Artillery was one the most widely used and effective weapons in the Canadian arsenal during WWI. The 18-pounder field gun is one of the most symbolic weapons of the Canadian Forces and was used skillfully to achieve much success. Jack Turner was part of the 2nd Canadian artillery division and many of his photographs were taken of artillerymen and their weaponry.

In the First World War, Canadian troops used artillery to defend against attack, prepare for assault, destroy trenches, and protect soldiers as they advanced toward enemy trenches. At the outset of the war, artillery was used as a mobile weapon but, as the war progressed and both sides became entrenched, it was increasingly used as a means of bombarding enemy trenches from fixed positions.

When Canada joined the Great War in 1914, there was only a single ammunitions factory to construct shells for use by the artillery. However, by the end of the war, Canada managed to produce 25 million shells, 41 million complete rounds, 48 million cartridge cases, and 148 million pounds of high explosives. All of these products were essential to the artillery and were sorely needed at the front.

As the war continued, different types of artillery and shells were quickly developed. Larger guns were built that could fire great distances and shells that carried high explosives were used to destroy defences that were carefully constructed and defended. Immense guns mounted on train cars were also used as a means of having heavy portable weaponry. Names such as "Big Bertha", "Mother", and "Granny" were nicknamed by soldiers for simplified reference.

The Canadian 18-pounder field guns which had been ordered at the beginning of the war proved to be a wise choice as it was possible to use them in many different situations. At first they were used with shrapnel but later explosive shells were developed that could better be used against enemy trenches.

Although Canadians didn't play much of a roll in the development of artillery, they were instrumental in the understanding of the use of the weapons. Through fabrication, development, and use at the front, the Canadian artillery played a vital role in the outcome of the First World War.