Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
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Past Colonel Commandants
- Col (Ret'd) M.C. Johnston
[July 1991 - May 2004] - Col (Ret'd) W.G. Svab
[July 1987 - July 1991]
[July 1983 - June 1987]
[Jule 1979 - June 1983]- Col (Ret'd) A.L. McLean
[Aprl 1975 - June 1979] - Gen (Ret'd) A.G.L. McNaughton
[March 1946 - March 1964]
Colonel M.C. Johnston, CD
Colonel Johnston is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Engineering Degree from the University of Michigan. He has attended the Canadian Army Staff College and is a registered Professional Engineer of the Province of Ontario. He has served 31 years as a Regular Force officer in the Land Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (LEME) Branch retiring in 1983. He was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Land Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Branch on July 1st, 1991.
His military postings have included NDHQ as Director Support Vehicles Engineering, 202 Workshop Depot as Commanding Officer, Headquarters Mobile Command as Senior Staff Officer Maintenance, NDHQ as a planning team leader in the DEVIL Maintenance Systems Working Group, 4 Field Workshop as Second in Command and Recovery Officer, LETE as a test officer, 2 RCHA LAD as Commanding Officer and 213 Workshop as control officer. Other postings have included the International Commission for Control and Supervision (Vietnam 1973) as a Region Commander and Regular Support Staff for the Militia as Chief of Staff, Headquarters Ottawa Militia District.
On retiring from the Canadian Armed Forces he was appointed Director of the National Emergency Agency for Energy in the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources and the Canadian Representative to the NATO Petroleum Planning Committee. He retired in March 1991.
Colonel Johnston is Vice-Chairman of the Perley Rideau Veterans' Health Centre. He has also served as President of the Friends of the Canadian War Museum, President of the Royal Military Colleges Club of Canada, President of the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Association, Vice-Chairman (Ontario) of the Conference of Defence Associations and Vice-President of the Conference of Defence Associations Institute. He is a member of the United Services Institute of Ottawa.
Gen (Ret'd) A.G.L. McNaughton
By : 2lt A.R. Mills
When one speaks of greatness, there is often much dispute of what it truly means to be great. Is it to influence others to try and better themselves? To push forward into the unknown and forge a new path? Or simply to always try to exceed what it is you have done in your life and accomplish new goals? Whatever the definition may be, there are few who could argue that General Andrew G.L. McNaughton did not surpass this standard, as he was one of the most acclaimed Canadians of the 20th
century and perhaps, the most distinguished engineer to have ever served in the Canadian Forces.
Born in 1887 in Moosomin, Saskatchewan, Andrew G. L. McNaughton soon discovered a love of science and technology. He
attended McGill University in Montreal, where he completed both a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in physics and engineering (1910 and
1912 respectively). While attending the university, he enlisted in the Militia in 1909, and was soon deployed in 1914 as an officer with the 4th Battery of the Canadian Expeditionary Corps to fight in WWI.
While serving overseas, McNaughton applied his keen scientific knowledge and insight to artillery techniques. In a war in which artillery would become the dominant arm, this new approach quickly lead to decisive victories, and resulted in a very quick advance through the ranks for McNaughton. Although wounded twice, he continued to lead his troops in battle, and by the end of the war he had attained the rank of Brigadier General and was in command of the Canadian Artillery Corps.
After the Great War, McNaughton assumed the role of Chief of the General Staff (which is today called the Chief of the Land Staff). His main focus was mechanizing the armed forces, as well as modernizing the Militia. During these efforts, he helped develop a northern radio signals system using improved survey techniques based on aerial photography. Although this helped communication systems significantly, it was not nearly as important as his contribution to the development of the cathode ray detection finder, which would become the major component of radar systems.
After leaving the military for a period and assuming the position as the head of the National Research Council of Canada from 1935-1939, McNaughton once again joined the army when WWII broke out. Deploying overseas as the General Officer Commanding the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, he quickly developed the unit into a corps, and eventually an army. In 1943 he resigned his command, only to be appointed as the Minister of Defence in 1945.
Although by this point in his life he had already accomplished much more than most people could dream, he was not yet finished leaving his mark on Canada. After the war he became Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations, and served on the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission. He was also the first Colonel Commandant of the RCEME Branch from 1946-1964, which remains by far the longest tenure of the position in Branch history. In addition to all of the formal organizations of which he was part, he also displayed his unwavering patriotism by fighting to safeguard Canadian natural resources and against the Columbia River Treaty, which flooded fertile farmland in order to regulate water flow into downstream sections of the river located in the U.S.
After 53 years of service with the public service of Canada, General McNaughton died in 1966 at the age of 79. He had spent his entire life serving the country that he loved, compiling a resume of accomplishments that can never truly be measured. For this, several places and organizations around the country have dedicated various buildings and monuments in his honour.
One such dedication can be found in Chatham, N.B. Until 1996, the air defence community of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery had both an operational unit (119 Air Defence Battery) and the Air Defence Artillery School, which taught artillery and maintenance, at CFB Chatham. Since General McNaughton was the most prolific gunner in Canadian history, and had links to the artillery as well as to the maintainers, the Regiment honoured his memory by dedicating the main building of the school to his name.
In the end, General Andrew McNaughton will always be remembered for his dedication to advancing Canada's place in history. From his talents as a technically brilliant engineer, to a life in politics and the often used title “Father of the Canadian Army”, the effects of his extraordinary life will be felt for decades to come. Although many terms could be used to describe his life, perhaps it is most accurately summed up with “great”.
