#47 LCol E.F. Wurtele: “Lads somewhat different from those to be found in English schools…”

This is the second installment of our seven part series on The History of the Royal Military College of Canada, by #47 LCol Ernest F. Wurtele, VD. LCol Wurtele graduated RMC in 1882, served as honourary secretary-treasurer of the RMC Club from 1892 to 1913, was the associate editor of the RMC Review for ex-cadet…

#47 E.F. Wurtele: “A complete education in all branches of military tactics…”

This is the first installment of our seven part series on The History of the Royal Military College of Canada, by #47 LCol Ernest F. Wurtele, VD. LCol Wurtele graduated RMC in 1882, served as honourary secretary-treasurer of the RMC Club from 1892 to 1913, was the associate editor of the RMC Review, for ex-cadet…

“You are the College, and it’s continuing glory rests in your hands…”

First Year / Winter Term @ RMC, April 1950 – 3069 W.A. McColl 24 April 1950 Since Thursday we’ve written French. Engineering Drawing & Military Studies today, which winds up the exams. On Saturday Barry Hercus had me into dinner at his place after we had dates, but never again, she lives too far away.…

Exam Time: “If the King turned up now, I don’t think anyone would give a sweet damn…”

 First Year / Winter Term @ RMC, April 1950 – 3069 W.A. McColl 16 April 1950 The first week of exams has been a tough one: Physics 2, Calculus, History & English. I think I missed Calculus and maybe the Physics. A gang of us have been having a little singsong in the canteen to…

“If I had worked like that all year, I’d have no worries about passing…”

First Year / Winter Term @ RMC, April 1950 – 3069 W.A. McColl 8 April 1950 Last Wed. we won the pistol shooting by over 100 pts. I got 93 pts out of a possible 180. Good for me. Most of the classes are over now. Yesterday was Good Friday. Some of us went into…

“We started out to raise all the hell we could…”

First Year / Winter Term @ RMC, April 1950 – 3069 W.A. McColl 3 April 1950 Quite a bit has happened since my last entry. Lt Shaw has been raising hell with inspections. On the night of the 31st, we started out to raise all the hell we could. I set about a half dozen…

“It will be pure hell if I flunk out. What would I do next year…?”

First Year / Winter Term @ RMC, March 1950 – 3069 W.A. McColl   28 Mar 1950 On Saturday I all but completed the year’s draughting. I was promoted to no. 1 drill squad with Sgt. MacConnell. Yesterday we got in some more revolver shooting. I spent most of last night working on a physics…

“The closer exams come the worse I’m getting at studying…”

First Year / Winter Term @ RMC, March 1950 – 3069 W.A. McColl 19 Mar 1950 Yesterday, Dewan & Murray and I went in and saw a show. After that we came down Princess St and went to another show. After it was over we were all broke so we had to come back and…

“The purpose of the game is to create international goodwill…”

First Year / Winter Term @ RMC March 1950 – 3069 W.A. McColl 12 Mar 50 This has certainly been a swell weekend. The Army team has just left. Yesterday afternoon we had a ceremonial parade and march past. The drill wasn’t so hot we felt because of all the snow on the square. The…

“About 20 Pointers arrived today. Their blue-grey uniforms are very smart…”

First Year / Winter Term @ RMC March 1950 – 3069 W.A. McColl 1 Mar 1950 Was runner again today. I think that Favell looks more like a corpse in the morning than anything else. Chief told me today that Ward was going to Royal Roads. He told me that I had beaten Ward decisively…

The Alpha and Omega of a Military Career

The Alpha and Omega of a Military Career A remembrance of Major-General (retired) Donald Gray in the twenty-fifth year of his retirement from the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Forces in 1987 while wintering in Florida in 2012. This vignette is a tiny part of his memoirs which may some day appear in print. …

Ist Year @ RMC Feb1950 – “Yesterday on drill parade I froze my left ear and it’s still pretty tender…”

 First Year @ RMC February 1950 – 3069 W.A. McColl Feb 23 It’s quite a while since I’ve written anything. Ever since the 16th I’ve been training for about an hour each day in the Old Gym, sparring with Conrad, Faraday, and Ward. I’ve got in pretty fair shape. Today the Chief said that Dewar…

Categories