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THE
MCGILL REMEMBERS
PROJECT
Background
In April
2005 staff members Prof. Christopher Milligan (Faculty of Education) and Wes
Cross (Student Services) created a website to honour McGill’s participants in the
First and Second Second World Wars as part of Canada’s Year of the Veteran activities. The
website drew interest from the community and helped remind the campus of the
richness of the University’s contribution to the war effort.
As a result an advisory group, the McGill Remembers Roundtable was formed, comprised of individuals with expertisein the field of history and McGill's collections. Roundtable discussions centered on the various elements of McGill’s history that marked the era, and how best to share the information, art and architecture with the public. Part of the McGill history included the Roll of Honour published in 1926 and the Memorial Hall & Pool opened in 1950 as a result of the fund raising campaign begun in 1944 by the University and Alumni Association. A unique building on campus containing plaques, flags, paintings and McGill’s Book of Remembrance, it served as a gathering point for various ceremonies, most notably Remembrance Day. In current times, almost forgotten, the Hall has fallen into disuse and the inevitable deterioration had set in. In the McGill University Archives (MUA) the individual records of over 6,000 McGill students and staff were found, compiled by R.C. Fetherstonhaugh of the McGill War Record Office during World War Two. These files contained press clippings, photos, letters and dispatches for each of the known McGill participants, both military and civilian from World War Two. The example set by the University of Glasgow and other institutions indicated that there was a keen public interest in such material, and it would be an important step if McGill could make these files available to a wider audience. The Roundtable agreed that the University should pursue a number of steps to rehabilitate the Memorial Hall, and increase its role in the community and, at the same time, endeavor to share the various elements of the archival records. Beyond the paper records held by the MUA, there are also paintings, stained glass windows, sculptures and other objects. It was also important to capture the contribution of later McGill contributors such as those alumni who participated in peace-keeping and development operations in the more recent past. Achievements To date the McGill Remembers Project has been quite successful. It has been an active participant in the annual Remembrance Day ceremonies on both campuses as well as the official Montreal ceremony. A number of alumni veterans have been contacted and interviewed to provide additional insight and advice. We have also provided presentations and lectures to interested groups on McGill's history. • In 2009 the stained glass windows in Memorial Hall were restored • In 2012 thousands of digitized archival records pertaining to the students, alumni, faculty and staff of McGill University who contributed to the Second World War effort. were made available and have become indispensable to researchers and teachers who continue to utilize this collection in new and interesting ways. • In 2014 the Memorial Book was removed from the Hall and sent for restoration having spent 64 years on display. Due to the environmental conditions in the Hall being less than ideal for the return of the Book to its display, a replica was made and it has been on display in the McLennan Library since November 2014 having been re-dedicated by the Principal and Desmond Morton in a small ceremony. °•A digital version of the 1950 Memorial Book is also available online. The original Book is now held by the Rare Books and Archives department until the future configuration of Memorial Hall is resolved. •The 1926 Roll of Honour has also been added to the digital collection of the McGill University Archives. •The 148th Battalion flags flags were removed from their flagpoles in the Hall, restored and rehung in presentation cases and are on display in the James Administration building. Similarly the paintings in the Hall have also been restored and placed in the administration building. They will be returnrd to Memorial Hall when renovations have been completed. •A World War I working group was established by the University to identify and promote activities related to the centennial of that conflict and the project has participated in that work. As part of that effort, Prof. Desmond Morton provided a James McGill Society lecture for the James McGill Society titled How McGill Won the First World War. •In
2015 an exhibit on the No. 3 McGill General Hospital was mounted on
campus. • In 2014 the McGill Remembers Project was honoured with the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation for the work achieved thus far. • In 2018 a detailed examination, analysis and corrections to the World War One fatalities list was completed. • A presentation to the James McGill Sciety on the history of the McGill Honour Roll was made to mark the 2018 Remembrance Day. • In 2020 the transcription of 3,059 enlistees and other World War One participants was completed. • In April 2021 a presentation was made to the Jame McGill Society on the Ajax Club naval collection. • A presentation on the Ajax Club naval collection was made at the Shaping of Canada conference at Cape Breton University in October 2021 and at the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada in May 2022.
The Black Watch
(Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
Royal Canadian Legion Veterans Affairs Canada |