Canadian Military History Volume 18 Issue 4 Article 4 2009 Military Training in an Academic Environment The University of Toronto Canadian Officersr T aining Corps, 1914-l968 Robert Spencer Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Robert Spencer "Military Training in an Academic Environment The University of Toronto Canadian Officersr T aining Corps, 1914-l968." Canadian Military History 18, 4 (2009) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. : Military Training in an Academic Environment The University of Toronto Canadian Officers Training Corps, 1914-l968 Military Training in an Academic Environment The University of Toronto Canadian Officers Training Corps, 1914-l968 Robert Spencer anadian universities contributed younger university staff organized body of 3,000, enlistments amounted Cto the defence of Canada from themselves into an officers’ training to some 1,200 undergraduates (all the earliest days of Confederation, class. Instruction was provided by that could be absorbed with the raising men for service in the Fenian Captain G.N. Bramfit, an officer officers and instructors available raids, the North-West Rebellion, in the Canadian Engineers and a from all colleges and faculties). On and the war in South Africa, and member of the staff of the Faculty 2 November the university received offering to assist at other times as of Education. The University Rifle formal authorization, effective from well. Nevertheless, it was not until Association, which had been formed 15 October, for the organization of the outbreak of war in 1914 that a in 1861, provided invaluable help the University of Toronto Contingent, nation-wide program of military in organizing classes. Within a very Canadian Officers Training Corps, training at the universities took short period 700 members of all with a total establishment of 1,452 shape. The British provided the model. faculties and colleges were drilling, all ranks. The first commanding When in 1909 Officers Training Corps although with no equipment. The officer was Professor W.R. Lang were established at Oxford and list of provisional officers included who had served 12 years with the Cambridge, Sir Robert Falconer, who in names of many prominent members Royal Engineers. He was relieved 1907 had begun his 25 years as president of the university staff: G.H. Needler, of his duties in the department of the University of Toronto, urged a who, along with 36 graduates and of chemistry for the duration of similar course for Canada. After much undergraduates, had served in the war. Beyond those who had study and consultation between the the North-West Rebellion, was for been provisionally appointed, the military and academic authorities, many years professor of German cadre of officers included Lieutenant on 1 November 1912 the Canadian at University College; the classicist F.C. Jeanneret, later professor of government established a Canadian Professor M.W. Wallace, who later French at University College and Officers Training Corps (COTC) to enable became the principal of University chancellor of the university; Captain students to qualify for commissions in the College; a young lecturer in history W.S. Wallace, later the university Active Militia, as Canada’s land forces at Victoria College, Vincent Massey, librarian; and Lieutenant D.A.L. were then known. By aiming to provide who later became chancellor of the Graham, later professor of medicine.3 a reserve of officers with “the least university, and governor-general of Among the recruits that autumn was possible interference with their future Canada; and A.D. LePan of Applied L.B. (Mike) Pearson, a 17-year old civilian careers,” this constituted a Science [engineering], who was “lordly sophomore” from Victoria notable advance towards a more effective to become superintendent of the College, who was later to be become utilization of the universities.1 university. prime minister. Pearson did not The first unit was formed at On 21 October classes were heed the advice of his parents to be McGill in 1912,2 but the University cancelled so that students could content with wearing the uniform of of Toronto did not follow suit until hear President Falconer’s appeal for the COTC. He was anxious to get on the outbreak of the First World War. recruits. Within 24 hours more than active service so early in 1915 he went Early in September 1914, before 500 students had been enrolled in the overseas with a medical unit and term opened, a score or more of corps, and soon, from a male student soon joined the Royal Flying Corps.4 Published© Canadian by Scholars Military Commons History @, Laurier,Volume 2009 18, Number 4, Autumn 2009, pp.32-50. 