Artillery

[boots and saddles]

Here is a badge a friend of mine asked me for information about. I emailed Mr Brooker & got the info for him It's the Ste Catherines Battery of Artillery from 1832 era. Nice helmet plate. Anywhere from 800 to 1400 dollars. That's quite a spread I know but you know how the price of a badge can differ on ebay from one month to the next. Ray

[Eddie Parks]

That's a fantastic badge but 1832 is way too early. It's post 1881.

It concerns me that a 'Mr. Brooker', presumably held as some form of 'expert' should identify this plate as a 'helmet plate of 1832' when the 'helmet' did not appear until 1878 ???? There are libraries full of books on this subject and yet some seem to rely upon the 'Mr. Brookers' of this world. Of course, the plate is post 1881 for the bluecloth helmet. I am no expert, of course, just someone who reads (and digests) books !

[Bill A]

Hi Ray, An excellent Canadian artillery helmet plate. Eddie is bang on about the date. Queen Victoria was not crowned until 1837. The authority for militia units in Ontario traces back to 1855. I am not sure what existed before that.

[blackdraggon11]

Still even after "'Mr Brooker"' "Expert"he gets them wrong a lot of times LOL.
It is a fantastic badge..

[Phillip Herring]

The St Catherines Battery helmet plate appears as HP 20 in Daniel Mazeas' 1990 book on pre-1914 Canadian Badges.
I highly recommend this book. If it is still available, it will be very expensive.
Phil

[boots and saddles]

Let me eat some crow here & clear Mr Brooker's name. Where I got the 1832 I don't know because going back to his email I read "worn between 1881 & 1895. So my apologies to both you forum members & Mr Brooker. As Bill know Mr Brooker dosen't make these kind of mistakes. Thanks Eddie for sending me back to the email. Ray

[Bill A]

Great Ray. Thanks for the clarification.
Phil, the Mazeas book is oop. It has been on ebay a couple of times, and has sold for well over $100 US.

[Bill A]

A bit of background on the St Catharines artillery. The first mention in the RCA history lists it as the St Catharines Garrison Battery. It appears to have been in existence by 1866, and was called out for duty during the Fenian Raid. It struggled on through the next decades, and appears to have been a Field Battery in 1892.

[revdougal]

This may well be nit-picking, but surely the RA Helmet Plate came in 1878 with the advent of the "spiked" Cloth Helmet; atop the helmet. The plate itself is the same as the earlier undress sabretache badge, with different fittings, and of course that trail which should be "rivetted", was often the earlier plain one. I certainly cannot offer a detailed view on this wonderful Canadian plate.

[Eddie Parks]

I think on reflection 1878 is a better date. Of course Gunners wore a ball top not a spike so that it did not stick in the "hairy" when they were tightening it's girth etc.

[servicepub]

Originally Posted by Eddie Parks

I think on reflection 1878 is a better date. Of course Gunners wore a ball top not a spike so that it did not stick in the "hairy" when they were tightening it's girth etc.

Artillery intitially wore the spike but changed over to a ball. Some Artillery units, St.John NB battery comes to mind, never changed from the spike.
The introduction of the blue "Home Service" helmet was supposed to standardize headdress in the British Army and even Rifle Regiments wore a Dark Green helmet at one point - but then chose to return to the rifle busby.
Many 'Rifle' helmets are actually a slightly different shade of green and were worn by Light Infantry.

[Wyn vdSchee]

Here's what my research turned up on the artillery batteries in Port Colborne and St Catherines:

7TH “WELLAND CANAL” FIELD BATTERY CA
6 December 1861 - 1 July 1898
Volunteer Militia Field Battery of Artillery of Port Colborne - Port Colborne; authorized on 6 December 1861.
The Welland Canal Volunteer Field Battery - redesignated on 22 January 1862.
Welland Canal Field Battery - redesignated when re-enrolled in the Militia of the Dominion of Canada on 6 February 1869 under the Militia Act of 1868.
Amalgamated with the St Catherines Battery of Garrison Artillery without change of designation on 19 November 1883; with the right division of two guns localized at Port Colborne and the left division at St Catherines.
The Battery was relocalized entirely at St Catherines later.
No. 7 “Welland Canal” Field Battery - redesignated on 1 July 1894.
7th “Welland Canal” Field Battery CA - redesignated on 28 December 1895.

* * *

ST CATHERINES BATTERY OF GARRISON ARTILLERY
27 August 1862 - 19 November 1883
Volunteer Militia Foot Artillery Company of St Catherines - authorized on 27 August 1862.
St Catherines Battery of Garrison Artillery - converted and redesignated before November 1863.
Amalgamated with the Welland Canal Field Battery on 19 November 1883, as above.
*
The successor battery to 7th “Welland Canal” Field Battery CA exixts today as 10th Field Battery RCA in Lake Street Armoury in St Catherines.

[revdougal]

Sorry that my post above got a bit lopped off somewhere along the line.
Gunners initially wore the Helmet with Spike and then, along with other mounted Corps, changed to a Ball in 1881. Kinder on horses - and to riders!

[Artynut]

The St.Catherines plate is one rare piece! I only know the whereabouts of one other and I know that when It came up for auction some years ago, the 10th Bty. Overseas Association tried to raise the funds for a successful bid, alas, they failed to secure the item. I often wonder why it was ever accepted into use as the citizens of St.Catharines jealously guard the spelling of their city name! Regards, David J.