_ACADIA UNIVERSITY AND THE WAR._
In common with other universities in the Empire, Acadia emptied her
halls when the call to duty came. Her ideals had always been those
directly opposed to war, but to carry out these ideals, it was necessary
to participate in it. Between six and seven hundred Acadia men and women
enlisted. There was no definite Unit formed by the Acadia men, but they
were found in all departments of the service. Sixty were in the Nova
Scotia Highland Brigade, mostly in “D” Company, 219th Battalion; and
their Platoon, number 13, won the Brigade trophy for efficiency. Ten
students left Acadia at one time with the 4th Universities Company
Reinforcements, Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry. The
attendance at the University was cut down to about one half,
notwithstanding the fact that the number of young women remained
constant. The Freshman class was unusually large, but as soon as the age
of eighteen was reached, practically no fit man remained. Of the Acadia
students, sixty-three lost their lives in service, sixty-two young men
and one young woman.
We have no definite figures concerning honors, but about eighty were
conferred on Acadia men, one of which was the coveted Victoria Cross,
the only one awarded to a college man in the Maritime Provinces, and, in
fact, the only one awarded to a Maritime Province Unit. One of our
Acadia men had the distinction of being the youngest Lieutenant-Colonel
in the British Army, commanding the 10th Alberta when twenty-six years
of age. He received the D.S.O. and two Bars, the Military Cross, was
five times mentioned in dispatches, and was recommended for the Victoria
Cross. The only colored chaplain in the British Army was an Acadia man.
In addition to those who enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force,
we had a number who enlisted with the Americans, and still others who
enlisted with the British, all of whom gave splendid account of
themselves.
When the War broke out, there was a branch of the C.O.T.C. at Acadia,
but it went out of business early because practically every member
enlisted. The officer in charge of the C.O.T.C. for Military District
No. 6 told me that a larger number of C.O.T.C. men went from Acadia than
from any other Maritime University. Since the War, many students have
returned to the University to complete their work, and, without
exception, they are making excellent records. Acadia has offered one
year’s free tuition to returned men, being the only university in Canada
to do that.
In 1919, the returned men at Acadia met, and, after consultation,
decided that something should be done in the way of a Memorial for those
who had given their lives in the War. The suggestion was made that this
memorial should take the form of a Gymnasium, typifying the splendid
physical condition, the manly vigor, and sporting spirit of the boys who
went Overseas.
In 1914 our Gymnasium had been destroyed by fire, and a committee of
eight young men had been appointed to raise funds for a new Gymnasium.
Of these eight, six had dropped the burden of responsibility of the
Gymnasium and had gone to war, one of whom was killed at Passchendaele.
It seemed most fitting that their work should be carried out by those
who were left, and the next of kin of all those who had given their
lives were consulted, and agreed to the proposal.
As a result, this Gymnasium is now in process of construction, and will
be a building in every way suitable as a Memorial for those boys who
have fallen. On May 26, 1920, General Sir Arthur W. Currie, G.C.M.G.,
K.C.B., D.S.O., formerly Commander of the Canadian Corps in France, laid
the corner stone of the new Gymnasium and delivered an address on that
occasion.
While we feel that Acadia’s part in the War was no more than it should
have been, we are justly proud of the willing sacrifice, the ready
response, and the splendid record made by our Acadia men.