Canadian Defence News

[Dougie93]

WARMINGTON: Soldier's memorial in St. Catharines latest piece of history cancelled

But you can't bury Canada's past by relocating a 138-year-old statue of a historical figure

Joe Warmington

Published May 18, 2024

So much for Lest We Forget.

When it comes to Canadians who served their country in war and died, they always say we will remember. Until, of course, it’s no longer politically correct to do so.

Then we erase. Hide, smear and banish as well.

For 138 years, fallen soldier Private Alexander Watson’s statue stood tall in downtown St. Catherines in tribute not only to a young man who served his country, but to soldiers who fought and died in Canada’s name.

But just like that, on Thursday he was gone.

City Council decided that since he fought for the 9th Winnipeg Battalion Rifles in the May 9 to 12, 1885 North West Resistance’s famous Battle of Batoche in Saskatchewan against Metis and Indigenous sympathizers, this memorial flies in the face of Canada’s quest for reconciliation and it must be cancelled.

“It’s a shame because it’s a rare piece of Canadian history,” local historian Dan McKnight said. “Erected in 1886, this was the oldest statue to a military person in Canada.”

Watson, engaged to be married and just 28 years old, died on May 15, 1885 – three days after he was shot – becoming a casualty of war almost three decades before the First World War

City Council there voted 12-1 to remove the Watson memorial and relocate the statue to a nearby cemetery.

Only brave Councillor Joe Kushner voted against the move.

HOSTIUM ACIE NOMINATI

 

https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/warmington-soldiers-memorial-in-st-catharines-latest-piece-of-history-cancelled

[Army Guy]

The Winnipeg rifles should have taken procession of the statue placed it outside of their building...being a huge part of regimental history and all. 

[BeaverFever]

14 hours ago, Dougie93 said:

Then we erase. Hide, smear and banish as well.

🙄

it’s being moved, not “erased”, “smeared” or “banished”.  Typical Warmington and the sun

 

9 hours ago, Army Guy said:

The Winnipeg rifles should have taken procession of the statue placed it outside of their building...being a huge part of regimental history and all. 

That would make more sense. Neither the conflict nor the soldier were a part of St.Catharines history. Kind of strange that such a large statue to this one private andwas the town’s central monument, directly in front of city hall. And as he was born in Toronto and moved to Winnipeg years before the war, he was neither a native of St Catharines nor a resident of it when he died. He wasn’t killed during a conspicuous act of bravery or pivotal battle either.  The statue wasn’t originally erected there anyways, it was moved there in 1936

Edited May 19, 2024 by BeaverFever

[Dougie93]

8 hours ago, Army Guy said:

The Winnipeg rifles should have taken procession of the statue placed it outside of their building...being a huge part of regimental history and all. 

they'll come for the regiments next

[ExFlyer]

18 minutes ago, Dougie93 said:

they'll come for the regiments next

doogie, you have far too much to say for a part and short time quitter that worships torturers and murderers.

[Dougie93]

the American cultural revolution will not stop until it has erased the last vestiges of Canadian history

replacing that with Marxist - Leninist dogma

rally to the colours, in the face of this hostile foreign invasion

VRI - Pro Patria

[Dougie93]

Canadian general accused of sexual misconduct sues to 'get a chance to tell my side of the story'

Lt.-Gen. Whelan's lawsuit claims the Government of Canada 'deliberately or negligently destroyed (his) career and well-being to secure a desired political or personal outcome

Donna Kennedy-Glans, Special to National Post

Published May 21, 2024

Lt.-Gen. Steven Whelan, a three-star general who was accused of sexual misconduct in what he claims was a politically motivated prosecution that was then abandoned before he was able to defend himself, is looking for his day in court.

“I didn’t get a chance to tell my side of the story,” he told me.

Whelan’s lawyer, Phillip Millar of Millars Lawyers, has just filed a bruising statement of claim with the Federal Court in Ottawa, naming a who’s who of Canada’s military establishment as defendants; a litany that makes allegations of abuse of office, negligent investigation, malicious prosecution and involvement in media leaks that destroyed Whelan’s reputation and career.

