Osprey, Men-at-Arms #359 Canadian Forces in World War II (2001) OCR 8.12

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Canadian Forces In World War II

OSPREY

Men-at-Arms· 359

PUBLISHING

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Canadian Forces In World War II

Rene Chartrand . Illustrated by Ron Volstad Series ed,lor Martin Windrow

First poJbIisIled In I3ruI BriInOn ~ 2001 by Ospfey I'ubllsl>inu. e..... CourT, CI\aI)8l WW1. Botley. O~/of
Dedication

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AI righls --...d. ~ Irorn ~ 's. . f;l'lIocism 1;1' ~, • 1*'lI'OII«1 ItNt Copytoghl. l:IMo9"" and PalentsAct, 1988, no 1*1 01_ po..tIIocation IN'jI b e ~ . 510ff1d III a IWieYaI svst«n. 1;1' _ _ III any bm 1;1' by -'\I - - . electronic, .asctncaI. _ . rnacIIaI'oCal. 0(llICal. ~. -.tng 0< - . . . . . . .

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The author and arll$! are most grateful to WAB.Douglas. Donald E.GravltS. Clive M.Law. Jacques Oshguy. Ed Storey. and Ross M.WIIson lor \heir kind assistance dunng the preparatl(lO'l 01 this stlJd)l. The Mist woukI also like 10 thank PIerre Brunelle, MIChael Oorosh. Gafy Edmundson. Steve Fortto, fIJ KIlI'f. and Rob Pater$()fl.

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FOR A CAT.-..oGOE OF AlL 800KS PlJBlISHED BY 0SWlEY MlUTNN AND A'o1ATWOH PI.EASf:: COHTACT n. -..... _ _. o.p,.,. 0lNct Ult. PO 80. 1~ ....... ijjbuo ...... ~ HNI

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Canada - rtlCknamed by some 'the peaceable kingdom' - was a country wittla 5mIlI populahon and rtW>ISCUIe "*arv bees in 1939. By 1945. iI was maImg lhe k:u'lh Iargesl eorrtrbJbon 10 !he AIiecI forces (after !he USSR, USA. and UK). we QMl here • IllIC8SS8riIy highly oomptll$Md arx:ount of this rema1lable national lI'iInstormation. as well as basic information on Canadian lnts and

"*arv CJr9IlOISilI1on. Many ilems ~ in WI book, sud'l as BattI«hss, ~ klIowecI Bribsh milil-V lrifomt. equipment and weapons patterns lor wt1Id1 detailed lI1lormation is already avadable elsewtww;!he SeIec1 8ItlliogIaploy ists many oIlhese studies. and" ~ poinlless 10 lake up precoous space in repealing !his IWorm3IiorI in detail. As wiI be sewo in thew pages, however. !here __ many specificaIy c.wdian variation$, and these form !he basis of !he data Pfll5lll1llld here. ThIs worll is inleodecllo offer only a general gUIde 10 the varied Canadian Jon:es dumg W::lr1d w.. •. pacM-og 8 maxmum of IIltormation into II .e1alNely small but - _ hope usefully iluslraled SIIJd)I

Artist's Note Readers may care to note that the origInal palntlng5 !Tom wt1octo ltle colou" plates In Ih,s booI< were prepared are available fof pnvalll salll.flJl rvproductlOn copyrighl whalllOllVllf is rlltained by thll Publishln. fIJI ooqu'rias stIouId be IICldrassBd to: Ronald 8.VoIslad, 31 Masters Green EstatltS, 3221 1191h Sl1llet.

Edmonton.flJbllrIa. Canada TaJ 5K7

The Publishers regret that !lilly can 8f1ter Into no correspond8ncll upon this maner.

CANADIAN FORCES IN WORLD WAR II

AS rllERE H'F~ ,\ (;OLI~TR" SO Impn:p."lrccI 10 participate ill a '\'orld cOIlllicl as Canada whell it d..:c1ared warOlI 10 September 1939? With a population of sollle II million people, thc.-' Rt.-·gular rorcc~ - aIll1). air force and nav), combined - loc..lled ani)' R.OOO persons, The Volunteer Militia and "nious reserves OIccolllllcd for perhilllS 60,000 mClI. There h;:ld been no r('ally compnlsory mililal)' training ~inCe the War of 1812. and H'')' few Canadians apart frolll \'ete"lIl~ of the Great War of 1914-18 knew anything aboul.-J.lJc military. The amilable equipmcIH and weapon~ were mostly a c Ilection of pre... 1930s all1iques. There had been armomed rq~irncnt... - all paper~ince 1936, bllt thn.:e years later they still had no Ianks. The counu)"s shipyards were not building warships; the aircraft industry - militlll)' and chilian - was miniscule; there W:L'i no healy armament induslf}'. and Lhe mOlor vehide industl)' was not g-eared to :U1\"lhing lik.e the ma.s.~ pro
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Lat" summer 1MO: the messag.e of this Canadian po'IIter was

r;lear _ now that Fr"...." and mo.t of westem Europe had fallen, Canada wa. suddenly the la~.t

country next to Britain atill In the war. Hundred. of tnouNlnd. of votunteet$ would have 10 be enlisted. u.ln
was to be any cha....e to 'lick Them, Over Therel'. This was" tall order for" ".Uon whieh had hardly any armed force. or military Indu.trle. in 1939. In the event, leaming from the

mistakes of 1914, Canad." World War II moblUntion and geering up for war production was achieved with _ ~

..... we

and etrk:Jenc;y. (National

An;hive. of Canada, C87t31)

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purchase of a lew d~stro}'ers and sollie Hawker Table 1: Canadian World War II 1-lllrricane aircraft. Statistics By rhe end of August 1939 the mood in the Men friis/6d: country had suddenly changed and become much Canoctan Nm;. 706.535 more mililanI. On I September. mobilisation Ca:su!lIties: 75,596, i"d. 22.917 deaths IbyaI ~,.., Force: 222,5(11 orders weill oul to part of lhe Volllnle~r Militia. ClD.&IJe$: 21,COJ. FocI. 13,589daaths Germany's ill\~lsion of Poland. followed by Britain's ~ Ca1Ddilln NEr.y 98.474 and France's declaralions of W;lf 011 3 September, Ca8uaIlill6: 2.343. 0::1. 2.024 death5 TotamtYledsted.· 1.029.510 did the rest. The Canadian Parliament was Total C8$18'ba$: 98.939.0::1.38,53) de8lhs conn::ned and declart::d ....'<11' on Genn;:my on 10 Male lXJPl*tbOn ~ 18 & 45)'e1in ok:! (1941): 2,474,(0) Seplcmber. Quile suddenly, Gmada was at war, Percentage 01 thDt ~ er6sl8d. 41.15'1(, lhough almO~llOtallyllnprcp;:ll"l.-d and unequipped. 'o\tIrnErI fristed: 21,824 CunIkt0n 'NcJrr"ero's Al'rrPt Corps; Volulllecrs C CMSerwl&~ 1945 116.000 fighting Nazi Ccnmmy, \,rhich was joined in June w.-bWgets,l939-40 $118291.021 by Mussolini's Fascist haly. Canadians were W¥budgets. 1944-45 $4,418.446.315 gripp<.'
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The conscription I.sue

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In Canada itself, the population was deeply dividcd regardinR m ~~ of military conscription for overseas service. Canadians ha"e nClo 'I' borr-n subject to. and abhor the idea of, obligalory militan It In peacelimco Howcvcr, in 1940 the National Resources Mobili: UOO 1 (NRMA) allowed conscription for service in :\'orth America onl\ llwgovernment had promised nOI to introduce conscription fl o scn~ce; but, facing greal pressure from the militarl fl 01

At first glance this group photo seems to show Britisl'l tlvops In India. In fact, they .re C-.dien VoNnt.... Militiamen at ,",",mer traini"il at Camp Borden, north of Toronto. in Augu.t 111311. While most of the item. are of Brltlstl pattern. a closer look ,....eal. llult many wear the Amarlcan prelSed fibre sun helmellnltead 01 the Wolseley pattern pith helmet. (Worthington Museum, C.n.adian Force. ea.. Bordenl

Troops who served In Canada onen had the Amerlc.n praISed IIbre sun helmet In lummar - far cheaper and lighter, II not •• handsome, as the BrlUlh It was gene,.1ty of • light kholki hue. (Worthl"ilton Museum, Canadian Fore" Base

Wolseley.

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manpower shortages, it decided in 1942 to hold a referendmn on the issue so as to be relie'.ed of its earlier promise. Nl:vcr a popular measure. O\'crseas conscription was accepted as a necessary evil by mosl in English Canada: but the majorilY in French Canada \,'cre solidi}' against it, and the issue provoked a ferocious politicil crisis between the province or Quebec and the Canadian go\·ernmelll. Man)' French-Canadian leaders argul..'d that consciiption was a ploy to assimilate them with the English and usc them as cannon fodder. 11len as now, most French..('';lI1adians, who made up a quarlt:r of Cmada's popllialion, did not understand the English language and wcre intensely proud oftheir French herila~e, [n spit.e of th is, Canada's military services ,It that lime operated ollly ill English, followed British t.radit.ions and were basically an English-Canadian presen"e. A1I1I0IIgh the army made some elTort~ 10 fonn a few rrancophone regiments,
Another irritant was thc
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Canadian Infantryman in England during the winter of 1942, armed with a Bren gun. The 1$t Canadian Division arrived In Britain wearing the slnglebreested pre-1939 9reatcoat, but from 1a40 received this copy of the double-breasted Brfll.h 1939 pattern. In March 1938 Canada's

Ube,.1 Party govemmet'll had lei a contracl lor 5,000 Bren 9U'M to ~ e the 'IfiMIflIble Lewf8 light machine gun, but without following the .-mal tendering process.; this led to a furore In the House of eom..-.s In Ottawa and m the canadian preu. '"'" retUIt wa. that onf)< a hancttul of Bren gun. were _allabloe In September 1939, because Prime Minister MackerWe-Klng. although ell-eted of any wrongdoing, had been reluctant to get Into more polltle81 trouble OVer reequipping the armed force•• Such 'politicking' Wal bnished ..Ide In wartime, and Canada quickly became a majOf" arm. producer; by 1$42, 60 per cent of all Bren 9un. came from Canad•. (Canadian Dept of National Defence, ZK-11231

or c'lpillred in one of Canada's bloodiest disasten;, and inevitably this confinned lhe broodings of those in c-mada I"ho oppost.-d o\'erseas service. Finall)', the 1st Cdn InC Di\' and a lank brigade landed in force in Sicily in July 1943 as pari of the Briti~h 8th Army, and subscqucntl)· crossed onto the Italian mainland. At last the anny "~,lS being used. and u~ed well: and tile arril':'ll of 5th Cdn Annd Div brought the strength of I Cdn Corps in hal) to 75.000 men. Many more Canadians rt:mainc:d in England; and these men would finally haw: lheir chance to avenge lhe dead of Dieppe 011 6 June 1944 al Juno Beach in Normand)'. Here the 3rd Cdn Inf Oil' s.."1W hard fighting, laking 1.000 casuions. The 3rd Inf 1m' and 1.5l Cdn Paradllll.e Rn spearhe-dded the crossing of the Rhine in late ~lan:h," Joined by I Cdn Corps from It.·dy. 1st Cdll AmIY had liber.a.ted northern Holland by the time of the ceascfire on " Ma) \\'hich pr«:eded the uncondi,ional surrender of Gemlan forcc-'S in Ihe thealre. ince D-Q:.r... Canadian I.roops in NW Europe had suffered sollle 48.000 c:asu;a.ltie-- including 11,546 dead1s. Till''''' ·after. attention focused on Japan. There had been a few c-lIlacl!nn W'"
CHRONOLOGY 1939

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1 &P1mtiJt:r Germ'III)' C'lIlada. 3 &ptnnhtT Britain and F 10 StpY:mlN:rCanadian Parlhunent Co 16 IHmnht:r 1st Canadian (Infamn IHcmlbt:r British ComlllO!lWe:llth Canada and managed by RCAE

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L,;Ition ordel'ed in "'41" on Gennany.

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England. 1 i

~ ~.tobcselupin

1940

Alpine troop t ..lning in Yoho N.tiona. P.rk, British (:<)Iumblill, 1ilo43; the C.nMti.n Roell)' Mountloins offered

Ide.,

conditions lor this t)1)e of mIning. TM ....nIt. PiIIrklI has white ...... hood trim. IC.modi.n Depl 01 Natlonill' Defence, ZK-3301

10 j"a~22jll,~CennanilwdSion of Iiolland, IklgiulJI and Francc cnds with capitulation of Fr.lIlce on 22 JUIIC. Elements uf 1st Cdn luf Di" landed in BrittallY. France. un l2JuIle but e\'acualed Ii June. Jll/)'-Ortobn· 9-1 C."madian aircre....' lake part in Baltic of Brimin, of whom 20 arc killed. All,g1l51 Bulk of 2nd Inr Di" arrives in UK. one brigade to Iceland until Decembt,r. DecembPl' lSi & 211d lnr Divs in UK form CUladian Corps. 1941 jl/n~jlllJ 1st Army Tank Ikle and 3rd Inf Oi" shipped to UK. AI/gust 6-15 men detached from lsI Inf Oi" panicipalc in sllcce
Normand." 22 June 1844, Sapper C.W.Slevens, 18th Field Coy., Royal Cillnadlan Engineers, utlng ill mirror to checllior anti-lining boob)' t ..ps under a German Tellermin•• Not. the profile of the new Mil III helmet "sued to the 3rd ..., Of¥ lor the Nonnillndy "ndings.. U..........lly, Stev_

no Inslgn" ...cept the ....all 1ength-of-MrvM;e chevn:Nls

. . . . 1'$

on his right fo...."" - one red chevron lor .ach year. and the bottom ontI In whIle showing that he volunteered dul1ng the lil'$t year of the war. He has the officer's villi. . from the WE 37 . .t elipped to , !>
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Lance-corpot'al of a algnala unit of 1st Canadian Dlvlalon In the UK, eatty 1~O. TM alrelght 'CANADA' should..- UUa is worn above his

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of renlt on both

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Not. that his web equipment

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based on the old 1808 ~em; Infantry had priorfty lor 1 _ of

the WE 37 set. (Pma'e collection) Men of the Regina Rifles during street fighting In Caen, 10 July 1944. This battalion ""as part of 7th Inf Bde of 3rd Inl DIY; ...v.rthel.... nota the Mk II helmet. Whfte rn8tb 8IIoW where the ~ has obM:ured the ~ Insignia. TM R~ina Rlfl.es waft a light reel 0\'81 tItJe with a rectangular bottom ext_Ion, with a light g,,"," Inner rim and lettering 'REGINA

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RiFlE REGIMENT/CANADA'; below this ""as the 'French grey' rectangle of 3rd Dlvlalon. Cf Plate E3. (H.Alkman, National Archive. of Canada, PA115028j

Blh ArlllY, lighting on Idll1ank. 28Jllly ppeLi l:lke town of Agira. 3 Stt,It'mbforCmadians cro:-.'> SIr.Jits of ~'1es.~ina to Reggio, 1I.'lly. 10 advance lip Adrilltic coast. 14 O
2 May 5th Cdn Annd Div fights htSl baltle ncar Dcll.ijl. nOrlhem Holland. 5 Mll)' Surrender of Gcnnan annics in ~etherlands to 1st Canadi.Ul Annr 7 Mll)' SIllTel1der of Gcnllany, ceascfire cnc..'Clive from I Ipili on 8 ~Ia)'2 SeptemberSurrender ofJapan following dropping of ,Homic bombs 011 Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 6 ''X1Jfnnber In Oltawa, USSR cmbassy employce Igor Goul.enko rcvcals existence of huge Soviet spy network; preludc (0 Cold War begins.

