradition and the decisions made by people with a lot bigger and better than your "humble opinion".  Rounds Complete, EOM, Cease Firing.  Forgetaboutit.

I enjoyed my 4 cold, wonderful years in Shilo.

 

[elscotto937]

Old Sweat, roger out... I should have stated that better: "There has been somewhat of an Artillery presence off and on since 1905."
Gunner98, I'm sure some one of those more important people had a very good reason to put the Home Station in Shilo, I will even buy the answer "it had to be somewhere." But what if the real reason doesn't hold water today, shouldn't we, or someone more important consider moving the Home Station to where it is accessable to a larger concentration of serving and retired gunners, to a location where that excellent museum will actually be seen by people other than those who live in Shilo. But Gunner98, I do hear you, a move like that would never happen even if every serving member of the Artillery stood up and said "yes lets do it". We as a Regiment are not always the first to step-up and facilitate change, unless it is forced upon us.