The Introduction of National Survival Training

In 1956, the Minister of National Defence announced a new role for the Canadian Army: "...assistance to the Civil Defence organization in the event of attack on Canada." Training to support this mission, which by 1959 had been termed 'national survival', was common to all corps. While it did not affect unit organization per se, the principle task - the conduct of rescue and re-entry operations - required the establishment of mobile support columns. In the interior of British Columbia, "No. 4 Mobile Support Column" was organized on The British Columbia Dragoons, the 24th Field Artillery Regiment, the 44th Field Squadron, and The Rocky Mountain Rangers.¹⁰⁷

Effective April 12, 1960, in common with all other Militia artillery units, the 24th Medium Anti-Aircraft Regiment had Artillery added to its title, becoming the "24th Medium Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment".¹⁰⁸ Two years later this unit would be subject to its last organizational change when it was converted to a field artillery regiment, effective December 10, 1962; it consisted of Regimental Headquarters and the 109th Field Battery in Trail and the 111th Field Battery in Nelson.¹⁰⁹

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