Fonds MG 4006 - Canadian Officers' Training Corps, McGill Contingent fonds

Minutes - McGill C.O.T.C. Association Minute Books of Regimental Committee Meetings, Mess Reports, MGGill C.O.T.C - Volume I Minutes of Annual General Meetings of Officers, Various Reports MGGill C.O.T.C McGill C.O.T.C - Minute Book [Scrapbook - Vol. 1] [Scrapbook - Vol. 2]

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Canadian Officers' Training Corps, McGill Contingent fonds

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  • Multiple media

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  • Source of title proper: Title derived from the content of the fonds.

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CA MUA MG 4006

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1.09 m of textual records and other materials.

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Administrative history

The Canadian Officers’ Training Corps, McGill Contingent was established in 1912 so that students could be trained as militia soldiers in anticipation of the international crisis that came to be World War I (1914-1918). The C.O.T.C. was directly connected with the 148th (McGill) Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force but was also associated with a variety of other units at the time. The first commander of the contingent was V.I. Smart – a McGill railway engineering professor. The C.O.T.C.’s mission changed with the beginning of World War II (1939-1945) whereby it solely focused on training officers for the Canadian Army. By the time the contingent ceased operations, it had trained over 12,000 soldiers.

Custodial history

The creator of the documents was Canadian Officers’ Training Corps, McGill Contingent, Canadian Army. The documents were created and accumulated by an organization at the same institution (McGill University) that houses the fonds.

Scope and content

The Canadian Officers’ Training Corps, McGill Contingent Fonds consists of two series: historical records and administrative records. The majority of the historical records consist of scrapbooks containing mostly news clippings and personal correspondence (1914-1962). One part, covering 1914-1917, consists of news clippings on the C.O.T.C. and the 148th Battalion.A second group of historical scrapbooks and records begins in 1914 and continues through to 1939. Besides press clipping, these scrapbooks contain photographs, orders, invitations, copies of pamphlets, and other records such as the log book of the Ski Camp, 1935-1936. These scrapbooks were the model for the 8-volume Historical Record of the C.O.T.C. during World War II. These volumes contain a running chronology, orders, press extracts and clippings, statistics, photographs and personal reminiscences. The last volume is a service record of all C.O.T.C. members. These are supplemented by two news clippings scrapbooks for the period 1939-1942. A "Book of the Six Universities Companies'' of the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry was prepared for the unveiling of a memorial plaque after World War II. It contains a historical record and statistics. Other historical files include printed records of the 148th Battalion, correspondence, programmes for the 1962 celebration of C.O.T.C.'s 50th anniversary, and miscellaneous Christmas cards, invitations, programmes, recruiting and activities booklets, and standing orders. The administrative records are composed mostly of minutes, with some reports and official letters (1941-1959), as well as Commissions for Lieutenants (1915-1916), directories and roll calls (1917, and 1939-1949), handbooks (1916), and orders (1914-1929). Also found in the fonds are some scattered periodicals (1915), religious texts (1914), a souvenir book (1918), speeches (1920), photographs, and stationery.

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  • English

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General note

Includes eight black and white photographs, 1 letter, published records, mixed material scrapbooks, a Holy Bible and stationery stamps (4 cm).

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Finding aid prepared by Julia Feteke, Gabrielle Machnik-Kekesi and Anne-Frederique Beaulieu-Plamondon as part of McGill’s School of Information Studies course GLIS 641 ; edited by Prof. Gordon Burr, December 2019, and archivist Anna Dysert, March 2021.

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