Canadians at War
Canadians were involved in every theatre of war. -In the 6 years of war, more than one million men and women were in uniform – out of 11 million. -more than 45,000 died, another 55,000 wounded -we ended the war with the 3rd largest navy, the 4th largest air force and an army of 6 divisions.
The Battle of Britain
A squadron of Canadian Spitfires leaving a Canadian fighter station. (DND Photo PL-22146) -There were a total of 48 squadrons serving overseas. These squadrons served on all fronts in all theatres. They consisted of: 15 bomber sqd, 11 day fighter sqd, 3 fighter bomber sqd, 3 fighter recce sqd, three night fighter sqd, 1 interuder sqd, 6 coastal patrol sqd, 3 transport sqd and 3 army co-operational (AOP) sqd. -Over 100 Canadian pilots flew on fighter operations during the Battle of Britain. Another 200 fought with the RAF's Bomber and Coastal Commands. An untold number served as groundcrew, keeping the fighters, bombers and patrol Aircraft flying. Their numbers as non-British pilots were second only to the Polish. Twenty Canadian pilots lost their lives. -No. 1 Fighter Squadron became the first Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) unit to engage enemy planes in battle when it met a formation of German bombers over southern England on August 26, 1940. It shot down three of them and damaged four others with the loss of one pilot and one plane. -Other Canadians flew with the Royal Air Force. -VC – Pilot-Officer Andrew Charles Mynarsky & Fl-Lt David Ernest Hornell
Spitfires over Normandy
Painting of RCAF Spitfires (in special D-Day markings) on a sweep over the invasion beaches - (CF Photo) There were 142 Canadian Aces (a pilot who shot down 5 or more enemy aircraft). 32 of these shot down ten or more.
Bombers
"Bombing Up" one of the big Halifax aircraft in the Canadian Group overseas with a mixed load of high explosive bombs and incendiaries. (DND Photo PL-19506) -The first Canadian bomber mission over Europe was on 12 June 1941 By 1944, the RCAF was regularly sending out more than 200 heavy bombers a night on single raids. By 1944, a quarter of what is usually referred to as the British bomber offensive over Europe was actually Canadian. -10,000 Canadians lost their lives in Bomber Command.
Canadian Convoys
Convoy assembled in Bedford Basin, Halifax, N.S., April 1942. (Public Archives Canada PA-112993) -The Battle of the Atlantic was a phrase used by Winston Churchill to describe the efforts of the allies against German attacks on convoys. Very early in WWII, ships were organized into convoys over many square kilometres. Protection of these convoys was a large problem because the enemy would try to sink the convoys using submarines that would hide underwater by day and surface to attack at night. Often these submarines would hunt in groups called "wolf packs". Canada was given significant responsibility for convoy protection. -The Merchant Marines played a vital role in the convoy system. Fifty-eight Canadian-registry merchant ships were lost to enemy action, or probable enemy action, and 1,146 Canadian merchant sailors perished at sea or in Axis prison
On the right prisoners shortly after their liberation in August 1945. On the left propaganda poster. Keep these in mind as we talk about the Home Front. NAC/PA-151738 -The Winnipeg Rifles and the Royal Rifles C” Force, or the Hong Kong Brigade were sent to reinforce the Hong Kong Garrison. -The battle lasted from 18 December 1942 until the surrender on 25 December 1941. -Much has been made of the fact that they were untrained – this is untrue and irrelevant. The Japanese had a numerical superiority of 3 to 1. A better-trained force would only have lasted a little bit longer. It is estimated that at least half of the Japanese casualties (675 KIA, 2079 WIA) occurred in battles with the Canadians. -Only 557 out of 1973 returned – 300 KIA, 500 WIA & 250 died in captivity -A prisoner was 7 times more likely to die in Japanese captivity than as a soldier fighting on the battle field. The death rate in European prison camps, from all causes, was four percent. The death rate in a Japanese prison camp was a staggering twenty-seven percent. -The number of Canadian soldiers who died in Japanese prison camp numbered 267, almost as many as were killed during the battle. Another 200 died prematurely due to health problems acquired while in captivity. Ronald Parker -VC winner – Company Sgt-Maj John Robert Osborn – threw himself on a grenade to save his soldiers.
Hong Kong Remembered
Blue Beach
Top Gun emplacement on Blue Beach. You can clearly see the guns had full access to the beach and the one beach exit. There are matching cliffs on the other side as well. -There were 5 major landing sites (3 Canadian) that met with varying levels of success. The fighting lasted only 9 hours. -The Royal Regiment of Canada fared the worst with 209 fatalities. Only 65 out of 554 made it back to England – the rest became prisoners of war. -Blue beach was a large, open expanse of beach with only one exit surrounded by cliffs. The Germans had gun emplacements on these cliffs with perfect sight lines along the beach. Col. Catto did make it up the cliff but was later captured. “Like shooting fish in a barrel.” (RRC history) -Main beach - The soldiers were dumped on an open rocky beach with continuous German crossfire. Tanks were bogged down on the beach and were quickly disabled by the Germans. The soldiers had to run across the beach, scale a sea wall, and run across a flat open park. Some Canadians did make it into the town before they were forced to retreat. Many of the Canadians were killed trying to get to the landing craft during the escape. -The numbers vary but according to Stacey, out of approximately 5000 Canadians, there were 3,367 casualties including 901 KIA and 1946 taken prisoner. -2 VCs – Lt-Col Charles Cecil Ingersoll Merritt & Captain the Reverend John Weir Foote.
Dieppe
Veteran’s Affairs Remembrance Day Poster for 1992 – 50 year anniversary of Dieppe -2nd Canadian Infantry Division. 19 August 1942. -There were many reasons for the raid (not invasion) at Dieppe. Stalin wanted a second front to take the heat of the Eastern Front. The Allies needed to experiment with invasion tactics (and wait for the Battle of the Atlantic to cool down) before they were ready to do this. Canadians were also eager to get into battle. (they had been training continuously since 1939). -Many of the criticisms were unfounded – Churchill DID know about it; the Canadians were NOT bullied into it (they had trained extensively at the Isle of Wight) and the security was NOT compromised. Mistakes were made but mainly because of the nature of war and the lack of technology. I.e. the airplanes only had about 10 minutes of fuel one they reached the coast so the dropped a bomb and flew home. Many later accused them of cowardice.
St. Stephen’s Hospital
In the early morning hours of Christmas Day the Japanese approached St. Stephen's Hospital. Doctors and nurses stepped foward to surrender and were shot or bayoneted where they stood. The Japanese stormed into the hospital, killing and beating staff members, beating and bayoneting the wounded as they lay helpless in their beds. The acts were unspeakable. From the personal papers of Maj. Maurice A. Parker, CO D Coy Royal Rifles.
D-Day Dodgers
Carleton & York Regiment come under fire during the clearing of Campochiaro, 23 October 1943. NAC/ PA-114482 -1st Cdn Inf Div and 1st Cdn Tank Bde, as part of the British 8th Army (under Monty), participated in the conquest of Sicily. -after encountering initially light resistance from the Italians, the Canadians met considerable resistance from battle-hardened Germans. -The Canadians had acquitted themselves well in their first campaign. They had fought through 150 miles of mountainous country - farther than any other formation in the Eighth Army - and during their final two weeks had borne a large share of the fighting on the Army front. Canadian casualties totaled 562 killed, 664 wounded and 84 prisoners of war.
U-Boats
Seaman from H.M.C.S. Chilliwack boarding a badly damaged German U744 U-Boat. -The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) were given credit for sinking 47 of 788 German U-Boats and for the destruction of 2 Japanese Submarines. (Also listed at 51). -VC – Lt (N) Robert Hampton Gray
Advance into Italy
Canadian tanks and troop carriers moving up the Liri Valley after overcoming German opposition, May, 1944, as they advance up Italy to the Adolph Hitler Line. Credit: S. Smith / National Archives of Canada / PA-140208 -In Italy, more than in Sicily, the Canadians were up against bitter German troops who made every advance costly. Total Allied casualties (both Italy & Sicily) were 25,263 – more than 5,900 fatal. 5th Cnd Armd Division joined bringing strength up to nearly 76,000. Total casualties for the Corps 9,934 – 2,119 fatal. -The Canadians would not see the end of the campaign – Feb 45 re-joined II Corps in North-West Europe. -VC – Capt Paul Triquet & Maj John Keefer Mahoney & Private Ernest Alva Smith
D-Day
Juno Beach -3rd Division 6 June 1944 -Unlike Dieppe this was considered a success in large part due to the lessons learned there but also because of German ineptitude. -3rd Div responsible for 1 of 5 beaches – Juno beach. 21,400 landed plus RCN, RCAF and 1 Can Para. Approximately 10,000 killed over all (mostly at Omaha). Canadians had 961 KIA or WIA, 1 Can Para 113 casualties. -Although Saving Private Ryan focused on Omaha and they did bear the brunt of the casualties (over 3,000), the other beaches had very similar experiences. -QOR only Allied unit to reach their objective on the day.
Breakout Through Normandy
-Moved into France and encountered very heavy resistance. Almost all houses were made of stone & had stone walls – each was a mini fortress and had to be neutralized before moving on. In addition, the streets in the towns were too narrow for tanks so it was all handto-hand fighting. -The countryside was farmland – flat or slightly hilly. Flat meant no cover & the hills were enough that the Germans could take cover & fight from the high ground. -idea of murder – mentioned in The Valour and the Horror and also The Longest Day. There is absolutely no evidence of indiscriminate killing. The Germans, however, documented cases. 20 at the Abbaye D’Ardenne, 66 in Le Mesnil Patry & 37 in Authie (tanks). -VC – Majr David Vivian Currie
North West Europe
Troops crossing a temporary bridge built by Canadian engineers over the Beveland Canal, in Walcheren Island -3rd Division fought savage battles across France including the battle for Caen, closing the Falaise Gap and liberating the channel ports (including Dieppe). They then moved into Belgium where they fought to open the Sheldt approaches (and won) giving the Allies another port. -VC – Sergeant Aubrey Cousins & Major Frederick Albert Tilson & Corporal Frederick George Topham
Liberation of Holland
I Cdn Corps joined II Corps for the Liberation of Holland. -As witnessed above (the 55th Liberation parade in Apeldorn), there is still a huge connection between the Dutch and the Canadians. Princess Juliana stayed in Canada for the duration of the war. When it came time for her to give birth to Princess Beatrix, the 8th floor of the Ottawa Civic Hospital was declared Dutch soil, allowing her to inherit the throne. 4 million tulips (planted on Parliament Hill) are a gift from the Dutch in thanks.