Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Reginald Herbert Roy fonds
General material designation
- Sound recording
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- Source of title proper: Titled based on contents of fonds.
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Fonds
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Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1900 - 2010 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
11.4 m of textual records
377 audio reels
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Reginald Herbert Roy was born in Nova Scotia. He has been professor at the University of Victoria Department of History since the 1960s and has published numerous books on military history and various aspects of Canadian history.
Reginald Herbert Roy was born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, on 11 December 1922. He joined the ranks of the Cape Breton Highlanders in 1939 and served with the regiment in Britain, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He was commissioned as an officer in 1943 and returned to Canada in 1945. From 1946 to 1951 Roy attended the University of British Columbia, obtaining an Honours B.A. in History in 1950 and an M.A. in History in 1951. After receiving his M.A. he moved to Ottawa, spending two years as a call-out officer at the Historical Section (G.S.), Canadian Army Headquarters, researching and writing the history of the Canadian Army. He worked as an archivist at the Public Archives of Canada, military records section, from 1953 to 1954 and, returning to Victoria, at the Provincial Archives of British Columbia from 1954 to 1958. In 1958 he became an instructor at Royal Roads Military College, Dept. of History and Economics, in Victoria. He taught there for a year and was then appointed History Instructor at Victoria College (later the University of Victoria), becoming Assistant Professor in 1961. In 1965 Roy obtained his Ph.D. in History at the University of Washington; his thesis was entitled, "The British Columbia Dragoons and Its Predecessors". He was subsequently promoted to associate professor of History at U. Vic. and was made full professor in 1970, specializing in military history, defence studies and Canadian history.
In addition to his academic career, Prof. Roy continued his close association with the military. From 1954 to 1958 he served as a captain with the Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's), and from 1958 to 1968 commanded the Canadian Officers Training Corps/Regular Officer Training Plan, UBC Contingent, U. Vic. Detachment. After serving in these capacities he was returned to the supplementary reserve of officers. He was promoted to major in October 1963 and awarded the Canada Decoration in December 1963.
Prof. Roy has served on many university committees and offices. He was Associate Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies from 1973-74 and Acting Dean from 1974-75. He served as Pro-Tem Chairman of the U. Vic. Social Sciences Research Centre in 1970, appointed Chairman in 1971, and helped oversee the compilation of the Bibliography of British Columbia (3 vols.) until the Centre closed in 1975. He was Faculty Representative to the U. Vic. Alumni Association from 1963 to 1969 and served as Faculty Advisor to the Alumni Association from 1969 to 1984. He has been equally busy outside the U. Vic. community, serving on the Historic Commemorations Sub-Committee of the Canadian Confederation Centennial Committee of British Columbia from 1964 to 1967. He has given numerous lectures and addresses on various aspects of military history at seminars, conferences and universities in Canada, the United States, Australia and South Africa.
Prof. Roy's extensive published works include the books Ready for the Fray: A History of the Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's), 1920-1955 (published 1958); Sinews of Steel: A History of the British Columbia Dragoons (1965); The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada (1969); Telegrams of the North-West Campaign, 1885, co-edited with Desmond Morton (1972); For Most Conspicuous Bravery: A Biography of Maj.-Gen. G.R. Pearkes, V.C., Through Two World Wars (1977); and 1944: The Canadians in Normandy (1984). He has written many articles for journals and contributed chapters to the books The Canadian Military: A Profile, New Dimensions in Military History, and War and Society.
Prof. Roy has been awarded numerous grants for his research projects, including Canada Council grants for the Bibliography of British Columbia and University of Victoria grants for his biography of Maj.-Gen. Pearkes. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in 1966, one of many honours he has received in the course of his career.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The fonds consists of records relating to Roy's university administrative activities and his research in aspects of military history, including Canadian history and Canada's involvement in World War I and World War II (particularly the Normandy campaign). Fonds includes photocopies of war diaries, files on various Canadian Army regiments and battalions (including the 31st Infantry Battalion, the 1st Battalion Regina Rifle Regiment, Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's), the Seaforth Highlanders, and the B.C. Dragoons), files on the Canadian Officers Training Corps UBC Contingent University of Victoria Detachment, files on Canadian defence and military policy, audio interviews with Canadian military officers, clippings and other material concerning South Africa and South-West Africa/Namibia, and material relating to the Fenians (1880-1881). Fonds also contains minutes, correspondence and reports relating to academic committees and associations (including the University of Victoria Alumni Association), records relating to the Canadian Confederation Centennial Committee of British Columbia Historic Commemorations Sub-Committee, and background material, notes and drafts for Roy's books. Fonds also consists of material collected by Roy including the papers (1943-1979) of John Laurie (RCAF Provost Marshall), Rev. E.G. Parker, and the Red Chevron Association of Vancouver Island. The fonds also consists of an audio cassette of music from the war years. The fonds also includes 46 issues of South African Soldier.
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Finding aids
Inventory available with series and file level control.
Generated finding aid
Associated materials
See also Military Oral History collection (some of which was collected by Dr. Roy) and the Military Maps collection (much of which was collected by Roy). The George Randolph Pearkes fonds began as an oral history by Roy collected under the UVic Social Sciences Research Centre (of which he was chair); and Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) fonds which contains Roy's History of the Scottish and his correspondence.
Accruals
Alternative identifier(s)
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Name access points
- Red Chevron Association of Vancouver Island (Subject)
- University of Victoria Detachment (Subject)
- Canada. Canadian Army. Battalion, Canadian Scottish, 16th (Subject)
- Canada. Canadian Army. British Columbia Dragoons (Subject)
- Canada. Canadian Army. Canadian Expeditionary Force. Alberta Battalion, 31st (Subject)
- Canada. Canadian Army. Canadian Officers Training Corps (Subject)
- Canada. Canadian Army. Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) (Subject)
- Canada. Canadian Army. Regina Rifle Regiment. Battalion, 1st (Subject)
- Canada. Canadian Army. Seaforth Highlanders of Canada (Subject)
- Canadian Centennial Confederation Committee of British Columbia. Historic Commemorations Sub-Committee (Subject)
- Laurie, John (Subject)
- Parker, E. G. (Subject)
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Alumni Association (Subject)
Control area
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Status
Final
Level of detail
Full
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Revised by JF, August 7, 2013.
Language of description
- English
Script of description
Sources
Digital content metadata
Filename
roy_inventory.pdf
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Media type
Text
Mime-type
application/pdf