document_title: Military history of Canada during World War II

question_text: where did canadian troops first see action in ww2

question_tokens: where did canadian troops first see action in ww2

root

text: Military history of Canada during World War II

text: Declaration of war[edit]

text: At the outbreak of the First World War, Canada was a quasi-independent Dominion of the British Empire and automatically went to war alongside the United Kingdom, albeit with full autonomy to decide the form and extent of its involvement. However, the 1931 Statute of Westminster transformed Canada into a fully sovereign state, theoretically co-equal with Britain and the other Dominions of the British Commonwealth. Despite this, some commentators at the time suggested that Canada was still bound by Britain's declaration of war because it had been made in the name of their common monarch, but the Canadian prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King repeatedly declared that "Parliament will decide".[11][12]:2

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text: As late as 1936 King had told Parliament "Our country is being drawn into international situations to a degree that I myself think is alarming."[12]:2 Both the government and the public remained reluctant to participate in a European war, in part because of the memories of the Conscription Crisis of 1917 that divided French and English Canada. Both King and opposition leader Robert James Manion stated their opposition to conscripting troops for overseas service in March 1939. Nonetheless, King had not changed his view of 1923 that Canada would participate in a war by the Empire whether or not the United States did. By August 1939 his cabinet, including French Canadians, was united for war in a way that it probably would not have been during the Munich Crisis, although both cabinet members and the country based their support in part on expecting that Canada's participation would be "limited".[12]:5–8

text: It had been clear that Canada would elect to participate in the war before the invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939. Four days after the United Kingdom declared war on 3 September 1939, Parliament was called in special session and both King and Manion stated their support for Canada following Britain, but did not declare war immediately, partly to show that Canada was joining out of her own initiative and was not obligated to go to war. Unlike 1914 when war came as a surprise, the government had prepared various measures for price controls, rationing, and censorship, and the War Measures Act of 1914 was re-invoked.[13] After two days of debate, the House of Commons approved an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne on 9 September 1939 giving authority to declare war to King's government. A small group of Quebec legislators attempted to amend the bill, and CCF party leader J. S. Woodsworth stated that some of his party opposed it. Woodsworth was the only Member of Parliament to vote against the bill and it thus passed by near-acclamation.[14][15] The Senate also passed the bill that day. The Cabinet drafted a proclamation of war that night, which Governor-General Lord Tweedsmuir signed on 10 September.[16] King George VI approved Canada's declaration of war with Germany on Sept. 10.[17] Canada later also declared war on Italy (11 June 1940), Japan (7 December 1941), and other Axis powers, enshrining the principle that the Statute of Westminster conferred these sovereign powers to Canada.

text: Outbreak of war[edit]

text: Though Canada was the oldest Dominion in the British Commonwealth, it was, for the most part, reluctant to enter the war. Canada, with a population somewhere between 11 and 12 million, eventually raised very substantial armed forces. Around 10% of the entire population of Canada joined the army, with only a small portion conscripted. After the long struggle of the Great Depression of the 1930s, the challenges of the Second World War accelerated Canada's ongoing transformation into a modern urban and industrialized nation.

text: Canada informally followed the British Ten Year Rule that reduced defence spending even after Britain abandoned it in 1932. Having suffered from nearly 20 years of neglect, Canada's armed forces were small, poorly equipped, and for the most part unprepared for war in 1939. King's government began increasing spending in 1936, but the increase was unpopular. The government had to describe it as primarily for defending Canada, with an overseas war "a secondary responsibility of this country, though possibly one requiring much greater ultimate effort." The Munich Crisis of 1938 caused annual spending to almost double. Nonetheless, in March 1939 the Permanent Active Militia (or Permanent Force (PF), Canada's full-time army) had only 4,169 officers and men while the Non-Permanent Active Militia (Canada's reserve force) numbered 51,418 at the end of 1938, mostly armed with weapons from 1918. In March 1939 the Royal Canadian Navy had 309 officers and 2967 naval ratings, and the Royal Canadian Air Force had 360 officers and 2797 airmen.[12]:2–5

text: Under Secretary of State for External Affairs Oscar D. Skelton stated the government's war policy. Among its highlights:

text:
Consult with Britain and France, and "equally important, discreet consultation with Washington".
Prioritize Canadian defence, especially the Pacific coast.
Possibly aid Newfoundland and the West Indies.
The RCAF should be the first to serve overseas.
Canada can "most effective[ly]" serve its allies by providing munitions, raw materials, and food.[12]:9

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text: King's cabinet approved this policy on 24 August 1939, and in September disapproved of the proposal by the Chiefs of Staff to create two army divisions for overseas service, in part due to cost. His "moderate" war strategy soon demonstrated its national and bilingual support in two elections. When Premier of Quebec Maurice Duplessis called an election on an anti-war platform, Adélard Godbout's Liberals won a majority on 26 October 1939. When the Legislative Assembly of Ontario passed a resolution criticizing the government for not fighting the war "in the vigorous manner the people of Canada desire to see", King dissolved the federal parliament and, in the resulting election on 26 March 1940, his Liberals won the largest majority in history.[12]:9–11

text: At the outbreak of war, Canada's commitment to the war in Europe was limited by government to one division, and one division in reserve for home defence. Nevertheless, the eventual size of the Canadian armed forces greatly exceeded those envisioned in the pre-war period's so-called mobilization "schemes". Over the course of the war, the army enlisted 730,000; the air force 260,000; and the navy 115,000 personnel. In addition, thousands of Canadians served in the Royal Air Force. Approximately half of Canada's army and three-quarters of its air-force personnel never left the country, compared to the overseas deployment of approximately three-quarters of the forces of Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. By war's end, however, 1.1 million men and women had served in uniform for Canada. The Navy grew from only a few ships in 1939 to over 400 ships, including three aircraft carriers and two cruisers. This maritime effort helped keep the shipping lanes open across the Atlantic throughout the war.

text: In part, this reflected Mackenzie King's policy of "limited liability" and the labour requirements of Canada's industrial war effort. But it also reflected the objective circumstances of the war. With France defeated and occupied, there was no Second World War equivalent of the Great War's Western Front until the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Moreover, the manpower requirements of the North Africa and Mediterranean theatres were comparatively small and readily met by British and other British Empire/Commonwealth forces.

text: Manufacturing, production and mining[edit]

text: Canada's wartime motor vehicle production constituted 20% of the combined total production of Canada, the US, and the UK.[12]:167 The nation had become one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers in the 1920s, owing to the presence of branch-plants of American automakers in Ontario. In 1938, Canada's automotive industry ranked fourth in the world in the output of passenger car and trucks, even though a large part of its productive capacity remained idle because of the Depression. During the war, this industry was put to good use, building all manner of war material, and most particularly wheeled vehicles, of which Canada became the second largest (next to the United States) producer during the war. Canada's output of nearly 800,000 trucks, for instance, exceeded the combined total truck production of Germany, Italy, and Japan. Rivals Ford and General Motors of Canada pooled their engineering design teams to produce a standardized vehicle amenable to mass production, the Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) truck, which served throughout the British Commonwealth. Approximately half of the British Army's transport requirements were supplied from Canadian manufacturers. The British Official History argues that the production of soft-skinned trucks, including the CMP truck class, was Canada's most important contribution to Allied victory.[18]

text: Canada also produced its own medium tank, the Ram. Though it was unsuitable for combat employment, many were used for training, and the 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment used modified Rams as armoured personnel carriers in North-West Europe.[19] In addition 1,390 Canadian-built Valentine tanks were shipped to the Soviet Union. Approximately 14,000 aircraft, including Lancaster and Mosquito bombers, were built in Canada. In addition, by the end of 1944, Canadian shipyards had launched naval ships, such as destroyers, frigates, corvettes, and some 345 merchant vessels. But perhaps no Canadian contribution to the Allied war effort was so vital as that made by the metals industries: half of Allied aluminum and ninety percent of Allied nickel was supplied by Canadian sources during the war.

text: Mobilization and deployment[edit]

text: While the response to war was initially intended to be limited, resources were mobilized quickly. The Convoy HX-1 departed Halifax just six days after the nation declared war, escorted by HMCS St. Laurent and HMCS Saguenay.[20] The 1st Canadian Infantry Division arrived in Britain on 1 January 1940.[21] By 13 June 1940, the 1st Battalion of The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment was deployed to France in an attempt to secure the southern flank of the British Expeditionary Force in Belgium. By the time the battalion arrived, the British and allies were cut off at Dunkirk, Paris had fallen, and after penetrating 200 km inland, the battalion returned to Brest and then to Britain.

text: Apart from the Dieppe Raid in August 1942, the frustrated Canadian Army fought no significant engagement in the European theatre of operations until the invasion of Sicily in the summer of 1943. With the Sicily Campaign, the Canadians had the opportunity to enter combat and later were among the first to enter Rome.

text: Canada was the only country of the Americas to be actively involved in the war[22] prior to the Attack on Pearl Harbor.

text: Canadian support for the war was mobilized through a propaganda campaign, including If Day, a staged 'Nazi' invasion of Winnipeg which generated more than $3 million in war bonds.

text: Veterans Guard of Canada[edit]

text: As with the Home Guard, the Veterans Guard of Canada was initially formed in the early days of the Second World War as a defence force in case of an attack on Canadian soil. Composed largely of First World War veterans it included, at its peak, 37 Active and Reserve companies with 451 officers and 9,806 other ranks. Over 17,000 veterans served in the force over the course of the war. Active companies served full-time in Canada as well as overseas, including a General Duty Company attached to Canadian Military Headquarters in London, England, No. 33 Coy. in the Bahamas, No. 34 Coy. in British Guiana and Newfoundland, and a smaller group dispatched to India. The Veterans Guard were involved in a three-day prisoner of war uprising in 1942, known as the Battle of Bowmanville. Along with its home defence role, the Veterans Guard assumed responsibility for guarding internment camps from the Canadian Provost Corps, which helped release younger Canadians for service overseas. The Guards were disbanded in 1947. [23]

text: Early campaigns[edit]

text: Although it regularly consulted with Canada, Britain was essentially in charge of both countries' war plans during the first nine months of the war. Neither nation seriously planned for Canada's own defence; Canada's training, production, and equipment emphasized combat in Europe. Its primary role was to train pilots from throughout the Empire with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which the British proposed on 26 September 1939, and supply food and raw materials, not send hundreds of thousands of troops overseas as it had done in World War I.[24][25]

text: It is possible that Britain did not want Canada to send troops overseas at all. The Canadian government agreed, because doing so might result in the need for conscription, and it did not want a recurrence of the problem with French Canadians that caused the 1917 crisis. Public opinion did cause King to send the 1st Canadian Infantry Division in late 1939, possibly against British wishes, but it is possible that had the air training proposal arrived ten days earlier no Canadian troops would have left North America that year. Canada fully cooperated with Britain otherwise, devoting 90% of the manpower of the small Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to the air training plan;[24][25] a force that had trained 125 pilots annually when the war began now produced 1,460 airmen every four weeks under the plan.[12]:252

text: In 1937 the two nations had agreed that any Canadian military equipment manufactured in Canada would use British designs. While this reasonably assumed that its troops would presumably always fight with Britain so the two forces should share equipment, it also resulted in Canada being dependent on components from a source across the Atlantic. Canadian manufacturing methods and tooling used American, not British designs, so implementing the plan would have meant complete changes to Canadian factories. Once war began, however, British companies refused Canadians its designs and Britain was uninterested in Canadian military equipment production.[24] (When Canada suggested in early 1940 that its factories could replace British equipment given to the 1st Canadian Division, Britain replied that Canada might provide regimental badges.) While Britain gave Canada priority over the United States for purchases, Canada had very little military production capacity in 1939 and Britain had a shortage of Canadian dollars.[12]:31,494 As late as 12 June 1940, King's government and the Canadian Manufacturers' Association asked the British and French governments to end their "small experimental orders" and "make known at the earliest moment their pressing needs of munitions and supplies", as "Canadian plants might be utilized to a far greater extent as a source of supply".[26]

text: This situation began to change on 24 May 1940, during the Battle for France, when Britain told Canada that it could no longer provide equipment. 48 hours later, Britain asked Canada for equipment. On 28 May seven Canadian destroyers sailed to the English Channel, leaving only two French submarines to defend the nation's Atlantic coast. Canada also sent 50 to 60 million rounds of small arms ammunition and 75,000 Ross rifles, leaving itself with a shortage. The air training plan's first graduates were intended to become instructors for future students, but they were sent to Europe immediately because of the danger to Britain. The end of British equipment deliveries threatened the training plan, and King had to ask president Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States for aircraft and engines by stating that they would help defend North America.[24][12]:35–36

text: Between the collapse of France in June 1940 and the German invasion of the USSR in June 1941, Canada supplied Britain with urgently needed food, weapons, and war materials by naval convoys and airlifts, as well as pilots and planes who fought in the Battle of Britain and the Blitz. During the Battle of Britain between 88 and 112 Canadian pilots served in the RAF,[27] most had come to Britain on their own initiative. For political necessity an "all Canadian" squadron was formed under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan at the start of the war and the Squadron served in the Battle of France. They were later joined by No. 1 Squadron RCAF in June 1940 during the Battle for Britain and they were in "the thick" of fighting in August, by the end of the battle in October 1940, 23 Canadian pilots had been killed.[28] If the planned German invasion of Britain had taken place in 1941, units of the formation later known as I Canadian Corps were already deployed between the English Channel and London to meet them. As the fall of France grew imminent Britain looked to Canada to rapidly provide additional troops to strategic locations in North America, the Atlantic and Caribbean. Following the Canadian destroyer already on station from 1939, Canada provided troops from May 1940 to assist in the defence of the West Indies with several companies serving throughout the war in Bermuda, Jamaica, the Bahamas and British Guiana.[12]

text: After France's surrender Britain told Canada that a German invasion of North America was not impossible, and that Canadians needed to plan accordingly. From June 1940 Canada viewed defending itself as important as aiding Britain, perhaps slightly more so. Canadian troops were sent to the defence of the colony of Newfoundland, on Canada's east coast, the closest point in North America to Germany. Fearing the loss of a land link to the British Isles, Canada was requested to also occupy Iceland, which it did from June 1940 to the spring of 1941, following the initial British invasion.[12] Canada also produced military equipment using American methods and tooling. Cost was no longer an issue; on 24 June King's government presented the first $1 billion budget in Canadian history. It included $700 million in war expenses compared to $126 million in the 1939–1940 fiscal year; however, due to the war, the overall economy was the strongest in Canadian history. With opposition support the National Resources Mobilization Act began conscription. Drafted soldiers were for use only in North America unless they volunteered, avoiding the issue that caused the 1917 crisis. (When Mayor of Montreal Camilien Houde nonetheless opposed conscription in August 1940, he was arrested and sent to an internment camp.)[24][12]:32–33

text: The United States government also feared the consequences to North America of a German victory in Europe. Because of the Monroe Doctrine the American military had long considered any foreign attack on Canada as the same as attacking the United States. American isolationists who criticized Roosevelt administration aid to Europe could not criticize helping Canada,[24][29] which a survey of Americans in the summer of 1940 found that 81% supported defending.[30] The isolationist Chicago Tribune advocating a military alliance on 19 June surprised and pleased Canada.[29] Through King, the United States asked the United Kingdom to disperse the Royal Navy around the Empire so that the Germans could not control it. On 16 August 1940, King met with Roosevelt at the border town of Ogdensburg, New York. Through the Ogdensburg Agreement, they agreed to create the Permanent Joint Board on Defence, an organization that would plan joint defence of both countries and would continue to exist after the war. In the fall of 1940 a British defeat seemed so likely the joint board agreed to give the United States control of the Canadian military if Germany won in Europe. By the spring of 1941, as the military situation improved, Canada refused to accept American control of its forces if and when the United States entered the war.[31]

text: Canada was the primary location of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, the largest air force training program in history. 131,553 air force personnel, including 49,808 pilots, were trained at airbases in Canada from October 1940 to March 1945.[32] More than half of the BCAT graduates were Canadians who went on to serve with the RCAF and Royal Air Force (RAF). One out of the six RAF Bomber Command groups flying in Europe was Canadian.

text: Squadrons of the RCAF and individual Canadian pilots flying with the British RAF fought with distinction in Spitfire and Hurricane fighters during the Battle of Britain. By 1 January 1943, there were enough RCAF bombers and crews in Britain to form No. 6 Group, one of eight bomber groups within RAF Bomber Command.

text: Early in the war, Japanese troops invaded the Aleutian Islands. Canadian air force planes flew anti-submarine patrols against the Japanese while on land, Canadian troops were deployed side by side with American troops against the Japanese. Owing to circumstances, Canadians troops were only once sent into combat during the Aleutian campaign during the invasion of the island of Kiska. However, the Japanese had already withdrawn their forces at that point.

text: The Defence of Hong Kong[edit]

text: In Autumn 1941, the British government accepted an offer by the Canadian Government to send two infantry battalions and a brigade headquarters (1,975 personnel) to reinforce British, Indian and Hong Kong personnel garrisoned at Hong Kong. It was known as "C Force" and arrived in Hong Kong in mid-November 1941, but did not have all of its equipment they were initially positioned on south side of the Island to counter any amphibious landing. On December 8, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese began their attack on Hong Kong with a force 4 times bigger than the Allied garrison. Canadian soldiers were called upon to counterattack the Japanese assault and saw their first combat against them on December 11, however after bitter fighting allied forces surrendered on December 25, 1941. "C Force" lost 290 personnel during the battle and a further 267 subsequently perished in Japanese prisoner of war camps.

text: Newfoundland[edit]

text: When war was declared, Britain expected Canada to take responsibility for defending British North America.[12] In 1939, L. E. Emerson was the Commissioner of Defence for Newfoundland. Winston Churchill instructed Emerson to cooperate with Canada and comply with a "friendly invasion" as he encouraged Mackenzie King to advise the occupation of Newfoundland by the king as monarch of Canada. By March 1942, Commissioner Emerson had restructured official organizations, such as The Aircraft Detection Corps Newfoundland, and integrated them into Canadian units, like The Canadian Aircraft Identity Corps.

text: The British Army mustered two units in Newfoundland for overseas service: The 59th Field Artillery and the 166th Field Artillery. The 59th served in northern Europe, the 166th served in Italy and North Africa. The Royal Newfoundland Regiment was also mustered, but was never deployed overseas. No. 125 (Newfoundland) Squadron R.A.F. served in England and Wales and provided support during D-Day: the squadron was disbanded on 20 November 1945.[33]

text: Several Canadian regiments were garrisoned in Newfoundland during the Second World War: the most famous regiment was The Royal Rifles of Canada who were stationed at Cape Spear before being dispatched to British Hong Kong; In July 1941, The Prince Edward Island Highlanders arrived to replace them; In 1941 and 1942, The Lincoln & Welland Regiment was assigned to Gander Airport and then St. John's.

text: The Canadian Army built a concrete fort at Cape Spear with several large guns to deter German naval raids. Other forts were built overlooking St. John's Harbour; magazines and bunkers were cut into the South Side Hills and torpedo nets were draped across the harbour mouth. Cannons were erected at Bell Island to protect the merchant navy from submarine attacks and guns were mounted at Rigolette to protect Goose Bay.

text: All Canadian soldiers assigned to Newfoundland from 1939 to 1945 received a silver clasp to their Canadian Volunteer Service Medal for overseas service. Because Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia had all issued their own volunteer service medals, the Newfoundland government minted its own volunteer service medal in 1978. The Newfoundland Volunteer War Service Medal was awarded only to Newfoundlanders who served overseas in the Commonwealth Forces but had not received a volunteer service medal. The medal is bronze: on its obverse is a crown and a caribou; on its reverse is Britannia and two lions.

text: Naval warfare[edit]

text: Battle of the Atlantic[edit]

text: The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest ongoing battle in World War II. Once Britain declared war on Germany, Canada quickly followed, entering the war on 10 September 1939, as they had a vested interest in sustaining Britain.[34]:56

text: Canadian security relied on British success in this war, along with maintaining national security, politically speaking, some felt it was Canada’s duty to assist her allies. For example, the Canadian prime minister Mackenzie King had been utterly convinced that it was Canada’s "Self-evident national duty" to "back Britain".[34]:38

text: Once World War II had erupted in 1939, Canada had a small navy. In 1939 Canada had seven warships. Once entering the war, Canada needed a naval reformation in order to keep up with and aid the British. On the outbreak of the war Canada had roughly 3,500 men supporting the RCN. In September 1940 "the RCN grew to 10,000 men".[34]:134

text: The Canadian government agencies also played a major role in the patterns of warfare in the Atlantic. The Canadian Navies Division operated a network of naval control of shipping agents in the neutral United States from 1939 to 1941.[clarification needed] These agents managed the shipping movements of British shipping in the United States, and also managed the growing United States Navy systems in regards to basic trade movements. Special publications on trade matters were supplied to the United States Navy from Ottawa in 1941, and by the time of Pearl Harbor American port directors were working with Ottawa as a team. Ottawa’s job of studying trade movements and keeping track of intelligence was so effective and crucial that they were given the task of controlling shipping west of 40〫and north of the equator from December 1941 to July 1942, along with supplying the USN trade directorate with daily intelligence.[35]

text: Canada was also given the responsibility of covering two strategically key points in the Atlantic. The first is known as the "Mid-Atlantic Gap", located off the coast of Greenland. This gap was a very hostile point in the supply line which was very difficult to take control. With the use of Iceland as a refuelling point and Canada to the west, the gap was narrowed down to 300 nautical miles (560 km). "The Surface gap was closed by the Royal Canadian Navy [in 1943]. This Newfoundland Escort Force started with 5 Canadian corvettes and two British destroyers [manned by Canadian seamen], followed by other Canadian-manned British destroyers when available".[36]

text: The second task Canada was given was to control the English Channel during Operation Overlord (The Normandy Invasion). "On the 6th of June, 50 RCN escorts were redeployed from the North Atlantic and Canadian Waters for invasion duties".[34]:144 Their tasks were to cover the flanks of the invasion to ensure submarine defence of the invasion fleet, also to provide distant patrols of the southern flank of the invasion area, and lastly to prevent submarine flotillas in the channel from gaining reinforcements. This invasion relied on the RCN to cover British and American flanks to ensure a successful landing on the beaches of Normandy.[34]:144

text: Canada saw enormous growth during World War II, going from a limited amount of warships to becoming the third largest navy in the world after the Axis powers were defeated and the role they played in aiding the USN in intelligence. Their primary role in protecting merchant ships from North America to Britain was ultimately successful, though that victory was shared with the major Allied powers. Throughout the war Canada had made 25,343 successful escort voyages delivering 164,783,921 tons of cargo.[34]:56 By the end of the war, German documents state that the Royal Canadian Navy was responsible for the loss of 52 submarines in the Atlantic. In return 59 Canadian merchant ships, and 24 warships were sunk during the battle of the Atlantic.[37]

text: "Canadians solved the problem of the Atlantic convoys." — British Admiral Sir Percy Noble

text: Southeast Asia and the Pacific[edit]

text: Canadian naval and special forces participated in various capacities in the Pacific and South-East Asia. The cruisers HMCS Ontario and HMCS Uganda, along with the armed merchant cruiser HMCS Prince Robert were assigned to the British Pacific Fleet. HMCS Uganda was in theatre at the time. HMCS Ontario arrived to support the post-war operations in the Philippines, Hong Kong and Japan. However the Uganda was the only Royal Canadian Navy ship to take an active part against the Japanese while serving with the British Pacific Fleet. Various Canadian special forces also served in Southeast Asia including the "Sea Reconnaissance Unit", a team of navy divers tasked to spearhead assaults across the rivers in Burma.[12][38]

text: Conditions aboard HMCS Uganda, compared to ships in the United States Navy, strict discipline, and the inability to display a separate Canadian identity, had contributed to poor morale and resentment amongst the crew. In an attempt to remedy this and mindful of the change in Canadian government policy that henceforth only volunteers would serve overseas, the ship's commander, Captain Edmond Rollo Mainguy, invited crew members (before the official date) to register their unwillingness to serve overseas. Of the 907 crew members, 605 did so on 7 May 1945.[39][40]

text: This decision, which had legal impact, was relayed to Canada and thence to the British government. Reacting to the angry British response, the Canadians agreed to stay on station until replaced. This happened on 27 July 1945, when HMS Argonaut joined the British Pacific Fleet and Uganda departed for Esquimalt arriving on the day of the Japanese surrender.[39]

text: Attacks in Canadian waters and on the mainland[edit]

text: Axis U-boats operated in Canadian and Newfoundland waters throughout the war, sinking many naval and merchant vessels. Two significant attacks took place in 1942 when German U-boats attacked four allied ore carriers at Bell Island, Newfoundland. The carriers SS Saganaga and SS Lord Strathcona were sunk by U-513 on 5 September 1942, while SS Rosecastle and P.L.M 27 were sunk by U-518 on 2 November with the loss of 69 lives. When the submarine fired a torpedo at the loading pier, Bell Island became the only location in North America to be subject to direct attack by German forces in the Second World War. U-boats were also found in the St. Lawrence River; during the night of 14 October 1942, the Newfoundland Railway ferry, SS Caribou was torpedoed by German U-boat U-69 and sunk in the Cabot Strait with the loss of 137 lives. Both sides fought to outsmart each other and decide the fate of the merchant vessels in the Atlantic Ocean. Several U-boat wrecks have been found in Canadian waters, a few as far in as the Labrador River. The Canadian mainland was also attacked when the Japanese submarine I-26 shelled the Estevan Point lighthouse on Vancouver Island on 20 June 1942. Japanese fire balloons were also launched at Canada, some reaching British Columbia and the other western provinces.

text: Dieppe[edit]

text: There was pressure from the Canadian government to ensure that Canadian troops were put into action.[41] The Dieppe Raid (Operation Jubilee) of 19 August 1942, landed nearly 5,000 soldiers of the inexperienced Second Canadian Division and 1,000 British commandos on the coast of occupied France, in the only major combined forces assault on France prior to the Normandy invasion. While a large number of aircraft flew in support, naval gunfire was deliberately limited to avoid damage to the town and civilian casualties. As a result, the Canadian forces assaulted a heavily defended coast line with no supportive bombardment. Of the 6,086 men who made it ashore, 3,367 (60%) were killed, wounded, or captured.[42] The Royal Air Force failed to lure the Luftwaffe into open battle, and lost 106 aircraft (at least 32 to flak or accidents), compared to 48 lost by the Luftwaffe.[43] The Royal Navy lost 33 landing craft and one destroyer. Two Canadians received the Victoria Cross for actions at Dieppe: Lieutenant Colonel "Cec" Merritt of the South Saskatchewan Regiment and Honorary Captain John Foote, military chaplain of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.

text: The lessons learned at Dieppe became the textbook of "what not to do" in amphibious operations, and laid the framework for the later (Operation Torch) landings in North Africa and the Normandy landings in France. Most notably, Dieppe highlighted:

text:
the need for preliminary artillery support, including aerial bombardment;[44]
the need for a sustained element of surprise;
the need for proper intelligence concerning enemy fortifications;
the avoidance of a direct frontal attack on a defended port city; and,
the need for proper re-embarkation craft.[45]

tag: ol

text: The British developed a range of specialist armoured vehicles which allowed their engineers to perform many of their tasks protected by armour, most famously Hobart's Funnies. The major deficiencies in RAF ground support techniques led to the creation of a fully integrated Tactical Air Force to support major ground offensives.[46] Because the treads of most Churchill tanks were caught up in the shingle beaches of Dieppe, the Allies initiated pre-operation environmental intelligence collection, and devised appropriate vehicles to meet the challenges of future landing sites.[47] The raid also challenged the Allies' belief that the seizure of a major port would be essential in the creation of a second front. Their revised view was that the amount of damage sustained by bombardment in order to capture a port, would almost certainly render it useless. As a result, the decision was taken to construct prefabricated "Mulberry" harbours, and tow them to beaches as part of a large-scale invasion.[48]

text: Italy[edit]

text: While Canadians served at sea, in the air, and in small numbers attached to Allied formations and independently, the invasion of Sicily was the first full scale combat engagement by full Canadian divisions since World War I. Canadian soldiers went ashore in 1943 in the Allied invasions of Sicily and mainland Italy, then fought through the long Italian Campaign. During the course of the Allied campaign in Italy, over 25,000 Canadian soldiers became casualties of war.

text: The 1st Canadian Division and the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade took part in the Allied invasion of Sicily in Operation Husky, 10 July 1943 and also Operation Baytown, part of the Allied invasion of Italy on 3 September 1943. Canadian participation in the Sicily and Italy campaigns were made possible after the government decided to break up the First Canadian Army, sitting idle in Britain. Public pressure for Canadian troops to begin fighting forced a move before the awaited invasion of northwest Europe.[49] Troops fought on through the long and difficult Italian campaign until redeployed to the Western Front in February–March 1945 during Operation Goldflake. By this time the Canadian contribution to the Italian theatre had grown to include I Canadian Corps headquarters, the 1st Division, 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division and an independent armoured brigade. Three Victoria Crosses were awarded to Canadian Army troops in Italy; Captain Paul Triquet of the Royal 22e Régiment, Private Smokey Smith of The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, and Major John Mahoney of The Westminster Regiment (Motor). Notable battles in Italy included the Moro River Campaign, the Battle of Ortona and the battles to break the Hitler Line, later fighting on the Gothic Line.

text: Conscription Crisis and Quebec[edit]

text: The political astuteness of Mackenzie King, combined with much greater military sensitivity to Quebec volunteers resulted in a conscription crisis that was minor compared to that of the First World War. French-Canadian volunteers were front and centre, in their own units, throughout the war, highlighted by actions at Dieppe (Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal), Italy (Royal 22e Régiment), the Normandy beaches (Le Régiment de la Chaudière), the thrust into the Netherlands (Le Régiment de Maisonneuve), and in the bombing campaign over Germany (No. 425 Squadron RCAF).

text: D-Day and Normandy[edit]

text: On 6 June 1944, the 3rd Canadian Division landed on Juno Beach in the Battle of Normandy and sustained heavy casualties in their first hour of attack. By the end of D-Day, the Canadians had penetrated deeper into France than either the British or the American troops at their landing sites, overcoming stronger resistance than the other beachheads except Omaha Beach. In the first month of the Normandy campaign, Canadian, British and Polish troops were opposed by some of the strongest and best trained German troops in the theatre, including the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend and the Panzer-Lehr-Division.

text: Several costly operations were mounted by the Canadians to fight a path to the pivotal city of Caen and then south towards Falaise, part of the Allied attempt to liberate Paris. By the time the First Canadian Army linked up with U.S. forces, closing the Falaise pocket, the destruction of the German Army in Normandy was nearly complete. Three Victoria Crosses were earned by Canadians in Northwest Europe; Major David Currie of the South Alberta Regiment received the Victoria Cross for his actions at Saint-Lambert, Captain Frederick Tilston of the Essex Scottish and Sergeant Aubrey Cosens of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada were rewarded for their service in the Rhineland fighting in 1945, the latter posthumously. 50,000 Canadians fought in D-Day.

text: The Low Countries[edit]

text: One of the most important Canadian contributions was the Battle of the Scheldt, involving II Canadian Corps, under Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds, under command of the First Canadian Army, commanded by General Henry Duncan Graham Crerar. The Corps included the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division. Although nominally a Canadian formation, II Canadian Corps contained the Polish 1st Armoured Division, with the 1st Belgian Infantry Brigade, and the Royal Netherlands Motorized Infantry Brigade. The British 51st Infantry Division was attached to the Corps.

text: The British had liberated Antwerp, but that city's port could not be used until the Germans were driven from the heavily fortified Scheldt estuary.[50] In several weeks of heavy fighting in the fall of 1944, the Canadians succeeded in defeating the Germans in this region. The Canadians then turned east and played a central role in the liberation of the Netherlands. In 1944–45, the First Canadian Army was responsible for liberating much of the Netherlands from German occupation. Canada lost 7,600 troops in these operations.[51] This day is celebrated on May 5th commemorating the surrender of the German Commander-in-chief Johannes Blaskowitz to Lieutenant-General Charles Foulkes, commanding I Canadian Corps, consisting of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division and the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, together with supporting units. The Corps had returned from fighting on the Italian Front in February 1945 as part of Operation Goldflake.

text: The arrival of Canadian troops came at a time of crisis for the Netherlands: the "hunger winter". Canadian troops gave their rations to children, and blankets to civilians. Bombers were used to drop food packets to hungry civilians in German-occupied Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and the Hague in "Operation Manna", with permission from Germany, so long as the bombers did not fly above 200 feet.[52]

text: The royal family of the Netherlands had moved to Ottawa until the Netherlands were liberated, and Princess Margriet was born during this Canadian exile. Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, the only child of then-Queen Wilhelmina and heir to the throne, sought refuge in Canada with her two daughters, Beatrix and Irene, during the war. During Princess Juliana's stay in Canada, preparations were made for the birth of her third child. To ensure the Dutch citizenship of this royal baby, the Canadian Parliament passed a special law declaring Princess Juliana's suite at the Ottawa Civic Hospital "extraterritorial". On 19 January 1943, Princess Margriet was born. The day after Princess Margriet's birth, the Dutch flag was flown on the Peace Tower. This was the only time a foreign flag has waved atop Canada's Parliament Buildings.

text: In 1945, the people of the Netherlands sent 100,000 hand-picked tulip bulbs as a post-war gift for the role played by Canadian soldiers in the liberation of the Netherlands. These tulips were planted on Parliament Hill and along the Queen Elizabeth Driveway. Princess Juliana was so pleased at the prominence given to the gift that in 1946, she decided to send a personal gift of 20,000 tulip bulbs to show her gratitude for the hospitality received in Ottawa. The gift was part of a lifelong bequest. Since then, tulips have proliferated in Ottawa as a symbol of peace, freedom and international friendship. Every year, Canada's capital receives 10,000 bulbs from the Dutch royal family, celebrated in the Canadian Tulip Festival. In 1995, the Netherlands donated an additional 5,000 bulbs for Parliament Hill, 1,000 for each provincial and territorial capital and 1,000 for Ste. Anne's hospital in Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue, Que. (the only remaining federal hospital in Canada, administered by Veterans Affairs Canada)[51] It is thought that the Netherlands and the Dutch people have had an enduring affection for Canada and Canadians long after the war, lingering into the present day.[52][53]

text: Weapons of the Canadian Armed Forces[edit]

text: Information thanks to; List of military equipment of the Canadian Army during World War II

text: Small arms[edit]

text: Pistols (manual and semi-automatic)[edit]

text:
Type
Base model
Maker
Rounds
Cartridge
From:
Produced
Weight
Comment

Colt Model 1911 & Model 1911A1
Colt Model 1911
Various
7
.45 ACP (11.43×23mm)
1914
2700000
1.1 kg
Semi-automatic. Canada purchased some in World War I and more in World War II.

Smith & Wesson Triple Lock 2nd model
Smith & Wesson Triple Lock
Smith & Wesson
6
.44 Special (10.9×29mm)
1917
?
1.08 kg
Revolver, low-cost version

Pistol No. 1 MK. I & No 2 Mk 1
Browning Hi-Power
John Inglis and Company
13
9×19mm Parabellum
1944
?
1.08 kg
Semi-automatic, Belgian blueprints. Standard issue sidearm of the Canadian Armed Forces as of 2017

S&W Victory Model (S&W Military&Police)
Smith & Wesson Model 10
Smith & Wesson
6
.38-200 (9.2×19.7mm)
1942
570000
0.91 kg
Revolver

Webley .455 Mk VI
Webley Revolver
Webley & Scott
6
.455 Webley (11.5×19.6mm)
1915
?
1.1 kg
Revolver, obsolete, secondary sidearm

Enfield No. 2 Mk 1
Enfield Revolver
Royal Small Arms Factory, Albion Motors, others
6
.38-200 (9.2×19.7mm)
1932
?
0.765 kg
Revolver, secondary sidearm

Colt Police Positive
Colt New Police Revolver
Colt's Manufacturing Company
6
.38 S&W (9.2×19.7mm)
1907
?
0.74 kg
Revolver, secondary sidearm

tag: table

text: Automatic pistols and submachine guns[edit]

text:
Type
Base model
Maker
Rounds
Cartridge
From:
Produced
Weight
Comment

Thompson submachine gun 1928, 1928A1, M1 & M1A1
Thompson submachine gun
Savage Arms
30, 20, or 50
.45 ACP (11.43×23mm)
1942
1500000
4.9 kg
Drum Magazines were not issued as they could not fit into the magazine pouches of the 1937 pattern webbing

Sten Mk II - Mk V
Sten
Long Branch Arsenal & British Factories
32
9×19mm Parabellum
1941
3700000
3.2 kg
Low-cost, required a longer magazine pouch on the '37 pattern webbing for its long magazines

M50 Reising
M50 Reising
H & R Firearms
20
.45 ACP (11.43×23mm)
1941
100000
3.1 kg
Bad reliability in field. Used very rarely

text: Rifles[edit]

text: (see canadiansoldiers.com site for detailed data)

text:
Type
Base model
Maker
Rounds
Cartridge
From:
Produced
Weight
Comment

No. 1 Mk. III & No. 1 MK. III*
Lee–Enfield
Various
10
.303 British Mk VII(7.9×56.4mm)

?
4 kg
Used since midway through the First World War. Used as the standard issue rifle until 1943, where it was replaced with the No.4 MK. I*

Number 4 Mk.I, No.4 MK. I*
Lee-Enfield
Various
10
.303 British Mk VII(7.9×56.4mm)
1943
?
4 kg
Main Canadian rifle of World War II

Pattern 14
Enfield
Winchester, Remington
5
.303 British Mk VII(7.9×56.4mm)
1914
1235298
4.25 kg
Training only

M1917
Enfield
Springfield Armory, others
6
.30-06 Springfield (7.62×63mm)
1917
2193429
4.17 kg
Limited use in Canadian homeland

M1 Garand
M1 Garand
Springfield Armory, others
8
.30-06 Springfield
(7.62x63mm)

1944
?
4.31 kg
The Americans gave the Canadian army enough Garands to equip a brigade sized force. Semi-automatic rifle

text: Grenades and grenade launchers[edit]

text: This list is grossly incomplete, listing a small fraction of approximately 30 grenade varieties used by Canadians during World War II.

text:
Grenade
Launcher
Introduced
Type
Weight, g
comments

No. 36 M MK. I
Cup discharger for No. 1 rifle
1915
fragmentation
765
Most common hand grenade during World War II

No 68 AT Grenade

1940
HEAT
894
52 mm RHA penetration

No. 69 grenade
No
1942
high-explosive
383
Bakelite case

No. 73 grenade
No
1940
high-explosive
2000
51mm RHA penetration, used mostly for demolition

No. 74 Sticky bomb
No
1940
HESH
~900
Low-cost

No. 75 AT Hawkins Mine
No
1942
high-explosive
1020
Most common Canadian AT weapon & demolition charge during World War II

No. 82 Gammon
No
1943
universal
1140
Soft body

text: Flamethrowers[edit]

text: Flamethrower, Portable, No 2 "Ack-Pack"

text: Machine guns[edit]

text: Infantry and dual-purpose machine guns[edit]

text:
Type
Production
Fire rate, RPM
Effective range
Cartridge
From:
Produced
Weight
Comment

Bren Gun (various marks)
Inglis, Toronto
510
600
.303 British (7.7×56mmR)
1939
599000
10.35 kg
Replacement for Lewis gun

Lewis gun (standard model; U.S. version; Automatic Ship's Lewis Gun)

550
800
.303 British (7.7×56mmR) or .30/06
1917
?
13 kg
Occasional AA gun, limited production during World War II

Vickers machine gun (various marks and models)

475
2000
.303 British (7.7×56mmR)
1912
?
23 kg
Vickers Gas Operated was standard flexible MG on aircraft early in World War II.

M2HB Browning machine gun

550
1800
.50 BMG (12.7×99mm)
1921
3000000
23 kg
Used until present (2017)

M1919A4

500
1400
.30/06
1919
5000000
14 kg
In 1970s converted to 7.62 NATO. commonly mounted on vehicles

text: Artillery[edit]

text: Infantry mortars[edit]

text:
Model
Caliber
Max. range
From
Produced
Weight, kg
Fire Rate, RPM
Comment

2 inch Mortar (standard and airborne lightweight models)
50.8mm
460
1937
?
4.8
8
Elevated by hand

M19 mortar
60mm
1790
1942
?
9.3
8
Received after M19 was rejected by US military

3 inch Mortar Mk. II
81.2mm
1463
1931
?
50.8
15
Crew of 3

M2 4.2 inch mortar
106.7mm
4023
1943
?
151
5
Prepared for chemical bombs delivery, never used

text: Heavy mortars & rocket launchers[edit]

text: Land Mattress C-21 UCM -

text: Field artillery[edit]

text:
Model
Caliber
Max. range
From
Produced
Weight, kg
Fire Rate, RPM
Comment

QF 18-pounder
83.8mm
5966
1904
10469
1282
4
Obsolete at start of World War II

QF 25-pounder
87.6mm
12253
1940
13000
1633
7
Main Canadian World War II field gun/howitzer

BL 4.5 inch Medium Field Gun
114mm
18000
1938
?
6190
2.5
Built in UK by Canadian companies

BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun
140mm
16550
1941
?
5900
2
Received from UK

BL 60-pounder
127mm
15500
1905
1756
4400
2
In Canadian service until start of World War II

text: Anti-tank guns[edit]

text:
Model
Caliber
Penetration 1
Penetration 2
Muzzle speed
Max. range
From
Produced
Weight, kg
Fire Rate, RPM
Comment

QF 2-pdr
40 mm
37 mm @ 457 m
27 mm @ 914 m
792
1000
1936
12000
814
22

QF 6-pdr
57 mm
88 mm @ 100 m
-
884
1600
1941
?
1140
?
Produced in both UK and Canada

QF 17-pdr
76.2 mm
130 mm @ 500 m
119 mm @ 1000 m
880
1800
1942
?
3050
?
Eventually mounted in the turret of the Sherman VC and IC Firefly

text: Anti-tank weapons (Besides anti-tank guns)[edit]

text:
Boys Anti-Tank Rifle
PIAT-1943-1950s
Clam Magnetic Mine
Mk 5 mine
Mk 2 mine

text: Bangalore torpedo (not a grenade or anti-tank)

text: Anti-aircraft guns[edit]

text:
Model
Caliber
Eff. alt.
From
Produced
Weight, kg
Fire Rate, RPM
Comment

QF 3.7-inch AA gun Mk1
94mm
7300
1941
?
9317
15

Bofors 40 mm gun L/60
40mm
4100
1932
2250
1981
120
Still in service (2014)

Polsten-Oerlikon gun
20mm
1000
1944
57
4000
450
Low-cost

text: Vehicles of the Canadian Armed Forces[edit]

text: Canada had produced a wide variety of combat vehicles during World War II domestically, but all primary fighting vehicles there imported because of manufacturing quality concerns.

text: Tankettes[edit]

text: Carden Loyd Mk IV tankette - not used in combat

text: Tanks[edit]

text:
Model
From
Armor max.
(mm)

Primary armament
Secondary armament
Weight
( t)

Power
(kW)

Range
(km)

#
Produced[note 1]

Crew
Comments

Stuart tank
1941
51
37mm Gun M3 L/24
3×.30-06 Browning M1919A4 MG
14.7
190
119
25000
4
Imported

Churchill tank Mk 1
1941
102
QF 2-pdr
2 × 7.92 mm Besa machine gun
38.5
261
90
7368
4
Given to Canada for Dieppe Raid

Churchill Oke
1942
102
QF-2-pdr
Ronson flamethrower

2 × 7.92 mm Besa machine gun
38.5
261
90
3
4
All destroyed in Dieppe Raid

Centaur IV
1944
76
Ordnance QF 95 mm howitzer
2×7.92mm Besa machine gun
28
450
270
114
5
Support tank

Sherman I, III, V
1942
76
75 mm Gun M2/M3/M6
1 × 12.7mm Browning M2HB and 2 × 7.8mm Browning M1919A4
30.3
298
193
?
5
Lend-Lease

Sherman Firefly IC & VC
1943
89
QF 17-pdr
12.7mm Browning M2HB and 7.8mm Browning M1919A4
33
298
193
2,150
4
American chassis with British 17 pounder gun

Sherman V DD
1942
76
75 mm Gun M2/M3/M6
1×12.7mm Browning M2HB and 2×7.8mm Browning M1919A4
30.3
298
193
?
5
M4 with flotation screen and propeller

Ram Badger flame tank
1941
87
QF 6-pdr
Wasp II flamethrower and 2×7.62mm machine guns
29
298
232
?
5
Later versions had flamethrower replacing main gun, Ram tanks were not used in combat

Sherman Badger flame tank
1942
76
75 mm Gun M2/M3/M6
Wasp IIC flamethrower and 2×7.8mm Browning M1919A4
30.3
298
193
?
5
Replacement for Ram Badger flame tank

Grizzly I
1943
75
75 mm M3 L/40 gun
2×.30-06 Browning M1919A4 MG
29.91
298
193
188
5
Canadian-built modified M4 Sherman, chassis used for Sexton self-propelled gun

M10 tank destroyer
1942
57
76.2 mm Gun M7
1×12.7mm Browning M2HB
29.6
276
300
6706
5
Tank destroyer

Achilles
1944
57.2
QF 17-pdr (76mm)
1×12.7mm Browning M2HB
29.6
276
300
1,100
5
Tank destroyer M10 with British gun

Archer
1943
60
QF 17-pdr (76mm)
1× .303 Bren LMG
15
145
230
655
4
Tank destroyer

Light Tank Mk VIA
1936
14
Vickers .50 machine gun (12.7mm)
1× .303 Vickers machine gun
4.93
67
210
1,682
3
Not used in combat

Ram tank I and II
1941
87
QF 6-pdr
3×7.62mm machine guns
29
298
232
2000
5
In field conversions saw combat in Europe, based on M3 hull.

Valentine Mk.VI
1941
65
QF 2-pdr (40mm)
1×.30-06 Browning M1919A4 MG
16.5
104
130
1420
3
Canadian-built, provided to USSR

Matilda II infantry tank
1937
78
QF 2-pdr (40mm)
1×7.92 mm Besa machine gun
25
72
257
2987
4
Not used in combat

M3 Lee/Grant
1941
51
75mm M2/M3 gun
(2-4)×7.8mm Browning M1919A4
27
300
193
6258
?
Not used in combat

text: Self-propelled guns[edit]

text: Tank-based[edit]

text:
Name
Chassis
Gun
Developed
Manufactured
Role

Sexton
M3 Lee
QF 25-pdr (87.6 mm) Mk II
1942
2150
Self-propelled gun

M7 Priest
M3 Lee
M101 howitzer (105mm)
1942
4443
Self-propelled gun

Crusader III, AA Mk.I
Crusader
Bofors 40 mm gun
1944
?
Self-propelled AA gun

Mk.II/III
Crusader
2×Oerlikon 20mm gun
1944
?
Self-propelled AA gun

Skink anti-aircraft tank
M4 Sherman
4×Polsten (20mm)
1944
3
Self-propelled AA gun

text: Other[edit]

text: M3 75mm Gun Motor Carriage - M3 Half-track equipped with the M1A1 75 mm gun

text: Armored cars[edit]

text:
Model/Type
Years in Use
Manufacturer
Details

Daimler Dingo

 United Kingdom

Daimler Mk. I Armoured Car

 United Kingdom

Humber Mk. I Scout Car

 United Kingdom

Humber Mk. IV Armoured Car

 United Kingdom

M3 Scout Car

 United States

Morris Light Reconnaissance Car

 United Kingdom

Staghound Armoured Car

 United States

Fox Armoured Car

 Canada
Humber Armoured Car design modified for Canadian production

Otter Light Reconnaissance Car

 Canada
Similar to Humber Light Reconnaissance Car

Lynx Scout Car

 Canada
Similar to Dingo

text: Engineering and command[edit]

text:
Model/Type
Years in Use
Manufacturer
Details

Ram ARV Mk I and II

 Canada

Valentine Bridgelayer

 United Kingdom

Sherman V ARV

 United States

text: Sherman Ib recovery vehicle

text: Tractors & prime movers[edit]

text:
Model/Type
Years in Use
Manufacturer
Details

Kangaroo (armoured personnel carrier)

 Canada

Loyd Carrier

 United Kingdom

Wasp

 United Kingdom
A Universal Carrier with flame-thrower equipment

T-16 Carrier

 United States
Lend-Lease based upon Universal Carrier, used to tow artillery

Windsor Carrier

 Canada
Variation of Universal Carrier

M3A1 Half-track

Various,  United States

M5 Half-track

International Harvester,  United States
Similar to M3 produced for Lend-Lease

M9A1 Half-track

International Harvester,  United States
Variant of M5

M14 Half-track

International Harvester,  United States
M3 Half-track with anti-aircraft turret

M5 "Recce"

 United States
A turretless M5 light tank used for reconnaissance

text: Miscellaneous vehicles[edit]

text:
Model/Type
Years in Use
Manufacturer
Details

Willys MB, Ford GP, Ford GPW & Ford GPA

 United States

Morris C8

 United Kingdom

AEC Matador

 United Kingdom

Diamond T 4-Ton lorry

 United Kingdom

F-8

Ford,  Canada
Canadian Military Pattern truck

F-15

Ford,  Canada
Canadian Military Pattern truck

F-15

Ford,  Canada
Canadian Military Pattern truck

F-30

Ford,  Canada
Canadian Military Pattern truck

F-60S, F-60L, F-60H, F-60T

Ford,  Canada
Canadian Military Pattern truck

F-GT (Field Artillery Tractor)

Ford,  Canada
Canadian Military Pattern truck

C-8, C-8A

Chevrolet,  Canada
Canadian Military Pattern truck

C-15, C-15A

Chevrolet,  Canada
Canadian Military Pattern truck

C15TA Armoured Truck

Chevrolet,  Canada
Canadian Military Pattern truck

C-30, C-60S, C-60L, C-60X

Chevrolet,  Canada
Canadian Military Pattern truck

C-GT (Field Artillery Tractor)

Chevrolet,  Canada
Canadian Military Pattern truck

text: Aircraft of the Canadian Armed Forces[edit]

text: It should be noted here that although the Canadian government purchased and built thousands of military aircraft for use by the RCAF Home War Establishment (RCAF Eastern Air Command and RCAF Western Air Command) and the Canadian-based units of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, under the provisions of the plan Canada was to provide the training aircraft and facilities and a very large number of Canadian airmen would be committed to go overseas to fight in Article XV squadrons formed in the Great Britain and known as 400 series squadrons of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Forty-four of these squadrons were formed and most under this agreement were equipped by the British largely from their stocks and that is why many of the types of aircraft flown in combat in great numbers (such as the North American Mustang, Boulton Paul Defiant, Bristol Beaufighter, hundreds of Supermarine Spitfires of various marks, British built Avro Lancasters, Vickers Wellington, Hawker Typhoon, Short Sunderland, etc.) by most of the RCAF squadrons engaged in the fighting are missing from the following list altogether (or the quantities actually used by the RCAF overseas are not included in the numbers given below).

text: Fighters[edit]

text:
Name
Place of
Manufacture

Primary
Role(s)

Service
Period

#
Used

Armstrong Whitworth Siskin
UK
Fighter
1926–1940
12

Hawker Hurricane
UK/Canada
Fighter
1939–1948
502

Grumman Goblin
US/Canada
Fighter
1940–1942
15

North American NA-44
US
Fighter/utility
1940–1944
1

Supermarine Spitfire
UK
Fighter
1940–1950
8

Curtiss Kittyhawk
US
Fighter
1941–1946
134

Curtiss Warhawk
US
Fighter
1942–1943
9

Hawker Sea Hurricane
UK
Fighter
1942–1943
1

Curtiss Tomahawk
US
Fighter
1943–1946
4

de Havilland Mosquito
UK/Canada
Bomber/fighter-bomber
1943–1951
444

Gloster Meteor
UK
Fighter
1945–1955
4

text: Attack aircraft[edit]

text:
Name
Place of
Manufacture

Primary
Role(s)

Service
Period

#
Used

Blackburn Shark Mk.II & III
UK
Torpedo bomber
1936–1944
26

Bristol Beaufort
UK
Torpedo bomber/strike/minelayer
1941–1944
15

Brewster Bermuda
US
Dive bomber
1943–1946
3

Fairey Swordfish Mk.II & III
UK
Torpedo bomber
1943–1947
105

Fairey Albacore
UK
Torpedo bomber
1943–1949
6

text: Bombers[edit]

text:
Name
1968 CF
designator

Place of
Manufacture

Primary
Role(s)

Service
Period

#
Used

Lockheed Hudson
n/a
US
Bomber
1939–1948
247

Hawker Hart
n/a
UK
Bomber
1937–1943
3

Douglas Digby
n/a
US
Bomber
1939–1946
20

Fairey Battle
n/a
UK
Bomber/trainer/target tug
1939–1946
740

Bristol Fairchild Bolingbroke
n/a
Canada
Bomber/trainer
1939–1947
626

Handley Page Harrow
n/a
UK
Bomber/transport
1940–1941
2

Northrop Nomad
n/a
US
Light bomber
1940–1945
32

Avro Anson
n/a
UK/Canada
Medium bomber/trainer
1940–1947
4413

Handley Page Hampden
n/a
UK
Bomber
1941–1944
96

Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV
n/a
UK
Medium bomber/gunnery trainer
1941–1945
1