THE CANADIAN ARMY

Maj. John K.Mahonev, Westminster Regiment, recetves from Kktg Georve VI the VIctoria Cross .mlch he nmed on the Melfa River In 1bIly, 24 MilV 1844. He _ars the Canadlllln kh
The small Canadian Army of 1939 had :1 good core of young Regular officers thanks 1,0 the Royal Militm"y Colleg-e in Kingston (Ontario), and sollie of the oldcr oflicers were Great War vcterans. Ilo\\'c\'cr, COlnlllanc! experience of anything: above ;; fcw companies was lacking, as was expcdcnce of lhe complex stall pJ nillg which wa1> on I)' possible in a large milit•.I'')' force. This i~ probably the main reason why. for 1II0st of the \\",11', there were no re'llly remark:lblc G.llladian geller.us, although some wen: emerging ill 1944-45. With the OUlbreak of \\~lr existing lraining camps expanded and new ones appeared atl O\'cr the country. Early on, before industry could produce arlllS and equipment, an),thing a\~lilablc was pressed into usc::. (Perhaps the lIIost cclcbr.lIed example was the 1940 purchase by M;~.Cen.Fr-,ll1k Worthington, cOlllluander of the annoured COflls, of ancient Renauh tanks as scrap metal from lhe SA - for training recruits he needed all)' kind of lauk he could get.) War indusuics were soon pcrforming impressivcl)', hO\l'ever. For example, in 1941 the Montreal LocOIllOli\'c Works invented a new lank model in three \\'ccks by using Ihe rllllning gear of the AlIH.:rican M3 Lee, adding a l..:llladian hull and turret and arming' it with a British cannon - and l..!IllS the Ram I tank was born. (.......ter Canadian l
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Canadian Infantrymen at Campochlaro, Italy, 23 October 1943. The foreground man wears the Mk II helmet with neltJ!>i, • khaki collar-attached shirt po. .lbly of US origin (Interestingly, complete with 'CANADA' shoulder titles), KO slack.. 'smmo' boob with short pult-s. and basic WE 37 belUe onSer, and came. a No.4 rifte and No.3S grenade. (A..M.Sirton, N,uan.l ArchIYH of Canada, PA138198)

wllt;ilion 011 active duty serving in Canada or overscas, and a rescr..-e componclH for recfililing and depot duties, The Canadian Aeti..-e Sl.:..vice Force units were gronped illlo btigades and divisions. The 1st, ~nd and 3rd Infamry and 4th and 5th Annoured Ohisions ~r"ed in Em'ope; the 6th and 8th Infantry on Canada's Pacific coa.'it, and the 7th 011 the Adamic coast. In 19-15 the 6th Division was being reorganised as an all·\"OlullIeer di\ision to SC'"\'C with the US forces in the planned ill\~ioll ofJapan when the atomic bombs brought the Pacific campaign to an abmpt dose. There were, of course, many other units besides !lIOSC Regular and ~'liIitia reb,;ments a....<;igned to divisions and corps in Europe. A few corps lllobili!>Cd older men for the Home Army: e.g. the Veter:llls' GilaI'd of Canada, and lJle uniquc Pacilic C..Qast Militia Rangers (see below, 'Home Sen-ice units'). Some armoured and reCce rej.{imellts Wilh lr<.lditiollal titles were given simplified numericalti!les - e.l{. Lord Strathcona's Ilorsc were lhe 2nd Armoured Regiment on the table of organisation of 5th Armoured Division in Italy, but still rclclTed to themselves as the Strathconas. In all some 368,000 Canadians servcd in Europe. 7,600 in lhe Pacific, alld ,I few thousands in Nonh Africa. The army ovcrseas was divided into two rlislinct elemenls for most of the period 194~5: [ Canadian Corps in Sicily and haly from July 1943, and II Can;ldi:m ('.orps in NW Europe from June 1944. These formations Gune under a unified Canadian command - aboul 165,000 strong - on I)' in the last monlhs of the war, with the transfer of I Corps from haly to 1'\W Europe to join Cen.! len'1 Crerar's 1st Canadian Army. This had been in existence since summel' 1944. but bulked OUl "''lth a number of lion-Canadian di\isions under command. Ovcmll, the (".anadians provcd to be very reliable troops, steady in the face of sctbacks and casualties, and rather more dashing in !lIe assault limn Iheir sometimes more slolid Blitish comrades in anns. I,ike the Australians, lheir consciousness ofl)('ing a nalional cOlllingellt g.we Ihem a sp<.>cial esprit de corps: il h,lS been said of lhem Ihat they represcllh:d a first rate balance bclwe('n 'frontier' aggressiveness and initiative, ,Illd the professional steadiness inherited !i'om British military tradition. (US Cell.Ceorge S.PattOll paid Jrilmle 10 t,hem in his OW11. inimilably offensive way: 'The Canadians are the besl troops Monlgomery has, anrl they're AlIIcriClul~·.)

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E)'cwilncsscs in Normandy speak of Iheir determination 10 gel their OMl back for the losses suflcrcd ;11 Dicppe in 1942. It is also ,,'ell attested that the lIIurder of Canadian wounck-d by !lie Watfcn·SS 12th Panzer Di\ision 'Hitlcrjugend' on 8 June lent a particular biucrness to their continuing encounters "ith thai di\ision ill the lJoc(jJ,1f' Iij.{hting - the '1Iitle!jugend' had been \iruml1" wiped OUI by the time !lIe Canadians lillall)- took C...aen four weeks latel:

HOME SERVICE UNITS A number of regiments were assigned tu 'Iocal protc<:!..i\·e dut}" such :IS o'1.I;u-ding factories, power plants and POW camps, running the recruiting system or manning coa..tal artillery, 1100\'(....·cr. there were twO large corps which \\'cre distinct organi<;.;ltiulls: the Vetcr.ms' Guard of ('..mada, and Ihe I'acitic Coasl Militia Ranger", who IlI11SlCrcd as lIIallY as 33,000 men bcl\\'CCrI lhem. Veterans' Guard of Canada

Pt._ C.Mc:Kean, 1st c..~~n Pa",,*,ute Bn. po_ fOl" a photograph tn 1943. He wears the third model airborne t~· helmet with chin cup In black leather, and Canadian BD. Interestingly, although the battalion jumped on D.Day as ~rt of British 6th Abn Diy, In this training shot he has an American T5 parachute harne.. complete wIth chest ntHrve pack. The St.., gun could be t;Mried during the jump, thl'\lst unci... the chest M ....... (Canadian Dept of N-'~I Defence, ZK-22111

This was recruiled from 23 I\-lay 1940 li'olll Great War \'CICI--ans aged bclwecn 40 and 65 years, for full-lime and rt.'SCI'\·C 'iCnicc. II g"C\\' 10 29 companies of 250 men each in 1942, and t.....·entllall}, [0 10,000 men in 19-14, with another 8,000 on part-lime scnice. The vce was posted IhroughOlll Canada. and a few compani~ also \\ell( lO NC'\foundland. to England. lO Nassau in lhe Hahama~. and lO GeorgelO\\ll, GU)'
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rulerance had vcry rt"ouhs. \.... tunt" ~ellt by, POWs wor~ their German uni· form.. I and less especi<&1h after D-Day ~hen, on Hans KJli.ser put iI, 'We ln~ it w'as over'. iegfried Bruse, a U-boat commander, was much impressed by the Canadian ~'ho 'made my life as pleasant as possible from the day I came here as a prisoner'. The kindness shown by the soldiers of the Veterans' Cuard of Canada to Bruse and many Gennan paWs changed their minds and their li\es: thousands came back to senle in Canada after the war. The same could nOI be said of 1ll0stJapaneo;e paWs. Indoctrinated \\;tll the blind fanaticism of the lnl$/ill/Q spirit. and tormented by guilt at h;u;lI~ allowed themsch-es 10 be t..l ken alivc, lIlan) Japanese pl;soners remained irreconcilable. In one inst..ancc three Canadian guards were kilkd during a brellk-oUl in which Jap'lIlcsc rushcd the wire. How(.,,\'er, once olltside Ihe escaped prisoners simply sal down. app.lrently \\~d.iting to be killed. and aetmiued aJler r<'''<:apwre that thc)' had been sceking an 'honordble death' ralher Ihan a way homc. The subject ofJapane.se paWs reminds liS thai the vee also guarded anotlwr type of camp. FollowinA" the Japanese auack on Pearl Ilarbor on 7 December 194\, the Canadian as well 'l..-'! the Amcrican west. coast was U"llllmatised b)' fear of surpd'lC aHacks. The occasional appearance of Japanese submarines did not help to cairn the populat.ion. Consequently, internment camps were establi~hcd for '.japanese' dvilians - an ugly episode in Canada's, ;\S in Alllerica's W;\I' l"l:cOI'd, Some \6,000 innocent Canadians ofJapallesl: descent were arrt'slt:eI ,mel iruerned, along with some 7,200 residelllJapaliese nation"ls. Their propCrtr was seized and their livelihoods ruined in all abject act of blatallt rarism for which the Governlllellt of Canada, long" after the WOlr, formally apologised. Arlouler ami drcadfillly ironic category of internment was that sulfered by German Jews who had ned to Britain Iwfore the war, and now found themselves regarded as 'l:ncrny "lien.'!' hecallS{' of their German cili/.enship. In 1940 lIlany in Britain were interned (though briefly, and under generally decent conditions) on the Isle 01 I\hn; and some \,800 were sent to Can~lda for internment a~ pOl.l'ntiall}' dangerous aliens. TIlesc were greeted in Quchcc City b\ troops with fixed bayonets and were at first regarded as hard-core enclllie~; ho.....('\er. a Ilumber of incidents made the Canadian amhor'ilies reconsider. Initially interned at SC\'cl"l11 camps, most were '\Cnt 1.0 Fort Lennox. Quebec. a historic tourist site before the war. The guards and lhe 10(;11 "illag:ers from nearby SaintPaul did what they cOllld to help. The barbed wire around the fort \\~dS mostly relllm'ed in 19.. 1. These iniloccnt victims of persecution were posttl\T

Above Juno BeKh, Normandy, e

.kine 1",,: M".Gen. R.F.LKellef", GOC 3rd C..-Hen lnf Olw, givu instructions to m... of u.. Queen'S Own Rinu of C~. AI lett, note the untl'S red-
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gr'ldllall}" freed, thongh it was on I}' at the end of 1943 that the last 83, b) thcn lransferred 10 I lull, Quebec, wcre released. Man}' rClIlailloo in ('.anada to st.'1r1 a new life. The Veterans' Guard continued 10 serve for some lime after till' war, in d\'t'indling numbers as I~Ws were repatriated, Uillil March 194 7 when thc hL..t 200 \"elerans were disbanded. Uniforms St.-e Platc A2. Pacific Coast MilitIa Rangers

British Columbia's cXlcnsi\'e and rugged coastlinc was impossible LO defend and there wcre few lroops a\~lil illlmooialely '>ucce:..slul. By Jul)' 19-12 some 10.000 \Olunlttrs had org-.lIlised 123 compallies: by 19-!!) there \\ere 13R companies totalling about 15,000 men. The Rangers' penn
Pt•• R.Schwabe. Regine Aines, 7th Inf &de, 3nl Inf DIY, .1 ....uceu.s, 14 July 1$44. Not. U>e field dressing un6et" the r>et1lng of h'- Mk It helmet. {Ken Bell, N.tiona! An::hivn of Canada, PA1313871

'\.1"

13

Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa

In action at Carpiquet, Normandy, 4 July 1944. This was the machine gun battalion of 3rd Inf Div, and under magnification the

Vickers No.1, equipped with the

WE 37 pistol set, can be seen to display above his divisional patch

14

Its dark green are-shaped title with a squared bottom edenslon, and yellow lettering 'CAMERON HIGHLANDERS OF OTTAWA/MG', The Normandy campaign of June-August, in the notoriously difficult terrain of the bocage country and against determined resistance by some of the be$t German divisions In the Weat, saw some of the war's most savage and costly fighting for all the Allied infantry committed to this front. The first 3rd Div troops had reached the edge of Carplquet airfield on the evening of D-Day - a month before this photo was taken. ID.Grant, National Archlvas of Canada, PA138359)

ARMY UNIFORMS & ACCOUTREMENTS Battledress Until the summer of 1939 the Canadian Army \\F,lS wearing uniforms reminiscent of \\'orld \V
"',I,~ realized that only 20,000 Bauledn:ss suits could be oblained from available cloth; bUI the}' were now being: produced rapidly, and suitable cloth \\~ts also becoming a""Hable in
BElOW LEn British battle jerIl.ln, 11M2....., front Iriew, Thl. rt;, made of cI.tI brown eanv_, saw _ _ limited u. . by

C~ian

troops of the 7th end 8th Inf &des, 3rd Int DIv on o.olY end

"WI.

in the tollowlng _ Q , good Idea, but in practice the troop. tound it too hot for com'ortable wear, eOO its pouches could not be eeparated; after II short period they discarded the Jerkin In favour of conventional web equIpment, (Ed Storey Collection) theonlt~lty I

BELOW A CanedIan pattem battte jerkin wa. de.lgned shortly after the British model in

1IM2-43. SOme 1,500_re produced, of which 1,000 ....... sent 10 Canadian Army units in the UK. " wa. ma" of brown eanva. material edged with lighter brown tape. Instelld of

wooden togghK as on the British pattern, the Canadian jerldn had black ena.... lIed In8p ,. .teoers aOO belt buc~ F_ appel' to !\ave been luued, 1100 those only for training In Britain; there i. no evidence they _ ... used In

battle. (Ed Storey CollecUonl

15

Table 2: Canadian Army Units 1939-45 Ae9ular regiments (... order iii' precedence): Fb;S CnIdIIWI ~ (1st Atmd or R8gt) I (Qps troops h~ 1943-45: t#J fuope troro March 1945. Lt:rd Stra!hcofla's HorsI3 (2nd Atmd Regtl ttaIy 1943-45 with 5th Armd BOO, 5th Armd Div; t#I ElI"OI)8 lrom fel::Jluay 1945. Royal GwJadian Attillefy Dieppe 1942, I<1'lk8 1943, hMy 1943-45. t#J Et.rope 1944-45. Some \6'111$ also sefVBd fl Cmada. notat:lIy asooast~.

Fbyt1J~ ~ ~ 1943-1945"",", 1st'" ElcIe. 1st ~ eN; m-J Euope 1945. Pm::es:s P8fnl::e's QnIrfaoI Lif1lf tltIwtyllaty 1943-1945 ~ 2nd W ElcIe, 191 W Div; t#J &.ope 1945. RoytIJ 228 Rllgrnenlllaly 1943-1945 WWh 3rd W 8de, lSI'" Div: tffl fuope 1945.

Milltia, volunteer & reserv1I units (listed alphabetically), NOles: ''-Ib'..-1l'lObIIs!Ition dale. Lhts'Mlhhtlal ruTtlers _listed ~ -e.9 '1st' & '4th' etc. appew tn:iIr 'F'. Many tnlS listed as!l'Ullld 10 h UK in t944-45 rd dstaodld Theoe_dispersed as casulIIIly .epl!loeo•• ltS to ~ of 1st ~ Nmf fl tffl &.ope. ~

Ri:lgIn»tI Mb 24 May 1940; Nomlan:ty 23 August IQ44 10th Inf Bcle, 41h Arm::l Div: fffl fuupe 1944-45. Argyf & Surlleriand HighJanders of Canada Mb 15 August 1940: Nomw"octy 23 Al.lgust 1944 with 100h InI BOa, 4th Armd Div: Iffl Elro(lll 1944-45. AtgyI UghIIntantry Not rnobiiIed: 0CWl\IEIrted to a1iIIEIry. remarl8d in QnIda as pat of Fleseroo8 Nmf. 9IlIdl ~ {RoytJ/ ~ FIegmt!EIIJ of c..diI ~ 1 SepIerrber 1939: thma pIatoonslil 0Iepp0 1942: Nomlan:ty 6JlJy 1944 WIf'l5lh WBde. 2nd W 0Iv; Wi~ t944-45. 8nbsh Col.mbd DriIgoons (:Jth Atmd RegtJ Mb 24 May 1940; Italy 1943-45 Wlth 5lh Am1d Bde. 5th Armd Div; N'N E\A'llPll from February 1945. Bntl$iJ Cdw1bi8 Reghlent (281h Atmd Regt) Mb 24 May 1940; Normin:ty 26 Jd-Il944 with 4th Armd Bde. 4th Armel OW: Iffl Euope 1944-45. 8'l:dMlIe Ft/f8t$ Mb 18 March 1942; served n Berrrula. 6l8l' with 6th W DI¥, Paark:; Canrnnl, ~ Hlfl!lallJllliS Mb I Seplerrt.- 1939; Norrrlln:tv 6.uy 1944 'MIh 5lh ~ Bcl&, 2nd .... 0Iv; Wi &rope 1944-45 ~R8grna'll'(14th Atmd Reg(J ~ 11 f-et:ruaoy 1941; [lIappe 1942: ttaIy 1943-45 WIth 1111 Armel Bcle. 5lh Armd DiY: tffl Et6Qpe from MardI 1945. ~ ~ of Offawll Mb 1 Sepl€l'l1ber 1939; Norrnarlo:tI 6).xle 1944 wilh 3m 1m DiY (MG brl); fffl Europe 1944-45. C8nOOian FVsoliats IY'b 29 JMuary 1942: 'Min 13th Bde, 61h lnl Div. PaafiC Gorm'laf\d: Kiska 1943; 10 UK May 1944. o:nverted i'110 2 Cct'l T~ I NcMn'ber 1944 ~ G:wnson &maIi::n Formed Iar& lIUtU'TYl 1940 ton WM vewr
en,

1

,.