Defendants named in the lawsuit include His Majesty the King in Right of Canada (the Crown) and top brass in the Department of National Defence (DND) and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF): Jody Thomas, former deputy minister of National Defence and former national security advisor to the Prime Minister; General Wayne Eyre, chief of the defence staff; Lt.-Gen. Frances Allen, vice chief of the defence staff; and Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan, CAF’s chief of professional conduct and culture.

The allegations stretch all the way to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Last September, Whelan faced a court martial, accused of sexual misconduct purported to have taken place more than a decade ago.

At the trial’s outset, military prosecutors dropped the more serious allegation of improperly communicating with a female subordinate (flirting, in colloquial terms). A week later — following the testimony of the complainant and minutes before Whelan’s lawyers could cross-examine her or hear from other witnesses — prosecutors dropped the remaining charge accusing Whelan of doctoring the same subordinate’s performance evaluation in 2011, allegedly fearing she would disclose their friendly but not physical relationship to others. The court martial came to an abrupt end. Notwithstanding the technical win for Whelan, the allegations effectively sidelined the three-star general.

The female complainant, as well as others directly involved in the investigation and prosecution, are also named defendants in the statement of claim.

Soldiers are motivated by honour so it’s not really all that surprising Whelan says he is fighting to clear his good name. “I’ve got to do this,” he asserts, when I ask him what’s behind the launch of these claims. “I’m doing this for my family; I’m doing it for our name, our reputation.” He continues, growing quieter, “For my self-esteem, my dignity; I have to do this.”

Military higher-ups would no doubt prefer that Whelan retire quietly. But they can’t say they haven’t been warned about the risk of this ending up in court, Whelan asserts: “I’ve warned them so many times.”

In 2021, after the allegation of sexual misconduct was leaked to the media, Whelan was explicit — “I’m not going to walk away with your elegant solution (retiring) … to try to avoid going to court.” In 2023, when he says prosecutors tried to press him into a guilty plea, he refused. Within hours of the end of the court martial, CAF bureaucracy told Whelan they were proceeding with an “administrative review process” (career review) to have him released; that process hasn’t gone according to plan either.

He remains in the Forces, albeit on administrative leave.

The statement of claim filed by Whelan’s lawyer is expected to land with a loud thud on the desks of military insiders and the federal government. The Canadian Forces is alleged to have been “unprofessional, cavalier and irresponsible” in their investigation. Whelan’s former female subordinate is accused of opportunism; misrepresenting facts for her own personal benefit.

But the most scathing claims are ones of political interference.

The statement of claim asserts the Government of Canada, through its agents (the defendants) in the Prime Minister’s Office, Privy Council Office, DND and CAF, “deliberately or negligently destroyed LGen Whelan’s career and well-being to secure a desired political or personal outcome.”

More specifically, the lawsuit accuses the CAF and DND of negligently investigating and maliciously prosecuting Whelan “as part of its response to intense political and media pressure to respond to the Sexual Misconduct Crisis besetting the military before, during and after the Federal election in the Fall of 2021 and, in doing so, failed to exercise its duty to an accused owed under the law.”

In his statement of claim, Whelan is framed as a “victim of circumstance.” Rather than professionally investigating the allegations against Whelan to discover the truth, the statement asserts, “the CAF, bending to improper political pressure, used the allegations as a media opportunity for political gain. In so doing, they sacrificed LGen Whelan rather than affording him the rights he was owed.”

Furthermore, the statement alleges, “The prosecution and trial of LGen Whelan was part of a deliberate campaign to show that the authorities were taking action. Military and political personnel covered up a negligent investigation and an incompetent prosecution process to protect themselves and their organizations at the expense of LGen Whelan.”

The statement of claim argues how the most senior CAF leaders, concerned about their own reputations, “decided to surrender to the political establishment and shielded themselves by making grandiose statements about culture.” Whelan further alleges he was improperly denied the opportunity to make his case and clear his name “as part of a strategic, top-down scheme to get the damaging information into the public sphere, prevent the government from looking bad, and protect the CDS (Chief of the Defence Staff) and VCDS (vice chief of the Defence Staff) from having to testify.”

(The statement of claim also discloses potentially compromising alleged confidences, including, for example, Eyre’s description of Jody Thomas as an “exceedingly toxic personality” who “hated male Generals and shapeshifted in the shadows of PCO (Privy Council Office).”)

Whelan hopes the Federal Court proceedings will generate a new series of conversations that can drive change.

“I’ve been betrayed,” Whelan concludes. “When you’re betrayed like this, you have to fight.”

He may be the plaintiff in this lawsuit but more than anything, he’s a soldier in the foxhole, fighting for his buddies.

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/general-steven-whelan-lawsuit-sexual-misconduct

Leftentant General Whelan was a Militia Non Commissioned Officer at the outset of his career

with the Lanark & Renfrew Scottish

which was the Militia regiment for Renfrew Country, to include Petawawa garrison

Edited May 25, 2024 by Dougie93

[Army Guy]

Toxic leadership is the problem in the forces according to the forces CWO....saying so to the CDS is leadership in the extreme...

 

[Dougie93]

Statue honouring Royal Regina Rifles to be unveiled at Juno Beach to mark D-Day’s 80th year

The names of 458 soldiers from the infantry unit who died during that conflict are etched in the statue's base

The Canadian Press

Jeremy Simes

Published Jun 03, 2024

 

 

A soldier stands next to the Royal Regina Rifles statue during a preview ceremony at the Saskatchewan War Memorial in Regina, April 6, 2024. It's to be unveiled Wednesday at Juno Beach at la place des Canadiens in France. The names of 488 soldiers from the infantry unit who died during the Second World War are etched into the statue's base. Photo by Brandt Industries Media Team /THE CANADIAN PRESS

 

REGINA — A statue depicting the Canadians who fought Nazi Germany 80 years ago will have a permanent home near the beaches they stormed on D-Day

The Royal Regina Rifles statue is to be unveiled Wednesday at Juno Beach in France, a day ahead of the milestone anniversary of the invasion that launched the beginning of the end of the Second World War.

The names of 458 soldiers from the infantry unit who died during that conflict are etched in the statue’s base.

The Regina Rifles were among the first Canadians to storm Juno Beach on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day. The soldiers battled alongside troops from the United States and United Kingdom to dislodge Nazis from northern France, marking the decisive turning point in the conflict.

Alberta artist Don Begg sculpted the two-metre bronze statue of a soldier on the move, weapon raised. It’s meant to depict the Everyman from Saskatchewan, said Kelsey Lonie, a military historian and spokesperson for the project.

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/statue-royal-regina-rifles-unveiled-juno-beach

[Dougie93]

6th of June

D-Day

Juno Beach

at the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them

[Goddess]

4 minutes ago, Dougie93 said:

we will remember them

Yes, we will.

I'm wearing my grandfather's dog tags today.

[Dougie93]

a single Victoria Cross was awarded to a Canadian on Operation Overlord at Normandy

Major David Vivian Currie, VC, CD,  of the South Alberta ( Light Horse ) Regiment

In Normandy on 18th August 1944, Major Currie was in command of a small mixed force of Canadian tanks, self-propelled anti-tank guns and infantry which was ordered to cut one of the main escape routes from the Falaise pocket. This force was held up by strong enemy resistance in the village of St. Lambert sur Dives and two tanks were knocked out by 88 mm. guns, Major Currie immediately entered the village alone on foot at last light through the enemy outposts to reconnoitre the German defences and to extricate the crews of the disabled tanks, which he succeeded in doing in spite of heavy mortar fire.

Early the following morning, without any previous artillery bombardment, Major Currie personally led an attack on the village in the face of fierce opposition from enemy tanks, guns and infantry and by noon had succeeded in seizing and consolidating a position halfway inside the village.

During the next 36 hours the Germans hurled one counter-attack after another against the Canadian force but so skilfully had Major Currie organised his defensive position that these attacks were repulsed with severe casualties to the enemy after heavy fighting.

At dusk on 20th August the Germans attempted to mount a final assault on the Canadian positions, but the attacking force was routed before it could even be deployed. Seven enemy tanks, twelve 88-mm. guns and forty vehicles were destroyed, 300 Germans were killed, 500 wounded and 2,100 captured. Major Currie then promptly ordered an attack and completed the capture of the village, thus denying the Chambois-Tijun escape route to the remnants of two German armies cut off in the Falaise pocket.

Throughout three days and nights of fierce fighting, Major Currie's gallant conduct and contempt for danger set a magnificent example to all ranks of the force under his command. On one occasion he personally directed the fire of his command tank on to a Tiger tank which had been harassing his position and succeeded in knocking it out. During another attack, while the guns of his command tank were taking on other targets at longer ranges, he used a rifle from the turret to deal with individual snipers who had infiltrated to within fifty yards of his headquarters.

The only time reinforcements were able to get through to his force, he himself led the forty men forward into their positions and explained the importance of their task as a part of the defence. When, during the next attack, these new reinforcements withdrew under the intense fire brought down by the enemy, he personally collected them and led them forward into position again, where, inspired by his leadership they held for the remainder of the battle.

His employment of the artillery support, which became available after his original attack went in, was typical of his cool calculation of the risks involved in every situation. At one time, despite the fact that short rounds were falling within fifteen yards of his own tank, he ordered fire from medium artillery to continue because of its devastating effect upon the attacking enemy in his immediate area.

Throughout the operations the casualties to Major Currie's force were heavy. However, he never considered the possibility of failure or allowed it to enter the minds of his men. In the words of one of his non-commissioned officers, "We knew at one stage that it was going to be a fight to a finish but he was so cool about it, it was impossible for us to get excited". Since all the officers under his command were either killed or wounded during the action, Major Currie had virtually no respite from his duties and in fact obtained only one hour's sleep during the entire period. Nevertheless he did not permit his fatigue to become apparent to his troops and throughout the action took every opportunity to visit weapon pits and other defensive posts to talk to his men, to advise them as to the best use of their weapons and to cheer them with words of encouragement. When his force was finally relieved and he was satisfied that the turnover was complete he fell asleep on his feet and collapsed.

There can be no doubt that the success of the attack on and stand against the enemy at St. Lambert sur Dives can largely be attributed to this officer's coolness, inspired leadership and skilful use of the limited weapons at his disposal. The courage and devotion to duty shown by Major Currie during a prolonged period of heavy fighting were outstanding and had a far-reaching effect on the successful outcome of the battle.

David Currie was invested with his Victoria Cross by King Georve VI at Buckingham Palace on the 30th November 1944.

---

David Currie died on the 24th June 1986 in Ottawa and was buried in the Greenwood Cemetery, Owen Sound.

SEMPER ALACER

[Goddess]

Bootsma to Bremmer - Royal Canadian Air Force Association (rcafassociation.ca)

My Great-Uncle.  I tried to find his grave in Dishforth Cemetery when I was in England, but couldn't find it.

My Great-Aunt Gladys never married again and they had no children.

[BeaverFever]

On 6/6/2024 at 2:41 PM, Dougie93 said:

6th of June

D-Day

Juno Beach

at the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them

Interesting facts about Juno Beach that every Canadian should know 

- The original D-Day landing plans did not include Canadians at all, or the beach they landed on…they were a last minute addition to the beaches to be assaulted by British I Corps and  Canadian 3rd Infantry Division and 2nd Armoured Brigade answered the call, as part of the British Corps 

- The Canadian beach was arguably the most challenging of all allied beaches, which is likely why it was not initially considered, dor the following reasons:

It was the only beach where fortifications included a formidable man-made concrete seawall that soldiers would have to scale under fire. 
 

