-
Jennie Carignan – A woman of many military accomplishments
A woman of passion and perseverance, Jennie Carignan is a major figure in the Canadian Armed Forces. She has served in the military for over 40 years and was the first woman in the…
-
Marcella Richardson: The story of a Boer War Nursing Sister
At the turn of the 20th century, women had few opportunities to serve in Canada’s military. Some of the first women to be allowed to serve were the nursing sisters of the Boer War.…
-
Kushoo Thoms: An Assyrian Canadian in the First World War
Kushoo Thoms (AKA Kushoo Thomas) was born in Urmia, in northern Persia (Iran) in 1893. While we don’t have records of his exact immigration date, he arrived in Canada around the year 1913. He…
-
Top 10 of the worst ideas (in war)
In his book The Plague, Albert Camus wrote, “When a war breaks out people say: ‘It won’t last, it’s too stupid.’ And war is certainly too stupid, but that doesn’t prevent it from lasting.”…
-
The Quebec Conferences
Far from the front lines, important meetings were held during World War II to determine the course of the war. Two of these meetings took place in Quebec City: in 1943 and 1944. Find…
-
Artists, historians, and journalists during the Italian Campaign
A large number of artists, historians, and journalists accompanied the Canadian Army during the Italian Campaign to document and report on events at the front. Discover their work, in images and text, from these…
-
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.
-
The Régiment de Maisonneuve: A Unit in Search of Its Armory
One of six regiments based in Montreal, the Régiment de Maisonneuve is also one of the oldest, with a rich history marked by its involvement in both World Wars, as well as its contribution…
-
Discipline on the docket: Courts martial and the lives of Quebec soldiers during the Second World War
For thousands of Canadian soldiers, the Second World War was not just about major battles, as it deeply marked them in other ways. Courts martial records are a surprising source of information about how…
-
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…
-
The Canadian Forestry Corps
Did you know that Canada sent more than 35,000 loggers to Europe during World War I? War isn’t just about battles: thousands of people had to perform thankless tasks to support the war effort!…
-
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…
-
Four Faces: Goddard, Giesebrecht, Blais and Mendes
Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan was unique in a number of ways. It was the first time a NATO member country invoked Article 5, where an attack on one member is seen as an attack…
-
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…
-
The Royal Montreal Regiment: Legacy within their walls
Now celebrating its centennial, the Royal Montreal Regiment of Westmount is one of the oldest military units in the Greater Montreal area. From the Great War to the present day, members of the RMR…
-
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…
-
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…
-
‘So it looks as if there must be some mistake’… Flying Officer Carl H. Howald
There was no job more dangerous than being a bombardier during World War II! While enemy fire was obviously the greatest risk to crew members, simple accidents could also happen, sometimes resulting in terrible…
