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Landing Crafts: The Means of Transport to Dieppe
The Dieppe Raid, on August 19, 1942, was the Canadian army’s biggest military operation to date. To transport these thousands of infantry soldiers and tanks, the Allies had to use hundreds of ships. This…
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What did the soldiers bring with them to the Dieppe raid?
Whether it was military equipment or personal gear, Canadian soldiers stationed in Britain brought a lot of items with them before each operation! In this short article, we propose a brief overview of the…
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Sonny Castro – The actor of Sham Shui Po
After volunteering to defend the colony of Hong Kong during the Japanese attack in December 1941, Sonny Castro became a memorable character at the prison camps through his impersonations of great actresses.
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Mary Greyeyes Reid – The person behind the photo
Mary Greyeyes Reid was the first Indigenous woman to join the Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC). That fact alone is enough to make her famous. But she’s also the subject of a very famous…
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National Patriots’ Day: A Military History
Since November 2002, the late-May holiday has been recognized as National Patriots’ Day by the Quebec government. Previously known by other names such as the Fête de Dollard, or the Queen’s Birthday, this day…
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Lena Hayakawa and her internment in Canada
In 1942, a few months after the start of the Pacific War, thousands of Japanese-Canadians were expelled from their homes and sent to internment camps across the country. During the war, Lena Hayakawa spent…
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Matron Margaret Fraser
Matron Fraser was one of the many Nursing Sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice during the First World War.
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Operation UNIFIER: Canada in Ukraine
In 2022, we had the great good fortune to interview Captain Nathalie Gareau, who was deployed to Ukraine in 2019 and tells us about her participation in Operation UNIFIER.
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Winnie Roach-Leuszler – Canadian Athlete
CWAC member Winnie Roach-Leuszler made history by becoming the first Canadian woman or man to swim the English Channel. Discover her feats! Winnie Roach-Leuszler was born in Port Credit, Ontario, in 1926. One of…
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Isabel May McDonald – Teacher, Typographer, and Telegrapher
Isabel May McDonald was one of the many women who enlisted in the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service. In this article, find out how her work contributed to the Allied victory in the Second…
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The French-speaking soldiers of “C” Force
Thousands of French Canadians served in the Canadian Army during World War II. Among them, many were mobilized into Force C: the Canadian force sent to defend the British colony of Hong Kong. In…
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Edwin Erwin Phillips – Mechanic for the Royal Canadian Air Force
A sergeant in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II, Edwin Erwin Phillips had a distinguished career and was destined to a promised life before his tragic death in Poland. Edwin Erwin…
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Canadian Nurses in Hong Kong
Two Canadian nurses accompanied the C-Force sent to Hong Kong in 1941: Kathleen Christie and Anna May Waters. When the colony was captured on December 25, 1941, the two nurses were also taken prisoner.…
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Gander – The dog of the “C” Force
It is very common for a regiment to adopt a stray animal as its regimental mascot when its men are deployed. This was notably the case with Gander, who first accompanied the Royal Rifles…
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The final assault on Stanley Village
From the outset, the Battle of Hong Kong, from December 7 to 25, 1945, was considered a losing battle. However, the Canadian soldiers of C Force distinguished themselves many times over in their attempts…
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Holiday Reading (2021)
The Je me souviens team is back this year with a new series of suggestions for books, films, TV series and documentaries for the holiday season! From the First World War to the conflict…
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The Battle at Wong Nai Chung Gap
The Canadian soldiers of C Force distinguished themselves many times during the Battle of Hong Kong. In this first part of a two-part series, we report on the fighting at Wong Nai Chung Pass.
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John K. Lawson – Commander of the C Force
After an illustrious career in the First World War, John K. Lawson established himself as a competent and respected officer in the service of his country. In 1941, faced with a potential Japanese invasion,…
