Victoria and Ottawa between both the Stuart and McNaughton families. When the Second World War broke out in 1939 she died but was found in her nursing home holding two pictures, one of McNaughton, the other of her own son. In 1929 he became the editor of the Canadian Defence Quarterly, to which he contributed many articles. On June 22, 1931 he was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel. In 1934 he was appointed GSO1 at the Royal Military College of Canada, where he pushed for reforms to the curriculum and to the recruitment system. On July 1, 1936 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. In 1938 he was appointed Director of Military Operations and Intelligence at National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) and at some point he attended the Imperial Defence College in England. Second World War Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, Stuart was appointed Commandant of the Royal Military College (RMC) of Canada and was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier (his permanent rank being colonel on the same date) on October 15, 1939. He succeeded Harry Crerar who went to London in a senior staff appointment. Although Stuart enjoyed being back at the RMC, he was at the same time frustrated at being left behind in what he considered to be a backwater. He tried numerous times to escape over the next few months but it would not be until July 1940 when his wish was granted due to Crerar returning to Canada where he assumed the position of Chief of the General Staff (CGS). He immediately made Stuart Deputy Chief of the General Staff (DCGS), which also included being an army member on the Permanent Joint Board on Defence. In March 1941 his title of DCGS was changed to that of Vice Chief of the General Staff (VCGS). On November 19, 1941 he was promoted to major general, and soon afterwards succeeded Crerar as CGS and was promoted to lieutenant general on December 24, 1941. Just over three years before he had been a lieutenant colonel. In December 1943 he was appointed acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the First Canadian Army in England and then, after Crerar returned from Italy to assume command, in March 1944 Stuart was made Chief of Staff at Canadian Military Headquarters in England. During the Conscription Crisis of 1944, Stuart took a pro-conscription stance, for