QriBfon & lb1<: ~ Mb 1 SepterTtla- 1939: Italy 1943-45 WIth 3m W Bde, 1.. Info...; tom El..rope*omMardll945.

l:U'I&Tt & HaIc1irrwl RIlles of CMad8 tJb U'/194O; servad.,

""""'.

Edmonton Fvs/6ers JovIJ I September 1939: seMld ., Canada. 2nd

en mb 12 May 1942; SE.'Mld with 8th Inf ON, P&cifIc Corrmand, E~~ FIegmenI- _ layaI Edmonlcn Regiment 8ttt Pm::es:s L(X.IiS8's New 8I'uJswid( Hus$;n (5Ih AImd RBgt) Mb .uy 1940: Itaty' 1943---45 wiltlSlh Nmd 8de. 5It1 Armd 0...; tffl &.-ope kim F ~ 1945. ~ Mb 2. May 1940; one 9lJl as lSI Cct'l Tn Dei'YtIy Sql in Italy 190-45; (rtlJ 5lJl as 25ItI Arm::! DlIrrooery Aegt in Non"re"dy 8 JlnJ 1944. toNi Euope 1944-45, Esseit ~ Mb 24 May 1940; 1943 to UK. wtl8l'$ distlanl:kld 31 MM:t11944, Essex ScotrlSh RrJgimenr Mb I Seotembet 1939: Dloppe 1942: Nclr1TIaroy 5.krf 1944 w1h 4th in! 6de. 2nd In, Div: NW ElJ'op$ 1944-45. 1st CUI AIT1JoI.Ieci Persomei ~ Ref1- Formed In HoIllnd 24 October 1944. !IllI'\l'8d with 8rIIISh 79Ih Armd 0Iv; detlEI'lded ~,11 May 1945. 1st I-i.Issln (6ltI Atmd R8gtJ Mb I Seplamer 19». Nl)rm;njy 6 .N1e 1944; NW Euope 1944-45. F;st SpedsI Sernce Force ~ MIXed eIile ~ lriI e-gansed from .Ane 1942. Cag;:la1 Gt&dl (4th R6c:ce RBgI) Mb 26 Jinay 1941: ll
.eun

.uv

........,,-

& An::e EdwaTd ~ Mb I Sept8l'Tlber 1939: Ilatr 1943-451Mlh 1st Inf Bcle. 1S11nf Oiv: I'M Eut:Jpe ton Mardl

~

1945. HIghIIrtd I..JfIIl h'a11Jy 01 Canada Mb 24 May 1940; Norrrenltf 6 .Ane 1944 Wlth9tlt lnl BOO, 3rd InfDiv: NW &rope 1944--45. InSh FusMt:Ys of Canada Mb 1 JanJa!y 194 1: served Il C
-

""""'"'

Ki1g~ CMn f-.s oIe..:ta Mb 24""'" 194O;......ed nQnldB; wlltl &tl riO Dv. PaCIfic Cotrwn;nj.

• ,

1.JJke~~ ~

Mb24 May 19'0; ~ 26 4th Armd Drv; NN &.ope 1944-45. ~ a REntew S<::ortl9l Regt (I $I liglI AnO-Ai'o3fI Reg(} MD 5 MaR:h 1~2:
.!Ut 1944 wdh 4ttl Armd Bde.

l.n;;ol'I" WaIn:t Regrna'll Mb 15 ~ 1940; Normar'dt 26 .AIy 1944 WIth 10lh Irt Bde, 41h Armd Qv; NoN &.ope 1944-45 Lome Scots Mb 1 Septarnber 1939; servBd"n QnIda as base depot tllrt detadYroents"n Italy 1943-45. Norr'l'lirdy & NW ELropo 1944-45. (loylll) Edmcmon ~ r Mb 1 September 1939; SprtzbefQEfl AlqJ:s\ 1941; ~a.'y 1943-45 with 2nd lnf Bde. 1st ln1 Div: NW &..\'Ope from Mard11945 Pre1tIc 'Loyaj' granted 7 Jut.; 1943. ~ MCUlIed.o'lll8s NoIIl"lObiood. ~ 'otIU7teet" Reserve lJx:aI guard duties n c..ada. ~ & ftIoo Rl!gmErIr NoIIl'lll1:lEed. MdtJnd ~ Mb 24 May 1940; 8eIVlld 1'1 c.18da; 10 LI< JllrJ..ery 1945. New~~ Mb l..1!n8y 1941; ~26JtJr 19« wdh 10ltl1nf Bde. 4th Nmcl Drv; tNi Euope 1944-45. New 8ul:sMod: ~ NolITlOllBld. 19m Ablrta Ught Hcn8 (3 1st ~ RllcaI Bn) Mb 13 ~ 1942: S8N8d n Ca"IIlda; Jon.-y 194510 UK, whIlnI dr.sbelldod 15 Febn.a'y. _ ""'" ScoM HI/iIJ';.~"~"'-$ Mb I September 1939; fIlor1Te'octt 6 Ju'le 1944 with 9th ln1 Bde. 3n:llnl Div; NW El.rope 1944-45. North ShorI1 (New Brt.nswidr) ~ t Mb 24 May 1940; Nonn;:inljy 6 June 1944 with 8th"nf 6de. 3rd lrl1 0;.,,; NW fuope 1944-45. O'lraro Rug.om6nI(llth Atmi:J RrJgr) Mbis6d 1 Septen1l:let 1939; Spitzbe(gen Ao.Jg..ost 194 1: llaly 1943-45 with 1st An'n(l BOa: NW Elrope from MiW"d1 1945. Oxford RifIas Mb 24 May 1940; served 0"1 ~: JMuary 1945 10 UK. v.hlrlIlisbinied. Perff1 A!IgrnEw'lt (Mota1 Mb 1 SepterTber 1939: ~ 1943-45 WIth 111h Irt 6de, 5th Armd or.. toNI Ev'ope Irorn t.Aarctl1945. PIi;6:Ju ~ Mb 1 SepterTtlEr 1939; S8MId WI

I'li!lgmerIt d9 Q'l,4tlH9JllY Mb tor bc8I defunoa 1 5ep4erTb8r 19.)9; 10 NeYlfolntIIrd. ~ 1944' dobaIld8d. ~ John's, 16 JIlrulry 1945. ~dJ.~Jot) 1 ~ 1939; ~6 ..kJ1e 1944 WIth 8Ih W Bcte. 3Itllnf Oiv: PHI Emlpe 1944-45 R!lgmlWlf d9 ~ ~ FamiId 15 AugI.J!Ill944; not 1TIObiIIfIed: ~ded 31 tvtlrd'l1946. ~3rd ReIroe of Les FUIiIers c1J SOOt-~, Bf'ld \11/0I'8 rts cap bEldgll.) ~toeHl#Mb 28JlJy 1941: with 13th BOO, 6th InI Dlv. PacifiC Commend; Kiska 1943-44; May 1944 10 UK where red9SqIlllod 4th C
en

,,..,

RtIgfnenr dB M1II:som8tMI Mb 1 Septlll'l1ber 1939; Norrr8'ldy 7 .lit 1944 with 5th rot Bcle, 2nd rot Dlv: rMJ Euupe 1944-45. Rillgma'II de' ~ Mb 15 Mard1 1942; served il NIwloundIBnd; cisbeldlld 15 ~ 1944

Ril(;Jrnenl' de QIl!tJec Mb 18 Marctll942; SS'«l WIth 15Itl W Bc:lB. 7th lnf 0", of AlI!II'lbc CornnBnd; lIst8ded 22 Docenltllw 1945 dJS HyBt::rtthe Mb 3 JIlrulry 1942; 3llt'\I8d n Newlotn:Iand; dsbancl8d 14 ~ 1946. Rllgmenf ~ ~ Not mobMed. Rocky Moo:.ntart ~ Mb I .J;n.Qry 1941: with 13th Bde. 6th Inf Dill, PacifiC (:.orrma'ld; KAlka 1943; May 1944 to UK, where ~ed lsI Cdn 1m Tranng en Type A, I NoYarrt.oer, Regtna RfIe Regiment Mb 24 May 1940: Nom1arody 6 June 1944 with 7th Int BOO, 3rd In! Dv: t#J Europe 1944--45. Royal H8miltrYI Light infantry Mb 1 Sept6fllber" 1939: DiDppe 1942: Noe'mMety 7 ..hJy 1944 WIth 4th lnf Bde. 2nd fnf Dlv: NW EUfOI)e 1944-45. Roysi MontrBal R8gImeIII Mb 1 Seplen'ber 1939: Norrna-'ldy 28 J.Jy 1944; rNJ Euope 1944-45. RoyeIRt1gJmr¥ltolOnJda Jot) 1 ~ 1939: ()eppe 1942; Nom'l8ndy 7 .lit 1944 W!Ih 4th hi Bd8, 2n:l hi Div: tm Euope ~

,.......

Newb.nIand 1941-4,3: COI'$»_ to ~ & Bemula

,..,...

fbtwI Rdils 01 CllrJ8l:fs Mb 24 May 1940; doslIoyed 11 dlIt8flOll of

Pmoe Abert" <l18b'd ~ Mb 1 SeplernbIr 1939; IIlII'\I8d If! Canada: 6
n

Hong~ ~

c.neron

1941, F8COf'I6lJllMd I Jaruwy 1942;--..ecI

c...: Jeruvy 1945 lO UK.

FtJy8~Ri18s

WIlh 7th

Mb 24 May 1940: Norrrw-odv6.we 1944

rot Bde. 3rd lnf Div: PM Emlpe 19«-45.

Sf John Fi.siers Jot) 1 Sep(8TIber 1939: wiltl13lh Bde, 8Ih hi [)V. Paofic Corrmln:I from..JanJtwy 194 I; one COfTlPllt1'I on K;,ke 1943-44; ~ 194510 UK. where li$banded 10 J9n1Ary. SaskarOClrl Li{Ilt InfElntry I.t:I 1 September 1939: ltaIy 1943-45 wfth ISlIrlf ()v IMG brl); NW Eu'ope Irom Mal"d11945, Sault 51 Marie & SudIxJI}' Fl8gimetlt Mb: 00Mld wim 6th ~f CMv, P9CiIic Corrmand 1942-45. Scots FusJIiers of Canada Mb 5 Mard11942: S9:VOd ifl 01tM::l; d.sb811ded 15 October 1943 Seeforth H9*"II'»'S oICa'I8dfII.tJ 1 SEIpIembar 1939; ~ 1943-45 'NlIh 2nd hi Bde. 1st hi Dov: rNJ EmJpe lrom Ma'ch

''''.

2rd Atmotred C. R8gI Mb 11 Wn"Ipllg; sert lO UK. ...,.. dlIbelldllcl Mty 1941. 2n$/Oth £)agoms JJb 26 May 1942; wiIh lito hi Dv. Allenbc Cc:mnIncl;
,........

7tN1'111~

(2ndQi1kmdBdeHQ&,tJ Mb27 February l'i5bilodlld 1 ..Iaf'llwy 1943.

1941 : 10 UK. \Yhere

continued on nellt page

17

Table 2: S!Jed:Jrooke Fusibers (27!h Armd Regt) Mb 24 May 1940: No!ma.ndy 6 J\Ile 1944 with 2nd Armd BOO: ~ ElJ'OPfll944-45, Sherl:xook.e Ragimem Mb 1 September 1939: to UK, 'MIera disOOnOOd 16 July 1940, 16tW22nd SaskatdJaW8tl HorsfJ Mb 24 May 1940: Jurn 1943 to UK. where disbanded 1 ~. 6th D..tke of Connaught's Royal Canadian Hussars (5th Cdn Anno' ON HQ SQnI Mb 27 February 1941: to UK, where disbalded 1 J:tgt) Mb 24 May 1940: No!marldy 24 JtJy 1944 wilt14lt1 Armd 0;...: NW Europa 1944-45. SourI1 Saskatchewan Regment Mb 1 8eptefT'ber 1939; Dieppe 1942: Nc..mandy 8 July 1944 wfth 6lt11n! BOO. 2nd lot Div: NW Europa 1944-45, StOffllO()t, Dtndas & GJengany High/arIders Mb 24 May 1940: Normandy 6 June 1944 with 9th in! Bde, 3I"d Int 0;...: NW 5Jrope 1944-45, Throe FWers Fl8girnenr (/2th Amd Regr) Mb 1 september 1939: Itaty 1943-45 with 1SI Armd Bde: NW E...-opa trom Mardl 1945, Toronto SCottish Regimem Mb 1 Septembef 1939: Dieppe 1942: NonMn(/y B JtJy 1944 wiItl2nd Inl Div (MG bIl); NW Europe 1944-45. 12th Maritoba Dragoons (/Bffl Annd Car Regt) Mb 10 May 1941: Norw.v1dy 9.My 1944; NW Europe 1944-45. VICtoria Rilles Dr Canada Mb 24 May 1940: with 7th Inf Orv. A!l(nllC COlflnand: 20 November 1944 to UK. ~e disbanded on arrival, Voltigeurs de Quo3tJac Mb 10 May 1941: with t7\tl In! Bde, Pacific Commood: JUy 1943 to UK, where distJtlere destroyed 0ec8Tber t94 1. Reconstituted 10

continued Ja1uary 1942: with 13th Bde, 6th Inf Drv, Pacific Commood; Kisl
CarllldiaIl

~n

SeMce

Canadian Dffita' Co!ps CanadIar1 FOfeStry Co
CanacU1 Provost Co!ps Carn
Caradian Women's Armot Corps (authorised 13 August 1941) Co!ps of Military Staff Clerks Corps of Royal Canadian EngirleefS Royal C
Royal Canacian 0«tIanci.l Corps

Officers were directed 10 use the S
18

Various elements of the Canadian infantry uscd no less than four helmets during the war. The army hclmet in usc in September 1939 was the British f..'lk I of Great War vintage. Samples of the new 1938 British Mk II had been sent to Can
OPPOStTE Sgt. F.C.Edmlnston, Highland Light Infantry of Canada, 9th Inf Bda, 3rd Inf Dlv photographed in Normandy, 20 June t944. Note that he has removed his rank badges, a common precaution against snipers; typically, however, he retains the large shoulder titll'! 'HIGHLAND/LIGHT INFANTRY/ CANADA', in yellow on grass green within a yellow inner rim - above the divisional patch; see also Plate E3. Though sometiml'!s dullf!d over with mud or camOUflage cream, the titles were important to unit lbprlt de corps and seem normally to have been worn in action. ApPl'!aring in the UK from late 1939, these titles proliferated in 1942-43; dl'!signed at unit level by 'baer bottle heraldlsts', In traditional unit colours, their (continued oppoSita)

Canadian·made \1k II

hd"l(.~I..S.

including those

for the ReAF ;mcl Civil Ddt-nee. were sp..'arcd wilh a base coat of mall khaki paint which was iniliall)' browner than the more oli,'c "hade 8

,

shape end style varied wideI)l. In

•

3rd Inf DflI ~t "II¥eR arc--shaped with 'CANADA' below the unit title, .........11y tNt not always

embroidered on the same backlrl{l. A t_ other repreaentIIttve 3rd DIY examples are: (7th lnf Bda) an: with rect81ll1ular

bottom utenelon, black ground, whit. latterlng 'ROYAL WINNIPEQ RIFLES/CANADA':

"d

.

