Artillery in Canada (9) Nova Scotia: CFB Halifax, Naval Museum of Halifax, Admiralty House

Artillery at the Naval Museum of Halifax, Admiralty House, CFB Halifax

The aim of this website is to locate, identify and document every historical piece of artillery preserved in Canada.  Many contributors have assisted in the hunt for these guns to provide and update the data found on these web pages.  Photos are by the author unless otherwise credited.  Any errors found here are by the author, and any additions, corrections or amendments to this list of Guns and Artillery in Canada would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.

For all official data concerning the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, please click on the link to their website:

Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery Website

Note: Back in the day, artillery in Canada was referred to by its radio call sign "Sheldrake".  It is now referred to by its "Golf" call sign.  (Acorn sends)

The historic guns preserved in Nova Scotia are listed on separate pages, including those found within Annapolis Royal at Fort Anne, the City of Halifax including York Redoubt, Fort George Citadel, the Maritime Command Museum, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, and Royal Artillery Park etc.

Artillery at the Naval Museum of Halifax, Admiralty House, CFB Halifax

Halifax, Warden of the North shield.

9-inch 12-ton Mk. II Muzzleloading Rifle with Millar pattern breeching ring, weight and Serial No. corroded, RGF on left trunnion, (+) on the right trunnion.  This gun is one of four recovered from a trench in front of the Halifax Armoury in 2011.  This gun is resting on wood blocks at the North entrance to the Museum parking lot.

(Author Photos)

Armstrong 20-pounder 16-cwt Rifled Breech-loading Gun, weight 16-1-10 (1,802 lbs), RGF 1867, (+) on the left trunnion. blank on the right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher.  Resting on wood blocks at the North entrance to the Museum parking lot.  Twelve Armstrong 20-pounder 16-cwt Rifled Breech-loading Guns were allocated to the defence of Halifax by the British War Office in January 1873.

Cast Iron 24-pounder 13-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Carronade with a Blomefield pattern breeching ring, 12---- (>1,300 lbs) heavily corroded Gun on wood blocks.

Cast Iron 24-pounder 13-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Carronade with a Blomefield pattern breeching ring, weight 12-3-21 (1,449 lbs), mounted on wood blocks. The carronade is a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, which was used by the Royal Navy and first produced by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland.  It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s.  Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon.  While considered very successful early on, Carronades eventually disappeared as rifled naval artillery changed the shape of the shell and led to fewer and fewer close-range engagements.

Cast Iron possible 1-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloader with Blomefield pattern breeching ring,corroded, mounted on a small wood naval gun carriage.

A number of guns are mounted in a small park facing the entrance to Admiralty House:

(Author Photos)

Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight corroded, left trunnion corroded, (V, Serial No. 106) on the right trunnion, King George III cypher, 5 above the cypher, CV C K on the cascabel.  Mounted on a concrete stand.  No. 1 facing South in a park in front of the Museum.

Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight corroded, King George III cypher, (Serial No. 34) on left trunnion, blank on the right trunnion, CV C K on the cascabel.  Mounted on a concrete stand.  No. 2 facing South in a park in front of the Museum.

Bronze 9-pounder 13-1/2-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, 12-3-14 (1,442 lbs) on the barrel, (CDXVII) on the barrel, (417), blank trunnions, Queen Victoria cypher, mounted on a wood naval gun carriage, No. 3, facing East in a park in front of the Museum.

(Author Photos)

Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight corroded, (WCo), (Walker & Company of Rotherham, Yorkshire, England), on the left trunnion, (Serial No. 400) on the right trunnion, King George III cypher, CV C K on the cascabel.  Mounted on a concrete stand.  No. 4 facing North in the park in front of the Museum.

Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight corroded, (WCo), (Walker & Company of Rotherham, Yorkshire, England), on the left trunnion, (Serial No. 332) on the right trunnion, King George III cypher, CV C K on the cascabel.  Mounted on a concrete stand.  No. 5 facing North in the park in front of the Museum.

