McGill Remembers

The McGill contingent of the Canadian Officers’ Training Corps parading on lower campus in 1941 (Photo: McGill University Archives)

McGill Remembers: Exploring McGill’s War Records and Related Archives

If you haven’t already checked out the McGill Remembers project, it’s a great time to visit the site. The McGill Remembers project has expanded its content, complete with new photo galleries, a searchable War Records database, and histories of more than 6000 veterans from the Second World War.

Learn about the extensive contributions of McGill women, who served with the Canadian Red Cross during the brutal conditions of the First World War, enlisted in Active Forces during the Second World War, or provided civilian support through organizations like the McGill Women’s Union back home in Montreal. Find out more about the story of Dawson College, which housed returning veteran students and their families after World War II in what was originally an old air base.

In the section on research and training, one can explore McGill’s contributions to the fields of submarine detection, see bizarre contraptions meant to measure the effects of sea-sickness, learn about the unexpected applications of pulp and paper research to explosives, along with other advancements in war related research.

Also new to the McGill Remembers website is the recently digitized McGill Honour Roll; a volume of photos and sketches that memorializes the members of the McGill community who fought during the First World War.

Whether looking up your relatives, browsing the photo galleries, or simply learning more about the unique histories of McGill University in wartime, McGill Remembers is the perfect place to learn more about our veterans,  and the role of McGill researchers alumni and students in the both War and the commemoration of Peace.

See a CBC segment and short video on McGill Remembers from 2012 here.