Artillery in Canada (9) Nova Scotia: Fort George, the Citadel, Cannon on the Ramparts

Artillery on the ramparts of Fort George, the Halifax Citadel, Nova Scotia

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 web page for Nova Scotia has become too big for all the guns to be listed on one page, therefore the guns on display within the Army Museum inside the Halifax Citadel are listed on a separate page.

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

Fort George, the Halifax Citadel

(Author Photo)

Posting the guard at sun up.

Sign at the entrance to the Halifax Citadel National Parks site.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No.  3305614)

Early 1900s views of Halifax Citadel.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3548205)

Early 1900s view from the Halifax Citadel.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3305621)

Early 1900s view from the Halifax Citadel.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3305618)

Early 1900s view from the Halifax Citadel, with a cast iron 32-pounder smoothbore muzzleloading guns in service as gate bollards.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3350295)

Early 1900s view from the Halifax Citadel with 12-pounder smoothbore muzzleloading guns facing the water.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3519557)

Halifax Citadel, with Cast Iron (possibly 10-inch 18-cwt) Smoothbore Muzzleloading Land Service Mortar, 1926.

(Author Photo)

Two Gunners raising the flags at the Halifax Citadel early on Saturday morning.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3348971)

Halifax Citadel, aerial view, 1926.

(McCully Aerial Collection Photo)

Halifax Citadel and Harbour, by Harold Reid, 29 Aug 1931.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 172326)

The first aerial photograph shot in Canada was taken over the Halifax Citadel in 1883, when Captain Henry Elsdale of the Royal Engineers attached a camera to a small balloon and sent it upwards.  The camera was fitted with a time-sensitive automatic shutter release which enabled it to work at various heights.  One of the vertical photographs taken that day shows the Citadel from about 1450 feet.

Location diagram for the artillery inside the Halifax Citadel.

The formidable defences of Fort George and the Halifax Citadel include a considerable number of large calibre guns of various eras.  The 16 guns and two Mortars currently mounted on the ramparts of the Citadel are numbered here from one to 17 with number one located to the left of the signal mast/flag pole shown above where the two gunners are standing, on the ramparts of the Citadel.

Guns on the ramparts, numbered counterclockwise from right to left, beginning with gun No. 1, sited North of the flagpole:

Left and Right Trunnions.

(Author Photos)

No. 1.  Cast Iron 10-inch, 18-ton Mk. III Muzzleloading Rifle with Millar-pattern breeching ring, weight corroded (>18,000 lbs), (RGF No. corroded, 1869) on left trunnion, blank on right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher.  This gun is being re-mounted, after previously resting on wood blocks on the ramparts facing North, to the left of the signal mast.

Left and Right trunnions.

King George III cypher.

Weight 33-3-24 (3,814 lbs).  (Author Photos)

No. 2.  Blomefield Cast Iron 12-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 33-3-24 (3,814 lbs) under the cascabel,  (1808) on the left trunnion, (12P) on the right trunnion, King George III cypher.  This gun is a CARRON replica, mounted on an iron garrison carriage, weight 16-1-10 (1,830 lbs).  This particular 12-pounder has gun often served as the noon day gun, which has been a feature of Halifax city life since it was first garrisoned by the British Army in 1749.  The Halifax gun was fired from the ramparts of the third Citadel.  The present Citadel was declared complete in 1856 and it was from this year that tradition holds the signal came from the Garrison artillery.

Iron garrison carriage weight 16-1-10 (1,830 lbs) for the noon day gun.

Left and Right trunnions.

Queen Victoria cypher.

Weight 7-2-1-24 (15,960 lbs).

(Author Photos)

No. 3.  Cast Iron 7-inch, 7-ton Mk. I Muzzleloading Rifle, weight 7-2-1-24 (15,960 lbs), (RGF No. 15, 1866) on the left trunnion, blank on the right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher, mounted on an iron wheeled traversing carriage.  A bronze plaque mounted on the carriage notes this gun was "Restored by Canadian Parks Service, 1991".

Left and Right trunnions.

Queen Victoria cypher.

FIRTHS STEEL, 21 on the muzzle.

Weight 7-2-1-4 (15,936 lbs).

(Author Photos)

No. 4. Cast Iron 7-inch, 7-ton Mk. I Muzzleloading Rifle, weight 7-2-1-4 (15,936 lbs), (RGF No. 35, 1866) on the left trunnion, blank on the right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher.  Firth Steel 21 on the face of the muzzle, mounted on an iron wheeled traversing carriage.  A bronze plaque mounted on the carriage notes this gun was "Restored by Canadian Parks Service, 1990".

Left and Right trunnions.

(Author Photos)

No. 5. Cast Iron 7-inch, 7-ton Mk. I Muzzleloading Rifle, weight corroded (>15,000 lbs), left trunnion corroded, (+) on right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher.  This gun is unmounted, resting on wood blocks.