•

-

,.

'"

"

(8th Inf Bela) shorter over longer ere, dull red ground, light red linnet rim, wtllte lettering, 'l.£I'REGIMEHTIDE LA! CHAUDIERE'; rtth 1m &eM) longer _ st-1er _ . blue grvund, red lettering 'GLENQAARlANSICANADA' (SI~ Dundas & Glengarry HigtlIandet'S). Some 48 van.tlons _ recorded In aU - __ Sexton.,

D.J., Select BIbliography. (Ken

Sel', National An;hives of Cionada, ""331041

produced alier 1942. Unit or ann of senice decals were oftell applied to the lefl side. There was occa..ional rcp....inung in camouflage. S<'lnd'leslured olin.--grccn or I..'tn for spe<:ific purpollCS. A net of khaki or olive-green, or bi-colour(."(1 brown and green from 1943, was nead)' always WOIll. It was somelimes interwo\'en \\;th bil~ of }...h.. }...i doth 'SCl;Ill' for added camounag(~. Canadians nearly alway"! stuck their first field dressiug !xlcket under the net so their helmets had a bulge, usually at the back or OIlC side. Even ;L"l Mk Il helmets I\'ere being 1II,lde, the Canadian fon.:es toyed with the idea of adopting the new AllleriGIll tvll helmet, and a few hundreds of these were experi11lcnwlly isslled to troops ill southern England during au1umn 1942. The Ml helmel was found to givc bettcr protection and it was recommended for adoption at the end of 1942 nor ani)' b), Canadian bUl, ultimalely, b)' all British forces. C'tnada weill ahead and immediately ordered a quaner of a million hehnels from the USA. Meanwhile. the British changed Iheir minds in (-"ai'll' 19-13 and decided 10 d(",'elop instead their own Mk III helmet. TIle G"lnadi:Ul~' polic),of mailllaining a high degree of comlllonalil:)' with the British forces led them 100 10 adopt the new ~'lk 111: but Ihe AmeriGIII order Ilild to be honoured to at leasl 200,000 helmets. so that b}' April 1943 o\'er a million dollars' worth ofCS helmets had :l'Ti"ed in OIGlW;:I. Senior supply officials woudered whal to do with them: it had been decided lhat the BI;tish ~,tk " helmcts would continue to be uscd in Europe except for the 3rd lid' Di\', which would gel the new Ul'itish t...lk III. The ob'~olls answer was to issue the American M I to uilits posted in British Columhia, the most likel}' to serve \\~th American troops in operations in the Pacific. Thus the 13th lnf IkIe, which was allached to the US forces for the liberation of Kiska, wore the MI. LltcI', in 1945, M1 helmets \\'ere issued to the 6th Inf Oiv then being reorganised in British Columbia for participation in the projected invasion of Japan. The MI saw '"adOliS u.ses in the posH\~lr }'ears, but il officially replaced the Hrilish Mk II onl}' in September 1960. The tunle-shaped British ~1k III became much associated widl Canada in man)' G'tnadians' minds. as it was the 'inWlsion' helmet often shown in the press worn by Canadians during 1944. Some collectors later claimed lhal il \\"as a Canadian de<;ign, but in fact none wcre made in Canada aud all were issued in Britain 10 the G'tnadian troops. TIle 2nd Inf Di... landed in Fr.Ulce inJuly wearing Mk II helmets; this ~"IS ,lIso the only helmet used b), the lSi Inf Oi\' in Italy and later in NW Europe.

19

Cloth headgear

Following British practice, the pre-19~9 peaked (visored) service cap quickly disappeared in favour of the khaki Field Service cap (sidccap), which was issued with the HI) uniform from alllllrnn 1939. In 1943 the Canadian War Dress Regulations introduced, following 19~7 British Army regulations, a complicated Ulble of colours for FS caps worn optionally on ordinary duties by oHiccrs and enlisted men. "Vhile stall officers and NCOs in London or Ottawa would have indulged in this, there is llot much evidence lhal the coloured FS caps were widely acquired. Instead, from 1943, lhe khaki FS cap was replaced by the khaki Ceneral Service cap. The Canadian pattern was a lrue berel, made of one piece of material and generally of superior quality and appearance LO the British GS Glp. which was made from several pieces witll a broad separate head band and which the Tommies billedy compared to a cow-pal. The relevant unit cap badge was worn over the left eye, and some unit.s used coloured cloth badge backing - e.g, the Royal Winnipeg Rines had green backing following the outline of their badge. while Toronto's Queen's Own Rifles had a green square. 'Scottish' units had the khaki Balmoral oonnet (see Highlanders below). The Irish RegiTllent of Canada had the caubeen bonnet in dark green lor otlicers and khaki for enlisted men. For the six regiments convened 'on paper' to the armonred role in 1936 the next few years would be frustrating, since no actual tanks were fonhcoming. Even the armoured corps' black ocrets were first denied 10 the uniLs, and they were ordered to continue to wear their 'tradition,,1 Ileaddress'. There was a loophok in the case of the Essex Regiment, since as a newly raised regiment it had no traditions. Members of the unit oought black berets at their own expense and wore them at the regiment's inaugural pardck on 20 April 193i, making it the first Carmdbn unit to wear berets. The Department of Defence eventually followed suit. so that all armoured unit.s had black ocrets during the war. (Curiously, the 13th Inf Bde in Ule Aleutians was also issued black berets in 1943.) Pat
'0

Footwear was the standard laced anny 'ammunition' boot of black pebbled leather. The sales were ofleathet~ hobnailed and I','ith steel toe and heel plates. The ankles were covered with shon khaki web anklels; the Canadi"n-made anklets had the narrow retaining slraps made of webbing bul. especially ill [taly, the Canadians sometimes received British anklets with leather sU
OPPOSITE This IIiew of a Canadian infantryman at Caen on 25 July 1944 shOws the rear of the 1937 web personal equipment In battle order - cf Plates E2, £3. The small pack ts worn on the back, with a Brttish General Sertice shollet thrust below it - the issue entrenching to(lI was Inadequate for getting a man under cOlier quIckly. (The Brtttsh shollel had a 'T'-handle, the US equillalent a 'D-handle.) The dal1l. 0lille-9reen anti-9as cape, now used more as a rain cape, Is rolled and tied to the back of his belt. Below this Is the ba9 for his ttght respirator, slung around the body. On the rlght hlp can just be seen hts water Dottle. On tha nearside he seems to carry his nested mess tins in a second water bottle carrler of the pocket type. He has a netting face IIelt attached to the back of hIs helmet; and note the buckleftap '3rd Dill' bO(lts. Sleelle insignia are ttmtted to the 3rd Inf Dill patch and tance-corporal's badge of rank. (Ken Bell, National Archilles of Canada, PA163403)

Canadian troops in Holland, early 1945, wearln9 the standard British white cotton two-pIece snow camOUflage suit. (CanadIan Dept of Nattonat Defence, ZK-958)

Canadian Highlanders

,•

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The new BO trou;;er" ,,'ere gre.-'tu:d with ..adness and resignation b) Illany Canadian Ilighl;md unilS. They may have been a more pr;lclical garmCIlI in hank but. in their hearts. fhe men \'o'1shed Ihey could have retained their kilts. To make maltcrs worse. sollie rL'brimcllts - e.g. the Sc:lfonhs and the C1.lgal)· 1-1 ighlandcrs - ,,'ere first issued the ordin;u) khaki FS cap im.lcad of the khaki Balmor::!l or tarn-()'shamer hUllllCt, their tartan b:ldge backings being The only Highland distinCtion left to them. The khaki ta11l-o'shanter bonnet was c"emually issued 10 all Canrldian Highlanders and was _he only cap to be worn wilh BI) in lhe field; but phOlOS taken in N\"\' Europe in 19..J4-45 onen show Glengarries Wilh diced bands also being wom as of1~llIt)r headgear. ..\pan from the n:gulation distinclions lisled in Table 3, a number of pcculiaJities were 110ted in \m;ollS C.'madian Iljg-hland regimen IS. of which lhe following are merely a few randOll1 cxnmples. The G.II-JC Breton llighlanders were mobilised in 1939 with diced Glcng:IO"ics and kilts; were isslled BI) with bonnets, and '11so u'opical dress with sh()rt.~ and sun heltlH:t!l when in Onawa ill 1941; were shipped to England and Then to lwl)' in 194~. where the pipe band reassulIIcd Black Wiltch tartan kilt.~. black ~porr.tns WiUl six lasst.-ls, red Table 3: Regimental distinctions and black hose tops of Canadian Highlanders and Glengarries with a plain black. border, TI,e Slormom. Dundas & Glen8IllIck W3!Ch r1 ear.g;:ll'l)' IlighlandcN had Ihe Hgh8nd U of Clnlcta Slandard issue khaki lam~ & Aentrew Hs Stonncnl. CU1das & o'shank'r, but also bought ","-"H' Glengarrics for cyery Illall Pictou Hs acM8l, whte & grooo in .June 1943. Mall>, IIlcn of Murray of Athol scarlet, wn;te & green No<1h Ncrva Scotia Hs Cll(.>e Bratco Hs 6lacI< 'Natc/l scarlet & oote the North Nova Scotia f>!ince &lwiW'd l8Il:v1d I-Is Black Watc/l Ilighlanders had 1\'l11rr".IY of CMleroo Hs of Ottawa Atholl lartan kilLS in sc¥IeI. ...nte & ~ sr::a1et., Y.tite & lJ98fl England. (In NW E.urope Arg)'I & SuIheItan:I lis 9Ca'1eI. & wt"Ile the regimelll \,'orc BO bm Oleln's 0Ml Clwroeron lis ne\'cI1helcss carried in UIC '-"'" .......",. -.::a1eI. whte & ~ li'olll lines - lInofficiillly c.-._ 3ClI18t Yltde & ~ the very Scolli~h-lookillg EIctlo bkJe. ...... & tan pl'o\'incial nag of No',1 $a<;'-" acanet. IOIhilll & gr--. """$a<; Scolia, which may ha"c scatet. & lJ98fl been the tir-a 'ClIl,ldian' Note., ~ 01 the 8leck Watch a1d 1tle l.;nrk & AenIrew hOO fbIaI StJsIIa'Ia'Illtl$; the flag plamed in German Scots FusiOs had No.ll Erskk'Je. The ~ U, the Soots FusiienI a1d the u:me Scots had daI1<. trelW, BXC8PI kr 1hei' pipers who M:Jrlj Kills. flloepllof the H;g1laod U. III Glengarries _ soil.) The pipcrs of the blue with 11 scariel lull. Scaforth Ilig-hlandcr~ of

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Canada arc said to have worn their kilts almost constalltly in the field in NW Europe, though '\Vallaee', their 5t Bernard regimenwi mascot made Etmous by the press, remained in Britain. The steel helmet might have some added Scottish distinction. The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada had applied, from 1!J41, 'a two-and-a half inch sqnare decal of the MacKellzie tartan with the regimental cap b
France, 28 July 1944: Tprs. Holstrom, Lardner and Mitchell rela" on 'Clan!ty', the Shennen command tank of Cap. David Currie YC, C Sqn, SOuth Alberta Regt, 4th Annd Dlv - cf Plate E1. By the time this photo made the 16 December 1944 cover of Liberty magazine, 'Clanky' had been lost in action at Bergen-opZoom, Holland: the crewmen survive
1

22

The personal equipmellts worn by Canadian servicemen had quite a convoluted hisLOry of their own. The title 'Tangled H'eb' given to the definitive study of this topic by lile late Cen.Jack L.Sltmmers is most appropriate, aud readers are referred to it for all minute dewils, technical, administrative or even political. It has often been assumed that the accoutrements worn by Canadians were identical to those of their British comrades. While this was largely true in times of national mobilisation duriug [he \Vorld Wars. Canada did in fact evolve its own versions from the late 19th century. At that time, peculiar Canadian models of the originally British 'Oliver' equipltlent were adopted. These were made of dark brown leather. Although replaced with the British 1908 \Veb Equipment (hereafter in this text, \VE 08) for nearly all troops going up to the Front in the Great \Var, reserve troops often kept the leather accoutrements. Following World \Var I the Canadian government made plans for a much expanded volunteer force, but found it had insufficient equipment in its stores. Additional WE 08 equipment was sought from the UK in 1920, but could not be supplied. Thus. by 1923, the Quanennaster-General reported having some 43,120 \VE 08 seL~, 10.780 of which were only missing the entrenching tool carriers. Spare parts could make up another 22,480 scts. In all, about 50,000 set.. of surplus WE 08 which had seen previolls service in the trenches could be issued. There were also 13,000 se's of the Canadian 1916 \cather equipment. Although lhere were various proposals lO replace these supplies with more modcrn c'1uipment, the idea of a large volunteer force \\~J.S by now no longer entertained. The Great Depression of the 1930s esured that nothing more would be done. Consequently, until 1940 the solid ifaging 50,000 or so sets of "VE 08 were still the only equipments available to the Volunteer Militia. For t.he Regular infanu1' regiments of [he Permanent Force - and for the Royal Canadian Air Force - there was a limited and somewhal confusing attemp' to provide new equipment in 1928. This lOok the form of a Canadian issue of the British \VE 19 equipment, later retitled WE 25 because it had some features of that newer British model too: triis

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was in khaki for the infanU)' and blue-gn..1' for the ReAf. When World War II broke OUl, the Regulars who weill to Britain \\;t11 the 1st Oumdian Di\isioll in D<,'Cclllber 1939 h;ld Ihis WE 25 and the \'Oluntecrs the ancient WE 08 of World War I vintage. These much-wont accolltrClllcnlS were c:\changcd for the new Brilish WE 37 equipment in England. \Vhile the Canadian go\'cnllllcnl had approved [he British WE 37 in 1938, none of i, was even made. let alone issued, until earl}' 1940. Thereafter. however. the pace picked III' quickly as Callada's indusLlial outpUl soared. B}' the Slimmer of 1940 man)' units Oil acti\"c sen.;cc had been n.-.eqllippcd. and by that aUl1I1ll1l there were enough new ~lIiplllcnts for tlu..' thousandll being GlUed lip under the Selective Seryicc programme. The WE 37 pattern Wi\S the standard equipment of G'1nadian soldiers from that lime. There was one exception: the 13th Inf Bde Group in 1943. Serving with the Amcl"icillls lor the Kiska expedition, they received US Army accoutrements and helmets but Canadian Issue ",capons. uniforms :md liglu respirmors (see Il!;lle B2).

THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE Perhaps because of the sheer sile of their coulllry. many l ..anadians were especially allracted to aviation. During the Great \Var tholls:lnds of Canadians served in Britain's Royal Flying Corf,ls (from April 1918. ROY;'II Air Foret:) - among them many of its leading lighter aces. In the wake of sueh feaLS. and to cope with increasing dem;:mds for a national air force. the Canadian Air Force was set up in 1920, rede~ignated Ropl C.,nadian Ail' Force (RCAF) in 1924. The slllall RCAF of the 1920s-30s was lIlore of a communications. suryey and reconnabsance se ....ice than a combal air force. Made lip of Regulars and volllllteers, in September 1939 it muslercdjust 2,200 permanent and 966 reservist personnel; it had 53 combat :lircraft out of a IOtal of 201 machines, nearly all of them obsolete except for sevcn recently acquired British Hawker Hurricane figillers.

