Canada in World War II

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: World War II Canada

---

---

Canada in World War II

The Second World War began on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. Britain and France declared war on the Third Reich, on 3 September 1939. On September 10, 1939, Canada also declared war on Germany, it was Canada's first independent declaration of war. At the end of World War II, Canada would possess the fourth largest air force and fifth largest naval surface fleet in the world!!

General Montgomery and the 11th Canadian Tank Regiment

Canada's military was active in every theatre of war, though most battles occurred in Italy, Northwestern Europe, and the North Atlantic. Many Allied pilots trained in Canada during the war. Canadians also served in the militaries of various Allied countries.

On D-Day, 6 June 1944, the landings at Normandy created two beachheads; one by American forces at Omaha Beach, and another by U.S. forces at Utah, adjacent to the landings of the 2nd British Army at Sword, Juno and Gold. The Juno landings were made primarily by the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division.

Bren Gunner

in Atlantic.

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

HMCS Uganda bombards Sukuma Airfield

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

Canadian crew with Sherman tank, Battle of Normandy

Canadian troops played important roles in many key battles of the war, including the failed 1942 Dieppe Raid, the Allied invasion of Italy, the Normandy landings, the Battle of Normandy, and the Battle of the Scheldt in 1944. Canada provided asylum for the Dutch monarchy while that country was occupied and is credited by the Netherlands for major contributions to its liberation from Nazi Germany. The Canadian economy boomed during the war as its industries manufactured military materiel for Canada, Britain, China, and the Soviet Union. Despite a Conscription Crisis in Quebec in 1944, Canada finished the war with a large army and strong economy. A Canadian armoured vehicle approaches the entrance to Xanten, Germany, in March 1945.

---

In all, over a million Canadians served in the armed forces during World War II and approximately 42,000 were killed and another 55,000 were wounded. The financial cost was $21,786,077,519.13, between the 1939 and 1950 fiscal years.

Canada in war.

Sources

• Veterans Affairs Canada virtual war memorial
• CWGC (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) Find War Dead searchable database for war graves
• Library and Archives, Canada Service Files of the Second World War - War Dead, 1939-1947
• Military Museums, Canada search Canadian Servicemen's military records
• Toronto Public Library genealogy and records collections
• Toronto Public Library military pensions
• List of Canadian War Cemeteries
• Wikipedia:Canada in World War II
• Fold3: Canada Highlights, World War II
• Canada's Army in World War II: badges and histories of the corps and regiments, by Tripp, F. R. (Frederick Roy),1942-Year/Format: 1980, Book , iv, 93 p. (reference book)
• Military Records, Ottawa Valley Irish
• Library and Research, Canada Blog Expanded Version of the Service Files of the Second World War – War Dead, 1939-1947 Database
• Military Heritage Potal
• Lest We Forget Cenotaph Research
• Books of Remembrance searchable database of Canadians killed in action or dies as a result of military service
• The Memory Project Canada
• War Diaries, Ship Logs and Operations Record Books contains Army, Navy, and Air separated by branch and conflict from 1914-1953
• AMICUS: Canadian National Catalogue searchable library database
• FamilySearch: Canadian Geneaology
• RootsWeb: Canada Military Heritage Project, WW2 free searchable database