Chapter V: The Conscription Act

The question of conscription came to a final issue on May 18, 1917, when the premier returned from England, where he had been in conference with his colleagues on the Imperial War Board. It was then that he announced that it would be necessary to introduce a conscription measure in the near future.

"A great struggle lies before us," he said, "and I cannot put that before you more forcibly than by stating that at the commencement of this spring's campaign Germany put in the field one million more men than she put in the field last spring.... Hitherto we have depended on voluntary enlistment. I, myself, stated to Parliament that nothing but voluntary enlistment was proposed by the Government. But I return to Canada impressed at once with the extreme gravity of the situation and with a sense of responsibility for our further effort at the most critical period of the war. It is apparent to me that the voluntary system will not yield further substantial results."

Only a little over fifty thousand men more were needed to supply the need at the front, and to complete Canada's full quota, but they were needed most imperatively. That this need was strongly impressed on the public mind became apparent during the month which intervened between these utterances by the premier and the first presentation of the Conscription Bill in Parliament. As a matter of fact, Australia and South Africa were the only belligerent countries besides Canada, at this time, which had not been compelled to adopt the principle of forcible enlistment.

On June 11 the bill was presented to Parliament, with a speech by the premier explaining all its provisions. Administration was placed under the Department of Justice, and the term was for the duration of the war, including demobilization. All male British subjects in Canada were included, from the ages of twenty to forty-five. Those eligible were divided into six classes, according to their marital conditions and ages, and each class was to be called in succession. An amendment presented by the leader of the opposition would have submitted the bill to a referendum vote of the electorate, but this was rejected by a vote of 111 against 62. The bill finally passed the third reading by a vote of 102 against 44.

At the end of the year 404,395 eligible men had registered. The number of men eventually drafted under this law amounted to 83,000, making the total number of enlistments up to the end of the war 611,741.

The army thus raised was eventually represented in infantry and cavalry battalions, exclusive of engineers, forestry, railway construction, pioneer, and cyclist corps, or the Siberian expeditionary force of 4,000 men. The following list was issued by the Government at the close of the war:

ORIGINAL OFFICERS OF INFANTRY BATTALIONS[TN1]

