OUR HISTORY
The 6th Field Company Canadian Engineers of North Vancouver sponsored an army cadet corps from 1917 up until 1941 when the unit was sent to the east coast in preparation for deployment overseas during World War II.
Following the end of WW II, 6th Field Squadron wanted to re-establish an army cadet corps of its own. With the demise of the affiliated cadet corps at North Vancouver High School the time seemed right, so in 1955 application was made to Ottawa. On 25 January 1956, #2573 - 6th Field Squadron Royal Canadian Engineers Cadet Corps was authorized. Adhering to protocol, the corps was affiliated to the 7th Field Regiment RCE in Vancouver, at that time the parent regiment of 6th Field Squadron. Captain F.H.C. Oram of 6th Field Squadron approached Captain Derrick Humphreys to be the Chief Instructor (CO) of the newly formed cadet corps. Derrick Humphreys was a City of North Vancouver Alderman at the time and would later become the Mayor of West Vancouver. The corps got off to a rather unusual start, as told by Mr. Anthony (Tony) Humphreys, son of Derrick Humphreys and the first Cadet Squadron Sergeant Major (SSM) of the corps: “The Area Cadet Officer explained to my Dad that the procedure for starting a cadet corps required that a certain number of boys be enrolled, and only when that number had been reached would uniforms and equipment be provided to the new cadet corps. My Dad explained to the Area Cadet Officer that he would proceed differently, and that the Area Cadet Officer would place in the Armouries uniforms and equipment for a cadet corps of 60 boys, and my Dad would put boys into them. UNHEARD OF! There followed some discussion, and some mysterious correspondence with the Minister of National Defence and even the Prime Minister. The Area Cadet Officer then decided my Dad’s plan was acceptable after all, even my Dad’s insistence that to outfit 60 you needed 100 uniforms to allow for various size ranges. The plan to start the cadet corps was advertised in various North Vancouver schools, and I think newspapers, and on the chosen Saturday morning (24 March 1956) sixty boys did arrive and were enrolled and issued uniforms, much to the amazement of everyone except my father.”
It should be mentioned that when the corps was formed cadets was an organization for boys only. #2573 bent the rules right from the get-go by having a few girl cadets in uniform in 1956. The girls didn’t stay however because of the many restrictions on their involvement in cadet training and the fact that there were no summer camp opportunities available to them. Needless to say, a milestone in cadet history occurred when in July of 1975 Parliament amended the National Defence Act to allow girls full participation in the cadet program.
At the time the 6th Field corps started up, another army cadet corps was parading in North Vancouver. #2570 North Shore Cadet Corps was formed a few months earlier in 1955 and was affiliated with the 211th Battery of the 43rd Medium Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (Militia). #2570 North Shore Cadet Corps’ affiliated unit would be disbanded in October of 1959 and absorbed by the 15th Field Regiment RCA in Vancouver. All things considered, the decision was made to disband #2570 in May of 1959 and transfer the cadets (less than 30) and instructors to #2573. The existence of two corps becoming one often gave rise to some confusion when relating the story of the early years of our corps.
For the first 20 years, army cadets of #2573 wore the wool “Battledress” uniform, styled after that worn by soldiers during WW II and Korea. Then in 1977 a new cadet uniform was released, designed to fit in with the new “rifle green” uniforms being issued to the Canadian Forces following unification. About the same time the corps re-badged and changed its name from the 6th Field Squadron RCE Cadets Corps to the 6th Field Engineer Squadron Cadet Corps. The latter two changes were brought about following 6th Field Squadron’s “Branch” changing from the Royal Canadian Engineers to the Canadian Military Engineers.
In 2008 6th Field Squadron, 44 Field Engineer Squadron, and 54 Engineer Squadron were merged to form 39 Combat Engineer Regiment. The name of 6 Field Engineer Squadron was changed to 6 Engineer Squadron. In 2014 as a part of the restoration of army traditions, 6 Engineer Squadron's "Branch" was returned to the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers.