Recommended Reading

Note: Readers wishing to purchase these books, but who are unable to do so via major book company websites, should try the Advanced Book Exchange: www.abebooks.com

General

Bailey, Major-General J.B.A. Field Artillery and Firepower. (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2003). An updated edition of a book on the development and use of artillery from the pre-First World War Period to the 21st Century.

Barnes, Leslie W.C.S. Canada’s Guns: An Illustrated History of Artillery. (Ottawa: National Museums of Canada, 1979). The development of artillery from the earliest projectiles to the guns used by Canada in the Korean War.

Beno, Major E.B. Training to be Sound Soldiers and Good Gunners. (Kingston, E.B. Beno, late 1970s).

Bidwell, Shelford and Graham, Dominick. Firepower: British Army Weapons and Theories of War, 1904-1945. (London: George Allen and Unwin, 1982).

Castonguay, Jacques. Le 5e Régiment d’Artillerie Légère du Canada et ses Prédécesseurs à Québec. (Courcelette, QC: 5e Régiment d’artillerie légère du Canada, 1993).  

Crabtree, James D. On Air Defense. (Westport, CT: Praeger, 1994). A study of air defence from the French Revolution to the First Gulf War.

Dick, Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret’d) J.B. The Instructor in Gunnery and Assistant Instructor in Gunnery Forage Caps of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. (Ottawa: Baico Publishing, 2016).

Fort, Colonel Olivier. L’Artillerie des Stratagèmes. (Paris: Economica, 2016). Written by a serving French Army officer, this book studies the role of the artillery as an arm of deception.  

Fromow, Lieutenant-Colonel D.L. Canada’s Flying Gunners: A History of the Air Observation Post of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. (Ottawa: The Air Observation Post Pilots Association of Canada, 2002).

Gander, Terry. The Bofors Gun. (Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Books, 2013). The story of the famous 40mm anti-aircraft gun, first produced in the 1930s, which the RCA employed in the Second World War, and during the Cold War to protect airfields in West Germany.

Gudmundsson, Bruce. On Artillery. (Westport, CT: Praeger, 1993). A study of field artillery in the major conflicts of the 20th Century.

Knight, Doug. The Land Mattress in Canadian Service. (Ottawa: Service Publications, 2003). A short, illustrated history of the multiple-barrelled rocket launcher used by the RCA late in the Second World War.  

Knight, Doug. The 25-Pounder in Canadian Service. (Ottawa: Service Publications, 2005). A short, illustrated history of the famous 25-pounder gun which the RCA used in the Second World War and in the Korean War.

Knight, Doug. Guns of the Regiment. (Ottawa: Service Publications, 2016). The story of the guns, mortars and rockets used by the RCA since 1867.

Mitchell, Major G.D. RCHA – Right of the Line: An Anecdotal History of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery from 1871. (Ottawa: RCHA History Committee, 1986).

Nicholson, Colonel G.W.L. The Gunners of Canada: The History of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery – Volume I, 1534-1919. (Beauceville, QC: Imprimerie l’Éclaireur, 1967). A History of the RCA from pre-Confederation until the end of the First World War.

Nicholson, Colonel G.W.L. The Gunners of Canada: The History of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery – Volume II, 1919-1967. (Beauceville, QC: Imprimerie l’Éclaireur, 1972). A History of the RCA from post the First World War until 1969.

Reid, Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret’d) B.A. and Chaplin, Major (Ret’d) J.D.G. Green On! Go! Canada’s Airborne Gunners.  (Ottawa, ON: Commoners Publishing Society Inc., 2019).

Reynolds, Kenneth W. The Bytown Gunners: The History of Ottawa’s Artillery, 1855-2015. (Ottawa: Chiko Nanji, 2017).

Scales, Robert H. Firepower in Limited War. (Washington: National Defence University Press, 1995). Analysing low intensity conflicts from the First Indochina War, this book poses the question: How can the U.S. military employ its massive, high-tech firepower to the best effect when future conflicts are likely to be limited and of low intensity?

Windsor, Lee; Sarty, Roger; and Milner, Marc. Loyal Gunners: 3rd Field Artillery Regiment (The Loyal Company) and the History of New Brunswick’s Artillery, 1893 to 2012. (Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2016).

The First World War

Bick, Major Arthur Hardie; Bick, Peter Hardie (Ed.). The Diary of an Artillery officer: The 1st Canadian Divisional Artillery on the Western Front. (Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2011). The 1918 diaries of Major Bick, Brigade Major Royal Artillery, 1st Canadian Division.

Grout, Derek. Thunder in the Skies: A Canadian Gunner in the Great War. (Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2015). The story of Lieutenant Bert Sargent who served with the 5th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, winning the Military Cross.