---------+------------------------------+-------------------------+-------------
BATTALION| ORIGINAL OFFICER | MOBILIZED | SAILED
| IN COMMAND | |
---------|------------------------------|-------------------------|-------------
1st | Lt. Col. F. W. Hill |Valcartier |Oct. 3, 1914
2nd | " D. Watson | " | " 3, 1914
3rd | " R. Rennie | " | " 3, 1914
4th | " R. H. Labatt | " | " 3, 1914
5th | " G. S. Tuxford | " | " 3, 1914
6th | " R. W. Paterson | " | " 3, 1914
7th | " W. Hart-McHarg | " | " 3, 1914
8th | " L. J. Lipsett | " | " 3, 1914
9th | " S. M. Rogers | " | " 3, 1914
10th | " R. L. Boyle | " | " 3, 1914
11th | " R. Burritt | " | " 3, 1914
12th | " H. F. McLeod | " | " 3, 1914
13th | " F. O. W. Loomis | " | " 3, 1914
14th | " F. S. Meighen | " | " 3, 1914
15th | " J. A. Currie | " | " 3, 1914
16th | " R. G. E. Leckie | " | " 3, 1914
17th | " S. G. Robertson | " | " 3, 1914
18th | " E. S. Wigle |London, Ont. |Apr. 18, 1915
19th | " J. J. McLaren |Toronto |May 13, 1915
20th | " J. A. W. Allen | " | " 15, 1915
21st | " W. St. P. Hughes |Kingston | " 6, 1915
22nd | " F. M. Gaudet |St. Jean, P.Q. | " 20, 1915
23rd | " F. W. Fisher |Quebec |Feb. 23, 1915
24th | " J. A. Gunn |Montreal |May 11, 1915
25th | " G. A. LeCain |Halifax | " 20, 1915
26th | " J. L. McAvity |St. John, N.B. |June 13, 1915
27th | " I. R. Snider |Winnipeg |May 17, 1915
28th | " J. F. L. Embury | " | " 29, 1915
29th | " H. S. Tobin |Vancouver | " 20, 1915
30th | " J. A. Hall | " |Feb. 23, 1915
31st | " A. B. Bell |Calgary |May 17, 1915
32nd | " H. J. Cowan |Winnipeg |Feb. 23, 1915
33rd | " A. Wilson |London, Ont |Mar. 13, 1916
34th | " A. J. Oliver |Guelph, Ont |Oct. 23, 1915
35th | " F. C. McCordick |Toronto | " 16, 1915
36th | " E. C. Ashton |Hamilton |June 19, 1915
37th | " C. F. Beck |Sault Ste. Marie |Nov. 27, 1915
38th | " C. W. Edwards |Ottawa |May 30, 1916
39th | " J. A. V. Preston |Belleville |June 24, 1915
40th | " A. Vincent |Halifax |Oct. 8, 1915
41st | " L. A. Archambault |Quebec | " 18, 1915
42nd | " G. S. Cantlie |Montreal |June 10, 1915
43rd | " R. M. Thomson |Winnipeg | " 1, 1915
44th | " E. R. Wayland | " |Oct. 23, 1915
45th | " F. J. Clark |Brandon |Mar. 13, 1916
46th | " H. Snell |Regina |Oct. 23, 1915
47th | " W. R. Winsby |New Westminster |Nov. 13, 1915
48th | " W. J. H. Holmes |Victoria |July 1, 1915
49th | " W. A. Griesbach |Edmonton |June 4, 1915
50th | " E. G. Mason |Calgary |Oct. 27, 1915
51st | " R. Del. Harwood |Edmonton |Apr. 18, 1916
52nd | " J. A. D. Hulme |Port Arthur |Nov. 23, 1916
53rd | " R. M. Dennistoun |Winnipeg |Mar. 29, 1916
54th | " W. M. Davis |Nelson, B. C |Nov. 22, 1915
55th | " J. R. Kirkpatrick |Sussex, N. B |Oct. 30, 1915
56th | " W. C. G. Armstrong |Calgary |Mar. 23, 1916
57th | " E. T. Paquette |Quebec |June 2, 1916
58th | " H. A. Genet |Toronto |Nov. 22, 1915
59th | " H. J. Dawson |Brockville |Apr. 21, 1916
60th | " F. A. Gascoigne |Valcartier |Nov. 6, 1915
61st | " F. J. Murray |Winnipeg |Apr. 21, 1916
62nd | " J. Hulme |Vancouver |Mar. 23, 1916
63rd | " G. B. McLeod |Edmonton |Apr. 22, 1916
64th | " H. M. Campbell |Halifax |Mar. 31, 1916
65th | " N. Lang |Saskatoon |June 18, 1916
66th | " J. W. McKinery |Edmonton |Apr. 28, 1916
67th | " Lorne Ross |Victoria | " 21, 1916
68th | " P. E. Perrett |Regina | " 28, 1916
69th | " J. A. Dansereau |Montreal | " 17, 1916
70th | " R. I. Towers |London, Ont. | " 24, 1916
71st | " D. M. Sutherland |Woodstock, Ont. | " 21, 1916
72nd | " J. A. Clark |Vancouver | " 23, 1916
73rd | " P. Davidson |Montreal |Mar. 31, 1916
74th | " J. M. McCausland |Toronto | " 29, 1916
75th | " S. G. Beckett | " | " 29, 1916
76th | " J. Ballantine |Barrie, Ont. |Apr. 23, 1916
77th | " D. R. Street |Ottawa |June 19, 1916
78th | " J. Kirkcaldy |Winnipeg |May 20, 1916
79th | " G. Clinglan |Brandon, Man |Apr. 24, 1916
80th | " W. G. Ketcheson |Belleville |May 16, 1916
81st | " B. H. Belson |Toronto |Apr. 28, 1916
82nd | " W. A. Lowry |Calgary |May 20, 1916
83rd | " R. Pellatt |Toronto |Apr. 28, 1916
84th | " W. D. Stewart | " |June 18, 1916
85th | " E. C. Phinney |Halifax |Oct. 12, 1916
86th | " W. W. Stewart |Hamilton |May 19, 1916
87th | " I. P. Rexford |St. Jean, P. Q. |Apr. 23, 1916
88th | " J. R. Cullin |Victoria |May 31, 1916
89th | " W. W. Nasmyth |Calgary | " 31, 1916
90th | " W. A. Monroe |Winnipeg | " 31, 1916
91st | " W. J. Green |St. Thomas |June 28, 1916
92nd | " G. G. Chisholm |Toronto |May 20, 1916
93rd | " I. J. Johnston |Peterborough |July 15, 1916
94th | " H. A. C. Machin |Port Arthur |June 28, 1916
95th | " R. K. Barker |Toronto |May 31, 1916
96th | " J. Glenn |Saskatoon |Sep. 26, 1916
97th | " A. B. Clark |Toronto | " 18, 1916
98th | " H. A. Rose |Welland, Ont. |July 8, 1916
99th | " T. B. Welch |Windsor, Ont. |May 31, 1916
100th | " J. B. Mitchell |Winnipeg |Sep. 18, 1916
101st | " D. MacLean | " |June 28, 1916
102nd | " J. W. Warden |Victoria | " 18, 1916
103rd | " E. C. J. L. Henniker| " |July 23, 1916
104th | " G. W. Fowler |Sussex, N. B. |June 28, 1916
105th | " A. E. Ings |Charlottetown |July 15, 1916
106th | " R. Innes |Truro, N. S | " 15, 1916
107th | " R. Glenn Campbell |Winnipeg |Sep. 18, 1916
108th | " G. H. Bradbury |Selkirk, Man. | " 18, 1916
109th | " J. J. H. Fee |Lindsay, Ont. |July 23, 1916
110th | " J. B. Youngs |Stratford, Ont. |Oct. 31, 1916
111th | " J. D. Clark |Galt, Ont. |Sep. 25, 1916
112th | " H. B. Tremaine |Windsor. N. S. |July 23, 1916
113th | " W. A. Pryce Jones |Lethbridge, Alberta |Sep. 25, 1916
114th | " A. T. Thompson |Cayuga, Ont. |Oct. 31, 1916
115th | " F. V. Wedderburn |St. John, N. B. |July 23, 1916
116th | " S. Sharpe. |Uxbridge, Ont. | " 23, 1916
117th | " L. J. Gilbert |Sherbrooke, P.Q. |Aug. 14, 1916
118th | " W. M. O. Lochead |Kitchener |Jan. 23, 1917
119th | " T. P. T. Rowland |Sault Ste. Marie |Aug. 8, 1916
120th | " D. G. Fearman |Hamilton | " 14, 1916
121st | " A. W. McLelan |New Westminster, B.C. | " 14, 1916
122nd | " D. M. Grant |Huntersville & Galt, Ont.|June 2, 1917
123rd | " W. B. Kingsmill |Toronto |Aug. 7, 1916
124th | " W. C. V. Chadwick | " | " 7, 1916
125th | " M. E. B. Cutcliffe |Brantford | " 7, 1916
126th | " S. J. Hamilton |Toronto | " 14, 1916
127th | " T. Clark | " | " 22, 1916
128th | " F. Pawlett |Moosejaw, Sask. | " 15, 1916
129th | " W. Knowles |Dundas, Ont. | " 22, 1916
130th | " J. F. De Hertel |Perth, Ont. |Sep. 23, 1916
131st | " J. D. Taylor |New Westminster |Oct. 31, 1918
132nd | " G. W. Mesereau |Chatham, N. B. | " 25, 1917
133rd | " A. C. Pratt |Simcoe, Ont. | " 30, 1916
134th | " A. A. Miller |Toronto |Sep. 6, 1916
135th | " B. Robson |London, Ont. |Aug. 22, 1916
