Filling the Ranks ─ Manpower in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1918

Manpower is the lifeblood of armies regardless of time or place. In the First World War, much of Canada’s military effort was engaged in finding men to sustain the Canadian Expeditionary Force, especially in France and Belgium. Keeping a sufficient number of men in the Canadian Corps involved the development of ever-increasing policies, procedures, and organizations, and the help of the government. The first book to explore the issue of manpower in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, Filling the Ranks examines the administrative and organizational changes that fostered efficiency and sustained the army. In detail, Richard Holt describes national civilian and military policies and criteria related to recruitment both inside and outside of Canada, efforts to recruit women, convicts, and members of First Nations, African-Canadian, and Slavic communities, the conduct of entry-level training, and the development of a coherent reinforcement structure. Thanks in part to these efforts, Canada’s ability to provide enough trained men to fill the ranks made it possible for the Corps to become an elite formation within the British Expeditionary Force. Based on extensive research from archives in both Britain and Canada, Filling the Ranks provides a wealth of new information on the history of Canada on the Western Front.

Richard Holt, a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Royal Canadian Regiment, is an independent researcher.