Canadian Army winte<- ~ for enlisted men Issued to b'oops In Canada. tt was fairly highcrowned, with tlMlslde flaps ulually wom tied up with a thin ribbon across the top. Itl front nap was pennanently tumed up and the unit badge was otten pinned to the centre - cf Plat•

A2. (Ed Storey Collection)

The officer" Winter Gap '''Iued tor service In Canada was ot khaki woollen cloth but with front and aide flaps faced with

brown fur. (Ed Storey Colleclion)

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The Commonwealth air training programme As SOOII as war was declared thousands ofvohuueers signed lip

10 joill the RCA-F; some even went direcLiy to England to join tlte RAF. The small ReAF was immediately o\·erwhdmed: it nceded vasl numbers uf new aircmfl. lIew airfields and. most of al!. trained aircrews, The British RAF also urgently needed trained aircrews: alit! on 17 December 1939 the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BGATP) was created. This oiled for a huge training pr<\.or.unme foraircrews to be established in the \-ast - and safe - ail" sp<,ce of Canada: ourrigltt. Canada Ix:t:ame the largest fhing school in the world, By 1941 ,here were 30 Elemen,ary Flying Schools. 29 Elementary FI~ing Tr.tining Schools, II l\.olllbing & Cunnery Schools. len Air Obscn·er Schools, sevell Operational Training Schools. six Air N:wig-aLion Schools, fOllr \\'ireless Schools, lhree Flying InSlruclor Schools, olle Naval Ail" Gunners School and one Flighl Engineers School. All thi" was organiSt.x1 in Training Commands numbered I to 4. Aircraft were found in Britain and the USA, but in thi... as in so many other cases the home industry also rose to the national need. Inilially tin)·. the Canadian airer""t indu"try gre"' by le:':lps and bounds: old Finch

23

ABOVE 1938 RCM enlisted ranks' blue-grey Mnriee jacket with whi1e maUlI buttons. Tbe blue-black shouldet' liUe with 'CANADA' in an arc _ the

eagle, both In white, shows that

and Fairey UatLic aifer.lft were soon joined by numbers of Tig~r Moth and Han,lrd trainers. Training was given b\ C.anadian. Brilish and American inslruClors; a~ many \\cre civilians, mey were OftCIl g-rollped in para-military ol"J.{anisations. Sunicc it 10 say that, from its inceptioll until ~ [ "'larch 1945, somc 131..1'"):13 aircrcl\' graduatcd from the BCATP. Of these 73,000 '\'ere ClIladians: 42,000 from Ihe RAf (including airmen frolll ''drious British territories as \\'ell as Free French. Iklgians, Poh..'S, Non...egians, Dutch. elC.): lO.lXlO from Austr.t1ia. and 7,000 from :\'el\' Zealand. This ......lS an impressi"c 10lal whcn one considers that 288,000 aircrew wcre trained in the USA., whose popul:llion and rCMlurces were len 'imcs those of C"lnada.

this garment was worn overseas.

This eumpl. wa. made In Montreal by the T.Eaton Co. in 1942. (Ed Storer Collection)

ABOVE RIGHT In 1940. blue-grey blouse and trousers modelled on the khaki 8atUed,.... WitS introduced in 1$
'map' pocket w.s much smaller than on Army BD troi.IlJen. [Ed Storey Colledlonl

24

Home defence

Thc ReAF also had 10 expand quickly [0 meet the demands fur hUIIlt.: dt.:f\;llce and squadrons St:nt OI·erscas. Till,; Home Air Force in Canada initially concentrated in a few S\llladrons, all scrambling lO get SOllie aircraft - nOlably tiring Ixxlls anrl bombers. With U~boats lurk.ing along the c:'madian co.."lStline wrgcting ship convoys going 10 Britain. tilt: emphasis ft'll on the AtJamic pro"inces and Nt.'wlOundland in 1939 and 1940: the ....·est coast \\'C offcnsi"t" of December 19-11 nalurally increas.:.-d the urgenC) of of}.,r;tni:..ing some defence for the wesl coast. From June 19--12 British Columbians became seriousl}' worried abolllJapanesc air alLacks \\'hen, in the Aleutians. Dutch Harbor W'L~ bomlx"
n'

.,.

1: Private, Princess Patricia's Canadian U9ht Infantry; UK, Deeembet" 1939 2: Private, Velerans' Guard 01 C~; winter dress, 1940-45

3: De$palch rider, Royal Canadian Dragoons 11s1 Armoured Car

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1943

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1: Private, Royal Rifles 01 Canada or WifVIipeg Grenadien; Hong Kong, De<:ember 1941 2: Private, Regiment de HUll, 13th lnf Bde; 1G$ka. Aleutian$, 1943 3: Sergeant, Calgary Regiment (14th Armd Regt), 1s1 Army Tank Bde; Dieppe, 19 August 19o12

B

1: Private, Ro~al22e R6glment, 1st Inf Div; Sicil~. Jut~ 1943 2: 2nd Lt" Ontario Regiment (11th Am1d Regtl, 1st Armd Bde; Italy, sunvner 1944 3: Sgt., Lo~a1 Edmonlon RegIment, 1Slln' Div; ltal~, winter 1943-44

c

1: Private, Firsl Special Service Force; Anzio, Italy, 1944 2: UCpl.. Royal Canadian Mounled Police, 1$1 ProVOSI Company; Italy, 1943-45 3: Pte., 1st Canadian Parachute Bn; NW Europe, 1944-45

D

2 1: Capt., South Alberta Regt (29th Armd Recce Regl), 4th Armd Div;

NW Europe, 1944-45 2: Pte., Reg! de Mili~nneuve, 2nd Inl Div; NW Europe, winter 1944-45

3: Pte., Highland LI 01 Canada,

3rd Inl Dlv; Normandy, June HI44

3

E

1: Pilot Oflic.... fight....

p~ot,

RCAF; England, 1940-41

2: Air gunner, bomber crew, RCAF; England, 1942-44 3: Right lJeutenant lighter pilot, RCAF; NW Europe, f"te t944

F

1: Lleutenont, Royal Canadian Navy, 1941-45 2: Seaman, Royal Can3dlan Navy, Areti<: c:onvO)'$, 1941-45 3: Signals ratinlil, Royal Canadian Navy, wor1l1ng dress, 1943-45

G

1: Volunteer, Canadian Women's Army Corps; UK, 1942-45 2: Rating, Women's Royal Canadian Naval Senlice, summer uniform, 1942-45 3: Aill:r.lftwoman, Royal Canadian Air Force Women's Division, 1942-45

H

The RCAF overseas

The first RCAF tmit ovcrscas was No.11O S
Royal Air Forc. FefTY Command .In:rew in Trin~ W"t Indies, In front of • Lockheed Ye.ga bomber, OCtober" 1&43. Besides the ""'In North AlJ.antlc route -... aln::raft were ferried vi. N.....u (Baha"",sl, Trinind, and Seneg.t(f'ntnch West AfriCil) to North Afne.. The summer tight kh.kl shlrtsM
RCAF uniforms

From 1924 lhc uniforms and equipment of the RCAF wcre very similar 10 those of thc RAE (For details, sec Corrnack, Select nihliography.) The RCAF pilot's wings badge worn on Ihc Icft hreaST was similar to that of lhe RAF except thaT the Ieuer 'C' surrounded the 'A' in carly vcrsions and circled all leHers in later versions. The other badges usnally had 'RCAF' in small leHers belol\' lhc tradc's crowned letTer, except for the observer's '0'. which \\'
33

[n early [94 [, bizarrclr, The. wearing of scarves was forbidden for RCA1personnel when Hying, btl! This order was widely ignored. On 30 .\tll 1941, Americans in the RCAF were allowed a 'U.S.A.' shoulder title when serving in Canada, and when ove.rseas a title with 'Canada' aoon:' 'U.S.A.'; this order ,\'as cancelled in 1941 (DND, RCAF Routine Order~ 1940-(943). Khaki drill SUllllller uniforms were ordered discontinued frolll August 1941 for all RCAF comnmnds, but this rather impractical order wa, cancelled in 1943. The RCAF issue consisTed of the KD bush jackel and trousers to be worn with bluL---grer caps. There was no RC,.t\F issue of Tropical sun helmd.s, shorts and stockings as there was in the RAr, but the few Canadian squadrons sen'ing: in the i\liddle EasT and Far EaM received RAF tropical issues. Ralph Palmer, who served with No.420 Sqn in Algeria. reGllJed that 'pith helmets, shirL~ and shorts were the usual anire' in early 1941. Winter clothing consisted of double-breasted greatcoat.s, overshoes, gloves, fur caps for officers and doth caps for enlisled men, The paTtern and CUt of the greatcoats and caps were the same as for the Army but made from RCAF bll1e-grey clOlh, with RCAr titles, badges and bunons. The fur and dOlh caps were ouly worn in Nonh America, The BCATP trainees wore their respective nations' air force uniforms, From 18 July 1941 the false turned-up peak visible at till' front of the field set'vice c"p became white for aircrew under training: tllis was removed after gmdllation. Bee-ween ./uly 1941 and Febnlal'} 194~, white armlets were issued to graduates until they could obtain ollicers' uniforms, The civilian personnel of BCATP insu-uclion schooh wore dark blue uniforms of approximaTely the satll~ cut as thc RCAf with distinctive brass bUllOUS, cap badges and piloL~' wings: thest' usually bore the letters 'EFS' (Elementary F'lying School), 'EFTS' (Ekmcnlarr Flying- Training School) or 'AOS' (Air Observer School). V\'omen instructors had dark blue j"cKets and skirts with whitt' 'ETFS' titks on dark blue shoulder flashes, and pale blue or whitt' ()pell-collar blollses, Ferry Command

34

Dilring 1940, when Brilain was desperate for aircraft of all lypes and V-boaTS were sinkilli{ over half of those shipped from NOrTh America, a scheme to fly the larger planes across the North Atlanlic was approved hy Prime Minister Churchill and the Canadian authorities. Regular air crossings had been dC~lIled impossible, especially in winter, and far too costly; bUlthcse were desperate times - if more than h"lr of the aircraft senT over made it to Britain, it was ,,'onh the gamble, The RAF would dir~C1 these operations with a few senior officers in Montreal. wh~re Dorval airfield was buill. Aircrews and SllPP01"1 personnel would be mostly civilians. Airline pilots from Canada and 13ritain, Canadian 'hush' pilOiS and American pilots thus joined ATFERO (Atlantic Ferry Organisation) ri'olll the autumn of 1940, becoming 'Fen)' Command' on 20 July 1941. GroUlld security personnel were uniformed, armed, and assumed duties as varied as trring 10 save aircrew from burning cmshed planes to providilli{ part of Churchill's 'British' security guards at the Quebec Confer~nccs. In i\brch 1943, Ferry Command became No.45 Grollp in the new Rt\F Transport

•• • •

••

•

\F

Command. Over 10,000 lIlen '\Cloyed in this org:mis:uioll during the \....11". and il flew some 10,000 air('rnft 10 Europe. Initially. ATFERO's non-RAF personnel had no uniforms, and l..his rai-.cd COIICCIll over rheir fale should IIle} be lorCf'd down in enemy

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""" Ferry Command bt... llUtton, 1940-45. This RAF -vanlntion based In Canada,

'lIIhkh evol"ed from the Atlantic Ferry Organisation ~t-.,

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had distind buttons for Its

.... blue RAF-$tyIe .....lfonn.. priw'ate coIlectlonl

tcn;wr.... A.II)thing th,1I look('d like a uniform was iniliall)' worn, \\ith pc....Ollllci from airlines such as Imperial Airways or Trall~..anada Airline:. (now British Airways and Air \ ..;IlIad;1 respeCli\'e1}') wearing I..ht·ir dark bllll: ullifonns. In the early Slimmer of HH I. Air Cdre.GJ.'Taff,), Powell 'put them all in 'It'n'icC'str1e khaki with caps', and a badge was ha~rily dc~i!{ned in his Dorval airlleld oflicc; this featured a lion ;lslrirle the Northern Hemisphere. Few ofthesl· badges were made lip. as 'from mid-MIlllmer 1941, we wen' on IIrmer ground for illsi,l{l1ia generally', recalkd I'm,·e11. 'We fell hdr 10 the standard RAF cagle and the astral crO\\'f1. These werc incorporated in cap badge~. wings and half-wings, "'hich \\'ere worn with chrOllle bUlton'l on dark bluc winRT unilonns and khaki in 'Illmmer. Standard RAf-t}l>e stripe~ WCR' 1Ist--d for senior captain'l. co-pilots and other aircrew. From thcn on we were rcasonablv SUfe of officer SlalilS l>eing ",riven to those who got illlo slr.mgc situations or became pri"Oners of war.' <":round 'lft"uri,y personnl.-·) were also dressed in 'he dark blue RAf-)t\lc uniforms and had RAF r.lIlk insif;nia for NCOs. The bullons were distinctive. ha\ing tlO a~t.r.ll crmm but bearing 'r.c.'. Tht.'}, wcre used lllllil lhe end of the war, as ,,'ere the dark blue uniforms, long: after Ferry l.AJ11lllland had become RAF Air Transport Command.

in )[$

\F -se

THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY

'S'

Formed ill 1910. the KO}>;11 Ca.nadian Na\) (Rei\") had a permanent component supponed h\ .1 Kesen·c. It \\~1S patterned n'ry closely on BI;lain's RO\~11 :-\a\) ill organi",'uion and t.'t!uipmenL III 1923 lhe Ro~~\1 Canadian :-\a\.ll Re<;ene and Rm"
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35

submarines by the end of the war: one each in j940and 1941, six in 1942. seven in 1943, and 18 in the last 18 months of the war against Germany. In spite of some setbacks, the small RCN ships safely escorted about 25,000 mercham ships bearing 180 million lOllS of cargo from North America to Britain. On D-Day, 109 RCN ships manned by 10,000 sailors were part of the Normandy invasion neel for Operation 'Neptune',
45,000 soldiers 10 lhe beaches. In response to British requests for help in manning ships, lhe RCN acquired two light cmiscrs and provided crcw~ for two auxili:u}' "ircmft carriers in 1943-44, wilh plans for greater parlidpadon in the wal" against Japan. Ho\\'c\"cr, only one cruiser took part in operations in the Pacific before ~J-Day. ReM uniforms

3.

Initially, RCN uniforms were very similar to those of the Roy,ll Navy (see Plate G: and Sumner, Llile 79, SelcCl BibliOf,'T,lphy), The British dress regulatiom were followed in minute det.ail, and indeed, most pre-war Regular oHicers bought their unifonns fi'olll Gieves, the n
• .'. ·,

"

LeadIng Se.......... Brown, of "'destroyer HMCS

atta..... at

Halifax In SlImlrMlf' HMO. He W8.rs the white-topped cap with No.1 Dt'eft - bl_ Jumpel'" \IIrittl INtdge$ In gold ",ther lhiWl red,

e e

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bell-bottoms, blue-edged white 'fl'(lnt', collar, black .ilk neck. an:hlef and whIte lanyard. The anchor and chevron on hi. left

sleeve indicate. his rate and three ,eil~ of liJOOd conduct. On hia right . . . . . the alllr, croued guns and 'Q' lncHc:.ta .. 2nd CI... Gunner)' Rating tOl" Quart..... At this date the full IIlil''s name . u still worn on the cap tally by crews 01 the Ie... Pft-1939 ahlps to mark them out from the Hostilitie. Only ntllngs already _aring the unlv......l 'H.M.C.S.' ribbon. This HMCS Ottawa W81 lost on 13 September 1942, but.

new River Cl••• d•• troyet' took

j

up the mom. In 1843. (National

•

Archives 01 Canida, PA1043731

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collar labs and twist cord instead of white. Ratings wore identical uniforms to the ReN, initially with 'R.C.N.v.R.' cap ribbons from 1938, bullaler the 'H.M.C.S.' ribbon was worn. Royal Canadian Fleet Keservc

•,

otlicers had their rank lace narrow and intertwined. The "\lings wore idenliealunifomls LO thc KCN, with 'Royal Canadian Fleet Reserve' C
2

, of

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CANADIAN WOMEN'S SERVICES Military nurses

Canadian military nursing services u'ace tJlcir ol'igins back to Ihe 1885 North-\\'cSI Rcbellion, and the firsl comingent of Omadian IlUl"SC''' 10 go

37

Sub-Lt. Ron M.WlI.- was;l member of the Royal Canadian H...... Volunteer R _ 'A'fM) t~ned to be ill t;arriolt" pilot in the Fleet Air Arm. he ptrished in 1942. Just above the 'wavy' RCNVR rank lace can be aeen the FAA airerew badge of a

crowned .11".r fouled anchor and wreath and gold wings. The 'CANADA' shoulder title was .pparently not worn by individual Canadian pilots ......;fIiI on British carriers. (Rou M.A.