136th | " R. W. Smart |Port Hope, Ont. |Sep. 25, 1916
137th | " G. W. Morfitt |Calgary |Aug. 22, 1916
138th | " R. Belcher |Edmonton | " 22, 1916
139th | " W. H. Floyd |Cobourg |Sep. 25, 1916
140th | " L. H. Beer |St. Johns, N. B. | " 25, 1916
141st | " D. C. McKenzie |Fort Francis |Apr. 29, 1917
142nd | " C. M. R. Graham |London, Ont. |Oct. 31, 1916
143rd | " A. B. Powley |Victoria |Feb. 17, 1917
144th | " A. W. Morley |Winnipeg |Sep. 18, 1916
145th | " W. E. Forbes |Moncton, N. B. | " 25, 1916
146th |Major C. A. Lowe |Kingston, Ont. | " 25, 1916
147th |Lt. Col. G. F. McFarland |Owen Sound |Nov. 18, 1916
148th | " A. Magee |Montreal, P.Q. |Sep. 26, 1916
149th | " R. G. C. Kelley |Watford, Ont. |Mar. 28, 1917
150th | " H. Barre |Montreal |Sep. 23, 1916
151st | " J. W. Arnott |Strathcona |Oct. 3, 1916
152nd | " S. Nells |Wayburn, Sask. | " 3, 1916
153rd | " R. T. Pritchard |Guelph, Ont. |Apr. 29, 1917
154th | " A. G. F. McDonald |Cornwall |Oct. 25, 1916
155th | " M. K. Adams |Belleville | " 17, 1916
156th | " T. C. D. Bedell |Brockville | " 17, 1916
157th | " D. H. McLaren |Barrie, Ont. | " 17, 1916
158th | " C. Milne |Vancouver |Nov. 13, 1916
159th | " E. F. Armstrong |Haileybury |Oct. 31, 1916
160th | " A. Weir |Walkerton, Ont. | " 17, 1916
161st | " H. B. Combe |Clinton, Ont. | " 30, 1916
162nd | " J. Arthurs |Parry Sound | " 30, 1916
163rd | " H. Desrosiers |Montreal |Nov. 27, 1916
164th | " P. Domville |Milton, Ont. |Apr. 11, 1916
165th | " L. C. D'Aigle |Moncton |Mar. 28, 1916
166th | " W. G. Mitchell |Toronto |Oct. 12, 1916
167th | " O. Readman |Quebec | [1]
168th | " W. T. McMullin |Woodstock |Oct. 3, 1916
169th | " J. G. Wright |Toronto | " 17, 1916
170th | " L. Reed | " | " 25, 1916
171st | " Sir W. Price |Quebec |Nov. 23, 1916
172nd | " J. R. Vickers |Kamloops, B. C. |Oct. 25, 1916
173rd | " W. H. Bruce |Hamilton, Ont |Nov. 13, 1916
174th | " H. F. Osler |Winnipeg |Apr. 29, 1917
175th | " N. Spencer |Medicine Hat |Oct. 3, 1916
176th | " D. Sharpe |St. Catherines |Apr. 29, 1917
177th | " J. B. McFee |Simcoe, Ont |May 3, 1917
178th | " L. de la B. Girouard|Victoriaville |Mar. 3, 1917
179th | " J. Y. Reid |Winnipeg |Oct. 3, 1916
180th | " R. H. Green |Toronto |Nov. 13, 1916
181st | " H. B. Combe |Brandon, Man |Apr. 18, 1917
182nd | " A. A. Cockburn |Whitby |May 3, 1917
183rd | " W. T. Edgecomb |Winnipeg |Oct. 3, 1916
184th | " W. H. Sharpe |Lisgar, Man | " 31, 1916
185th | " F. P. Day |Halifax | " 12, 1916
186th |Major Neil Smith |Chatham, Ont |Mar. 28, 1917
187th |Lt. Col. G. W. Robinson |Red Deer |Dec. 15, 1916
188th | " C. J. Donaldson |Prince Albert |Oct. 12, 1916
189th | " A. Piuze |Frazerville |Sep. 9, 1916
190th | " G. K. Watson |Winnipeg |May 3, 1917
191st | " W. G. Bryan |McLeod, Alta |Mar. 28, 1917
192nd |Captain H. E. Lyon |Blairmore, Alta |Oct. 31, 1916
193rd |Lt. Col. J. Stanfield |Truro, N. S | " 12, 1916
194th | " W. C. Craig |Edmonton |Nov. 13, 1916
195th | " A. C. Gomer |Regina |Oct. 31, 1916
196th | " D. S. Mackay |Camp Hughes | " 31, 1916
197th | " H. G. Fonseca |Winnipeg |Jan. 23, 1917
198th | " J. A. Cooper |Toronto |Mar. 28, 1917
199th | " P. J. Trihey |Montreal |Dec. 15, 1916
200th | " A. L. Bonnycastle |Winnipeg |May 3, 1917
201st | " E. W. Hagarty | |Disbanded
202nd | " T. E. Bowen |Edmonton |Nov. 23, 1916
