UWO Contingent COTC, The History of the Canadian Officers’ Training Corps at the University of Western Ontario by Hartley Munro Thomas, and: History of the 6th Field Company Royal Canadian Engineers, 1939–1945 by CQMS S. A. Flatt (review)

REVIEWS OF BOOKS 255 MonPays:Synth3se d'histoire du Canada. By Abb• HERMANN PLANTE and Abb$LouisMARTE•.. Trois-Rivi•res: Editions la Fl•che.1956.Pp.xvi,841. $$.00. T•E bestclueto the chiefemphasis in thisnewtextbook, designed for use in theclassical colleges of Quebec, is theprefatory letterwrittenby Canon Lionel Groulx. In thishesays, "Fora longtimein ourcolleges wehavebeen wanting a reallyacceptable textbook in Canadian history. It seems to methat thistext. . . issuch asto meetall desires .... Oneof my dearest wishes has been realized at last." In other words this book is written in the Groulx tradition, and therefore in it the stress is put uponthe di•iculties of French-Canadian survival, with particular attention beinggivento the failureof Franceto saveits colony, to thefightforcultural andpolitical autonomy undertheEnglish r•gime,andto the needfor continuing the struggle in the faceof present day centralizing trends. The authors welcome the growing independence of Canadaand its newplacein theworldbut seeFrench-Canadian culturethreatened bothby toomuchpowerin Ottawaandby toomanyinfluences emanating fromthe UnitedStates. So,thefightforexistence goes on,andin thelastanalysis they seesurvival fortheFrench in Canada asresting uponChurch andSchool. The appearance of a textbook writtenin thisvein is convincing evidence ofthestrong impression madeby Canon Groulxuponthepresent generation of teachers in the classical colleges, and through themupona wide rangeof professional people, theirgraduates. RICHARD M. SAO•DERS University of Toronto UWO Contingent COTC, The Historyof the Canadian 0t•cers'Training Corpsat the University of WesternOntario.By HAR•m•.¾ MUNRO T•oM•s. London: University of Western Ontario.1956.Pp.422. $2.50. Historyof the 6th Field Company RoyalCanadian Engineers, I989-I945. Compiled by CQMSS.A. F•.AT•.New Westminster, B.C. [1956.] Pp. xiv, 141, illus. (Obtainable from 6 Field Squadron R.C.E., Drill Hall, 1500 ForbesAve., NorthVancouver, B.C.) MI•.ITAR¾ historyis only a tenuous link betweenthesevolumes. 'Sincea C.O.T.C.contingent provides merelya few hours militarytraining per week to undergraduates in theirowncollege surroundings, Professor Thomas had the mostprosaicactivities to reduceinto a readablenarrative.His success mustbe attributed, at leastin part,to a longassociation withuniversity life, interrupted onlybyactive service intwoWorldWars. Theattractively produced littlevolume onthe6thFieldCompany, R.C.E., deals mainly with active-service conditions, but is hardlyhistory in a true sense. The textis chatty,beingintended to revivethe memories of its exmembers , andtherehasbeennorealattempt to provide a background for theunit'sactivities withthe2ndCanadian InfantryDivision in North-West Europe. Actually anoutsider will learnmoreaboutmilitaryengineers at work andplayfromthenumerous andvaried photographs. Themost dreary scenes depicted, however, arethose of Debert,NovaScotia--which campthisunit helped to construct during theinclement months of 1940-1.Themaps are interesting andthechapter headdrawings appropriate. Ottawa J.MAC•¾ HI•SMAN ...