Chapter XLI: Dalhousie University and the War

The activities of Dalhousie University in connection with the Great War may be considered under the following headings, (1) The Activities of the C.O.T.C.; (2) The Dalhousie University Stationary Hospital No. 7, C.E.F.; (3) Activities of the Staff; (4) Independent Undergraduate Enlistment.

THE OFFICERS’ TRAINING CORPS.—Great Britain was forced to declare war on Germany on August 4, 1914; so that when the University session of 1914 opened, it was under war conditions. The earliest corporate war effort of Dalhousie University was a mass meeting in the Law Library, held on October 16, 1914, for the purpose of taking steps to form an O.T.C. The chair was taken by Earle C. Phinney, at that time President of the Council of Students. The meeting, which was most enthusiastic, was addressed by President Mackenzie, G. S. Campbell, Chairman of the Board of Governors, and by Major W. E. Thompson, Secretary of the Board. It was ultimately agreed to ask Major Thompson to organize an O.T.C.; and all those willing to co-operate were invited to sign the roll. Ninety-two names were given in at once on the conclusion of the meeting; of these, five were whole-time Professors. Drill began at once in the South End Rink, Sergeant-Major Graham of the Permanent Staff being instructor.

Some of the original officers were:

Major W. E. Thompson, O.C.
Capt. D. Fraser Harris, Adjutant.
Capt. Murray MacNeill.
Capt. D. A. MacRae.
Capt. George Henderson.
Capt. A. W. Cogswell.

Each was in command of a Platoon.

Alumni and business men interested were permitted to join, and there was so much activity in the autumn of 1914 that by the middle of December the Corps was ready to be inspected by General Sir Sam Hughes, Minister of Militia. The inspection took place on December 18th in the South End Skating Rink. The maximum strength during the first winter session was close on 200. On May 4, 1915, the Corps was inspected by General Rutherford, commanding the Garrison. Lectures continued well on into the summer of 1915.

By the session of 1916 Professor John Cameron, of London, had been appointed to the Campbell Memorial Chair of Anatomy in Dalhousie University, and having had a considerable amount of military experience both with the Volunteer Artillery in Scotland and with Infantry Volunteers in England, was well qualified to take command of the O.T.C., Major Thompson, as Lieutenant-Colonel, having been appointed to the Headquarters Staff as A.A.G. of Military District No. 6. This Professor Cameron did with the rank of Major, and retained the command and gave most of the systematic instruction during the remainder of the existence of the Corps. By arrangement with Colonel Papineau, commanding the R.S.I., candidates for commissions were examined at Wellington Barracks. In this way a considerable number of members of the O.T.C. obtained commissions and were enabled to proceed Overseas with the various Units which were being formed as the War progressed. No less than seven officers who had passed through the D.U.C.O.T.C. went Overseas with the 219th Battalion of the Nova Scotia Highland Brigade. Practically every able-bodied male student was a member of the O.T.C. during the first winter session; and no less than twenty-five members of it were students from the affiliated Presbyterian College at Pine Hill.

The session of 1916–17 was a very strenuous one. Drill took place in the evenings at the newly-erected Market Building at the head of Duke Street, Major Cameron superintending the drill and also giving lectures either there or in the rooms of the Board of Trade. During each winter firing practice was systematically carried out at the miniature ranges erected in the Engineering Laboratory of the Technical College. In March, 1917, the Corps was inspected in the Market Building by Major Cooper of the R.S.I. The O.T.C. is still in existence ready to become active again as soon as the University is in possession of a drill hall.

STATIONARY HOSPITAL UNIT.—The origin of No. 7 Stationary Hospital was the desire of the Medical Faculty of the University to serve their country in the Great War. Early in September, 1914, an offer was made to provide the personnel of a Casualty Clearing Station; this offer was renewed in the spring of 1915, but the Federal Government was not at that time in a position to accept it.

It was very generally felt that the only School of Medicine in the Maritime Provinces ought to have a representation on the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Those who were the most active in renewing the offer were Major George M. Campbell, Major C. V. Hogan, and Capts. J. R. Corston, M. A. MacAulay, L. M. Murray and F. V. Woodbury. The Government accepted the offer on September 27, 1915. On November 1st, the old Medical College building was occupied as rooms for headquarters, and enlistment and training began. On December 16th the Unit was inspected by General Benson, G.O.C., and by Col. J. A. Grant, A.D.M.S., Military District No. 6. On December 31st the Hospital sailed from St. John, N.B., on _H.M.S. Metagama_, arriving at Plymouth on January 10, 1916. On February 5th the Unit took over Shorncliffe Military Hospital, and on June 18, 1916, embarked for France.

