The story of the teachers who came by the thousands, from near and far, to join the British war effort. August 1914: Flags waved, people cheered, and armies mobilized. Millions throughout Britain responded to the call to arms. War fever was contagious. In the far reaches of empire, young men also pledged their allegiance and prepared to serve the king and his empire. Among the patriots who joined the colors were thousands of schoolmasters and trainee teachers. In London, students and alumni from the London Day Training College left their classrooms and took the king’s shilling. In the dominions, hundreds of their professional counterparts in Perth, Auckland, and Toronto similarly reported to the military training grounds, donned uniforms, and embarked for the “old country” in its hour of need. This book tells their story. It recalls the decisions made by men who were united by their training, occupation, and imperial connections, but divided by social and geographical contexts and personal beliefs. It follows these teacher-soldiers as they landed on the beaches of Gallipoli, attacked across no man’s land in Flanders, on the Somme, and at Passchendaele, and finally broke through the Hindenburg Line and secured victory. Many did not survive the carnage of what became known as the Great War. And for those who did, men who’d been proud to call themselves Tommies, Anzacs, Enzeds, and Canucks, coming home would present even more challenges and adjustments. “Highly recommended for . . . those who wish to learn more about the social and educational make up of British and Commonwealth forces in the Great War.” —Argunners

The role of Canadian universities in selecting and training officers for the armed forces is an important yet overlooked chapter in the history of higher education in Canada. For more than fifty years, the University of Toronto supported the largest and most active contingent of the Canadian Officers' Training Corps (COTC), which sent thousands of officer candidates into the regular and reserve forces. Based on the rich fund of documents housed in the university archives, Varsity’s Soldiers offers the first full-length history of military training in Toronto. Beginning with the formation of a student rifle company in 1861, and focusing on the story of the COTC from 1914 to 1968, author Eric McGeer seeks to enlarge appreciation of the university’s remarkable contribution to the defence of Canada, the place of military education in an academic setting, and the experience of the students who embodied the ideal of service to alma mater and to country.