The joint C.E.F. and R.A.F. meet took place on September 7th. The latter maintained its reputation for sportsmanship, and succeeded in winning the majority of the contests.
The last large Meet in which the brigade participated was at the Great Lakes Training Station near Chicago. The Corps was somewhat handicapped by having limited time for preliminary training, but, in spite of this, captured four firsts, these being won by the same cadet who had previously covered himself with laurels at the Island Stadium. Such was the success of the R.A.F. on this occasion, that special congratulations were received from the Secretary of State through the Director of Training at the Air Ministry, London. With the coming of winter in 1918 came also orders for demobilization and, in consequence, the large programme of the sports committee was perforce abandoned.
In retrospect it appears that the athletics practised have been of the greatest possible value, not only in the maintenance of first-rate physical condition, but also in the fostering of all those principles of sportsmanship and good fellowship without which a military unit can never realize its highest character and efficiency.
[ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.]
It is desired to give official and universal thanks of the brigade for the great services rendered by many organizations and individuals during its two years’ work in Canada. From the first it was recognized that while military training was the object of the Corps, there were other phases of the life of the personnel that were of primary importance. That the work of training has been successful is due in no small degree to the fact that all ranks have benefited both temperamentally and socially by the generous thoughtfulness so continually extended.
No sooner had the wing been formed than the late Colonel Hamilton Merritt and Mrs. Merritt, of Toronto, presented two training machines as an indication of their keen interest in the progress of the flying arm of the Imperial services. Later the City of Toronto followed this example with three machines, Mr. James Carruthers with a similar gift, and the Province of Ontario provided two more.
Colonel Merritt’s donation commemorated the battles of Queenston and Lundy’s Lane, in October, 1812, and July, 1814, respectively; while Mr. Carruthers’ machines were named after three cities in which the donor’s interests were principally centred.