Wilson Cotleetionl RIGHT sailors fTom HMCS Prirw;;e Robert dlsembartdng In Hont Kont on 30 August 1l145. They

wear the ReH's warm Climate d.... 0' white 'Ironls' and shor1a, with 8ritlsh pattem 1937 khaki web equipment, and carry SMLE rifles, Brena and Sten•.

Thel, task was to liberate the survivor. of the two Canadian regiments ovelWhelmed by the Japan... attack In December 1941. At Shamsnulpo Camp they found some ',500 dhed and skeletal prisoners, noMI of whom would eYer entiretr _ trvm

their atrocious CIIptMty. Of the c.nadian POWs In "apan and HGnil Kong, 1,418 ~rvlved the oro... but at least 311 died, of sickness, exhaustion and ill-treatment - a ".ry man..ed contrast with the kindness shown to Aals POWs In Canada. (A.M.Slrlon, National Arehi"es 01 Canada, PA114810j

."po_. 38

over'>Cas was during Ill(" Smith African War. In 1904 a small permanent llursinK :.en ice was 'Wt lip wilhin the RO)~II Canadian Ann, ~lediGII C.orps (RCAJ\IC), Around Ihi:. small core, nuI'SCs from across Canada cuuld Ix· mobiJi.:.("(1 in lirm:~ of "-.Ir according lo;m agreemcnl belwecn the gO\l'rTIUlent and the nursing associCned in all, morc lltall 2,600 of them o\'erseas, in oead) all theatrn 01 war and in units nlllging from tield alllbulances to gener;ll hospilal .. and cOllvalescent centres. There wen' abo lwo Canadian hospit.al ships, the I.ad)' NrlwJII and the 1..I'lilif/, which c'lrried 28,000 Allied and 2,700 POW casualTies. AI the outbreak of the war neither the ReN llor Ihe Rf'.AF had lIurS(·s. The RC. AF Nursillg St,I....icc was amhorisl,:d un 28 No\"emlx'l" 19·10 ami grL'w 10 481 personnel b)' 19·G, aboul HIll' ill Sl:\'en of thelll serving o\"crsea..... The RC;\l Ix'gan iLS :\'ursing Sl:nice with thret' 1U1l"M."li on 4 lk"'('cmber 1942. which ATew to 343 by the clld of the war. In all. Canadian nurst..-s ~lafTed O\'er it hund,·ed major hOllpit:.lls, admining wnl(' 60,000 Canadians as .....e11 as lhous-lieuten:mt and the 11Iau'on-in-ehier a COllllllander. 111 hospimls, RCA~1C lIursc.·s usually wore a sky bluc j;lcket wilh t\\'o I"O\\S of bmss bUlIons and while colbr :lIld clifT... ;1 sky blue ..kin, ,I .....hile H:-il and, when auending" paticnLS. a \\hiw apron. Rank badgt·s were wont on lhe shoulder strap". Ncar lhe fronl lint's. Ih(...., wore khaki drill shin.. ,lIld skins in Algeria and Sicily in 19-13, Toward.s the end of III,It \(';Ir lhl"

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\,il..h Balliedress in Imly, and lal,er in ,"oIlHand)' and :'\'W Europe. The RC~ and RCAf nurses \,·ore lhe ~lIne lype of uniform t's in hospitals. bUl the jac"cl and skin were na\y bluc and bllll.~re)' n·speClive1y. The naval 't'lvice hnd thc gold ];lCe r"nk stripes with l1l;lwon di~titlglli~hing cloth for nurscs, and grcell for labor::llory le<:hnidan.., dietitian.., etc.

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Women's auxiliary military organisations Atlhe OlilSet of the W;:ll"' Canada had no \\,omen·s sen·ices ulher lhan lIurses. bUI there had been prccedclils during lhe Gre"t War. SpOlltaneOllsly. lhollsamls of women Olxanised lhelllseives in \-arioll'lllnolliciaJ volunteer organisations. As early Ob 19-10.•m estimal('{! 17.000 women \·ohlllleers hMI C'nrollcd in \'ariOlL'> group'>. doing adlllinistr.uive and sccretari;ll work, calering, sig-nals and tlen sollie mechanical worl... a... well as ;Itlcnding ","cek1r (hill pamdes. Ther were onen inslrucled in first aid by slall' froll1 the CIll"dian Red Cross. S, Juhn's Ambu lance and Victorian Order of Nurses. nll~ir aim was to jill non-eombalanl jobs lu allow mCIl lO join I..he forces. The various groups oflen purchased lheir own uniforms. A favourite of the Tommo gr·oups wa... the double-breasted liglu l;:m trench coal. ","orn "ilh khaki peaked caps and black mid-e;lIfbool.~ br MIme. \,·ilh fidd senice (";IPS and :.hoes b), olhers. AJlother Tororll.o group had khaki field caps, a j;lckel whose cut was based on BD bllt with small bullon'l. shirt and tic, a skirt and shoes. The Women's Volunteer Reserve Corps, a Queocc unil ahout 500 sl.rong, wore an air force b1ue"'b'Tcy peaked GIl'. tunic and skirt. Appeals were madc to lhe gm'crmnem lO recognise and harness all !.his good will; and finall)'. from Jill}' 1941. ;a Women·s Auxilial'\' 10 lhe Anned Furces of Canada ,,~\S ;:mthorised. The RCAF ,,'it-.. fir!>l ofT the mark alld immedialcl)' r.lised it.. Canadian Women·s f\lIxili,u)' Air Force on 2.1ul)' 1941 -the firsl wornen's military St~r\'ice to be aUlhor'iscd in North Altlerica. It was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force (Women's DivisiOIl) Oil 3 February 1942. II wa." p.lttel'llcd aftcr the Uritish WomCIl's Auxiliary Air Force and adorlcd its rank SU·lIClUrC, customs and uniforms. but differed in one fllndamclltallealllre: il was from lhe start an intt-'gml part of lhe RCAF and sllbjecl 10 lhe ",·une code of dhcipline. {h-er li,OOO women joined e\·entuall}, performing some 70 u-ades moslly in Carmda. wilh sollie in Newfoundland and a few in lhc USA. From Seplember 1942 a firS! contingent arrived in Britain; evelllllally reaching a figure ofsomc 2,000 women, they served 1I10stly at Ihe RCAF Overseas IIQ and with 6 Grollp of RAF Bomber C.u111mand. Uniform See Pia Ie I-I. On 13 Angusl 1941 lhe c..'madian WOlllen·s Arlll)' (',orps (CWAC) was .lluhorised as all auxiliary of lhc Arm}'. Somc 3,000 women from the \oluntcel" organisations promptly joined and, from I Septcmber.

RCH NiIors -.cl a ~tty Otneer c-'ebnting VE.oay with some CWACs on 8 Mar t945 In Halita", Hoya Seolia; eI Plates G end H. The petty Officei' (right) is distinguished br the peaked cap with crowned anchor badge without a wreath, worn with a double-breasted 'rnotlkey laeket' with void crown and c:.-.ed ~ on his uppet' lett aleeYe, W'hite shin and bIlIek tie. Note the CWAC's _U-eut khaki tunk: with one breast pocket, dart< red-brown shoukler straps, and the diamond·shaped collar and cap badges. After years of ...strictions young people in uniform wanted to celebfate, but In Halitall the autt-'itiln I\ed made 1\0 prowision 101" vk10ry celebrations. FInding all entertainment end liquor O
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. ",.. . ,.... •iiliI A.a.:~ November 11143: Lt.Cdr. Frederick Clalrmonte, RCNVR, and his bride Sister Eileen Davidson, with a bridesmaid In the background, both of them In the uniform of the RCN Nursinll Service - blue, with gold buttons and llotd rank lace on the shoulder boards, white veil, collar and cl.Jl'fs. (National Archives of Canada, C58511)

reponed for duty in various locations in Canada. Over the years the CWAC grew to o\'er 21,000 ,\'omen cmplo}·ed in over 50 rradcs. Most sen'cd in Canada, but many scrved in the USA and 'cv.foundland, as ,,'ell as o\'er 2,000 in the UK Italy and 1'\"\\1 Europc. Unifornl See Plate H. The Women"s Royal C.'inadian Naval Sen'ice (WRCNS) wa.o; org
NEWFOUNDLAND During World War II, Newfoundland W,iS still 'Britain's oldest colony' and not yet part of Canada (it joined Canada as the tenth prO\incc in 1949). Howc\cr, its wartime defences werc closely linked wim those of Canada and many Canadian servicemen were posted there. In 1939 there were no Inilit:u)' forces or rescn'cs in Newfoundland, which did not h;wc the resources to raise its own. An arrangement was made wiLh Brit.'lin whereby Newfoundlanders who joined could ser·;e in lhe same British units. In 1940 the 59th (\\;wfoundland) J-1Cl.lVy Regiment, Royal Artillclf', and the 166tll (Newfoundland) Field Regimellt, RA, were raised; the 59th sen"cd in North Africa and Ilal}' with the Rlh Army, the 166lh in NW Europe during 1944-45. The Coast Artillery Hanc!1' established at Bell Island, Nc\\foundland, was the tmining depot lor thc two regiments. Some 3,232 men joined the Ne\\-ioundland hranch of the RNVR formed [rom latc Sepl,ember 1939. Newfoundlanders also joined the RAF in 1940, resulting in the formation of No.125 (Nev.foundland) Squadron. All these Ne\\fotUldland volullIeers wore the unifonns of the Hritish forces in which Ihey sen·ed. Locally, the c\\foundland ~'Iilitia \\.lS raised in 1939 for active home defence sen;ce; renamed the Nev.foundland Regiment in March 1943, it \\~.tS disb.'ill(k"d in 1945. The Nev.folludlaJld Auxiliary Militia or 'I-Iomc Guard' was organised for part-time ser',ice, renamed the Newfoundland Militia in March 1943. The officers of the Ne\\follndland Militia, and later Regiment, had bUlIons with a crowned moose head and 'Newfoundland' in a scroll below. Some 2,100 Ne\\foundlanders went to Scotland wilh the Newfoundland Overseas Foreslry Unit, a civilian works group. Once over there they formed the 3rd Inverness (Newfoundland) Baltalion of the British Ilome Guard in 194.2.

40

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY Order books and files in the archives of the Din.-ctorate of History and Heritage, Deparunem of National Defence (DND), Onawa, were consulted, as were photogr.a.phs at the Canadian Forces Negative Library and ;u the National Archives of Canada, OtUIW,,". There is a vaSI choice of published onicial histories. memoirs and hisl.Orical studies on the Canadian experience of World War II. but relal ivcly few regarding material cullUre. The lilIes below are some of those used lor this book and uselill for further details. Army Historical Section, Th~ !Vgim~nlJ and Corps ofThL Canadian Arm)'. (Ot,m....'a: DND. 1964) Bernier, Serge. Cal/adian Military !·!mlage l'ol. 3: 1872-2000. (~lomreal: Art Clolxll, 2000) Brnyley, Martin, iII.Ramiro Blyeiro, AlAA 357, U'orld Hur /I Allittl lI'tmum j Sen';r~ (Oxford: Osprey, 200 I) Brayley, to.hnin. ill.Mike Chappell, MAA 354, The Un·lish AnllY 1939-4' (1) NW ElIroJ}f., (Oxford: Osprey, 2001) Chappell. Mike. AlAA 108 (RI'vim/), Bri/ish Infanl')' E'lllijJmeuls 1908-2000. (Oxford: Osprey, 2000) Chappell, Mike, The British Solt/ia ill Ihe 20th Cnllury, Nos. 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, (Hatherleigh. UK: Wessex Military I)ublishing, 1988-89 - essential regarding aspects of Canadian as well as British Arm)' uniforms and equipment.) Chappell Mike, MAA /64, The CanOlliOlI Ann)' al \\'ar, (London. Osprey, 1985) Christie, Carl A.. DeaHl Bridge: The History of /{{F Ffm)' Coml/wm/. (UniversiryofToronto. 1995) Cormack, Andrew. ill.Ron Volstad, MAA 225. /{o)"a/ Air Force 1939-1945, (London: Osprey. 1990 - essential study for RCAF uniforms.) Davis. Brian L., Brilish A nil)' Uuifonn.s & II/signia of World War Two, (London: Anus & Armour, 1983 - superlative study for man)' ;ISpects of Canadian Anny unifonns and insig·nia also.) Dorosh, Michael. Canlluck: Dothinl and EquifrPillg Ih~ Canadiarl Soldia 1939-1945, (Mi5soula, Montana: Pictorial Histories, 1995) Douglas, W.A.B., Grcenhous. BrereLon. eL ai, Official History oj the Ro)·ai CanaliitUl Air Force, Vols. 2 and 3. (Olta\\~d: DND, 1987-2000) Crowel, .lean.. '\'es. V Quebec el ia j,"l.U/'1"f:. (Montreal: Septentrion, 1974)

GreenhOllS, Brereton, & Halliday. Hugh. ClHllidll S Air Forus J9J9-/999, (Montreal: Art GlobaL I99'J) Jenson. Latham B., Tin Hat.5, Oilskins and ,aboots, (Toronto: Robin Bm.s.s Studio, 2000 - especially good lor ReN ullironns.) Jewdl, Brian, ill.Mila: Chappell, iHAA 1/2, British BallfetireJS /937-6/, (London: Osprey, 1981 excellent details on construction of un.) Law, Clive :\1., Disfi"IJ',;shilig Patches: fQrmation Patches oJthe ul,wdian Anny, (Nepean, Ontario: Service Publications, 1997 - superbly documented and illusu
THE PLATES A1: Private, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; 1st Canadian Division, UK, December

1939 The men 01 the 151 DiviSion senllo Brilaln had the new British 37 pattern Battledress and Field servICe caps made in Canada. but lacked the web ankIelS. The accoutrements were much older. the Regulars had, In theory. the WE 25 set. but some seem 10 have recetved the WE 08 set Wke the

voIlSlteer regiments. All had the old Mk I steel helmet. The 'Pnncess Pals' served In the 2nd Inf Bde wrth the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada and Ihe (Loyal) Edmonton Regiment. Only the cap badge identifies the unrt al thIS date, and no 'CANADA' shoulder title IS yet worn.

