116th Independent Field Battery, RCA

The 116th Independent Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery is a Canadian Army Reserve independent artillery battery based in Kenora, Ontario, which forms part of the 3rd Canadian Division's 38 Canadian Brigade Group. The Battery parades at the Kenora Armoury, 800-11th Avenue North, Kenora, Ontario.

Lineage
The 116th Independent Field Battery, RCA originated in Kenora, Ontario on 1 April 1908 as the 98th Regiment. It was redesignated as The Rainy River and Kenora Regiment on 12 March 1920 and The Kenora Light Infantry on 1 September 1921. On 15 December 1936 it was reorganized as two artillery batteries designated the 16th Medium Battery (Howitzer), RCA and the 17th Medium Battery (Howitzer), RCA (disbanded 31 March 1946). The 16th Medium Battery (Howitzer), RCA was redesignated the 16th (Reserve) Medium Battery (Howitzer), RCA on 7 November 1940. On 1 April 1946, it was amalgamated with the 209th (Reserve) Field Battery, RCA and redesignated the 116th Medium Battery, RCA. It was redesignated the 116th Field Battery, RCA on 19 March 1965 and the 116th Independent Field Battery, RCA on 1 January 1981.

The 209th (Reserve) Field Battery, RCA originated in Winnipeg, Manitoba on 2 February 1920 as the 11th Siege Battery, CA. It was redesignated as the 11th Medium Battery (Howitzer), CA on 1 July 1925, as the 11th Medium Battery (Howitzer), RCA on 3 June 1935, as the 11th (Reserve) Medium Battery (Howitzer), RCA on 7 November 1940 and the 209th (Reserve) Field Battery, RCA on 19 October 1942. On 1 April 1946, it was amalgamated with the 16th (Reserve) Medium Battery, RCA.

Perpetuations
The 116th Independent Field Battery, RCA, perpetuates the 94th Battalion (New Ontario), CEF, and No. 11 Canadian Siege Battery, Canadian Garrison Artillery, CEF.

The Great War
Details from the 98th Regiment were placed on active service on 6 August 1914 for local protection duties.

The 94th Battalion (New Ontario), CEF was authorized on 22 December 1915 and embarked for Britain on 28 June 1916, where its personnel were absorbed by the 17th Reserve Battalion, CEF and the 32nd Battalion, CEF on 18 July 1916 to provide reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field. The battalion was disbanded on 27 July 1918.

No. 11 Canadian Siege Battery was mobilized in England as No. 11 Canadian Siege Battery, CGA, CEF on 7 November 1917 from personnel of the 2nd Brigade, Canadian Reserve Artillery. The battery disembarked in France on 3 April 1918 where it provided siege artillery support as part of the 3rd Brigade, CGA, CEF, in France and Flanders until the end of the war. The battery was disbanded on 23 October 1920. These is no lineal connection with the 11th Canadian Siege Battery, CGA, CEF which was authorized on 30 May 1917 and subsequently absorbed into the 1st, 5th and '8th Battery Siege Artillery, CFA, CEF on 19 October 1917.

The Second World War
The 17th Field Regiment, RCA was mobil­ized origin­ally as two bat­teries, the 37th Battery and the 60/76 Battery. The 37th Battery was recruited as three troops, A troop at Fort William and Port Arthur, B troop at Fort Frances Frances and Kenora, and C troop at Portage La Prairie. The 60/76 Battery was recrui­ted entirely from Saskatchewan, half coming from Aneroid and other points in Wes­tern and South Wes­tern Saskatchewan while the second half came from Indian Head and the CPR main line dis­trict East of Regina.

The Non-Permanent Active Militia units from which these two active ser­vice bat­teries were formed, were the 7th Medium Artil­lery Bri­gade which con­sis­ted of the 16th Bat­tery centred at Kenora, the 17th Battery at Fort Frances and the 18th Battery at Port Arthur, the 26 Field Artil­lery Bri­gade from Brandon, the 10th and 22nd Field Artil­lery Bri­gades of South Saskatchewan. These units pro­vided the NCO and offi­cer nucleus which was respon­sible for the ini­tial train­ing and the trans­for­ma­tion from a civil­ian to a sol­dier regi­ment.

The 17th Regiment, RCA was a three-battery, 24 gun regiment. Each of the three batteries of the regiment contained two troops. The 37th Battery made up Charlie and Dog Troops.

The 11th Medium Battery mobilized the 11th Medium Battery, RCA, CASF on 1 September 1939. On 1 June 1940 it was amalgamated with the 8th Medium Battery, RCA, CASF and redesignated the 8th/11th Medium Battery, RCA, CASF. On 24 May 1941 this amalgamation ceased and it was again designated the 11th Medium Battery, RCA, CASF. It was redesignated the 11th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, RCA, CASF on 22 December 1941. The battery disembarked in France on 6 August 1944, where it provided heavy anti-aircraft artillery support as part of the 2nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Mobile) in North West Europe until the end of the war. The overseas battery was disbanded on 7 September 1945.