History of RMC Squadron Names
By: 8057 Ross McKenzie (RMC ’70)
In the pre-Second World War period the Cadet organization was called a Battalion, and the sub-units were called Companies, (e.g.: “A” Company). With the 1948 re-opening of RMC as a cadet College, and its reinvention as a tri-service institution (vice just an army College), the Cadet organization took on an air force name- the Cadet Wing. The sub-units also were called by air force names- Squadrons, Flights and Sections.
Naming Squadrons after famous historic people was a custom introduced in 1948.
1948
# 1 (Frontenac) Squadron
# 2 (LaSalle) Squadron.
#3 (Hudson) Squadron
1950 At the start of academic year 1950-51 a new Squadron was created-
# 4 (Brock) Squadron
1955 At the start of the academic year 1955-56 there were four new squadrons created (since the College did not double its intake, these Squadrons would have been smaller in size)-
#5 (Pontiac) Squadron
#6 (Brant) Squadron -first Squadron Commander was Captain Collingwood, first CSL was O/C
#3662 Doug McCarter
#7 (Wolfe) Squadron
#8 (Montcalm) Squadron
1959 For the academic year 1959-60 the Squadrons were renamed “Flights”
Frontenac Flight
LaSalle Flight
Hudson Flight
Brock Flight
Pontiac Flight
Brant Flight
Wolfe Flight
Montcalm Flight
1960 For the year 1960-61 a new Flight was added (why the change in listing order was made was not noted, but without numbers maybe the order of listing has no significance.)
Frontenac Flight
Hudson Flight
LaSalle Flight
Brock Flight
Pontiac Flight
Brant Flight
Montcalm Flight
Wolfe Flight
Tecumseh Flight
1961 For the year 1961-62 -the term Squadron was reintroduced and some of the Flights were combined to make up fewer, but larger, sub-units. Five new Squadrons were created.
# 1 (Hudson) Squadron
#2 (LaSalle Squadron)
#3 (Pontiac) Squadron
#4 (Frontenac) Squadron
#5 (Brock) Squadron
1972 By the year 1971-72 – two addition Squadrons exist- (They may have been created a few years earlier but the Reviews from the mid-60s are useless as historic records, so I’m not sure of the exact date of reactivation.)
# 6 Brant Squadron
# 7 Wolfe Squadron