E3161 Victoria Edwards (RMC 2003) has been researching the memorial stained glass windows at the Royal Military College.
151 Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Macdonell K.C.B., CMG, DSO, ADC, LL.D, who served as Commandant of RMC from 1919-25 made the staircase in the administrative building into a memorial staircase. The three memorial stained glass windows on the first floor stairwell in the Mackenzie building recall three cadets who died prior to World War I.
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The left window depicts St Michael, the Archangel, shown fully armed and holding a staff and a shield. In Hebrew, Christian and Islamic tradition, he is viewed as the field commander of the Army of God and his offices include rescuing the souls of the faithful from the power of the enemy, especially at the hour of death and to call away from earth and bring men’s souls to judgment. The window was erected to the beloved memory of Gentleman Cadet James Wylie Logie. Cadet Logie was buried at the Hamilton City Cemetery on May 2, 1913. The window was erected by his father Hon. James Wylie (1789-1854) and his mother Mary Wylie née Hamilton. His father was appointed to the Legislative Council of Canada in 1849. He was a magistrate, merchant, Rideau Canal contractor, postmaster, farmer, county agricultural society president and builder of the Almonte, Ontario residence Burnside, on the Mississippi River. The verse “Go Thy Way Thy Son Liveth” (John 4:50) refers to Jesus healing the son of a nobleman at Capernaum.
The middle window depicts the College motto Truth Duty Valour and the Armorial Ensigns for the Royal Military College of Canada, which were assigned by George the fifth at the Court of St. James in July, 1920. The memorial window was erected to the beloved memory of Gentleman Cadet Douglas Burr Plumb, who drowned at Romaine, Labrador on June 22nd 1903. He was born on March 7th 1884 to Thomas Street Plumb (d. 1885), a lawyer and Louisa Andrée Plumb née Elliott (d. 1894) of Toronto, Ontario. The window was erected by his stepfather, Wallace Nesbitt [(1858 – 1930) a Canadian lawyer and Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. In 1887, Wallace Nesbitt married Louisa Andrée Plumb (d. 1894), the widow of his one-time partner Thomas Street Plumb, and became the stepfather of two young children.
The right window depicts three angels and Sir Galahad, who is shown on foot leading a horse. Sir Galahad, a knight of King Arthur’s Round Table was one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend, is shown fully armed and holding a staff and a shield. At the top of this same window it also states a line from the famous poem `Sir Galahad` by Alfred Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom: “My strength is as the strength of ten because my heart is pure.” The memorial window was erected in loving memory of Gentleman Cadet Arthur Latrobe Smith. He was born 30th August 1895. He drowned at Kingston on May 2nd 1913. This window is erected by his mother and brother. The verse “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8) refers to Jesus giving his sermon on the central principles of the Christian faith at the Mount of Beatitudes.
Sir Galahad, Alfred Lord Tennyson http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/Galahad.htm