# Pipe Major Hoggan, Canada



## aboode (12 Apr 2020)

In the Canadian Government (Department of Defence) archives, there is a mention of Pipe-Major T Hoggan being congratulated for something by a Lieutenant-Colonel in 1946 in Lansdowne Park in Ottawa.
In another document he is referred to as Pipe-Major S Hoggan.
Has anyone got information for me about Pipe Major Hoggan, in particular his regiment and battalion?
Thanks, Aad


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## Michael OLeary (12 Apr 2020)

Publication: The Ottawa Journal
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Issue Date: Thursday, April 25, 1946
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/49930262/

(Click the "OCR" link to see the text from the page.)



> "The district depot pipe band was in attendance; under Pipe Major T. Hoggan"


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## aboode (12 Apr 2020)

You mention the 'District Depot Pipe Band'. This seems to indicate that there were more District Depots. I am not familiar with these; do you know of which District Depot pipe band Hoggan was P/M and do you have a list of all District Depots , with or without a pipe band?
Thanks


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## Michael OLeary (12 Apr 2020)

See this page for a list of the Military Districts: https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/organization/districts.htm



> By 1939 there were 11 Military Districts



Search for "Depot" on this page and review to see their function during the Second World War: https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/Canada/CA/SixYears/SixYears-4.html

I do not know which District Depits had which types of bands.


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## exspy (12 Apr 2020)

aboode said:
			
		

> You mention the 'District Depot Pipe Band'. This seems to indicate that there were more District Depots. I am not familiar with these; do you know of which District Depot pipe band Hoggan was P/M and do you have a list of all District Depots, with or without a pipe band?



Ottawa during the war was a part of No 9 (Ottawa) District. After the war No 9 District was combined with No 4 District with a headquarters in Kingston. I have an Army postal list from June 1946 that does not show No 9 District still being operational by that time.

The newspaper article is dated April 1946. Depending on when the two districts were combined, the district involved could be either No 9 or No 4.

Cheers,
Dan.


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## aboode (16 Apr 2020)

Dan M
I am still struggling with the concept of these District Depots: I assume that there was one Depot in each Military District. But they would surely not be independent units - how did they fit in the larger military organisation?
_Aad_


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## Michael OLeary (16 Apr 2020)

This brief history of District Depot No. 1 from the last edition of the Depot magazine gives a general overview of the Depots' evolution and role:


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## Michael OLeary (16 Apr 2020)

And this is the page from the same issue on the Depot Band. The band title in the photo caption says "R.C.R." because when The RCR departed for overseas in 1939 the regimental band remained behind and became the depot band during the war.


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## aboode (16 Apr 2020)

Michael O'Leary,
Thank you for these articles. It does answer some of my questions, but I still wonder to whom the Commanding Officer of a District Depot would report, in other words what was the next higher level of command.
Thanks
_Aad_


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## Michael OLeary (16 Apr 2020)

Canada Gazette, 29 June 1940

*G.O. 110 Territorial Nomenclature for Units of the Non-Permanent Active Militia to Establish Representative Organizations *

https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=322580&document_id_nbr=8461&f=g
https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=322581&document_id_nbr=8461&f=g

*District Depots*

11.   A District Depot (with sub-depots as may be required), with appropriate establishments as from time to time fixed by the Minister, to meet requirements for all arms, including a wing for each Territorial Infantry Regiment within the District, *is authorized for each Military District.*


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## Old Sweat (16 Apr 2020)

Just thinking out loud electronically, I wonder if the District Depots evolved into the Personnel Depots that among other things served as army recruit processing facilities - that is they received applicants from the recruiting stations, assessed and processed them and swore the successful ones into the regular force and then despatched them to the various training organizations for recruit training - and handled releases, etc.

I suspect, based on what I recall of Canadian Army administration from the 50s and 60s, that the depots were administered by the camp or garrison that housed them, but tasked by Army Headquarters in terms of recruiting matters. Perhaps the district depots also had a training function, but as the war progressed, a large establishment of training centres/schools evolved. I live in Kemptville, ON just south of Ottawa. During the Second World War the town housed the school that trained the army's administrative clerks in what had been a provincial agricultural college until it was taken over by the Feds.


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## Blackadder1916 (16 Apr 2020)

Some of the questions may be answered in the official history, specifically Chap IV, RECRUITING AND TRAINING IN CANADA.

Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War Vol. 1
https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/themes/defence/caf/militaryhistory/dhh/official/book-1955-army-ww2-1-en.pdf




			
				Old Sweat said:
			
		

> . . .  I live in Kemptville, ON just south of Ottawa. During the Second World War the town housed the school that trained the army's administrative clerks . . .



And this is specifically mentioned on page 136.



> The natural tendency, under modern conditions, is for specialized training
> establishments to multiply, and this tendency appeared very clearly in Canada. Special
> training centres and schools were very numerous. For, example, the Canadian School of
> Army Administration, located successively at St. Johns, P.Q., Esterel, P.Q. and
> ...


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