Manpower is the lifeblood of armies regardless of time or place. In the First World War, much of Canada’s military effort went toward sustaining the Canadian Expeditionary Force, especially in France and Belgium. The job was not easy. The government and Department of Militia and Defence were tasked with recruiting and training hundreds of thousands of men, shipping them to England, and creating organizations on the continent meant to forward these men to their units. 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. Richard Holt describes national civilian and military recruitment policies and criteria both inside and outside of Canada; efforts to recruit women, convicts, and members of First Nations, African Canadian, Asian, and Slavic communities; the conduct of entry-level training; and the development of a coherent reinforcement structure. Canada’s ability to fill the ranks with trained soldiers ultimately helped make the Corps an elite formation within the British Expeditionary Force. Based on extensive research in British and Canadian archives, Filling the Ranks provides a wealth of new information on Canada"s role in the Great War.

Richard Holt (1948-2017) was a retired lieutenant colonel of the Royal Canadian Regiment and an independent researcher and historian.

Richard Holt's profile page

"An important study [tracing] the development of the Canadian Army during the First World War, from its militia roots and enlistment criteria through to the training of reinforcements. [It] adds a great deal of knowledge to our understanding of the conflict. A career soldier in the Canadian Army, Filling the Ranks is a testament to his dedication to history and to the Canadian Forces." Canada's History

“Holt has accomplished an insider’s study of how recruiting worked, [and] evolved, in a well-organised manner that unravels the nightmare of military bureaucracy.” Canadian Military History