The fonds consists of records created by the Ministry of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada in the course of administering Canada's contribution to the First World War. Researchers are cautioned that unprocessed textual records and records in other media are not reflected in this description.
Canada. Ministry, Overseas Military Forces of Canada : The "Ministry of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada" was created by an Order in Council (P.C. 2651, October 28, 1916). This Ministry formalized an earlier arrangement, whereby Colonel John Wallace Carson, by an Order in Council (P.C. 107, January 15, 1915) had acted as the agent of the Minister of Militia and Defence in England.
The Ministry of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada had broad responsibility for all matters connected with the administration of the overseas military forces of Canada (i.e. the Canadian Expeditionary Force). It was formed "to relieve the Department of Militia and Defence of the administration of the forces overseas and to establish a ministry in London, immediately in touch with His Majesty's Government, and conveniently situated with relation to the theatre of effective operations" (P.C. 2651, October 28, 1916). In a sentence, whereas the Canadian Expeditionary Force was placed under the control of the British military authorities for operational purposes, responsibility for all other matters fell to the Ministry of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada.
The Ministry functioned as the liaison between the Canadian government and the British government, the War Office and (British) General Headquarters. It operated in close concert with the Department of Militia and Defence in Ottawa, which was responsible for raising, equipping, dispatching the Canadian Expeditionary Force overseas.
The Ministry was organized like other ministries, with its own minister in the federal cabinet and a deputy minister. It was divided into a number of subordinate branches, including the Chief of the General Staff, the Adjutant-General, the Quartermaster-General, the Accountant-General, the Director-General of Medical Services and the Paymaster-General. Sir George Perley was appointed the first Minister of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada on October 31, 1916. He was succeeded by Sir Edward Kemp on October 12, 1917.
With the end of conflict in Europe, the repatriation of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), and the final settlement of financial arrangements with the British, the Ministry of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada ceased to exist on June 8, 1920 (P.C. 1705, July 26, 1920).