Hessler, William. Muleskinner: The European War of a Niagara Artilleryman. (Bloomington, IN: iUniverse, 2010). The story of Driver Harold Hessler, father of the author, who served in No. 3 Section, 3rd Divisional Ammunition Column.

Hessler, William (E.). War Interlude: 1916-1919. (Bloomington, IN: iUniverse, 2011). Harold Hessler’s personal account of his wartime service.

Kay, Hugh R.; Magee, George; and MacLennan Finlay. Battery Action! The Story of 43rd Battery Royal Canadian Artillery. (Ottawa: CEF Books, 2002).

Kerr, Wilfred. Shrieks and Crashes: The Memoir of Wilfred B. Kerr, Canadian Field Artillery, 1917. (Ottawa: CEF Books, 2005). The author was a signaller with 11th Battery, 3rd Brigade Canadian Field Artillery, 1st Canadian Division.

Kerr, Wilfred. Arms and the Maple Leaf: The Memoir of Wilfred B. Kerr, Canadian Field Artillery, 1918. (Ottawa: CEF Books, 2005). The author was a signaller with 11th Battery, 3rd Brigade Canadian Field Artillery, 1st Canadian Division, in the First World War.

Morrison, Major-General Sir Edward; Raby-Dunne, Susan (Ed.). Morrison: The Long-Lost Memoir of Canada’s Artillery Commander in the Great War. (Victoria: Heritage House Publishing, 2017).  Major-General Morrison commanded the artillery of the Canadian Corps from 1916-1919.

Murray, Joseph and Nancy (Eds.) Death of a Gunner: The First World War Diary of Lt-Col E. Woodman Leonard, DSO. (Ottawa; Service Publications, 2017). Lt-Col Leonard rose to command 3rd Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, 1st Canadian Division. He was killed in action on 9 April 1917 at Vimy Ridge.

Teed, Valerie (Ed.) Uncle Cy’s War: The First World War Letters of Major Cyrus F. Inches. (Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions, 2009). Major Inches rose to command the 1st Canadian Heavy Battery on the Western Front.

Thomas, Mary. David’s War: The ‘Boys of Gananoque’ in WW1. (Belleville: Epic Press, 2003). The story of David Moffat and Russel Britton who served with 3rd Battery, Canadian Field Artillery, 1st Canadian Division.

The Second World War

Blackburn, George G. The Guns of Normandy: A Soldier’s Eye View, France 1944.  (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1995). An account of the author’s operational service post D-Day with 4th Field Regiment RCA.

Blackburn, George G. The Guns of Victory: A Soldier’s Eye View, Belgium, Holland and Germany 1944-45.  (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1996). An account of the author’s operational service with 4th Field Regiment RCA in the final battles of the Second World War, where he won the Military Cross.

Blackburn, George G. Where the Hell are the Guns?: A Soldier’s Eye View of the Anxious Years, 1939-44. (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1997). An account of the author’s initial enlistment, and training as an officer in Canada and the United Kingdom with 4th Field Regiment, RCA.

Chafe, Edward W. Gunners World War II: 166th (Newfoundland) Field Regiment Royal Artillery. (St. John’s: Creative Publishers, 1987).

Davis, Eldon S. An Awesome Silence: A Gunner Padre’s Journey Through the Valley of the Shadow. (Carp, ON: Creative Bound Inc., 1991). The author served as the padre with 3rd Field Regiment RCA, 1st Canadian Division.

Gouin, Jacques. Par la bouche de nos canons: Histoire du 4e régiment d’artillerie moyenne/4th Cdn Medium Rgt RCA/1941-45. (Hull,QC: Impr. Gasparo, 1970). The author served as an officer in 4th Medium Regiment RCA, the only francophone artillery unit in the Canadian Army during the war.

Gouin, Jacques. Lettres de Guerre d’un Quebecois. (Montreal: Éditions du Jour, 1975). The author served as an officer in 4th Medium Regiment RCA, the only francophone artillery unit in the Canadian Army during the war.

Hodgins, W. Charles. Marching Together: The Recollections of a Padre. (Kittery Point, ME: Ingrid Hodgins and Alice Hodgins Colety, 1983). The author served as the padre with 166th (Newfoundland) Field Regiment RA.

Lake, Harold L. Perhaps They left Us Up There: Training in England and Fighting in North Africa and Italy with the 166th (Newfoundland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. (St. John’s: Harry Cuff Publications, 1995). The author served as a Sergeant in the 166th (Newfoundland) Field Regiment RA.

