WORLD WAR I SECOND SIEGE BATTERY 105th BATTALION 1914-1918 (The following is taken from The Guardian - 1975 - probably July 2, - from Laura {MacLeod} and Archibald Johnstone 's collection of papers. He was a veteran of World War I - partial report of the Second Canadian Siege Battery.) On July 2, 1915, Victor J. MacDonald of Mount Stewart , became the first enlisted man in the Second Canadian Siege Battery. On August 9, 1975, Victor, known to his comrades as "Smiler" will preside as President at the 60th anniversary reunion of the Second Siege, which was the first Prince Edward Island unit to participate as a complete unit in any war . . .Under canvas in Brighton , ( Charlottetown ), the Battery quickly grew to full strength, 220 men ... On Friday, November 26, 1915, the Second Siege left Charlottetown for Overseas, arriving in England , December 5. On June 1, 1916, The Battery went into the line in and until December was continuously involved in the Battle of the Somme. Moving to the Vimy area, throughout 1918, the Battery was a very active participant in the advances of that summer and fall and were just outside of Mons when the "Armistice" was signed on November 11, 1918. After going to Germany with the army of occupation, it returned to England , in March 1919, and at 10:00 A.M., Friday, May 19, 1919, returned home to Charlottetown , to a tremendous welcome. During the almost four years from organization to demobilization the Second Siege built for itself an enviable record. Not only was it the first Island unit to be involved in any way it was the first Canadian Siege Battery to arrive in . Because of its record of efficiency, it was chosen early in 1917 as the Battery from the Canadian Artillery to be engaged in counter-bat¬ tery work - a highly specialized form of activity calling for outstanding accuracy. LOTS OF ACTION It continued on in this work until the end of hostilities. Because of the nature of the work, the Battery was almost continuously in action. During the time it was in and Belgium, it fired over two hundred and forty thousand pounds of ammunition from its six guns - six inch "howitzers", more than any other "howitzer" Battery in the War. Each shell weighed one hun¬ dred pounds and at that time cost approximately one hundred dollars. The Battery also had the distinction of winning more decorations per capita than any other Battery. As with all Units in action, a percentage remained in the War zone - their lives a forfeit to man's inhumanity to man .. .Many more returned maimed or with health broken . . . 34