-It was also the only beach with built-up areas, as the beach was directly in front of 4 villages  whereas the other allied beaches all fronted on open countryside.  This meant after clearing the killing fields of the beach, Canadians were the only allies on D-day who had to then immediately continue into to “urban combat”:  fighting block by block, street by street, house by house, and even room by room while Germans had a network of tunnels and trenches that allowed them to “pop up” behind the Canadians as they advanced through the villages  

-This also means the very first houses to be liberated from the Nazis on D-Day were liberated by Canadians  

-In addition, the beach was surrounded by a number of reefs and sandbars that had the potential to impede landing craft and leave forces exposed  Indeed, supporting tanks landed late ams they had to wait for the tide to be high enough to clear the sandbar leaving the first wave(s) of infantry exposed without fire support in the meantime 

- Due to proximity to civilian villages and cloud cover, pre-invasion bombing amd naval bombardment was light and left many German defences untouched 

- Despite the fact that Canadians suffered the highest per capita casualty rate of all allied beaches (and second highest overall), they advanced further inland and achieved more of their objective on D-day than any other allied force  

- The British Corps beaches were all named for Fish:  Gold(fish), Sword(fish) and in between the two at the deadliest point, the newly added Canadian beach of Jelly(fish).  Fortunately Churchill himself objected to the name “Jelly Beach” as entirely inappropriate for a place where men would likely be killed and mutilated in the largest numbers (“turned into jelly”),  so he personally changed the name to Juno. Imagine telling people your grandfather was blown to pieces on Jelly Beach!

- Because of the “Can-loan” agreement which allowed the British military to plunder officers from the Canadian military, the Canadian military had a severe shortage of officers and a number of Canadian platoons onD-day were commanded by NCOs instead of officers  

The British military tradition of using Canadian troops as cannon fodder (“elite shock troops of the empire” is a flip-side of the same coin) throughout WW1 continued in WW2 with Dieppe and the predicted high casualty assignment at “Jelly beach”. But the Canadians left the role of Britain’s cannon fodder after the unparalleled success at Juno 

An accurate telling of Juno Beach, as told by US and British historians

 

 

 

Edited June 9, 2024 by BeaverFever

[Dougie93]

17 hours ago, BeaverFever said:

The British military tradition of using Canadian troops as cannon fodder (“elite shock troops of the empire” is a flip-side of the same coin) throughout WW1

the Canadians were not known as the Shock Troops of the Empire because they suffered more casualties

quite the opposite was the case, since Canada suffered the fewest casualties per capita in the Empire

Canada's casualty rate was 0.9% by population

Australia and New Zealand suffered 1.5% by population, and the UK was 2.2%

the Canadians were the Shock of the Empire simply because of their aggression & savagery in close combat

the Canadians were bigger, stronger, meaner, fiercer : Cowboys & Indians, Lumberjacks & Roughnecks

Canada was the Wild West of the British Empire, uncivilized by the standards of the English

furthermore the superior Canadian diet, more meat, more milk, just made Canadians physically larger

Shock Troops tend to suffer fewer casualties by greater speed, violence & aggression

Imperial Germany was actually the most civilized country on earth in 1914

so the Germans were in fact terrified of the Canadians comparative savagery

some giant sized Canadian from the wilderness, perhaps a Indian warrior even

about to jump into your trench and hack you to pieces at a moments notice

the Canadians were not known for showing quarter nor mercy, they didn't come to take prisoners

Canadian military prowess has always been influenced by the Crown's First Nations allies

particularly the Iroquois

God Save The King & HM Mohawk Warriors, from the Heights of Queenston to Juno Beach

Edited June 9, 2024 by Dougie93

[Dougie93]

17 hours ago, BeaverFever said:

The British military tradition of using Canadian troops as cannon fodder

I don't think that was a British military tradition actually

there's really only two battles wherein the Canadians were expended downrange ruthlessly

Dieppe & Hong Kong

yet in both cases,  it was in fact Ottawa which was overly eager to put the troops into harms way

so I see it as a Canadian tradition of using Canadian troops as cannon fodder

if anything, the British High Command tended to see the Canada as unreliable

the British feared that Canada might opt out at any moment, so they were very wary of Canadian casualties

hence why Julian Byng was put in charge of the Canadian Corps, to keep Canada in the war

it was the corrupt & inept government in Ottawa, led by Sam Hughes,

which was throwing their own troops under the bus

it's really the Canadian political elites who are ruthless about selling Canadian troops down the river

it was the British High Command which stepped in to save Canada from itself therein

the Canadian Corps, Vimy Ridge, The Hundred Days, that was all British by design

the ignominious Canadian government was in fact prevented from having any say in the matter

at the insistence of Lord Byng himself, whom threatened to resign if Ottawa was given any influence

as a personal friend of HM King George V

only Julian Byng had the power to save the Canadian troops from their own government

