Bessborough Armoury
Bessborough Armoury (1934-Present) - A Canadian Federal Armoury established in 1934 in present day Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Named for the Earl of Bessborough, the then Governor-General of Canada, who officially opened the armoury on 27 Mar 1934. Active military armoury.
HistoryConstruction began on the building in September 1932 and it was officially opened on 27 Mar 1934. The armoury was built as a large rectangular art deco structure with administrative offices along the two long sides and one end. There is a large open central area for drills and parades. The architect was Richard T. Perry who later became the commander of the 15th Field Brigade. The armoury was initially built to house the 15th Field Brigade, Canadian Artillery and the British Columbia Hussars. During World War II the role of the 15th Field Brigade shifted to coast defense artillery and it was the unit that manned the Harbor Defense of Vancouver. Three batteries of the 15th manned the six coastal artillery batteries defending Vancouver and its approaches:
In 1948 the 15th reverted to a field artillery role as the 15th Field Regiment, RCA. Current StatusActive armoury. Home to the 15th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery Museum and Archive and the following units:
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Visited: 12 Jun 2014 Bessborough Armoury Picture Gallery
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