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.
Photograph shows the north face of the Prince Edward Hotel on Princess Avenue. To the east of the hotel is Old City Hall with the military monument (which has since been relocated to the Brandon Armoury). On the west side of the hotel is Wheelers Esso Service Station.
Notes
The photograph appears to be taken from the Hughes Building on 10th Street.
Photograph shows Princess Avenue facing east from 10th Street. On the north side of Princess Avenue, a B/A Service Station, Princess Cafe, Lindenberg Seeds, and the Central Fire Station are visible. Old City Hall with the war memorial and the Prince Edward Hotel are visible on the south side of Princess Avenue. Traffic is travelling one-way on Princess Avenue.