Admiralty House.

1-¼ pounder QF Mk. III, V.S.M. (Vickers, Sons & Maxim LL) Automatic Gun (Serial No. 2343), London, 1904.  Mounted on a naval gun stand (Serial No. 5939), in the park in front of the Museum.

12-pounder 12-cwt Mk. V (3-inch-40) QF Breechloading Naval Gun with shield aboard ship.  (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3356795)  

12-pounder 12-cwt Mk. V (3-inch-40) QF Breechloading Naval Gun with shield and stand.  In a park in front of the Museum.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3205256)

Oerlikon 20-mm Anti-Aircraft Gun, HMCS Prince Henry, Normandy, 6 June 1944.

Oerlikon 20-mm/70 AA Gun Mk. 4, (Serial No. 215716), mounted on a naval gun stand.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3394410)

Oerlikon 20-mm Anti-Aircraft Gun manned on HMCS Prince David, off Kithera, Greece, 16 Sep 1944.

40-mm Bofors Light Anti-Aircraft Gun Mk. 1, (Serial No. 8064), 1942.  In the park in front of the Museum.

Mk. MC10 “Limbo” Ahead Throwing Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) triple-barrelled Mortar.  In a park in front of the Museum.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3571062)

.50 cal MG, HMCS St. Croix, March 1941.

(USN Photo)

.50 cal Twin Anti-Aircraft Guns, water cooled, on an M46 pedestal mount.

.50-cal Twin Anti-Aircraft Gun mount and stand (no guns).

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 365755)

Bronze Lyle Smoothbore Gun, 10 March 1921.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3656737)

Rocket Gun Life Saving and Police Patrol, Toronto, 4 Oct 1928.

Bronze Lyle Smoothbore Gun (2.5-inch bore), mounted on a wood platform, No. 1 of 3.

This Lyle type gun is one of three inside the Museum.  It was used to fire life lines from ship or shore.  Light-weight rope was shot out to a wreck after it had been carefully wound on a rope-board so it would uncoil without snagging. The crews would then use this rope to haul out the heavier lines which actually carried the breeches buoy. The survivors would brought ashore or to the tugboat in a breeches buoy, which was a pair of canvas pants sewed onto a life-preserver.  These line guns are used primarily for shore based rescue operations.  The shooter would fire, aiming over the victims head and then pull the line within reach of the victim.  They are also useful for rescuing victims that have fallen through the ice, or are stranded on a cliff or burning building.  Boats in distress need larger lines.  Lyle guns were designed to throw projectiles weighing approximately 15 pounds, carrying heavier rope over 1000 feet.  Getting this equipment close to a wreck would have been difficult, given the likelihood the conditions that caused the wreck would still have been present.

Bronze Lyle Smoothbore gun (2.5-inch bore), mounted on an iron platform.  No. 2 of 3.

Bronze Lyle Smoothbore Gun (2.5-inch bore), mounted on a wood carriage, No. 3 of 3.

Halifax, Stadacona, Mess Hall, (new building under construction).

SBML 3-pounder Gun, 7-0-26 (810 lbs) on the barrel, left and right trunnions corroded, King George III cypher, mounted on a wood naval gun carriage.  No. 1 of 2, formerly at the front entrance to old the Fleet Mess Hall, now in storage.

SBML 3-pounder Gun, 7-1-5 (817 lbs), left and right trunnions corroded, King George III cypher, mounted on a wooden naval gun carriage.  No. 2 of 2 formerly at the front entrance to old the Fleet Mess Hall, now in storage.

Halifax, Stadacona, Naval Gunnery School

Main entrance to the Naval Gunnery School, Stadacona.

SBML Iron Gun, heavily corroded, B on left trunnion, mounted on a wood naval gun carriage, 3 inch bore, located in front of the Naval Gunnery School.  Originally one of three guns, the two bronze guns which stood on either side have been moved to the outdoor patio of the WO's Mess at Juno Towers.