The Loyal Company of Artillery of the City of Saint John was formed on May 4, 1793 after New Brunswick passed its first Militia Act in 1792 in response to the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars.

For much of the 20th century the Regiment proudly carried "The Loyal Company" designation as part of its title, perpetuating the connection to Canada's oldest artillery unit.

Saint John's importance as the key all-season port of entry into British North America then meant that the city garrison was always armed and provisioned for defense from the sea.

These dramatic highlights as well as more routine mustering for summer training camps and ceremonial occasions established the Regiment of Artillery as a proud and well-known element of the defence forces.

The province of New Brunswick and the City of Saint John recognized the many contributions of this regiment when it celebrated the founding of the Loyal Company with a grand centennial ball in May 1893.

Drury commanded The Canadian Brigade of Artillery during the South African War, which included a troop of gunners from the Regiment's 89th Battery in Woodstock.

The Regiment also contributed personnel to the 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column and the 1st Canadian Heavy Battery, among them future commanding officers LCol "Harry" Harrison and Major Cyrus Inches.

In 1939 3rd (New Brunswick) Coast Brigade, RCA, (The Loyal Company of Artillery) mobilized to prepare and man new heavy coastal gun batteries constructed around Saint John.

Since then the Regiment has continued in its same function since the Loyal Company was formed in 1793; to maintain a reserve force of trained artillerymen to defend at home and abroad.

In recent decades, the most visible form of that mission has been to provide gunners and officers to augment regular force Royal Canadian Artillery batteries deployed for overseas service on peace-keeping, peace-enforcement and stability operations.

In the last four decades hundreds of 3rd Field Artillery Regiment gunners have served in, Cyprus the Golan Heights, the Former Yugoslavia, Somolia, and most recently, South Sudan.

The regimental military band was formed in 1948, having performed over the years for personalities such as Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and Diana, Princess of Wales.