33 1 Spencer - UofT COTC.indd 33 1/26/2010 10:25:07 AM Canadian Military History, Vol. 18 [2009], Iss. 4, Art. 4 Canadian War Museum 19710261-0862 Canadian War Charles William Jefferys “Outdoor Lecture To Canadian Officers, Victoria College, Toronto” https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol18/iss4/432 2 Spencer - UofT COTC.indd 32 1/26/2010 10:25:07 AM : Military Training in an Academic Environment The University of Toronto Canadian Officers Training Corps, 1914-l968 musketry practice (in later years it made Canada a military nation,” was still possible to locate places but “not less remarkable was the where bullets had passed through fashion in which, the emergency the sandbags and became embedded once past, she immediately returned in the wall). For practice shooting to her earlier tradition, and reduced the young artist Lawren Harris, later her defence forces virtually to their of Group of Seven fame, created as pre-war insignificance.” Even the a target a miniature of a shell-torn centralization of the control of all Belgian village.5 Early in May 1915, of the Dominion’s defence forces by some 700 trainees joined their fellows the creation in 1922 of a Department from McGill for the first camp at of National Defence (DND) was Niagara, crossing the lake on the SS characteristically defended by Prime Cayuga. Minister Mackenzie King with the In the course of the war many statement that “Avowedly it is for thousands passed through the ranks the purpose of economy, avowedly / A 19680003/006(7-22) Digital 2008-19-5MS UTA of the COTC, many later serving with for the purpose of retrenchment.”8 It the Canadian Expeditionary Force, was thus in an era of much reduced others with the British Army, some defence budgets and in a climate with a special overseas company of of widespread disinterest in, if not the COTC organized by Professor hostility to, things military, that the Needler.6 From a peak of 1,466 all University of Toronto Contingent ranks during the 1914-15 session COTC was reorganized on a smaller University of Toronto Archives (UTA), Digital 2008-19-3MS / A 1968-0003/006(7-26) Digital 2008-19-3MS (UTA), Archives of Toronto University enlistment declined, not from any scale. Nevertheless, building on lack of enthusiasm but from a preparations which had begun in combination of the large number wartime,9 in 1919 the University of cadets who had volunteered for Senate established a department of active service and the decline in the military studies in the Faculty of Arts. number of students to take their Its first director was Colonel Lang, W.R. Lang, a professor in the department place. In January 1918 the university who also served as commanding of chemistry, was appointed the first suspended all activities and lectures to officer of the COTC until his death commander of the University of Toronto reduce contacts during the outbreak in 1925. The courses it offered were Contingent, Canadian Officers Training Corps. Lang, pictured here in 1915, of the deadly Spanish influenza. All theoretical rather than practical, had served 12 years with the Royal military activity on the campus also focussing on such subjects as the Engineers. ceased. On 11 November the guns fell defence forces of the Empire. Though silent. As recorded in the university’s the department was not officially Roll of Service, compiled by Professor affiliated with the COTC, the two No classes were held after 1600 G. Oswald Smith, “The long agony organizations shared personnel and hours each day to allow time for was over. The buildings were closed, curricula. The academic instructors military training. With the 48th and for a day all gave themselves served concurrently as contingent Highlanders drilling on the back to common rejoicing.” The cost to officers, who numbered 25 in 1925-6. campus, other militia units on the students and staff had been high. The rationale for this co-operative circular front campus to the south, The Roll contained the names of the programme was explained in a 1937 and bayonet practice being conducted 5,651 who had enlisted and of the 613 information brochure: “One of the next to the tennis courts, the campus who died between 1914 and 1919 (and lessons learned from the Great War was alive with military activity. Much whose names are carved on the screen was the desirability of having the of this centred around Hart House. adjacent to the Soldiers’ Tower which better educated men of the country Although the walls and roofs had flanks Hart House).7 Regrettably it equipped with a fundamental been completed by 1914, the building is impossible to determine with any understanding of military matters, was unfinished. Still, many rooms accuracy how many were trained by in order that they, as the logical were used for lectures; for a time the the COTC during its first four years.