203rd | " J. E. Hansford |Winnipeg |Oct. 26, 1916
204th | " W. H. Price |Toronto |Mar. 23, 1917
205th | " R. R. Moodie |Hamilton | [2]
206th | " T. Pagnuelo |Montreal | [3]
207th | " C. W. McLean |Ottawa |June 2, 1917
208th | " T. H. Lennox |Toronto |Mar. 21, 1917
209th | " W. O. Smyth |Swift Current |Oct. 31, 1917
210th | " W. E. Seaborn |Moosejaw. Sask |Apr. 11, 1917
211th | " W. M. Sage |Vancouver |Dec. 15, 1916
212th | " E. C. Pitman |Winnipeg | [4]
213th | " B. J. McCormick |St. Catherines | [4]
214th | " J. H. Hearn |Wadena, Sask |Apr. 18, 1917
215th | " H. E. Snider |Brantford | " 29, 1917
216th | " F. L. Burton |Toronto | " 18, 1917
217th | " A. B. Gillis |Moosomin, Sask |June 2, 1917
218th | " J. K. Cornwall |Victoria |Feb. 17, 1917
219th | " W. H. Muirhead |Halifax |Oct. 12, 1916
220th | " B. H. Brown |Toronto |Apr. 29, 1917
221st | " M. McMeans |Winnipeg | " 18, 1917
222nd | " J. Lightfoot | " |Nov. 13, 1916
223rd | " H. Albrechsten | " |May 3, 1917
224th | " A. McDougall |Ottawa | " 19, 1916
225th | " J. Mackay |Fernie, B. C |Jan. 25, 1917
226th | " R. A. G. Gillespie |Dauphin, Man |Dec. 15, 1916
227th | " C. H. Le P. Jones |Hamilton |Apr. 11, 1917
228th | " A. Earchman |North Bay |Feb. 16, 1917
229th | " H. D. Pickett |Moosejaw |Apr. 18, 1917
230th | " R. de Salaberry |Brockville |Jan. 23, 1917
231st | " F. E. Leach |Vancouver |Apr. 11, 1917
232nd | " R. P. Laurie |Battleford | " 18, 1917
233rd | " E. Leprohon |Winnipeg | [5]
234th | " W. Wallace |Toronto |Apr. 18, 1917
235th | " S. B. Scobel |Belleville |May 3, 1917
236th | " P. A. Guthrie |Fredericton |Nov. 9, 1917
237th | " Rev. C. S. Bullock |Sussex | [6]
238th | " W. R. Smith |Valcartier |Sep. 11, 1916
239th |Major V. L. MacDonald | " |Dec. 15, 1916
240th |Lt. Col. E. J. Watt |Renfrew |May 3, 1917
241st | " W. L. McGregor |Windsor |Apr. 29, 1917
242nd | " J. B. White |Montreal |Nov. 23, 1916
243rd | " J. E. Bradshaw |Prince Albert |June 2, 1917
244th | " E. M. McRobie |Montreal |Mar. 28, 1917
245th | " C. C. Ballantyne | " |May 3, 1917
246th | " N. H. Parson |Halifax |June 2, 1917
247th | " C. H. Ackerman |Peterboro | [7]
248th | " J. H. Rorke |Owen Sound |June 2, 1917
249th | " C. B. Keenlyside |Regina |Feb. 21, 1918
250th | " W. H. Hastings |Winnipeg | [8]
251st | " G. H. Nicholson | " |Oct. 6, 1917
252nd | " J. J. Glass |Lindsay |June 2, 1917
253rd | " P. G. C. Campbell |Kingston |Apr. 29, 1917
254th | " A. P. Allen |Belleville |June 2, 1917
255th | " G. C. Royce |Toronto | " 2, 1917
256th | " W. A. McConnell | " |Mar. 28, 1917
257th | " L. T. Martin |Ottawa |Feb. 16, 1917
258th | " P. E. Blondin |Quebec |Oct. 6, 1917
| | |
Universit. | |
Inf. Co | | |
No. 1 " |Captain P. Molson |Montreal |May 29, 1915
No. 2 " | " G. C. MacDonald | " |June 29, 1917
No. 3 " |Lieut. F. L. Turnbull | " |Sep. 4, 1915
No. 4 " | " J. R. Mitchener | " |Nov. 27, 1915
No. 5 " | " O. S. Tyndale | " |Apr. 2, 1916
| | |
Yukon Inf. | |
Co |Comm. Black |Dawson City |Jan. 24, 1917
| | |
No. 1 Jewish | |Mar. 28, 1917
Inf. Co |Captain I. Friedman |Montreal |Mar. 28, 1917
| | |
No. 1 Independent | |Oct. 6, 1917
Inf. Co |Major T.J. Langford |Winnipeg |Oct. 6, 1917
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Footnote TN1: In this file, the battalion numbers have been changed from words to numbers to reduce the size of the table.]

