Raymond Northland Revell Reade


Raymond Northland Revell Reade was a soldier and Commandant of the Royal Military College of Canada.

Military career

Reade was commissioned into the 85th Regiment of Foot on 14 January 1880. He served as Commandant of Royal Military College of Canada from 1901–05. His criticism of poor RMC examination marks in French, physics and chemistry in 1901 and surveying and physics 1904 led to reforms at the college: smaller classes for French, entrance tests in physics and chemistry, and separate instructors for physics and surveying. He also built up the RMC library and extended library privileges to Permanent Force Officers in the Kingston, Ontario area. A 25-bed hospital was constructed adjacent to the education block. A large gymnasium was constructed south of the Stone Frigate. He secured quarters for the staff-adjutant and his family in what was later called Panet House, after the first resident. He built an extension to the rear of the Stone Frigate for bathroom facilities.
He served in Malta and Scotland and became General Officer Commanding the Troops in the Straits Settlements in 1914. Poor health prevented his active service in World War I, but he commanded the 59th Division from November 1915 to February 1916, and the 68th Division for most of 1916 while they were under training in the UK. He was the British representative on the Inter-Allied Military Mission to Greece, 1918 for which he was awarded the Greek Medal of Military Merit, 1st Class.

Family

On 9 June 1894 Reade married Rose Frances Spencer, daughter of Colonel Almeric George Spencer and Alice Isabel Fraser.