The RMC History Department embarks on the Annual Battlefield Tour over reading week each February. This tour, established in 2003, and almost exclusively funded through donations to the RMC Foundation since 2004, allows Cadets to tour First and Second World War Canadian Battlefields in France and Belgium. Since 2003 this tour has become a major college activity with increasing interest from the Cadet Wing.
The Annual Battlefield Tour provides Cadets with the “out of classroom” experience immersing them in a much deeper understanding of the stories and connections to these historic sites. Walking the beaches of Normandy, for example, leaves Cadets with a deep appreciation of how the actions of so many of our Canadian Soldiers’ helped define who we are as a nation.
Touring the old European battlefields of WWI and WWII is spectacular; however, what enhances the experience, even more, is the staff. RMC is the only University in Canada that has the ability to provide their own ex/currently serving military WWI and WWII history experts to guide the Battlefield Tour. The breadth of experience and knowledge provided by each RMC professor is astounding, and their guidance throughout the experience is what makes the tour truly unique.
It is because of the generosity of 5586 Ian and Rosemary Mottershead that this trip made possible for the students of RMC each year.
“. . . memories of the tour are still fresh in my mind . . it was the culminating point . . . and a highlight of my experiences at RMC and a touchstone for me since I graduated. . . the tour was so meaningful to me that I brought my family to many of the same sites during my leave from Afghanistan.” – 23241 Craig Scott, Class of 2005
“. . . memories of the tour are still fresh in my mind . . it was the culminating point . . . and a highlight of my experiences at RMC and a touchstone for me since I graduated. . . the tour was so meaningful to me that I brought my family to many of the same sites during my leave from Afghanistan.” – 23241 Craig Scott, Class of 2005“The RMC Battlefield Tour 2019 has given a handful of Cadets the ability to remind themselves of the legacy that they carry every day by wearing the uniform. I must thank the Foundation for helping me find a new, deeper meaning in the college motto, Truth, Duty, Valour.” – 27847 André Turenne, Class of 2019