Your Donations at Work

The Mottershead Battlefield Tour (MBFT) is a nine-day, non-credit history experience offered twice a year thanks to the extraordinary contribution of Ian and Rosemary Mottershead. It immerses Officer and Naval Cadets in the landscapes of two world wars—from the trenches of the Somme to the beaches of Dieppe, from Monte Cassino to Coriano Ridge, and the Falaise Gap.

Led by RMC faculty, the MBFT is more than a travel opportunity—it’s a meaningful extension of the College’s core history curriculum. It offers students a deeper understanding of the complexities of any battlefield decision and their impact in both global conflicts.

At Vimy Ridge, students stood at the edge of the preserved trenches and looked out over ground once taken at great cost. In Ortona, they walked in the footsteps of the Canadian troops that fought in 1943, from street to street and from mouse-hole to mouse-hole, with the remains of the bullets still visible on the walls around them. In each place, they encountered not only historical facts but personal legacies.

The simulation was designed and developed by Professor Walter Dorn (Department of Defence Studies at RMC and CFC). He is an operational professor who has served in UN missions and regularly visited them for over 20 years. Six years ago, during a sabbatical, he started exploring the new medium of digital simulation. He wanted to offer scenario-based learning to students in his courses on peace operations. To develop digital simulations, he created a team of a dozen researchers and developers who looked at UN operations and identified important lessons before gamifying them through the Unity Game Engine.

This award is bestowed on the top graduating Air Force cadet in Business administration. It is awarded on a yearly basis at the departmental level and presented at the Commissioning Ceremony. Sean Frankham was a proud graduate of the Royal Military College with a degree in Business Administration. Sean was an accomplished management consultant with expertise in operational excellence and leadership. Skilled in change management, coaching, team building, and continuous improvement, Sean held an Executive MBA from Athabasca University and a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification. Sean’s core values were steeped in tradition, and he strongly believed in service to country and to others.

Before this trip, I was not someone who enjoyed history for the sake of history; I took the classes and learned the content but I did not have an appreciation for what it all means. I did not understand the sacrifices of the young men who went to war for our nation like I do now. I now have an appreciation for where the roots of our national identity are planted and I can better appreciate the sheer number of men who believed in the idea of Canada identity so much that they were willing to give their lives for the values that the maple leaf represents.