Noblesse Oblige

Edited June 9, 2024 by Dougie93

[BeaverFever]

 

5 hours ago, Dougie93 said:

the Canadian Corps, Vimy Ridge, The Hundred Days, that was all British by design

the ignominious Canadian government was in fact prevented from having any say in the matter

at the insistence of Lord Byng himself, whom threatened to resign if Ottawa was given any influence

Lets not forget that before Byng the Canadians were commanded by British General Alderson, and  both men were under the command of Field Marshal Haig.   Alderson amd Haig had reputations for conventional and unimaginative strategies and costly human wave attacks, with Haig being posthumously accused of squandering soldiers and dubbed “the butcher of the Somme” 

As commander of Canadian Corps Byng was popular and inventive and Canadian General Arthur Currie, commander of First Canadian Division,  was his junior partner and hand-picked successor. From what I understand Vimy was a Currie-Byng collaboration with Currie responsible for most of the meticulous planning, for which he became particularly renowned.  Currie then became the commander of Canadian Corps shortly after Vimy (June 1917) until the end of the war. 
 

And then of course in 1916 there were the Newfies who were not in the Canadian Corps but nonetheless sent to slaughter at Baumont Hamel by their British generals, 710 casualties from a regiment of 800. 

[Dougie93]

On 6/9/2024 at 10:56 PM, BeaverFever said:

Lets not forget that before Byng the Canadians were commanded by British General Alderson, and  both men were under the command of Field Marshal Haig.   Alderson amd Haig had reputations for conventional and unimaginative strategies and costly human wave attacks, with Haig being posthumously accused of squandering soldiers and dubbed “the butcher of the Somme” 

As commander of Canadian Corps Byng was popular and inventive and Canadian General Arthur Currie, commander of First Canadian Division,  was his junior partner and hand-picked successor. From what I understand Vimy was a Currie-Byng collaboration with Currie responsible for most of the meticulous planning, for which he became particularly renowned.  Currie then became the commander of Canadian Corps shortly after Vimy (June 1917) until the end of the war. 
 

And then of course in 1916 there were the Newfies who were not in the Canadian Corps but nonetheless sent to slaughter at Baumont Hamel by their British generals, 710 casualties from a regiment of 800. 

well certainly Arthur Currie is Canada's greatest General and one of the greatest of the 20th century

but it wasn't Canada which recognized that, it was British aristocrat Julian Byng whom was Currie's patron

and of course, at the end of the war, Canada threw Arthur Currie under the bus,

the Canadian press accusing him of being a "butcher" ; typical Canada

in terms of Haig and the stalemate on the Western Front

nobody knew what to do to break the stalemate,

nobody had ever encountered this situation in the history of warfare

but the British Empire as going broke fighting the war, so there was extreme pressure to end the war immediately

the press, politicians and public were demanding offensive action to break the stalemate

Haig was simply carrying out his orders with what resources were available

which brings us to the Somme Offensive

wherein the plan was that the new artillery ( rapid fire breach loading ) would win the battle in of itself

there would be a bombardment so massive and sustained, the greatest artillery bombardment in history

thus it was expected that the German positions would be obliterated, and so it would simply be a walkover

they were mistaken of course, the new artillery was not a war winner

but they didn't know that until the offensive had failed

Edited June 11, 2024 by Dougie93

[ExFlyer]

Haircut changes again.

WTF is wrong with leadership????  When superiors in the field cannot control their subordinates, it is not just highest level leadership, it goes all the way down to the crew chiefs and Sergeants.

I am so glad I am retired.

Canadian military cracking down on long beards and unkempt hair

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canadian-military-cracking-down-on-long-beards-and-unkempt-hair

[blackbird]

They should crack down.  Who allowed long beards and unkempt hair in the first in the military?