The personnel of the Dalhousie Hospital Unit was made up as follows: O.C., Lieut.-Colonel John Stewart, Majors E. V. Hogan and L. M. Murray, Capts. M. A. MacAulay, V. N. MacKay, K. A. MacKenzie, E. K. MacLellan, S. J. MacLennan, D. A. MacLeod, J. A. Murray, John Rankine, Frank V. Woodbury, Karl F. Woodbury, Lieut. S. R. Halcom, Lieut, and Quartermaster Walter Taylor. The Matron was Miss L. M. Hubley, and there were twenty-six nursing sisters. Of all other ranks there were one hundred and twenty-three men. Sixteen additional men were taken on at Shorncliffe, England.

The Unit arrived home from active service early in the morning of St. George’s Day, 1919, on the _S.S. Belgic_; in the evening they were entertained at dinner at the Green Lantern in Halifax. Col. John Stewart who returned a little later was entertained at a dinner given in his honor on June 20, 1919.

ACTIVITIES OF THE STAFF: I. _The Faculty of Arts and Science._—The only full-time Professor in the Senate to go Overseas on active service was Professor James Eadie Todd, M.A., who saw service with the B.E.F. in India and in Mesopotamia. Professor Todd, who remained with the troops until the end of the War, did not return to Dalhousie University. Professor Howard Murray, LL.D., during the first year of the War, was a member of the O.T.C. Professor MacNeill during the first year of the War had command of a Platoon in the O.T.C. Professor J. N. Finlayson, M.Sc., entered the O.T.C. at its formation and qualified for a commission in the infantry. Mr. J. W. Logan, M.A., went Overseas as Captain in the 25th Canadian Infantry Battalion, attained his majority in June, 1916, and.saw service in France until the end of the War. The Rev. H. A. Kent, M.A., D.D., having passed through the O.T.C. obtained his Captain’s commission on March 1, 1916, and went Overseas as a combatant in the 219th Battalion of the Nova Scotia Highlanders. Captain Kent saw service until September, 1917, when he was transferred to the Chaplain Service, in which he acted as Adjutant. He was also engaged in educational work in London until he returned to Canada in May, 1919. Mr. Harry Dean, Examiner in Music, had command of a Platoon in the O.T.C., and qualified for a commission in the infantry.

II. _The Faculty of Law._—The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor D. A. MacRae, Ph.D., joined the O.T.C. and had command of a Platoon during the first session. Mr. John E. Read, B.C.L. (Oxon.), B.A. (Dal.), Rhodes Scholar, Lecturer on Real Property, enlisted in the 25th Battalion in November, 1914, but was immediately transferred to the Canadian Field Artillery, and took an officer’s training course at the Royal School of Artillery, Kingston. In February, 1915, Mr. Read joined the 23rd Battery of the C.F.A. at Fredericton and immediately proceeded Overseas. In July he was transferred to the Divisional Artillery (1st Canadian Division) and served in the 4th, 8th and 26th Batteries as Lieutenant, being promoted to the rank of Captain in July, 1916, on his transference to the 27th Battery. While Captain Read was Acting-Major he was wounded in January, 1917. From May, 1917, to March, 1918, he was Senior Gunnery Instructor at the Canadian School of Gunnery, being invalided to Canada in April, 1918. Captain Read was mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig’s dispatches in June, 1917.

III. _Faculty of Medicine._—After Professor Cameron relinquished the command of the O.T.C. he reverted to the rank of Captain, and entering the C.A.M.C. became Resident Physician of the Military Hospital which had been installed in the Presbyterian College at Pine Hill, Halifax.

Professor A. G. Nicholls, who attained the rank of Major, entered the C.A.M.C. as Captain and discharged the duties of Chief Bacteriologist, Serologist and Sanitary Officer for the Halifax Garrison. Dr. W. H. Hattie, with rank of Captain, saw service with the C.A.M.C. in Halifax. Professor Fraser Harris, with rank of Captain, acted as Adjutant to the O.T.C. as long as that Corps remained in activity. The governors could not see their way to granting his request for leave of absence for Overseas service. Besides addressing recruiting meetings, Professor Harris gave courses of instruction in First Aid, under the auspices of the St. John Ambulance Association, to large classes of men, both in the service and to civilians, to women students and to cadets.

The following members of the Staff gave their services in the C.A.M.C. in connection with the Halifax Garrison: Colonels George M. Campbell and M. A. Curry; Capts. W. Bruce Almon, M. J. Carney, J. S. Corston, J. F. Lawlor, G. A. Macintosh, Philip Weatherbe and Hugh Schwartz.

