Notes prepared by the RMC Museum staff.

The Coat-of-Arms of theRoyal Military College of Canada

On 31 July 1920 His late Majesty King George V issued a special Warrant granting the use of ArmorialEnsigns, “for the greater honour and distinction of [the] Royal Military College of Canada” and directed thatthey be recorded in the College of Arms. This Royal Warrant transcended the normal method of grantingArmorial Ensigns (or Coats-of-Arms); as such things were normally left to the College itself to sort out inaccordance with the established laws of heraldry.

The design had originated with the College’s first Commandant, Colonel E.O. Hewett, and, from the earliestyears, it was widely used as an unofficial symbol of RMC. Colonel Hewett and his senior officers also createdthe College motto, “Truth, Duty, Valour”. Having first decided on the words, “Truth” and “Duty”, they came tothe conclusion that where there is Truth and Duty, Valour was sure to follow.

An explanation of Hewett’s choice of symbols for his coat-of-arms was not recorded, however, given that theCollege was created to, “---impart a complete education in all branches of military tactics, fortification,engineering and general scientific knowledge”, it is possible to speculate on his intentions. In heraldry themailed arm symbolizes leadership. It therefore seems reasonable to assume that the mailed fist holding themaple leaves is symbolic of officer training and the relationship of the Cadets to their country. While theflaming grenades may represent the artillery and the engineers, the flaming grenade being the badge of thesetwo technical branches of the army; in heraldry, flaming bombs are awarded to one who has braved them inbattle. Although somewhat premature for cadets the use of flaming bombs could represent hazards to come, andthus be a symbol for DUTY. The crossed swords could be taken to represent the military training given at theCollege; however, in heraldry a sword symbolizes justice or military honour. The swords could thus be taken as

a symbol of TRUTH. The scaling ladder to the mural crown could symbolize the application of the RMCeducation to success in civil life (in heraldry the mural crown has come to symbolize civic or municipalgovernment) but its use on the RMC Coat-of-Arms most likely harkens back to the origins of the symbol, whena gold mural crown, awarded to the first man to scale an enemy fortress, was the highest honour for bravery thatcould be bestowed in the Roman army. The ladder and the mural crown are clearly a symbol of VALOUR.The addition of the Imperial (or Royal) Crown and the small shield with the Union Badge (i.e.: the Union Flagor more commonly the Union Jack) were probably added as symbols of loyalty, without thought for theirheraldic significance, an action that proved somewhat presumptuous.

Following the First World War the College applied to have the design formally recognized by the College ofArms in London. (Canada did not have its own Registry until 1988, and so until then, all such requestsoriginating from within the British Empire, and later the Commonwealth, were sent to a College of Arms in theUnited Kingdom.). As noted above, the traditional RMC design was approved and granted as a Coat-of-Arms,not by the College of Arms, but rather by a special order from the King, who wrote that he, “—do[es] requireand demand that this our Concession and Declaration be recorded in our College of Arms.”

The Grant was a ‘concession’ because the King allowed two special distinctions, the Imperial Crown and theUnion Badge, to remain. The Imperial Crown (now called the Royal Crown) in a Coat-of-Arms was rarelyawarded and was an honour reserved for the Monarch alone to bestow. The small inserted shield (orinescutcheon) with the Union Badge was another issue. It was not an accepted form of heraldry and over all theyears and the thousands of coats-of-arms registered at the College of Arms it had only been granted oncebefore, and that was to the Duke of Wellington. The Warrant from King George V, ordering that the RMCdesign, as submitted, be granted as Armorial Ensigns was thus an award of a special honour from the Monarch,“—for the greater honour and distinction of our Royal Military College of Canada.”

As to why RMC was so honoured in 1920, one need only look to the outstanding record of ex-cadets in theGreat War of 1914-1919, and by extension, to the outstanding contribution and sacrifice made by the CanadianCorps as a whole.

The RMC Coat-of-Arms is a symbol of both the history and the spirit of the College and it displays theMonarch’s special mark of gratitude for the contributions of Canadians on the bloody battlefields of Europe, thebattlefields where Canada became a Nation.

