SCIENCE AND THE MAGIC EYE - INNOVATIONS IN THE SELECTION OF CANADIAN ARMY OFFICERS, 1939-1945

''What is all this that I hear about psychiatrists choosing officers. Pray enquire.'' Many Canadians shared Winston Churchill's skepticism w hen British officer candidates were first exposed to psychological tes ting in 1942. Yet these concerns were soon muffled as the need increas ed to find faster and better ways to identify military leaders. Canada faced similar demand, and scientific selection methods offered much p romise, including a chance for a wider body of men to receive the King 's Commission. Yet imposing challenges emerged soon after the first Of ficers Selection and Appraisal Centres opened in Canada in March 1943. Just how young, enthusiastic, but essentially untrained personnel cou ld determine an individual's leadership potential was a concern shared by our Allies, particularly the British and Americans. No such proble m confronted the German Wehrmacht, whose scientists perhaps better und erstood the value and limitations of psychological testing: Science-or pseudo-science-could replace neither battle experience, nor the seaso ned judgment of a commanding officer as a measure of commissioned rank .