Artillery in Canada (9) Nova Scotia: Digby

Artillery in Nova Scotia, Digby

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)

Nova Scotia

Digby

Digby Soldier's Cenotaph.

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Dundas 32/64-pounder 58-cwt Converted Rifled Muzzleloading Gun, with Millar pattern breeching ring, converted from 32-pounder of 58 cwt, weight 59-1-0 (6,636 lbs), (RGF No. 238) on left trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher, mounted on a Naval gun carriage.  No. 1 of 2,  Digby Soldier’s cenotaph.

Dundas 32/64-pounder 58-cwt Converted Rifled Muzzleloading Gun, with Millar pattern breeching ring, converted from 32-pounder of 58 cwt, weight 59-2-14 (6,678 lbs), (RGF No. unknown) on left trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher, mounted on a Naval gun carriage.  No. 2 of 2, Digby Soldier’s cenotaph.

Queen Victoria and her cypher, reigned from 2 June 1837 to 22 Jan 1901, portrait at her Coronation, 1838.  (Wikipedia Photo)

Cast Iron 18-pounder 42-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun with Millar pattern breeching ring, weight 42-1-11 (4,743 lbs), 1841, (WCo) on left trunnion, (Serial No. 800) on right trunion, Queen Victoria cypher (1837-1901), broad arrow mark, mounted on a concrete carriage, No. 1 of 6 guns in Loyalist Park.

Cast Iron 18-pounder 42-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun with Millar pattern breeching ring, weight 43-2-14 (4,886 lbs), 1844,  (Serial No. 2848) on left trunnion, Low Moor Ironworks of Bradford, England (Low Moor) on right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher, broad arrow mark, mounted on a concrete carriage, No. 2 of 6 guns in Loyalist Park.

Dundas 32/64-pounder 58-cwt Converted Rifled Muzzleloading Gun, with Millar pattern breeching ring, converted from 32-pounder of 58 cwt, weight 59-2-14 (6,678 lbs), (RGF No. unknown) on left trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher, mounted on a Naval gun carriage.

1844, (WCo) on left trunnion, (Serial No. 1112) on right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher, broad arrow mark, mounted on a concrete carriage, No. 3 of 6 guns in Loyalist Park.

Cast Iron 18-pounder 42-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun with Millar pattern breeching ring, weight 42-3-0 (4,788 lbs), 1841, (WCo) on left trunnion, (Serial No. 664) on right trunnion, CVH of breeching ring, Queen Victoria cypher, broad arrow mark, mounted on concrete carriage, No. 4 of 6 guns in Loyalist Park.

Cast Iron 18-pounder 42-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun with Millar pattern breeching ring, weight 42-0-26 (4,730 lbs), 1840, (WCo) on left trunnion, (Serial No. 112) on right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher, broad arrow mark, mounted on concrete carriage, No. 5 of 6 guns in Loyalist Park.

Cast Iron 18-pounder 42-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 41-3-1 (4,677 lbs), (SOLID 116) on left trunnion, (Z) on right trunnion, King George III cypher, 1779-1783, broad arrow mark, mounted on a concrete carriage, No. 6 of 6 guns in Loyalist Park on Water Street.

George Matthews leased Calcutts in 1767 and a decade later he was casting iron cannon there.  These first guns for the Board of Ordnance were proofed in June 1779.  By January 1785 George Mathews was bankrupt and the ironworks were sold off.

Mathews specialized in supplying large numbers of a few sizes of guns from 4-pounders up to 32-pounders, usually in one length only.  He supplied guns both for the government and the merchant market, including the East India Company.

At least three related marks: Z cast on the left trunnion and number engraved on the right; Z cast on the right trunnion and SOLID cast on the left with an engraved number; or Z cast on each trunnion.  They are all on Armstrong type GR3 guns.  (Ruth Rhynas Brown)

German First World War 7.92-mm Maxim Spandau MG 08 Machinegun (Serial Nr. 4732), 1918, mounted on a schlitten stand.  This weapon was likely captured ca 1918 by a Battalion of an Infantry Brigade in a Canadian Division with the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), in France.  This MG 08 is displayed at the cenotaph.  Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 19, 92 Mount Street.

Gut of Digby

(Admiral Digby Museum Photo)

There are three Cast Iron Smoothbore Muzzleloading Guns from the reign of King George II (1727-1760), all about 9 feet long laying on the ground on the site of an old battery at the Gut of Digby.

(Admiral Digby Museum Photos)

Possible Palliser RML 64-pounder 42-cwt Gun converted from a Cast Iron 32-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 41-2-10 (4,658 lbs), maker and Serial No. unknown, King George II cypher, broad arrow mark, No. 1, unmounted on the ground, Admiral Digby Museum, Bay View.

Possible Palliser RML 64-pounder 42-cwt Gun converted from a Cast Iron 32-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight, maker and Serial No. unknown, King George II cypher, broad arrow mark, No. 2, unmounted on the ground, Admiral Digby Museum, Bay View

Possible Palliser RML 64-pounder 42-cwt Gun converted from a Cast Iron 32-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight, maker and Serial No. unknown, King George II cypher, broad arrow mark, No. 3, unmounted on the ground, Admiral Digby Museum, Bay View.

According to the sessional papers in 1895, there were two 64/32 pounder Palliser conversions and five Cast Iron 32-pr 42-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Guns at Digby.  These all look the same and the 64/32 were converted from the 56-cwt guns (or larger).  They are most likely 42-cwt guns.  Doug Knight.

(Admiral Digby Museum Photo)

Cast Iron 18-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight (>4,592 lbs+), 41-cwt, 9 feet long, ca. 1727-1760.