Brandon College established a Canadian Officer Training Corps (COTC) program in 1916 and had enough students for a platoon that would join the 196th Western Universities Battalion's B Company. COTC logs for in the SJ McKee Archives show that at least 40 men regularly attended classes on campus during the 1916 winter term.
The Brandon Daily Sun published the names of 60 potential platoon recruits before they headed to Camp Hughes to train in the summer of 1916. Although Lt. J.R.C. Evans spearheaded the training of the COTC enlistees at Brandon College, he was found medically unfit for overseas service. In his stead, the son of the college's founder, Lt. William Carey McKee, lead the platoon to Camp Hughes where they joined the 196th Battalion. Of the 60 recruits identified in the local paper, 20 would not survive the war, including Lt. McKee. [ST/2016]
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a group of 40 men wearing WWI uniforms. The men have the Canada general service cap badge on their headdress. The officer in the centre of the group (i.e., the man with the cane) is J.R.C. Evans. The group of men are likely members of the first Brandon College Platoon, which joined the 196th Western Universities Battalion.
Portrait of Brandon College Caps hockey players and Manager Doc Hannah on the ice. L to R: Harry George, Don Sumner, Doc Hannah, Fin Campbell, Jack Scott.
Photograph is looking southwest from the north end of the driveway and 18th Street and shows the Brandon College campus, including the front lawn, Clark Hall, the Brandon College Building and the Citizens' Science Building.
Notes
This photograph was used on a number of the Class photographs in BUPC 9. Duplicate is 9.43.
Photograph is looking northwest probably from the northwest corner of 18th Street and Louise Avenue. The photographer was laying down when s/he took the shot. Photograph shows the field to the south of the Citizens' Science Building, as well as the Citizens' Science Building, part of the Brandon College Building and Clark Hall, and two H-Huts. The photo was taken in summer as the field is full of dandelions.
William Davies, a Baptist meat packer from Toronto, provided money for the construction of the Brandon College Building.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the interior of the Brandon College Chapel. The portraits on the back wall are of William Davies and his wife.
Notes
Negative enclosed.
Related Material
Letters of William Davies: Toronto 1854-1861, edited by William Sherwood Fox, is located in Rare Books (call number CT 310.D3A4). Fox was an Instructor at Brandon College from 1900 to 1909.
View is southwest. Photograph shows Clark Hall, the Brandon College Building, the Citizens' Science Building and the driveway running in front of the buildings. Portions of the front lawn and the Kinsmen Staduim are also visible.
View is southwest from the sidewalk in front of the building. Photograph shows the east side of the section of the building that connects the Brandon College Building and Clark Hall.