Douglas Boston
n/a
US
Bomber
1941–1945
3

Avro Lancaster
n/a
UK/Canada
Heavy bomber
1944–1965
229

Martin Baltimore
n/a
US
Bomber
1942–1942
1

North American Mitchell
n/a
US
Bomber
1942–1963
164

Boeing Fortress Mk.II
n/a
US
Long-range patrol bomber
1943–1946
6

Handley Page Halifax
n/a
UK
Heavy bomber
1944–1947

text: Reconnaissance aircraft[edit]

text:
Name
1968 CF
Designator

Place of
Manufacture

Primary
Role(s)

Service
Period

#
Used

Canadian Vickers Vedette
n/a
Canada
Patrol flying boat
1925–1941
44

Canadian Vickers Vancouver
n/a
Canada
Patrol flying boat
1929–1940
6

Armstrong Whitworth Atlas
n/a
UK
Spotting/liaison
1927–1942
16

Westland Wapiti
n/a
UK
Spotting/liaison
1930–1944
25

Hawker Audax
n/a
UK
Spotting/liaison
1933–1943
6

Supermarine Stranraer
n/a
Canada
Patrol seaplane
1938–1946
40

Westland Lysander
n/a
UK/Canada
Spotting/liaison/target tug
1939–1946
329

Consolidated Catalina/Canso
n/a
US/Canada
Maritime patrol seaplane
1941–1962
254

Lockheed Ventura
n/a
US
Maritime patrol/target tug
1942–1947
28

Supermarine Walrus
n/a
UK
Fleet spotter/utility amphibian
1943–1947
8

Consolidated Liberator
n/a
US
Maritime patrol
1943–1948
14

text: Trainers[edit]

text:
Name
1968 CF
designator

Place of
manufacture

Primary
role(s)

Service
period

#
used

De Havilland Moth
n/a
UK
trainer
1928–1948
89

Curtiss-Reid Rambler
n/a
Canada
trainer/utility
1929–1954
9

Hawker Tomtit
n/a
UK
trainer
1930–1943
2

Avro Tutor (Avro 621)
n/a
UK
trainer
1931–1945
7

Fleet Fawn
n/a
Canada
elementary trainer
1931–1947
51

Avro Prefect (Avro 626)
n/a
UK
trainer
1937–1945
12

de Havilland DH.82C Tiger Moth
n/a
Canada
trainer
1938–1948
1410

Airspeed Oxford
n/a
UK
trainer (navigation, bombing & radio)
1939–1947
819

Fleet Finch
n/a
Canada
elementary trainer
1939–1947
431

North American Harvard
n/a
US/Canada
advanced trainer
1939–1968
2156

North American NA-26
n/a
US
trainer
1940–1942
1

de Havilland Menasco Moth
n/a
Canada
trainer
1941–1947
136

Cessna Crane
n/a
US
trainer
1941–1949
826

Fleet Fort
n/a
Canada
intermediate/radio trainer
1941–1945
101

Hawker Hind
n/a
UK
instructional airframe
1942–1943
4

Stearman Kaydet (Model 75)
n/a
US
elementary trainer
1942–1943
301

General Aircraft Hotspur Mk.II
n/a
UK
training glider
1942–1945
22

Fairchild Cornell
n/a
US
elementary trainer
1942–1948
1555

text: Transports[edit]

text:
Name
1968 CF
designator

Place of
manufacture

Primary
role(s)

Service
period

#
used

Consolidated Courier
n/a
US
utility
1928–1941
3

Fairchild 71, 71B & 71C
n/a
US/Canada
transport
1929–1942
23

Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker
n/a
US
transport
1929–1944
13

Fairchild 51 & 51A
n/a
US/Canada
transport
1930–1946
9

de Havilland Puss Moth
n/a
UK
transport
1931–1944
19

Fairchild Super 71
n/a
Canada
transport
1936–1940
2

Northrop Delta
n/a
Canada
transport/patrol
1936–1945
20

Grumman Goose
n/a
US
utility amphibian
1938–1956
31

Barkley-Grow T8P-1
n/a
US
transport
1939–1941
1

Lockheed Electra
n/a
US
transport
1939–1946
15

Boeing 247D
n/a
US
transport
1940–1942
8

de Havilland Dragonfly
n/a
UK
transport
1940–1945
6

Fairchild Argus
n/a
US
utility
1940–1945
2

Lockheed Electra Junior
n/a
US
transport
1940–1945
10

Lockheed Model 212
n/a
US
transport
1940–1946
1

North American Yale
n/a
US
intermediate/radio trainer
1940–1946
119

Stinson Voyager (Model 105)
n/a
US
utility
1940–1946
25

Noorduyn Norseman
n/a
Canada
utility transport
1940–1957
100

de Havilland Fox Moth
n/a
Canada
transport
1941–1945
1

Beechcraft Expeditor
128 !CT-128
US
utility/trainer
1941–1972
394

Waco AQC-6
n/a
US
utility
1942–1942
1

Fleet Freighter
n/a
Canada
transport
1942–1944
2

Curtiss Seamew
n/a
US
utility floatplane
1943–1944
82

Lockheed Lodestar
n/a
US
transport
1943–1948
18

Douglas Dakota
129 !CC-129
US
transport
1943–1990
169

Waco Hadrian Mk.II
n/a
US
transport glider
1944–1949
32

text: Radars[edit]

text:
Night Watchman (NW), 200-MHz, 1-kW prototype of SW radars (from 1940)
SW1C - surface-warning radar for merchant ships and frigates (from 1941)
SW2C - frequency changed to 215 MHz (1942)
SW3C - miniaturization to fit on torpedo boats, plan-position indicator (1943)
CD radar - coastal defense only (from 1942)
CDX radar - improvements and export to USSR (from 1943)
GL IIIC - mobile air search radar (from 1941)
Type 268 – 10 GHz submarine snorkel search radar (from 1944)
MEW/AS - 2.8 GHz, 300 kW submarine detection radar (from 1943)
MEW/HF - air search radar (from 1943)
2 other unknown radar types used operationally
18 radar types developed but never used

text: Uniforms, load bearing and protective equipment[edit]

text: Uniforms[edit]

text:
Model/Type
Period or years in use
Manufacturer/origins

Canadian Pattern and British Pattern
ww2
 United Kingdom/  Canada

Khaki Drill
Early 20th century- post ww2
 United Kingdom

Battle Dress
1939-early 1970s
 United Kingdom

Denison smock Used by the Airborne

 United Kingdom

text: Load bearing equipment[edit]

text:
Model/Type
Period or Years in Use
Manufacturer/Origins

1937 Pattern Web Equipment

 United Kingdom

1942 Battle Jerkin

 United Kingdom

text: Head dress[edit]

text:
Model/Type
Period or Years in Use
Manufacturer/Origins

Glengarry
?-present
 United Kingdom

Tam o'shanter
?-present
 United Kingdom

Field Service Cap

 United Kingdom

Beret
?-present
 United Kingdom

Helmet, MK II
1916-1960
 United Kingdom

Mk III Turtle helmet
1941-?
 United Kingdom

text: Historiography and memory[edit]

text: Canada deployed trained historians to Canadian Military Headquarters in the United Kingdom during the war, and paid much attention to the chronicling of the conflict, not only in the words of the official historians of the Army Historical Section, but also through art and trained painters. The official history of the Canadian Army was undertaken after the war, with an interim draft published in 1948 and three volumes in the 1950s. This was in comparison to the First World War's official history, only 1 volume of which was completed by 1939, and the full text only released after a change in authors some 40 years after the fact. Official histories of the RCAF and RCN in the Second World War were also a long time coming, and the book Arms, Men and Government by Charles Stacey (one of the main contributors to the Army history) was published in the 1980s as an "official" history of the war policies of the Canadian government. The performance of Canadian forces in some battles have remained controversial, such as Hong Kong and Dieppe, and a variety of books have been written on them from various points of view. Serious historians - mainly scholars - emerged in the years after the Second World War, foremost Terry Copp (a scholar) and Denis Whitaker (a former soldier).[54]