4th Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery (Permanent Force)

I have been researching the formation of Anti-Aircraft and Searchlight units in Canada during the inter-war period from 1921 to the start of the war in 1939. I have tracked down all the units and their formation dates with the exception of one.

The 4th Anti-Aircraft Battery, RCA was formed as part of the Permanent Force in Canada at Kingston, Ontario in 1937 inheriting a number of members from the Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery Company at Quebec. It was not armed until the summer of 1938, when four 3-inch 20-cwt Mark IA guns arrived in Canada. (This from RCA History)

I have gone through the GO (General Orders) from 1937 at the Library and Archives of Canada website and could not find an authorization GO for this unit.

The only hint as to a date of creation comes from General Order (GO) 105/1937 that states:

GO 105/1937 – 4th Anti-Aircraft Battery, RCA (N.P.) – Change in Designation
The re-designation of the “4th Anti-Aircraft Battery, RCA” as “5th Anti-Aircraft Battery, RCA” is hereby authorized effective 31st March 1937. General Order 202 of 1936 is amended accordingly.

This seems to imply that the existing 4th AA Battery, RCA of the Non-Permanent Active Militia was renamed on March 31st, 1939 to reflect the creation of the 4th AA Battery, RCA of the Permanent Force, but this is not confirmed.

Subsequently the 4th AA Battery, RCA (PF) moved to Halifax in late August 1939 as part of its AA defence. It was converted to 4th Light AA Battery, RCA and moved to England in 1940 as part of the 2nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment.

Does anyone have an exact formation or authorization date for this battery?

 

'Battery Flashes' by DW Falconer is generally good with precise dates and GO references, but for 4 AA Bty only says 'a Permanent Force Battery, was formed in 1935'. He has nothing on the redesignation.

 

Thanks, Kevin.

I have Falconer as well. He is pretty good from the outbreak of war but limited on pre-war. I would get the war diary but those are also wartime. I will have to check the LAC website to see if there are any pre-war files on the 4th AA Battery.