TRUTH –DUTY- VALOUR

Additional NotesRefs: A) As You Were Vol. 1 p. 53

B) RMC Review Dec 1932, p. 43

King George may have had another reason for thinking kindly about RMC. As a young man in1883 (he wouldhave been 17 or 18 years of age), he was serving as a midshipman in the RN and his ship was in at Quebec. Heobtained leave to visit his aunt-Princess Louise, wife of the GG, The Marquis of Lorne. The Vice-Regal couplewas on their way to Kingston and took Prince George along. Whilst at RMC he met #111 Gilbert EdwardSanders. The Prince asked Saunders to take him someplace where they could chat quietly. Sanders took him tohis room in the Stone Frigate where they hung out for an hour. (See photo of Stone Frigate, enclosed)

After graduation in June 1884, Sanders was commissioned into the NWMP. He served with the Force until1911. He saw action in the NW Rebellion, helped tame the Wild West and during the Boer War he served asofficer commanding “D” Squadron, 2 CMR, where he won the DSO. In 1901 he was back in Canada and

commanding the RNWMP Detachment at Calgary. In 1908 he commanded the RNWMP contingent at theQuebec Tercentenary. After retiring from the Mounted Police Sanders served as a Police Magistrate in Calgary.During the First World War he raised a company for the 1st Canadian Pioneers, was later transferred tocommand the 2nd Canadian Pioneers and he took his Battalion to France. He served there for over one yearbefore being made Commandant of Wandsworth Detention Barracks. For his wartime serve he was awarded theC.M.G and two mentions in dispatches. After the War, Sanders returned to being the Police magistrate inCalgary and held that post until retirement in 1932.

In 1891, after the death of his older brother, Prince Albert, George became next in line for the throne after hisfather, Edward, Prince of Wales. George was than styled the Duke of York. In 1901, on the death of QueenVictoria, his father became King Edward VII, and George became the Duke of Cornwall and York and thansomewhat later, the Princes of Wales. On 6 May 1910, King Edward died and George ascended to the throne asKing George V.

In 1901, as the Duke of Cornwall and York, George toured Canada. He presumably visited RMC as hepresented a signed portrait photograph of Queen Victoria to the College. The photograph is in the RMCMuseum collection. When he was in British Colombia as part of this same 1901 visit, he requested that Sandersbe appointed to command his traveling escort.In 1908, George, now the Prince of Wales, was back in Canada officiating at the Quebec Tercentenary; again hespecifically requested that Sanders command his escort.In 1910 Sanders was invited to the Coronation.

It was also King George V, who, on 30 August 1917, presented # 945 Captain Billy Bishop with the VictoriaCross, the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross, all in one go, an unprecedented event! No doubtthe King had been well briefed and would have known that Bishop had been at RMC.

As noted above, the accomplishments of the Canadian Corps may also have been a factor in King George’sdecision to honour RMC.

What actually motivated King George to override the conventions of the College of Arms and order that theRMC coat-of-arms be awarded, as requested, will never be known but it would seem logical that some, if notall, of the above factors would have played a part in his decision.

Location of the original RMC Copy of the Warrant of 1920 Unknown

The original Warrant and rendition of our Coat-of-Arms is of course on file at the College of Arms in London.Keith M. Murray, Portcullis (one of the Heralds at the College of Arms) made a copy of the original RoyalWarrant back in 1920 and this copy was sent to RMC. The current location of this document is not known.

The RMC sign painter (I believe his name was Mr. S. Taylor) made a rendition of the RMC Coat-of Arms veryearly on. His version differed slightly in artistic interpretation from that provided by the College of Arms and itis his version that has been the most widely used depiction of the Coat-of-Arms. His artwork can be identifiedby the wording beneath the Coat-of-Arms, “Royal Military College of Canada / Assigned by Royal Warrant 31July 1920”. His original artwork was apparently on display for some time at the College. Photographs (datingto the 1950s) of this artwork also exist, however, once again, the current location of this original artwork isnot known.

Depiction of the Crown with the RMC Coat-of-Arms

Attached is an image of the RMC Coat-of-Arms. Two renditions are shown- one with the Crown, with raisedarches, as it was depicted on the original Warrant of 1920 (the so-called King's Crown), and the other with theCrown depicted with depressed arches in the correct, current form (the so-called Queen's Crown or St.Edward's Crown).In heraldry the use of the Crown is an honour bestowed by the Monarch and while the ‘honour’ is granted inperpetuity the symbol, or the depiction of that ‘honour,’ can change on the wishes of the Monarch.

Despite the change in the form of the Crown introduced with the reign of Queen Elizabeth II -the Collegepersisted (incorrectly) in displaying its Coat-of Arms with the older version of the Crown. Although thedepiction of the Crown on the College cap badge was changed, the fact that the cap badge was derived from theCoat-of-Arms, and not a separate entity unto itself, didn’t seem to register. In 2004, at the request of theCommandant back, I checked this practice with the Chief Herald of Canada. He confirmed that in accordancewith the wishes of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II all current depictions of the Imperial (or Royal) Crownshould follow the form with depressed arches.

Any new rendition of the RMC Coat-of-Arms should therefore use the current version of the Crown, i.e theversion with the depressed arches -the one sometimes called the Queen's Crown or St. Edwards Crown).