[Aristides]

I think Australians, Kiwis and South Africans would tend to disagree. They did much of the fighting in North Africa when Canadians were sitting in the UK. After repeated failures by both the British and Americans, it was Indian and New Zealand troops who finally took Monti Cassino. Gurkhas are regarded by many as the gold standard when it comes to light infantry, their courage and loyalty is legendary. Australians and Kiwis also did a lot of fighting in South East Asia against the Japanese where Canadian units were not involved at all. And of course, there was also Gallipoli in WW1. They were also pretty rugged countries in their own right which required tough independent people to survive.

[Dougie93]

6 minutes ago, Aristides said:

Gurkhas are regarded by many as the gold standard when it comes to light infantry

Gurkha's are ultra conservative therein

any Gurkha displaying unkempt appearance would have to be removed from the ranks for his own protection

[Dougie93]

1 hour ago, Aristides said:

I think Australians, Kiwis and South Africans would tend to disagree. They did much of the fighting in North Africa when Canadians were sitting in the UK. After repeated failures by both the British and Americans, it was Indian and New Zealand troops who finally took Monti Cassino. Gurkhas are regarded by many as the gold standard when it comes to light infantry, their courage and loyalty is legendary. Australians and Kiwis also did a lot of fighting in South East Asia against the Japanese where Canadian units were not involved at all. And of course, there was also Gallipoli in WW1. They were also pretty rugged countries in their own right which required tough independent people to survive.

why are you selling Canadians short ?

in both the First & Second World Wars, the Canadians faced the hardest objectives of all

from the Ypres Salient to the Hundred Days

from the beach at Dieppe to Juno Beach

The Somme, Vimy Ridge, Paschendaele, and Gallipoli too by the Newfoundlanders

Hong Kong, Ortona, Hitler Line, Gothic Line,

the Falaise Pocket, Arnhem Bridge, the Scheldt Estuary, the Rhineland

Battle of France, Battle of Britain

plus the Battle of the Atlantic, which was the deciding factor in the European theatre

all due respect to the Aussies and Kiwis,

but they were actually bit players compared to the Canadians

at the end of the Second World War, there was America, Britain France & Canada

the Aussies & Kiwis were not even mentioned in those terms

[Aristides]

Just now, Dougie93 said:

why are you selling Canadians short ?

in both the First & Second World Wars, the Canadians faced the hardest objectives of all

from the Ypres Salient to the Hundred Days

from the beach at Dieppe to Juno Beach

The Somme, Vimy Ridge, Paschendaele, and Gallipoli too by the Newfoundlanders

Hong Kong, Ortona, Hitler Line, Gothic Line,

the Falaise Pocket, Arnhem Bridge, the Scheldt Estuary, the Rhineland

Battle of France, Battle of Britain

plus the Battle of the Atlantic, which was the deciding factor in the European theatre

all due respect to the Aussies and Kiwis,

but they were actually bit players compared to the Canadians

at the end of the Second World War, there was America, Britain France & Canada

the Aussies & Kiwis were not even mentioned in those terms

I'm not selling Canadians short at all but you don't pump yourself up by putting others down. Australians also fought in the Pacific and South East Asia which also took up most of their naval assets. Their country was bombed by the Japanese. Australian airforce units were involved in the Battle of the Atlantic. The real U571 was sunk by an Australian airforce Sunderland flying boat.

The Australian population in 1940 was just over 7 million.

[BeaverFever]

2 hours ago, blackbird said:

They should crack down.  Who allowed long beards and unkempt hair in the first in the military?

I blame the Vikings 

 

Serious though the history of warfare is mostly a history of men with long hair fighting hand-to-hand…often in sandals or even barefoot no less. In addition special forces have often distinguished themselves with longer hair and beards that would not be permitted in regular service (also certain specific trades like assault pioneers and navy were always permitted to have beards). So from a performance perspective I wasn’t concerned   
 

That said it did seem to be getting out of hand, I saw soldiers with ugly biker style zz top beards and others who didn’t so much appear “bearded” as simply sloppy and un-groomed. So it’s probably good to bring some structure and consistency back, we don’t need to return to the days of the “high and tight” and 24/7 clean-shaven tjough

Edited June 15, 2024 by BeaverFever