The
Competitions
The CMEA, on behalf of the CME Branch,
supports competition as a practical means of preparing our
members and units to meet assigned tasks. However the
competitions are administered by the chain of command. Guidance
can be obtained from J3 Engineers staff, 1 Canadian Air Division
(1 CAD) engineer staff and Land Force Area Engineers, or the
Divisional Vice President CMEA Honours and Awards (DVP CHA).
The directives published for the competitions are:
- LFCO 23-5 under cover 4500-1
(DAT) 18 Dec 1998
- Draft ACO for AEF Competition
(available from Air Command OPI)
- Tunneller's Cup: 1050-100/M2
(D Mil E) 9 Nov 93 (DVP CHA has a copy).
Competition winners are listed in the tables at the links:
Submission deadlines via the chain of command are specified
in the references, or as announced from time to time.
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The
Trophies
The competitive spirit is a quality that has never been found
lacking in the Canadian engineer. National level competitions
date back to 1885 when Colonel (later Sir) Casimir Stanislaus
Gzowski presented two silver cups for annual competition among
the Companies of Militia Engineers. The application of these
trophies has changed with the times with the Gzowski #1 Cup currently assigned to Land Forces
Atlantic Area, and the Gzowski
#2 Cup to land Forces Central Area for their Area Engineer's
evaluations. The second in age among the Reserve engineer
trophies is the MEAC Challenge Trophy, donated by the MEAC in
1936 to foster marksmanship among Militia Engineer units and
continues in this role today.
The annual meeting of the MEAC at Chilliwack in 1950 saw the
birth of two additional trophies. Brigadier J.L. Melville,
CBE, MC, ED, donated the Honourary
Colonel Commandant's Trophy for award to the field engineer
regiment displaying the greatest general efficiency during
the competition year. This trophy is currently assigned to
Land Forces Quebec Area for the Area Engineer's Evaluation.
The MEAC donated the other trophy,the Hertzberg
Memorial Trophy, in memory of Major-General C.S.L. Hertzberg,
CB, MC, VD, who was Chief Engineer, First Canadian Army during
1942-43. This trophy continues to be awarded to the Reserve
Engineer unit that successfully completes the most outstanding
engineering project.
The Lindsay Memorial Trophy
was introduced by the MEAC in 1952 to commemorate Major-General
W.B. Lindsay, CB, CMG, DSO, who was the first Chief Engineer
of the Canadian Corps during World War 1. The competition
was a map exercise for the officers of competing squadrons.
Since 1998 this trophy has been retired.
In 1953 Major-General J.P. MacKenzie, CB, DSO, ED, who was
Quartermaster-General during 1942-43 donated a trophy called
the Major-General John Peter
Mackenzie Trophy. This was originally awarded to the RCE
militia squadron that had obtained the highest grading for
administration and maintenance of its stores and equipment.
It is currently assigned to Land Forces Western Area for the
Area Engineer's Evaluation.In memory of the contributions
made by Canadian tunnellers during the two World Wars, in
1989 the Tunnellers' Association (Veterans) presented a silver
trophy for MEAC competition. First presented in 1990, the Tunnellers' Cup is awarded to the Construction
Engineering section or unit with the best project in construction
engineering.
In 1999, 1 Canadian Air Division initiated a competition
among Regular and Reserve Force airfield engineering flights
for the successful completion of an airfield engineering project
of significant magnitude. The CME Museum provided the trophy
that was originally a gift from Vickers-Armstrong Limited
to the 1st Battalion Canadian Engineers in September 1940.
This unit was performing airfield engineering duties in England
at the time. The trophy has been named the
Patton-Cunnington Airfield Engineering Trophy in memory
of two members of that unit: Lieutenant J.M.S. Patton, GC,
RCE and Captain D.W. Cunnington, GM, RCE , who, at great personal
risk, removed an unexploded bomb from a Hawker Hurricane plant.
While the trophies are held in safe-keeping by the Canadian
Military Engineers Museum at the Canadian Forces School of
Military Engineering, "keeper plaques" will be forwarded to
units or updated for presentation by senior MEAC/CMEA members
at suitable unit activities.
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