How+Canadian+Communities+Contributed+Overseas

= The War's End =

In Europe, the invading Allied armies moved steadily closer to Germany. Some Canadian troops, including Charlie Martin and the Queen's Own Rifles, crossed the Rhine into Germany at the end of March 1945, then headed up to the Netherlands. Just before they reached the North Sea, on April 16, 1945, Charlie Martin's war ended when he was shot in the chest and legs. He passed out in the army hospital.

"I did not recover consciousness until May 8. A pretty nurse was sitting beside me. Winston Churchill was announcing over the hospital radio system that the war was over."

//Battle Diary //, p. 145

Figure 7-13 (Photo)

Marion Orr (1918-1995) was a Canadian Ferry Service pilot who worked in England moving combat aircraft. She was discharged in October 1944, after flying 67 different types of aircraft for a total of over 700 flying hours. After the war she opened her own flight school, and later became Canada's first female helicopter pilot.


 * Did You Know? **

Radar works by sending out a radio beam. When the beam detects something, it bounces back to the radar instrument. Its position - its //range// - can be shown on a screen. If the object is moving - like a plane or a ship - the screen will show this movement. The object can be identified, and action taken against it.

In the Pacific, the American forces were leading a massive assault on Japan. Then, in August 1945, American bombers dropped an atomic bomb on each of two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The effects were devastating. In Hiroshima alone, over 160 000 people were killed or seriously injured. August 15, 1945, marked V-J Day, or Victory in Japan Day - the day Japan surrendered and the war ended.

The Axis was defeated - and Canadians had played an important role in the victory. Although the population of the United States was 11.5 times the size of Canada's in 1940, the number of people who served in their army, navy, and air force was only 7.4 times larger. Included in these numbers are the 1660 men and women from Newfoundland who served in Canadian forces - 120 of these Newfoundlanders died.

__ Questions __

__ 1. How did female pilots contribute to the war in the air during World War II? Why were their missions so important? __

__ 2. Explain how radar technology gave the Allied forces an advantage in planning battles. You can use diagrams in your response. __

__ 3. Do you think dropping the atomic bomb on Japan in 1945 was justified? Present arguments for and against, then explain where you stand. __


 * Did You Know? **

Canadian scientists were involved in the "Manhattan Project," which the United States government had started earlier in the war. This project's purpose was to develop a new type of bomb - an atomic bomb. The uranium used for the development models and the final bombs came from mines in Deep River, Ontario.


 * Living Language **

The term "atomic bomb" became commonly used for the first time in 1945. The bomb was named for the way it splits the centre - the nucleus - of uranium atoms in order to unleash their destructive power. In 1945 there were just two atomic bombs, which the United States used in Japan. By 2005 it was estimated that the United States had over 20 000 nuclear weapons and Russia had over 28 000. Several other countries, such as China, also have nuclear arms. At first, Canada's forces wouldn't accept "non-white" volunteers. But after three or four years of war, the forces began to open up. The contributions of Aboriginal people and people from other ethnic communities to the war helped to break down some of the barriers in Canadian society.


 * Aboriginal Peoples' Participation in the Military **

Every major battle of the war - including Hong Kong, Dieppe, and D-Day - involved Aboriginal soldiers in the Canadian contingents. About 3000 Aboriginal people enlisted, along with over 10 000 people of part Aboriginal heritage.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">When the war was over, many Aboriginal veterans were denied their benefits, such as free schooling to learn a trade. It wasn't until the early 2000s that the federal government finally compensated them or their descendants.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Aboriginal personnel received at least 18 bravery medals for their actions during the war. As well, in 1943, King George VI awarded British Empire Medals to four First Nations.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">African Canadians' Participation in the Military **

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Many African Canadians served Canada with distinction in World War II. A large number of them were from communities in Nova Scotia, Montreal, and southern Ontario. Their service during and often after the war helped change attitudes in Canada. Leonard Braithwaite's experiences are typical of many African Canadians during World War II.

Figure 7-14 (photo) <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">On 21 June 2004, National Aboriginal Day, this monument to Aboriginal veterans was unveiled in Ottawa. It recognizes the contributions of the Aboriginal community in all 20th-century wars and peacekeeping missions that Canada has participated in. Why do you think it took so long for the accomplishments of Aboriginal veterans to be recognized in Canada?


 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Profile: Leonard Braithwaite - Fighting for Change **

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Photo: Leonard Braithwaite.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Leonard Braithwaite was born in Toronto in 1923. In 11942, after he turned 18, he tried to join the RCAF to become a navigator on a bomber. But they refused to accept him because he was Black. He later blamed this refusal on the prejudice of the recruiting officer, saying "He had no use for coloured people. It wasn't just him, but this was how society was then."

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">When a new recruiting officer took over in January 1943, he accepted Braithwaite at once. Unfortunately, Braithwaite's eyes weren't good enough for him to become a navigator, so he had to train as an aero engine mechanic. After his training was complete, he was posted to the 6th Bomber Squadron, based in Yorkshire, England. He worked on the bombers that participated in raids on Germany. He was honourably discharged from the RCAF in June 1946.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Braithwaite went on to attend the University of Toronto (1946-1950). He later became a lawyer. Much of his work involved helping fellow African Canadians break down the barriers of discrimination. He also served as a school trustee, a councillor on the Toronto City Council, and as a member of Ontario's Legislature.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Chinese Canadians' Military Contributions **

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">It is estimated that over 600 Chinese Canadians served in uniform for Canada in World War II. At first, the Canadian government discouraged them from enlisting. But as the war in the Pacific raged, the Allies realized that Chinese Canadians had a special role to play in areas that were largely Chinese-speaking such as Hong Kong and Malaysia. Chinese-Canadian soldiers also fought in Europe. In 1947 the government finally extended the vote to Chinese Canadians, partly in recognition of the role they had played in the war effort.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Profile: Cam Len Douglas Sam (1918-1989) **

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Kam Len Douglas Sam was born in Victoria, the son of Chinese immigrants. In 1938 he went to England to join the Royal Air Force (RAF). He was rejected, though, because regulations didn't permit non-white members of an air crew. But when the regulations were changed in 1942, Douglas Sam joined the RCAF at once. He became a pilot of a Halifax bomber.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Douglas Sam was shot down over France in June 1944 and presumed dead. But he survived and became a spy for the French resistance against Germany. To give him cover, the RCAF reported his death, even though it knew that he was still alive. His family didn't know he was alive until he was safely back in England. After the war, he worked for British intelligence in Asia.

__ Questions __

__ 4. How did Leonard Braithwaite and Douglas Sam react to their experiences in attempting to volunteer for the military? How would you have responded if you were in their place? __

__ 5. How did the war efforts of individuals from different ethnic communities help change society's attitudes? __