IV. _The Faculty of Dentistry._—Although the health of the Dean of this Faculty, Dr. Frank Woodbury, precluded him from entering military service, both his sons were able to go Overseas. The elder, Frank Valentine, who at the outbreak of the War was already acting D.A.D.M.S. in Military District No. 6, with the rank of Captain, was immediately mobilized. This appointment he resigned to become Adjutant in the No. 7 Stationary Hospital, C.E.F., in 1915.

In August, 1916, Captain Woodbury was appointed to No. 3 Canadian Intrenching Battalion, and in August, 1916, proceeded to the Front at Ypres with that Unit. Later he was posted to the 9th Canadian Field Ambulance, and saw service at Ypres, on the Somme, at Vimy and at Loos. Having been promoted, Major Woodbury was recalled to headquarters at London for Staff duty. He was ultimately appointed A.D.M.S. with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, returning to Ottawa for duty in November, 1919.

Dr. A. W. Cogswell, Professor of Dental Pathology and Therapeutics, joined the O.T.C. in November, 1914, and as Captain had command of a Platoon.

Dr. George Kerr Thomson, Professor of Crown and Bridgework and Ceramics and Oral Hygiene, at the outbreak of the War, held the rank of Captain in the 63rd Halifax Rifles. Later he was transferred to the C.A.D.C. and appointed Assistant Director of Dental Services in Military District No. 6. When, early in 1915, Sir Sam Hughes ordered the organization of the C.A.D.C. Major Thomson was made First Director of Dental Services. In 1916 the Dental Services at Valcartier Camp were organized by Major Thomson with the assistance of Captain F. H. Bradley of Military District No. 4. Dr. W. W. Woodbury, Professor of Orthodontia, who had been appointed Captain in the C.A.D.C. in May, 1918, proceeded to Aldershot Camp, where as A.D.D.S. for the Camp he had charge of all the Dental Services there. In October, 1918, Dr. Woodbury was posted for special duty at McNab’s Island, where he remained until January, 1919, when he was appointed to Camp Hill Hospital, to superintend the dental treatment of returned soldiers. He remained at this centre until general demobilization on November 15, 1919.

_Undergraduate Enlistment._—From the very first hour of the War, the attention of the undergraduates had been directed to joining the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Up to the date of the Armistice five hundred and eighty members of the University had enlisted for military or naval service, either Overseas or in Canada. Of these, sixty-seven are known to have lost their lives, and forty-four to have received decorations for distinguished service. Of those who were decorated, five lost their lives. The decorations are as follows:

D.S.O. 3
D.C.M. 3, 1 with Bar
O.B.E. 2
M.M. 4
M.C. 32, 2 with Bar
Croix de Guerre 1

These do not include decorations awarded to members of the Staff.

The names of those winning the D.S.O. are: John Keeller MacKay of Pictou (Law ’13–’15), Colonel and O.C. 22nd Battalion 6th Howitzer Brigade, B.E.F. J. Layton Ralston (Law ’02–’03) Amherst, Colonel and O.C. of the 85th Battalion, C.E.F. Barry Wentworth Roscoe, of Kentville (LL.B. ’04), Major 5th C.M.R., C.E.F.

At the outbreak of the War the University had on its books 398 students, of whom 90 were women. Of the 308 male students of the session 1914–15 by the end of the session practically every third man had enlisted for military service.

So many students left the Presbyterian Theological College, Pine Hill, Halifax, as to make it only the shadow of its former self. In the session of 1914–15 as many as twenty-five students from Pine Hill were drilling with the O.T.C.; thirteen men from this College ultimately saw service Overseas.

Of students of Engineering in the session of 1914–15, twenty-one were enrolled in the O.T.C.

Of Law students twenty-two were on the roll of the O.T.C. during the first session.

One cannot write of what Dalhousie University did in the War without a few words as to what she suffered. The only son of the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Mr. G. S. Campbell, LL.D., Lieut. George Henderson Campbell, was killed near Ypres in May, 1916. He had graduated B.A. in the previous May, and was within only two days of his 21st birthday. Two Rhodes Scholars lost their lives in the Great War, namely: Walter Melville Billman (B.A. ’13), Lieut. 1st Middlesex Regiment, B.E.F.; and Harry Austin MacCleave (B.A. ’16), Lieut. 13th Montreal Highlanders, C.E.F. While the accidental death of the young, the healthy and the brave is always a poignant sorrow, the passing of those who are also the finest products of the academic culture of their day is a catastrophe of the first magnitude.