[Footnote 1: Converted into Quebec recruiting battalion.]

[Footnote 2: Converted into C. M. C. Corps.]

[Footnote 3: Sent to Bermuda.]

[Footnote 4: Disbanded; unable to obtain recruits.]

[Footnote 5: Absorbed by 178th Battalion.]

[Footnote 6: Disbanded.]

[Footnote 7: Absorbed by 236th Battalion.]

[Footnote 8: Amalgamated with 249th Battalion.]

--------------------+----------------------------+-------------------------+-------------
UNIT | ORIGINAL OFFICER | MOBILIZED | SAILED
| IN COMMAND | |
--------------------|----------------------------|-------------------------|-------------
R. C. D |Lt. Col. C. M. Nelles |Toronto |Oct. 3, 1914
L. S. H | " A. C. MacDonald |Winnipeg | " 3, 1914
R. N. W. M. P |Major C. L. Jennings |Regina |June 4, 1918
C. M. R. Depot |Lt. Col. W. C. Brooks |Hamilton |Oct. 22, 1917
First C. M. R. Bde | " F. O. Sissons |Winnipeg |June 12, 1915
First Regt. C. M. R | " H. J. Stevenson } { " 12, 1915
Second " " | " J. C. L. Bott }Included in First Brigade{ " 12, 1915
Third " " | " L. J. Whittaker } { " 12, 1915
Second C. M. R. Bde |Col. C. A. Smart |Sherbrooke |July 18, 1915
Fourth Regt. C. M. R|Lt. Col. S. F. Smith } { " 18, 1915
Fifth " " | " G. H. Baker }Included in Second { " 18, 1915
Sixth " " | " R. H. Ryan } Brigade { " 18, 1915
Seventh " " |Major E. I. Leonard |London, Ont |June 29, 1915
Eighth " " |Lt. Col J. R. Munro |Ottawa |Oct. 9, 1915
Ninth " " | " G. C. Hodson |Lloydminster, Sask |Nov. 23, 1915
Tenth " " |Major F. C Washington |Portage la Prairie |Apr. 28, 1916
Eleventh " " |Lt. Col. G. H. Kirkpatrick |Vancouver |July 8, 1916
Twelfth " " | " G. MacDonald |Calgary |Oct. 9, 1915
Thirteenth Regt. | | |
C. M. R | " V. H. Holmes |Medicine Hat |June 28, 1916
First Can. Div. | | |
Cav. Sq. | " F. C. Jamieson |Valcartier |Oct. 3, 1914
Second " " |Major H. J. Leonard |London, Ont. |June 9, 1915
Third " " | " T. W. Wright |Winnipeg |Jan. 22, 1916
Fourth " " |Lt. Col. R. A. Carman |Portage la Prairie |Apr. 28, 1916

A digest of the foregoing tables will indicate the proportionate enlistments in the various sections of the country. Population considered, the West did better than the East.

As to the proportional representation of the various occupations in the enlistments, some light is thrown on that by figures presented by Mr. N. W. Rowell, K. C., in the Ontario Legislature, covering the period of heaviest voluntary enlistment, up to March 1, 1916. Out of a total of 263,111 recruits, 6 per cent, or 16,153 were professional men; 2 per cent, or 6,530, were merchants or men in the employing class; 18 per cent, or 48,777, were clerical workers; 64 per cent, or 170,369, were manual workers; 6 per cent, or 17,044, were farmers; and 1 per cent, or 4,238, were students.

The latter item deserves special mention, in the unusual enthusiasm shown by the students of the Canadian universities. At the end of 1914 McGill University had nearly a hundred of its student body in training on Salisbury Plain, many more were at Exhibition Park, preparing themselves for active service at the front, while others were in different camps throughout the country; 1,800 men were in the Officers' Training Corps, with 80 members of the faculty acting as officers. On March 1, 1915, 307 undergraduates had enlisted. Out of 4,000 registered students there were, at the end of 1915, 811 enlisted men, together with 1,003 graduates and 83 members of the staff.

The University of Toronto, by the end of 1918, was represented by 5,308 men, from its staff, graduates, undergraduates, and its faculty of education, of which 531 were killed. Other Ontario universities were represented by 900 men on active service. At the close of the war it was estimated that about 17,000 college students, or graduates, had enlisted, of which about 1,200 were reported as casualties.