A2: Private, Velerans' Guard of Canada; winter dress, 1940-45 The uniforms of the veterans were the same as the Regulars: khaki SO with FS caps in sumrTlef. with the addrtion of this khaki greatcoat and cold weather cap in winter; WE 08 or WE 37 accoutrements: and, often, the old .303in. Canadian Ross rifle in place of the Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE). From February 1941 red badges with 'Veterans Guard' in yellow were issued lor wear on the shouldef straps 01 SO and greatcoats, Early in the war some older pre-war kit was used. Photos taken in Canada during 1941 show the pre-1939 light khaki tropICal service uniform with live brass buttons, the Amencan tropical helmet and WE 08 aCCOUlrements. The flQure shown has 4 x 1Ckound canndge earners rather than the uolversal pouch. The supply situatlOO soon improvecl- by 1945 No. 22 Company even had a pipe band, weanng light khaki summer doublet. shirt and he, darX kilt (probably Slack Watch sett). black sporran WIth two white t8l15, Glengarry with a ~In band. and whrte galters WIth daf1( hose tops. (F.H. Wooding, 'The Veterans' Guard of canada'. The LegKXJaty, January 1941 & February 1947; photos III private coIlecllon)

A3: Despatch rider, Royal Canadian Dragoons (1St Armoured Car Regiment); Italy, 1943 canadian Army motorcycle despatch nders wore, like thell BritiSh counterpartS. a rubberised coat (the short pattern IS shown here), breeches and high three-bockle boots, and were armed With WE 37 revolver eqUipment. MotOlt:yClists had a nmless steel helmet Similar to the 6ntJsh 8ImOUred troops' pattern but WIth Its own liner and strapptng; Trooper Everett Waller P8ISIey, on whom this figu-e is based, I8C3Ded getting the tnt model helmet in 1943. The RCDs provided the armoured car recomaJSSanCe rBQImentlor I CanadIan Corps; despatch riders had a high casualty rate. and P8Isley was bOOly wounded at Ortona;..st be'ore Chnstmas 1943. He wen' on to serve in the South Alberta Regt, the recce uort 01 4th Armel Drv, in NW Europe, and later volunteered lor the Paalic Bl: Private, Royal Rifles of Canada or Winnipeg Grenadiers; Hong Kong, December 1941 No visible insignia distingUished the battle order 01 the two regiments which took part in the doomed detence of Hong Kong; both wore Canadian khaki drill tropical unifOll11. The Canadian shorts had no field dressing pocket and were cut closer than the British Army paltern. Armament and accoutrements are the conventional SMLE rifle With bayonet and WE 37 equipment. RespiratOfS were worn slung under the left arm. B2: Private, Regiment de Hull, 13th Infantry Brigade; Kiska. Aleutians, 1943 The 13th Inf Bde wore Canadian Bo. lhe leather buckle-Rap boots also later worn by the 3rd lof Div in NW Europe. carried the light 5eMCe resp!rator, and were armed wrth the LeeEnfM3k:l No.4 nfle. Just about everything else was American, whtch made goocIloglSlical sense for a brigade attached to a latge US loree. and mlrumised the nsk 01 being taken lor enemy troops. The eqUlpfTlent set was based on the US 1923 cartridge belt; the men had American framed rucksacks. ArctIC sleepIng bags. and overcoat/parkas A surviving parka-style coat made by Reed Products 01 Philadelphia in September 1942. worn by Pte. Ludger saint-Laurent of the RegIment de Hull on Kiska in 1943, is of a light Ian colour. reversible With a pile liner; It has a drawstring hood, a tightening tape in a waist 'tunrtel', bulloned cuff tabs. a deep front fly. and two patch skirt pockets with flaps. The US M 1 helmet was dressed with the Canadian camoullage net in two hues of khaki. Canadian officers of the brigade wore US rank badges on their berets, ieft of the regimental badge. and on the lelt collar of their blouse, as well as their Canadian rank badges on the shoulder straps. Note the yellow-on-blue title 'LE REGT DE HULUCANADA' above the Bowie knife patch of the Klska force. B3: Sergeant, Calgary Regiment (14th Armoured Regiment), 1st Army Tank Brigade; Dieppe, 19 August 1942 The men of this Churchill tank regiment taking part In the disastrous Dieppe laid wore BD and WE 37 accoutrements. A

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Ught ~kl denIm Canadian BO blouse, ttl .. eumple made in April 18040. Thl. MII'llmer woenion of httlltd ...... cut like the woollen blou... ""........ed only In C~ .od not _ ... (Ed Storey Collection)

Hl{lh~ndet'$ of Canada, In $ielly on 1 1 Auogu$t 1943. This ...e.l.... t illUStration of • 1.t InlOW soldier wearing Canadian KD tnlfloIcal bush 1IhH1 and aI.ells w. . widely distributed In the Pf'"S, but CoocMtn superiors _ _ -.no)'ed that he Mel been photographed unshrtoen•••

Sgl. H.E.COoper, 48th

r

Note the regimental 1IhouJd.e.r title, the r&d

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pat.... and the -ve.m" r;oM ~ elt ..ther rougt>ly sewn to the upper a l _ ; and the large ktollkl plastic: ..-movable buttons.. (National An:hiYes of Canada, PA1302t51 divl~

number 01 tanks were disembarll:ed. but their traction was hampered by the slippery shingle beach and they were all knocked out, mostly close to the waterline. Our figure is based on a tank crew sergeant soon there. desperately fightmg with revolver in hand. His open blouse reveals a surpri~ngly modem touch - a sweatshirt With the regimental badge printed on; a German photo 01 a pnsoner 01 the FusillefS Moot-Royal shows that at least one other lJIllt followed suit. The regimental badge is worn more conventionally pinned to hts black armoured trooPS' beret. The while tank ngtlt sleeve badge 01 the Bnilsh Royal Tank Regt IS VISible in some photos 01 the Calgaries - It IS not worn here. but note the regimental 18ft shouldef lanyard. Their non-regulation UKmade shoulder title, with 'CANADAI1liE CAlGARY REGIMENT' in darll: blue on lighter blue, seems to t1ave been the only regimental tllle worn by units at OIeppe. At this date the 2nd 11'11 Div wore the whlte-onkhaki 'CANADA' title {of both straight and arc pallerns}. above their royal blue rectangular divisional patch with an added Wood War I scheme 01 'bailie badges'. The 4th, 5th and 6th Inf BOes were identified by ,he colours green, red and dark blue respecllVeIy. The senior battalions had a coloured disc above 'he bkJe patch (Royal RegtrneOt 01 Canada! Black Watch! FusdlElfS Moot-Roya~; the tntenoodiate battalions. a haIf--disc butted down against 11 (Royal Hamilton Uf Regt de Maisornwve (absenty Gameroo HIghIandefs); and the jul'llor ballalions, a shallow triangle (Essex SCottish! calgary HlQhlandersl

South Saskatchewan Regt). C1: Private, Royal 22e Regiment, 1st Inlantry Division; Sicily, July 1943 thiS figure shows the typical dress - khaki drill shirt tucked IfIto shorts, short puttees and hose tops - worn by the 1 stlnf Ow in Sicily and southern Italy in the summer 01 1943. This bmous French-Canadian Regular regiment (always known as the 'Van-doos', after the phonetic pronunciation of the French '22', vingt-deux) wore a large shouldef arc in blue oYef yellow OVef red with the lull regimental title in blaclo; on lI1e yellow stripe. The whlte-on-khaki 'CANADA' IIUe was ..,-.etlmes worn between this and the red dlVlslOf'lal patch. The WE 37 accoutrements and No.4 nfle were standard _ . (LLamontagne, HtStOlre du Royal 228 Regiment, Quebec.

1964)

C2: 2nd Lieutenant, Ontario Regiment (11th .....moured Regiment), 1st Armoured Brigade; aly, summer 1944 the old 1st Army Tank Bele was redesignated 1st Armd Bele August 1943, but its component units were unchanged -

the 11th (Ontario). 12th (Three RIVers) and 14th (Calgary) Armoured Regiments, all now equipped with Sherman tanks. The brigade fought in the biller battle for Ortona at Christmas 1943, and the folk>wing year with XIII (British} Corps of US 5th Army in the advance on Florence This troop commandef wears hiS single bufl-on·cavalry-yeIlow rank 'pip' on his shoulder strap slides, and the brigade's dIamond-shaped black and red patch on the shoulders 01 tus Canadian-made KD bush }acket, below a combined natJonaVregJlnental title. The British Royal Armoured Cotps steel helmet IS worn with Ml938 'Reststol' goggles. EQUIpment is limited '0 the WE 37 belt with Ml942 (short strap) RAG holster lor a .J8jn revolver. C3: Sergeant, Loyal Edmonton Regiment, 1st Infantry Division; Italy, winter 1943-44 As the Canadians moved up into the wretchedly cold and wet Appel'llne Mountains in November 1943. SD and greatcoats were routinely worn but specialised winter clothing was slow

43

02: Lance-Corporal, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 1st Provost Company; Italy, 1943-45 Members of Canada's famous police force were organised into provost detachments serving with Army divisions in Europe. They wore Army BD with red-on-blue 'AOYAUCANADIAN MOUNTEDIPOLICE' shoulder tilles, and the RCMP cap badge on the FS cap and later the beret, sometimes on a red backing. On duty their WE 37 pistol equipment was whitened. Normal Army rank badges and formation signs were worn on the sleeves.

Lt.Col. 8.M.Hoffmelster, seaforth Highlanders of Canada, 1st Inf Dlv, Italy 1943. He weal"$ the khaki wool Balmoral tam-o'shanter bonnet with the regimental cap badQe on a backing of Mackenzie tartan, and the KD bush shirt with his whlte-on-black regimental/national title above the red divisional patch. One of the Army's brightest officel"$, Hoffmeister quickly rose to command 5th Annd Div in 1944, and was reorganising the 6th Inf Div when VJ-Oay came In 1945. He then left the Army, went into business, and became president of MacMlIlan-Bloedell, one of Canada's largest companies.IT.Rowe, National Archives of Canada, PA132779)

03: Private, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion; NW Europe, 1944-45 The Canadian paratroopers who jumped in Normandy and later on the Rhine were dressed and equipped exactly like their British comrades of 6th Airborne Division. This soldier has the third pattern jump helmet, camouflage netting lace veil, second pattern Denison smock, and parachutist's SD trousers with an extra rear pocket, knife pocket in the seam. and enlarged 'bellows' left thigh pocket lined with thin leather. The WE 37 accoutrements include a 'bandolier' of seven Sten magazine pouches; he also carries a six-foot toggle rope for obstacle climbing. Only the Canadian parachute wings identify his nationality; out of the line he would also display the unit's distinctive badge on his maroon beret. The gold-yellow band on the shoulder straps also identified the unit within 3rd Abn Bde of 6th Airborne Division.

to arrive. (Army blankets were turned into 'short coats, fetchingly tailored by Castropignano civilian artisans', according to Farley Mowat of the Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment.) The field dressing is tucked under the netting of the Mk II helmet; like most British and Commonwealth infant')' junior leaders on the Italian front this sergeant is armed with a Thompson sub-machine gun, here the M1A1 model. Later examples of the 'CANADA' title were seen in buff rather than white lettering.

01: Private, First Special Service Force; Anzio, Italy, 1944

44

This mixed Us/Canadian commando-type unit was originally intended for an operation in occupied Norway. Raised in 1942 and trained in parachute and alpine warfare, il took part in the Kiska expedition in 1943. but proved its real worth as an outstanding infantry regiment in Italy. By the Anzio landings it was completely equipped with US uniforms. accoutrements, weapons and kit. Our figure has the US M1 helmet, a reversible first-pattern parka. mountain trousers, paratrooper boots and a 'Yukon' pack. His weapon is the M1941 Johnson LMG. used in Europe only by the FSSF. (Burhans, Robert D., The First Special Service Force. Washington: Infantry Journal. 1947)

lICpl. P.Chimilar, a motorcyclist of the Canadian Provost CO'llS, putting up a warning road sign near Haumesnll, France, on 14 August 1944. Although near the front the MPs' distinctive white webbing, gauntlets and lanyard are stili worn; and the plain blue horizontal diamond patch of I Canadian Corps troops Is just visible on his upper sleeve. Military policemen wore a red-on-black 'MP' brassard on the right sleeve. Cf Plates A3 and 02. (Ken Bell, National Arohives of Canada, PA131261)

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E1: Captain, South Alberta Regiment (29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment), 4th Armoured Division; NW Europe, 1944-45 canadian armoured urwts were ISSU8d with the British 1943 tank oversuit or 'plKie suit'. Made of heavy cotton labnc of a light khaki colour lined with khaki wool shirting material, WIth two neck-to-ankle Zippers. it had no less than 13 pockets.

'They had a heck of a lot of pockels... bot they were too heavy', and thus too warm for tank crews in the summer 01 1944, so that 'nol everybody had them [on]', recalled Capt. Sarford of the South Alberta Regiment. However, 'the lank

commander generally had one [onJ because he sal in the turrel with the draft down the back 01 his neck', captain Jack

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Summers, of the same regiment, liked the SUit in cool weather. as, it seems, did most canadian tank crews. (Graves, Donald E., South Albertas: A GanadlM RegIment at War, Toronto: Room Brass StudIO, 1998; and Interview data lundly prOVIded by Mr Graves).

Battledre" blouse of a corporal, Royal Canadian Corps of Slognats, 1945, The buff-on-khakl 'CANADA' tiUe appean lIbooIe the red bar which aometimes indicated a dtrision's second brigade, and the red rectang...lar p.atch 01 ht Infantry Dlvl.lon. Corp. we.. allowed to apply their title. to the dlvl.lonal .Ign, In thl. c ••e In White letten on ciat1l bllHl. For detail. of the complelt ....bject 01 CilOiOdian sleeve InalgnUI nted........ rec-ended to consult Law, Clive, Dlstl"fPJi$hi"fl Patche._ see 5eteet BibUogr~phy. (Ed Storey Collectionl

E2: Private, Regiment de Maisonneuve, 2nd Infantry Division; NW Europe, winter 1944-45 This regiment arrived in Normandy on 6 July 1944 wearing standard BO and equipment: as the wet autumn wore on some cold weather rtems were added. The sleeveless leather ~In was popular WIth everyone and, in winter, some soldiers modified them by adding sleeves cut from greatcoats. Ths Bran glXl No.1 - an infantry section light machine QlRl8l'" wears the Mk II helmet, BO,,enun, krli1 gloves, WE 37 accoutrements, and the parts wallet lor his Breo; a GS shovel is thrust under hIS webblng. Above the dark blue divisional patch IS the reglmentaltJ!le, in this case of lruocated oval shape. As in all units, a lot of changes were soon made ooce In the field. especially to offiCers' gear and armament The Slen guns were immediately found 'more dangerous to ourselves than to the Germans', and most officers laid them aside aloo9 wrth the bulky ammunitkxl pouches. Instead they pICked up ,303ln, rifles and disposable SO·round cotton bandoliers; Maj. (later Col.) Jacques Ostlguy recalled that SO rounds was 'usually enough'. He wore hiS web walStbe/l and hung grenades on rt: his revoIYer was worn at the back, but he never used i1- only the .303 'firing from the hip', which he I\ad practised in England. On several occasions Germans

armed with pistols shot at him, but always missed, while his rifle brought 'much better' results. He did not use the helmet much, finding it too heavy and awkward to wear. Instead he wore the berel, Without the badge, or a woollen 'cap comforter'. On his shoulder straps Maj. Ostiguy wore his lather's pips rather than 'the ones lined wrth red'. Later, when it got colder in HoIland, Maj. Ostiguy preferred puttees to web anklets, lor their warmth. (Reco/lections of Col. OstJguy: Marchand, Gerard, La Regiment de MaisonneuwJ V8l'S Ia vlCtoIre 1944-45, Montrilal: Presses Ubres, 1980)

E3: Private, Highland Light Infantry of Canada, 3rd Infantry Division; Normandy, June 1944 The Canadian infantry who secured Juno Beach on 6 June were basicaily dressed and equipped as this figure from the 9th Infantry Brigade. Ali had the new British Mk III helmet with net, BO, the buckle-flap boots soon nicknamed 'invasion' or '3rd Drv' boots, and WE 37 accoutrements. The unit/national shoulder title is in yellow on a yellow-rimmed green backing; below it IS the divis.ional patch, offic:18IIy described as 'French grey' but found in several shades of light blue and blue-grey. Our man is well armed wrth a Stan gun Mk III and a PlAT British 'MRC' body armour WillS worn by some men of the 2nd and 3rd Inf Div. In 1944. This item oligln;ded from a Medical Re.ellrc:h Co...ncll recommendation of 1940, btrt altho...gh I.....ed In q ... antlty for training It laW very little British use In action, However, some Royal Canadian Engineers wi1h 3rd Inl DIll WOnt It In Normanctr. and the biggest users appear to have been Infantrymen of 2nd Inl Div - soldiers of the Black Watc:tl of CeniJda, South Sioskatc:'-an Reg!, FllSiilers MonlRoyal end R6g1 6e Maisonneuve (see Plate E2l ant k.-n to have it.. The bad! plate Is at left, the two front plates at right, the lower _ always low In order - recalled II Canadian Highlander - 10 protecl 'the famlty ~'; the .1_1 plales were covered with tan fabrie, The armour was only meant to give protection lIgainst low ....Ioclty proje<:tIles and fragments; in the Mai.onne...ves, Mal, Ostlg...y found that It did not .top rifle b...lIets. It was heavy and awkward and, alter some of the men wearing It _ .. killed anyway, It was abandoned as of doubtful value, (Ed Storey Collection)

