Pearkes Collection in Context

     Although a major focus of Special Collections is Modernist literature, for about 25 years SC has collected Canadian military material to assist in the teaching and research of military history. Dr. Reginald H. Roy, former chair of military history, obtained for the library a large number of military books, journals, and manuals.

     Dr. Roy also donated the manuscripts and research material for all his books, including the Pearkes biography: For Most Conspicuous Bravery: A Biography of Major-General George R. Pearkes, V.C., Through Two World Wars. Dr. Roy interviewed Pearkes from 1965-71 for the Social Sciences Research Centre. Special Collections has all the original interviews, and transcripts of them.

     In addition, Roy had students conduct more than 1000 hours of oral history interviews with about 240 retired military personnel. These tapes are now being summarised and indexed.

Dr. Roy also collected:

many military maps mainly of the Canadian campaigns in both world wars;
posters and photographs including WW I aerial photos;
the regimental archives of the Canadian Scottish Regiment, Princess Mary's (1920 - 1965);
and a large array of archival material from individuals, including correspondence and records from Canadian army personnel in World Wars I and II.

Since Roy's retirement in 1992, Special Collections has added further military books and records. The archival material includes the oral history interviews of retired naval personnel researched by CMDR Hal Lawrence. Special Collections has recently acquired a collection of military honours, decorations and medals from Bruce and Dorothy Brown.

For other military collections, please see:

Military Maps: An inventory of the holdings of the University of Victoria Archives;
Guide to Special Collections' Military Collections [draft only];
Ronald Okeden Alexander fonds;
Walter Bapty fonds;
Canada. Army collection;
Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) fonds;
Joseph Badenoch Clearihue fonds;
Destrube family fonds;
G. M. Downton fonds;
Margaret Fletcher fonds;
Gooch family fonds;
Great Britain Army fonds;
Michael L. Hadley fonds;
Hal Lawrence fonds;
Frederick Victor Longstaff fonds;
Theodore Benning Monk fonds;
George Randolph Pearkes fonds;
W.E. Rolls fonds;
Reginald Herbert Roy fonds;
and Ralph Thistle fonds.

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