Left and Right trunnions.

(Author Photos)

No. 6.  Cast Iron 68-pounder 95-cwt Smoothbore Gun with Millar pattern breeching ring, weight 95-1-0 (10,668 lbs), (1858) on the left trunnion, (+) on the right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher, mounted on a long wood traversing carriage.

Left and Right trunnions.  

(Author Photos)

No. 7. Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Muzzleloading Rifle with Millar-pattern breeching ring, weight corroded (>10.000 lbs), left trunnion corroded, (+) on the right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher, mounted on a long wood traversing carriage.

Left and Right trunnions.  

(Author Photos)

No. 8. Cast Iron 7-inch, 7-ton Mk. I Muzzleloading Rifle, weight corroded (>15,000 lbs), left trunnion corroded, (+) on right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher.  This gun is unmounted and is resting on wood blocks.

Left and Right trunnions.

(Author Photos)

No. 9. Cast Iron 7-inch, 7-ton Mk. I Muzzleloading Rifle, weight corroded (>15,000 lbs), left trunnion corroded, (+) on right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher.  This gun is unmounted, resting on wood blocks.

Left and Right trunnions.

Weight 56-3-3 (6,359 lbs).  (Author Photos)

No. 10.  Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 56-3-3 (6,359 lbs) under the cascabel, (71851, 1807) on the left trunnion, (32P) on the right trunnion, King George III cypher.  This gun is a CARRON replica mounted on a long wood traversing carriage.  (At least five of these guns have the same serial number and weight markings).

The Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun has a length of 9 feet 6 inches.  It is the most common 32-pounder in Canada and can be recognized by a reinforcing ring that is slightly raised followed by a definite "step-down" in the barrel just forward of the trunnions heading to the muzzle.

The normal crew for a 32-pounder was 14 men and their roles were:

No. 1, Gun Captain, at the rear and facing the port.

No. 2, Second Captain, assisting and being ready to take over if needed.

No. 3, Loader, on the left side.

No. 4, Sponger, on the right side.

No. 5, Assistant Loader, left side.

No. 6, Assistant Sponger, right side.

These six men were called the “Gun Numbers” and the numbers above them were called the auxiliaries, Nos. 7, 9, 11 and 13 on the left and Nos. 8, 10, 12 and 14 on the right.  Numbers 9 and 10 were the handspike men and Nos. 11, 12, 13 and 14 hauled on the side tackles to assist them.

King George III cypher.

(Author Photos)

No. 11.  Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight stamped upside down on the gun, weight 56-3-0 (6,356 lbs), under the cascabel, (71851, 1807) on the left trunnion, (32P) on the right trunnion, King George III cypher.  This gun is a CARRON replica, and is unmounted, resting on wood blocks.

Left and Right trunnions.

(Author Photos)

No. 12.  Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 56-3-3 (6,359 lbs) under the cascabel, trunnions corroded, King George III cypher.  This gun is a CARRON replica and is mounted on a long wood traversing carriage.  (At least five of these guns have the same serial number and weight etc.)

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Left and Right trunnions.

(Author Photos)

No. 13.  Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 56-3-3 (6,359 lbs) under the cascabel, (71851, 1807) on the left trunnion, (32P) on the right trunnion, King George III cypher.  This gun is a CARRON replica and is mounted on a long wood traversing carriage.  (At least five of these guns have the same serial number and weight etc.)

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Left and Right trunnions.

(Author Photos)

No. 14.  Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 56-3-3 (6,359 lbs) under the cascabel, (1807) on the left trunnion, (32P) on the right trunnion, King George III cypher.  This gun is a CARRON replica, and is mounted on a long wood traversing carriage.  (At least five of these guns have the same serial number and weight etc.).

Right trunnion.

(Author Photos)

No. 15.  Cast Iron 10-inch 18-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Land Service Mortar, weight 18-1-1 (2,045 lbs), 1856, (WC) on left trunnion, (62) on the right trunnion.

Left and Right trunnions.

No. 16.  Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Muzzleloading Rifle with Millar-pattern breeching ring, weight corroded (>6,000 lbs), left and right trunnions corroded, Queen Victoria cypher.  This gun is unmounted, resting on wood blocks.

Left trunnion.

Right trunnion.

Weight 35-2-7 (3,983 lbs).  (Author Photos)

No. 17. Cast Iron 13-inch 36-cwt Land Service Smoothbore Muzzleloading Mortar, weight 35-2-7 (3,983 lbs), (1470) on the left trunnion, (Low Moor), Low Moor Ironworks of Bradford, England on the right trunnion.  This mortar stands to the right of the signal mast.

The cannon found in the courtyard of the Halifax Citadel are listed on a separate page on this website.

Information placards facing the city.

Sign at the rear entrance from the parking lot at the Citadel.

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