45

(Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank). Note that the 'universal pouches' of the 37 set could not be fastenecl when carrying Sten magazines. (SChipper, Paul, 'The 3rd Canadian Division on D-Day', MII/tana MagazJne, July 1995) Fl: Pilot Officer fighter pilot, RCAF; England, 1940-41 The pilot's 5elVICe dress was SImilar to that worn by the RAF although increasingly made In canada The 'CANADA' shouk:ler "tie was worn only by RCAF perSOfYlel sefViog outSIde Canada. Our Pilot wears the Bntlsh 1939 pattern boots, 1933 gauntlet gloves, 1932 'Mae West' ~Ie jacket, and the Type B helmet with Mk III goggles Note the single narrow cuff rank nngs in light on dart!: blue. F2: Air gunner, bomber crew, RCAF; England, 1942-44 The bombercrews of NO.6 Group were Issued the same heavy 'Irvin' sheepskin flying Jacket and trousers as th~r RAF comrades. Our gunnef wears 1941 pattElfn boots, gauntlet gloves. life jacket, helmet with Mk VII goggles and the 'Observer's' pattern parachute rig, all typical itams for mid-war bomber crews. F3: Flight Lieutenant fi9hter pilot, RCAF; NW Europe, late 1944 FolloWing the stationing of fighter squadrons in France soon after the Normandy landings. it was feared that the blue-grey BD worn by RCAF personnel could be mistaken for German unllorm, especially when dirty from use on front-line 81rstnps. From september, khaki BD was ordered worn instead when

serving in NW Europe. The rank badges and other insignia were unchanged. This was not always greeted With joy, and some conhnued to wear the old b1ue-grey uniform; in November 1944, recalcitrant airmen of 83 Group were specifically ordElfed to get into the khaki Baltledress. Our figure is a Typhoon pilot. weanng his service cap and 1943 pattem 'escape boots' wah the khaki Battledress. Gl: Lieutenant, Royal Canadian Navy, 1941-45 From about 1941, many officer's on the smaller ships such as corvettes took to wearing as 'M:lOOng urnform the Amr'/ issue BD blouse dyed daf1o;; blue, or copies privately tallored from dar1I; blue serge; rank was Indicated on sI'Ic:Uder boards BeSIdes rts advantages as a practical working dress, most officers were new to the service and often did not have the h.t SEWVICe wardrobe of the Regular officers. Many veteran officers also liked BD, as it saved wear and tear on their more e)(pensive S8lVlCe uniforms. In March 1942 the authorities acknowledged the fashion and offICerS were officially allowed to purchase at their own e)(pense 'Blue Battledress serge uniforms consisting of blouse and trousers (Army PattElfn)' for wear 'only while at sea'. Batlledress was worn over the white turtleneck swealer when on watch In bad weathElf, and 01"1 more formal occasions With the white shirt and black tie. The officers' rank insignia were often painted on the Iront of the steel helmet worn when al 'action stations'. The rubber Inebell was cOvElfed in white or khaki cotton. and fitted wah a small inflation tube; it was worn around the waist OVElf the uniform and secured With a neck tape. or earned in a small roll. G2: Seaman, Royal Canadian Navy, Arctic convoys, 1941-45 Severe weather concIitions were common in the North AtlantIC. where most Canadian sailor.l served in small, wei wa-ships. Foul weather gear included bulky darX blue-green oilskin J'8Jncoats wrth sou'wester hats and sea boots. The popular buff-coloured 'duffel' coat (named after the town of Duffel In BelgIUm, where thIS cloth was Ortglnally made) had a deep hood and fastened up the front with wooden toggles through cord loops; it was warm and comfortable In cold wealher when worn with a scarf or Iowel althe neck, mltlens and sea boots. Crews who sailed north of the Arctic Circle esconing convoys to Murmansll:. Russia. faced the harshest conditions of all. They were ISSUed this special winter clothmg consisting of an outer part!:a and trousers of khaki waterproof Greenfell cloth, the parka hood being trimmed with wolf fur. A grey 'fearnaught' cloth parka was worn under the outer shell. Grey 'fearnaught' mittens with a trigger finger, arid special wintElf boots. were also provided. G3: Signals rating, Royal Canadian Navy, working dress, 1943-45 BeSides the ratings' uniform jumpers and bell-bottom trousers. sailors spent much of their time weanng a practical During 0gention 'Varsity', the Rhine cron5ntJs In late March 1MS, Cpl. Frederick G.TQPMm, a medig,1 onSerly wfth 1st Pantehute Bn, - . the VlC1on. Croft tOt" rescuing _nct.d ....a.r fiN. Note the sJlYer eap ~ of the unit; c.~ian p.arac:rnrt.illt's 'wings' wom abov. the left pocket; and the battalion's gold kIerIutylng IoofI around his shoulder strap. See also Plate 03. (Private collection) C-.d~

• d

,-" •

"

,

• "..

" • ,,

,"

,• ,•

, ,

,

Royal Canadian Navy offieer's ..-p, e194G-11M5; and BD blouse of an RCH officer, c I M5-46 - note that all bu«_ are eoneealed. Thi. blouse shows ltevtenant-eommanden told ranking on the ahoul6e, boards, and on the bf'Wia.t the Fleet Air Arm wings. The gold, arc-shaped national ahoulder tlue appears to ........ ~ adOed when • distinct C.f\ltdi;lln naval ai' ann formed at the end af the ....... Cl Plate 01. (Ross M....WilltOn Colle<:tion)

w"

t

on-board working dress conSIsting of a blue Jean jacket shirt and trousers. Only the rank and specialty badges were worn on this working dress, not the national title nor good conduct badges. The cap, rubber boots and a life jacket were olten worn with this dress when on watch. At the beginning of the war the life jackets were large cork affairs cove«!d with canvas, which were stowed in lockefS and ISSUed only in emergency. From about 1940 the less bulky Intlatable life belt

appeared. and was routillely worn or earned al all times when at sea - see G 1. That very basiC pattern was replaced !rom about 1943-44 by this 3lrcrew-style vest WIth a collar to hoklthe head of an If(l(;()(lSQous man up In the water. II was covered rn dark blue labnc, wah 'RCN' Ifllarge while letters and a smaller senal number stamped below AI 'actron stalrons' most personnel wore the life I3Cket over the clothrng, wrth a whrte lire-retardant flash hood. long matchrng gloves. and the khaki·painled Mk II steel helmet. H1: Volunteer, Canadian Women's Army Corps; UK, 1942-45 Initially. in September 1941. the first volunteers continued weanng their volunteer groups' unifDm"lS btlt wrth a cherryred brassard bearing 'CWAC' in small whrte lellefS. (The 'cherry-red' shade is sometimes also descrrbed as 'beechnut-brown' - a dark reddish brown hue.) From 9 November the first unilOlms started arriving individually addressed to each woman. Sefgeant Ada Wilson Oater Arney) recalled that the 'urwfOlm. softly taik::x"ed In khaIu. was an rmrnediate hit WIIh just about everyone. The officl8l insignta was Atheoe, the Q"eek goddess of wisdom and protectress 01 crtres and heroes 01 war. The uniform consisted of a khakr tunrc and skirt, the tunic haVIng an open collar. two patch skIrt pockets but only 0I1Il left breast pocket, lour buttons rn front and the CWAC's distrnctrve red-brown shoulder straps: a light tan blouse with black tie. and a khaki cap (including the cloth visor). The brass cap badge was diamond-shaped

with three maple leaves and the title of the corps: the brass collar badges and buttons had the helmeted head of Athene wrth 'CWAC.' below; brass 'CW.A.C.' titles were worn on the shoulder straps, and a white 'CANADA' trtle on a red-brown stnp on the arms when serving outsrde canada, later above a buff or- yellow maple lear and rim on a black disc. The summer unrform was SImilar but made of lightwetght tan matena!. There WElfll also tan raincoats. khaki double-breasted Wlflter overcoats, brown laced shoes, wOOl: bkluses. khaki trousers and laced work boots lor some trades. (Arney. Ada, Here Come the Kha/(i Shirts: the Womefl Vblunteers. Cobali. Ontano; Hrghway Books, 1988) H2: Ratin9, Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service, summer uniform, 1942-45 The servrce uniform of the WRCNS was similar to that of the Britrsh WRNS 'with the e_ception of the officer's sKirts, which are gored rather than plealed'. However, the Canadian naval sefVicewom6f1 had a distinct summer unifQllll, MOwn here. It was light blue with gilt bullons for officers and black ootlons lor other ranks, On thrs unrform officers' rank was mari
47

INDEX

-_ _
"",-._-..",.

11pt..... _ '....... - . . . ,

.

...... "."""'.

n.~ 1,~..,

-----=...., D,:K"'.

f
_~.

_f.......:--~

_ I '.... ~\AIl'>:Il) M.Yi

_U

'.:D

. ""-"

1'_ _ 0(, I'Hf ... ' . "

•. 6

_....

•__ -1"-"'" .._. I.'''' ' ..

I~(_N-t

1.,

1.' _ _ AI

~

"" 1 -.., i. 10, 19 1lJ.

cz. £I, .. 10,2U. n ....... f.\

..II"""'.'r".~' ',0, 14, "It.:IO, } 11(,,"lod, Sr,"'. 11";,, "I,' 1~

~1-2'l,".". ~

10

~"'

'"

-r..

<' ...

~

.

_

',_._;._~

_.

',"'-1.:).fi.7.»

~

(';::-4-'_1.•_

,',-'" . . -..-_--!:>.. 0 ; - - - . ..._ . . . . . . . , .

"-_

_ _ _ 0'

.

..

,...... _6.Jl"-.lI!o

J_ .. 6

_

......

,.-..-..

.. -

-"

_

ESSENTIAL HISTOR'ES

W<1fl,C1, il"""Ulg hOo:h "'>lum< .. uti .... 00<' .....;.:.- ...'M .... In:n. "f ....,. I',,"',d,ng In indi"...... bk: k'J,d. 10 lhe fighling i.".lf, ,he 1""1'1< in",I,..
..

.._IM. ... _

_.r.-• •

_

_

' ' ' ' _ II·'t

c,_ :Il"d~ of ,he n""'i ..... ",."J"..J. Ind ",!",,,,,,•••n... of "um...

+I

....1(. . . . . . . _ _ ' ......; t . ~

m.,..,"""." .."

~GJ

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~n.n

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d, -1&<7.'7.

....--11)

(_It~.

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....... "1."" ... u...

,.., ... u.e

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f, m.lt, P.:!......... "'-, '", ""

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l _ _ d . _ •• '"

D!. .....

H' "''-l.•. _ n _Q,

2.·r;. • t,

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1 ".':'I,H·U.18,1I.:zz. 1%. _

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II

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,...01<0,... ""7 A f.. t. 7. It•• , •• I...,,," J""''' U l~"W'"" AI. I~'~, .8, tl.

't

I--..., .......... '~.. J"" '_Ilw'll!

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t.,,,

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.I"I...""''''"....,..."... ,,''''''''''~.,( '2

...... :'I,'1.:zz."

T..,-. C<.-ponI'.....""'" ......'
"'..... "'p"UOO'" ' ....' ft •• ,~, Z:'I,
'"

cz. ~'- 9. ".1:>1, U

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II

......... M.ojo.- , ...,,...'" R,'·'.

,ro I.w" ...,."......·.,••,.. ,,,

,"""

_

_ _.. d.'_6.7«.1'

......' .",-"",".,...Iunn .. " 7.'1, 11.1"

I·'~

~h""" 910,:r~

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&.HI,3Wl' J1 .........., • .,... IQ,.'_1.1Jl.tO. .. 11

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...........1""' ""'" .,.'.... ............', """"" .z..l J.... nr:o.to

.a.-,.- ......... "11.9

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...... -~"'"""I_-»'''''''''' ...._ _ ..._I,J&.36. ..

1~""'.1,"7."'''

ilod,,--,''''''-o '>6.'.19 w .......... ,...__ '.l.lJI

...

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. . - "'Dl.1. '" 11 ,..... 2Z..z. .. 1_'-.-.-lUf ., _ _ ICI.I'-11"'.r.

'-',at!

",'.1. , •.

n .. n

-~_-..~

..........a".., ....,

1._''''_ cl.o. ... n.'.·.....

I ''k<,..'''''' ...). II I...",,''''' "'P'

_ ...... fi. ... n ..... _._IO,JIl.f1

,.........--_--..,...,..)

lIo_~fi

.. " "n••• ,,1 '

_u

.~:J7

_3

.....I _ . . . - T , _ " - iLD,N.""

.... I

11,_"'-"2.

r

Il.-Ip-. ..... I9
.-..to , .... _

n~

.......-.. ........... t' .... )_nt3-~... 1'I

....... n.IM> ...... Ilo-..I _ _ '"

_,J< D.:De'

_1(......... ....... . . - _ _.... (\0""''1 to ..-.._.~I". ~.'1.... ~ n

...

....-........ll.op Gno.<01 .,.....

NEW VANGUARD

n.. d<:!.Ign. Ik>.. ~ .........,. """..'ion

.nd histOf') tJf 'Il<: machint'), of ..... n..., ,h'''urh 'hr 0l!"". l'IlOI"llr.pII<, full-
WARRIOR CAMPAIGN In.ig"'" i"'" ,h. d.i1y ~.·cs of hish")" fi~h,ing n"n .nd ",',,,,,en, .,,,, An·....'"', of hil."w)·'. .""l1i<,". do.. i1inll ,I... """,,,,.nd """cgX:>, ."d pm;f:n" d...il,ng 'hrir moo.i"alion. ,raining, """'1""")' ."d ,..."...,.. n""ern,,, ..... d ",rion,.,f 'h.r ,~,...... inr f(Wt."n 'llruullMtll the ","oe;,,1 "rIou' 'n'fI'O,l. of • ...,h ~paip>. l'ulk"Olour bal,1< 1« , J-dinl<'nSion.1 ·b"d·"""y. r""""IP"'phs. an.l
gn".''''''

,,,,ic>,

"'ge>

ORDER Of 8ATTU P""~ Iunla. i" h",OI)', kolU""lI wnll-b) ....." ...mNI""'" of 11.. t"""", and .h<-ir ............... ~ "'d1 as ..... )I-IS of II.. ~ ""1'.... ,""""i'e< ..... ornW """'" 11-. Colour ...."" 1nduJ'''lI a Wp foId-ou' bu. IIUfI, orpnKOCiorul ~ :and ~ Iot'p lht ......... ,.. ,rxe ,.... """""
'Tl>e

EUTE

,""

,... _ wb,t(t

48

r

,

cqDO"""" ""'" , lontorieI .. IN, ,rat of br-,n mdooding ~bCI ,tdonoq_
t..,.,-.\

,,,tndtd

AIRCMfT Of THE ACES Ponn+1$ of ,he .b,e piloo. '" ,he lOIh """...-y'......100' ';r

'""llIdi"J lin -.J fulkolour ..-.iUblo I

cam~

if"

n-i,·m,.oces. Unu hst"'p.. ~ pbn. ....,n rumbon< ..-ifh ,he btsI ....hi plt,. a ......1«1 """"", inlO ,he t.\ptntI'lCC
"',

COM8AT AIRCRAFT P""<"I .... Iiary ainrJi .nd ..........1} ..,.j , ~ .umIIO<'Il .. Ileuil. f--->do •• pJonrion t""" """ odotr dan. ........t, ..... pi-. .,.., ..-cIu,-.! .....<'P"pltj

n.. "Of"".

The uniforms, equipment. history and organisation of the world's military forces, past and present.

Canadian Forces in World War II Canada was the first country to send troops to Britain in 1939. During J939-45 hundreds of thousands of Canadians enlisted - more than 40 per cent of the male population between the ages of 18 and 45, and virtually all of them volunteers. Canadians fought with tragic

Uniforms and ....sigrlla

courage at Hong Kong and Dieppe; with growing strength and confidence in Sicily, Italy and Normandy; and finally provided an entire Anny for the Ilberalion of NW Europe. This concise account of an extraordinary national effort is supported by a complete list of infantry and armoured units, photos, and eight colour plates by Canada's most knowledgeable military

Unrivalled detail

OSPREY PUBLISHING www.ospreypub1ishing.com

Photographs

illustrator.