Lucy, Lt.-Col. Robert. Ubique: A Gunner’s Story. (Canada: Robert Lucy, 2002). The author served in 6th Field Regiment RCA, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division.

Malinowski, A.J. Observation Post; The War Memoirs of Gnr A.J. (Tony) Malinowski. (Wishart, SK: Nomad Productions, 2012). The author served with 3rd Medium Regiment RCA.

Raycroft, John. A Signal War: A Canadian Soldier’s memoir of the Liberation of the Netherlands. (Prescott: Babblefish Press, 2002). The author served with 13th Field Regiment, RCA, 3rd Canadian Division.

Rickard, John Nelson. The Politics of Command: Lieutenant-General A.G.L. McNaughton and the Canadian Army, 1939-1943. (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2010). General McNaughton, a Gunner, rose to command First Canadian Army during the war.

Ross, Alexander M. Slow March to a Regiment. (St Catharine’s, ON: Vanwell Publishing, 1992). The author served in 17th Field Regiment, RCA, 5th Canadian Armoured Division.

Sévigny, Maj Pierre, V.M. Face à l’Ennemi. (Montréal: Beauchemin, 1946). The author served in 4th Medium Regiment, RCA, and was awarded the Virtuti Militari by Poland for his actions in Normandy while supporting Polish forces.

Jackson, WO1 (Ret’d) Geoffrey, Snr. Muzzle Cover Jackson: The Memoirs of a Canadian Gunner in the Second World War, 2nd Ed. (Edmonton, AB: Blurb Books, 2021). The author served with 6th Field Regiment, RCA, 2nd Canadian Division.

Contemporary Conflicts

Dispatches – Lessons Learned for Soldiers, Vol. 16, No. 1, July 2011 The Artillery Corps in Afghanistan. (Kingston: The Army Lessons Learned Centre, 2011).

Gillespie, Andrew. Desert Fire: The Diary of a Gulf War Gunner. (Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Books, 2001). The author commanded O Battery (The Rocket Troop) of 2nd Field Regiment RA.

Glecker, Jim. Redleg: An American Artilleryman’s Personal Account of the Vietnam War. (Miami, OK: Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, 1985). The author served as a Lieutenant in a towed 155mm battery in Vietnam.

Lingamfelter, Scott L., Desert Redleg: Artillery Warfare in the First Gulf War (Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2020). The author served as the Divisional Artillery Executive Officer, 1st (US) Infantry Division.

Martin, Tom. Falklands Gunner: A Day-By-Day Personal Account of the Royal Artillery in the Falklands War. (Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Frontline Books, 2017). An account of the author’s service as a Command Post Officer with 29 (Corunna) Battery during the 1982 Falklands War.

McManners, Captain Hugh. Falklands Commando. (London: Grafton Books, 1987). An account of the author’s service with 148 Commando Forward Observation Battery during the 1982 Falklands War.

Wilsworth, Clive. First In, Last Out: The South African Artillery in Action 1975-1988. (Johannesburg; 30° South Publishers (Pty) Ltd., 2010). An account of the South African Artillery in the Border War with Angola. The author served as an officer with the South African Artillery during many of the operations described.

Biography

Cook, Tim. The Madman and the Butcher: The Sensational Wars of Sam Hughes and General Arthur Currie. (Toronto: The Penguin Group (Canada), 2010). Sam Hughes was Minister of Militia and Defence during the First World War. Sir Arthur Currie, a Gunner, rose to command the Canadian Corps during the First World War.

Dancocks, Daniel G. Sir Arthur Currie: A Biography. (Toronto: Methuen, 1985). Sir Arthur Currie, a Gunner, rose to command the Canadian Corps during the First World War.

Dickson, Paul. A Thoroughly Canadian General: A Biography of General H.D.G. Crerar. (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). General Crerar, a Gunner, rose to command the First Canadian Army during the Second World War.

Graham, Dominick. The Price of Command: A Biography of General Guy Simonds. (Toronto: Stoddart Publishing, 1994). General Simonds, a Gunner, rose to command the 2nd Canadian Corps during the Second World War. He later served as Chief of the General Staff.

Graves, Diane. A Crown of Life: The World of John McCrae. (St. Catharine’s, ON: Vanwell Publishing, 1997). The story of the author of “In Flanders Fields”, and who was also a Gunner.

Zabecki, David T. Steel Wind: Colonel George Brüchmuller and the Birth of Modern Artillery. (Westport, CT: Praeger, 1994). The story of the First World War German artillery officer who revolutionized artillery tactics in 1917-18.

The South African War

Morrison, E.W.B. With the Guns in South Africa. (Ottawa: Eugene Ursual, 1901). An account by Lieutenant Morrison of his service with D Battery, RCA in the Boer War.