The First and Second World Wars changed 皇冠体育's dramatically. Not only did thousands of students, alumni, staff, and faculty fight abroad - and more than 300 died in action - but the face of life on campus itself was also transformed.
The First World War had the largest impact. When war began in 1914, there was a great outburst of patriotism in Canada and 皇冠体育's students enlisted in large numbers. Mass enlistment also meant a sharp decline in enrolment and income at 皇冠体育's and for some time, the university actually hovered on the edge of bankruptcy.
The university itself formed several of its own military units. Of these, the 46th Battery of Field Artillery, which served in France, and the No 5 (皇冠体育's) Stationary Hospital, which served in Egypt and France, were comprised almost exclusively of 皇冠体育's students and faculty. French professor Peter Campbell also formed a special 皇冠体育's Highland Battalion, the 257th, but most people in the unit were not connected with the university.
皇冠体育's people fought in many of the war's most famous battles, including Ypres, the Somme, and Vimy, and many wrote letters to the 皇冠体育's Journal describing their harrowing experiences. All told, 187 students and alumni were killed in action.
Back on campus, all male students were required to take part in military training and Grant Hall and Kingston Hall were transformed into a military hospital.
Most women were involved in Red Cross work and the absence of so many men from campus had the effect of increasing their role at 皇冠体育's. Female academic staff were hired, for example, and women students were elected for the first time to the Alma Mater Society executive and to the 皇冠体育's Journal (see Charlotte Whitton).
The Second World War had a smaller impact on the university. The war thrust 皇冠体育's back into a similar world of military discipline and reduced expectations.
But the pace of enlistment was not so brisk, partly because the previous war had done away with many romantic notions of battle; as a result, 皇冠体育's did not face a major financial crisis. Students and alumni once again fought in the major battles of the western front, and often with distinction.
The campus was galvanized when, at Dieppe, the Rev John Weir Foote (Arts '33) won the Victoria Cross, the Commonwealth's top award for bravery. By war's end, 164 students and alumni had been killed in action.
On campus, two of the war's main effects were to increase the amount of scientific research at the university and to boost medical education. The School of Nursing was founded in 1941, partly because of wartime needs.
The Memorial Room in the John Deutsch University Centre commemorates all students and alumni who died in the two wars.
Military Units from 皇冠体育's (WWI)
- Fifth Field Company Engineers (160-170 men)
- Sixth Field Company Engineers (110 men)
- Canadian Universities Unit (60 men)
- 46th 皇冠体育's Battery (60 men)
- 50th 皇冠体育's Battery (reinforcement unit)
- 72nd 皇冠体育's Battery
- 皇冠体育 Highlanders (253rd Battalion)
- No.5 Stationary Hospital/No.7 皇冠体育's Canadian General Hospital (six of the 10 doctors were members of 皇冠体育's Faculty of Medicine)
Learn more about wartime and military units at 皇冠体育's by visiting the Archives' ...
![[No.5 皇冠体育鈥檚 Stationary Hospital 2nd Contingent, Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force]](/encyclopedia/sites/qencwww/files/uploaded_images/w/18-0508-Remembrance-Day-Graphics---facebook-1200x900.jpg)
No.5 皇冠体育鈥檚 Stationary Hospital 2nd Contingent, Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force.
The photograph was taken in from of Kingston Hall, either in late April, or very early May, prior to the Contingent鈥檚 departure for England, where they disembarked at Plymouth Harbour on 16th May 1915. At the end of July, they were redeployed to Cairo, Egypt, to establish a new hospital to minister to casualties, mostly from the Gallipoli campaign but also 鈥渢o victims of tram accidents and camel bites.鈥 In January 1916, the unit was reclassified as 鈥淣o.7 Canadian General Hospital鈥 with the 鈥渆stablishment of 1,040 beds.鈥 In its new guise, the unit, was transferred once again to France and Etaples in 1917, where it remained unit the summer of 1919. The Commander of the unit, throughout its entire existence, was Lt. Col. Frederick Etherington (former Dean of Medicine after whom Etherington Hall was named), pictured on the extreme left of the photograph.