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Léo Major – A Quebec Military Hero
Military legend Léo Major is best known for single-handedly liberating the Dutch city of Zwolle. The multiple retellings of his story have portrayed him as a true hero.
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The Forgotten Veterans of a Well-Remembered War: Canadians in Vietnam
There is a cultural mystique around America’s war in Vietnam. For many, the whoop-whoop of Huey helicopters invokes the image of it hovering over a small jungle clearing that has become a landing zone (LZ). We can imagine khaki-clad soldiers leaping to the ground and dispersing…
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Canadian submarines during the First World War
Did you know that Canada acquired its first submarines during the First World War? When the war started, the Canadian navy was pretty small and mostly focused on the war in the Atlantic. This meant the whole west coast was vulnerable to enemy attacks! So, Canada…
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Matron Margaret Fraser and the tragedy of the Llandovery Castle
Matron Margaret Marjory Fraser, from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, was a nursing sister working aboard the Canadian hospital ship HMHS Llandovery Castle when it was torpedoed and sunk by the German U-Boat U-86 on June 27, 1918.
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The signing of Japan’s surrender
Did you know that Canada came close to ruining the signing of Japan’s surrender document? On September 2, 1945, representatives of the Japanese and American governments met to formalize Japan’s surrender and the end of the war. However, this historic event of great importance was almost…
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The Reality and Myths of Black Service in the Great War: No 2 Construction Battalion
Since their rediscovery, there has been a growing amount of misinformation about the service of the No. 2 Construction Battalion. These myths diminish the contributions of these men. We owe it to them to be truthful and frank about their significant war effort and sacrifices.
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Four Faces: Goddard, Giesebrecht, Blais and Mendes
In 2017, Veterans Affairs Canada produced a poster as part of its Canada Remembers series. That poster was of four of the 158 CAF members who had lost their lives during Canada’s operations in Afghanistan. What makes these four faces different was they were all women:…
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The Simpsons Department Store Roll of Honour
Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, Canadians from all walks of life left their jobs to volunteer for military service. After the war, the schools, workplaces and organizations to which these volunteers belonged erected memorials to remember their service and sacrifice. One such monument…
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Death by Unfriendly Fire: Corporal Ainsworth Dyer
On April 17, 2002, members of the 3rd Battalion, Prince Patricia’s Canada Light Infantry (3 PPCLI) were engaged in night operations at Tarnak Farms, a former Al-Qaeda training camp, just south of Kandahar City. The Patricia’s were undergoing ongoing training to increase their readiness for their…
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Robert Jupiter: A defender of Niagara
In Ontario, few places are as closely connected to the War of 1812 as the Niagara Region. Monuments and military sites from the period are popular tourist destinations in the region and highlight the stories of individuals like Isaac Brock and Laura Secord. However, not all…
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Bicycles and the Normandy landings
While almost everyone knows how to ride a bicycle, not everyone knows that these machines were also deployed during the infamous Normandy landings. In this short article, Julien Lehoux describes the Canadian Army’s wartime use of these two-wheeled machines.
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The Battle of Ortona
From December 20 to 28, 1943, the Canadian Army experienced its “little Stalingrad” in Ortona, Italy. Famous for its strategic impact, the Battle of Ortona remains one of the Canadian Army’s greatest victories of the war, albeit at terrible cost.
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Miriam Freedman – Travelling the Roads of War
Between 1939 and 1945, Miriam Freedman served with the British army and then the Canadian army. Her service exemplifies the incredible journey of many Canadian women away from the beaten path during the Second World War. Find out more in the post below!
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‘So it looks as if there must be some mistake’…Flying Officer Carl H. Howald
On February 4th, 1945, engine 3 of PA219, a Lancaster of the 433 Squadron (Porcupine) began its start up. The right-hand inboard Rolls-Royce V12 Merlin coughed to life, followed in succession by engines 4, 2 and finally 1. With all four propellors spinning, the Avro bomber…
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Two Brothers, Part II: Elvin ‘Byng’ Tozer
On June 6th,1944, Operation Overlord, the largest sea-borne invasion in human history took place on the beaches of Normandy. The operation to open the western front of Europe took the form of an assault on the Nazis’ Atlantic Wall at five beaches: Gold, Juno, Sword, Omaha…
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Two Brothers, Part I: Lorne Tozer
On June 6th,1944, Operation Overlord, the largest sea-borne invasion in human history took place on the beaches of Normandy. The operation to open the western front of Europe took the form of an assault on the Nazis’ Atlantic Wall at five beaches: Gold, Juno, Sword, Omaha…
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Too young, far too young: Canada and Child Soldiers
Throughout history young men and women have stepped forward to answer their country’s call. In an unfortunate number of conflicts both past and present, very young children have been used as foot soldiers. For Canada, however, in both world wars, there were clear rules about who…
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The Tragedy in Triumph: John GW Gibson
On April 9, 1917, a battle began that would become part of Canada’s national narrative. On that day all four divisions of Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) began their assault on the heavily fortified Vimy Ridge. The units had been preparing for months. The artillery was carefully…
