Building the Army's Backbone: Canadian Non-Commissioned Officers in the Second World War

When Canada declared war on Germany in 1939, its military comprised only about 4,000 active and 50,000 reserve personnel. Unable to function without a strong core of experienced noncommissioned officers, the military embarked on an ambitious recruitment and training regimen. Building the Army's Backbone details the two-pronged approach improvised to meet this challenge: in addition to traditionally centralized training, deployed units would also train officers in the field. Their efforts succeeded thanks to a rotating group of the best-trained NCOs between operational forces, the reinforcement pool, and the training system. As a result, Canada transformed thousands of civilians into officers seemingly overnight, armed with the skills necessary to help the army succeed in battle.