#world war 2 canada

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

Administration of the Defence of Canada Regulations (DOCR)

"Administering the DOCR proved to be a boon to the careers of RCMP men. At the start of World War II, the Intelligence Section of the RCMP was a six-man operation at headquarters, attached to the Criminal Investigation Branch. By 1943, there were now 98 in the headquarters operation of the Intelligence Section, with important increases in the field: twenty more men working in Toronto, nineteen in Montreal and nine in Vancouver.

The effect of World War II on the overall size of the RCMP was also impressive. The RCMP force was immediately increased by 700 at the start of the war. On June 6, 1940, the list of police officers who could enforce the DOCR was expanded to include all RCMP officers from the rank of inspector and up, and officers of similar rank in the provincial police forces in Quebec and Ontario, as well as chiefs of police in municipalities with populations of more than 10,000. There were still not enough police. 

On June 24, 1940, RCMP Commissioner Wood wrote Ernest Lapointe to complain that he could no longer meet demand, especially in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Wood went so far as to express concern for the health of his men, so busy and over-extended were they. So, on August 30, 1940, authority to administer the DOCR was extended once again to include almost all police officers in Canada, whether at federal, provincial, or municipal levels.

One of the products of the increased RCMP workload were the monthly security bulletins issued by the Intelligence Section to senior federal officials and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Right from the beginning, some of the recipients of the bulletins were wary of the value of the reports. Jack Pickersgill, second-in-command in the PMO, analyzed the bulletin of October 30, 1939. His comments reveal some of the deficiencies in the RCMP analysis; they bear summarizing:

no distinctions between fact and hearsay;

no distinctions between subversive doctrine, and legitimate social and political criticism;

obsession with Communists, to the exclusion of information about Nazis or Fascists;

no evidence of sabotage or espionage directed against Canada;

no co-ordination with military intelligence, censorship officials, immigration officials, or External Affairs;

police spying on law-abiding Canadians, thus making the police political censors;

lack of capacity and training for real intelligence work directed against the real enemy.

Also wrote Pickersgill:

It is more likely that there are secret, German agents in the country. From a casual reading of these ‘Intelligence Bulletins’, one would scarcely realize that Canada was at war with Germany; there is not the slightest hint that anything is being done in the way of intelligent and well-directed anti-espionage work.

Pickersgill suggested that an intelligence branch be created within Justice, to whom the RCMP would report, in order to co-ordinate government intelligence efforts. 

Nonetheless, King, Lapointe, and the Justice Department continued to support the work of the RCMP in spite of criticism both internal and external to the government. When the tide turned against the government’s policies of repression of the left, the RCMP ceased the widespread distribution of security bulletins. One shouldn’t expect just administration of a law that is itself unjust.

The violations of normal, legal protections under the DOCR might also accrue to another element, however, which explains why internees were never explained the full nature of charges against them. Some information obtained by the RCMP was retrieved secretly from informers within the Communist Party, sources that had to be protected were they to continue to be useful. There is a series of letters that establishes the policy of the RCMP and government about this secret information. In the first of these letters, the Justice deputy minister wrote to the RCMP:

If you have evidence which has been obtained through the medium of a police secret agent, the identity of whom it would be extremely undesirable to disclose, then I suggest that you are not compelled to, and should not produce such evidence, even by withholding it you may have little in the way of other evidence to support the order for internment. The recommendation of the tribunal is only a recommendation and not a judgement, and the release of the appellant after the finding of the tribunal is a matter which is in the absolute discretion of the Minister of Justice, and he may, with or without assigning any reason, order the further internment or the release of the appellant. In cases where you do not disclose confidential information to the tribunal, you should notify the Department so that all the facts may be brought before the Minister when called upon to act in the matter.

When the RCMP asked if the instructions about secret information were to apply to enemy subjects, as well as to British subjects, Lapointe responded in the affirmative, adding that he would consult with the RCMP before freeing internees. At least, some of the explanation for the functioning of the DOCR, therefore, lies in the government’s protection of its espionage network among communists.

In fact, during the 1920s, an RCMP Staff-Sergeant, John Leopold, had become a highly placed informer within the Communist Party. Leopold, who used the pseudonym ‘Jack Esselwein’, had provided  evidence in 1931 that permitted the government to prosecute Tim Buck and seven of his  leading colleagues in the Party. During World War II, we know of at least one other RCMP informer within the Party, although there probably were more. A certain ‘Koyich’ was active in Alberta, a fact uncovered by Patrick Lenihan, a Calgarian, and Ben Swankey, from Edmonton, both of whom were interned in Hull."

- Michael Martin, The Red Patch: Political Imprisonment in Hull, Quebec during World War 2. Self-published, 2007. p. 76-80

[courseyoulovemeyoudontknowme]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009, Gavin Hood)

03/08/2024

[theworldatwar]

A Canadian mortar team fires on enemy positions - exact date and location unknown

[lonestarflight]

"Ensign Mac. J. Roebuck standing by his wrecked 'Kingfisher' about August 1942. He was piloting the plane when it crashed on Mount Buxton, Calvert Island, British Columbia, on 20 August 1942, and later assisted in the salvaging of it's instruments and engine. The plane's airframe was recovered by a Royal Canadian air force salvage team in 1964. After being reconstructed by the Vought Aeronautics' quarter century club, the OS2U was placed on display aboard the USS NORTH CAROLINA (BB-55) memorial at Wilmington, North Carolina, and was dedicated on 25 June 1971."

Date: late August 1942

Naval History and Heritage Command: NH 73760

[dandyads]

WWII Poster (Canada), 1940s

[histonics]

1943 – World War II: Operation Gomorrah begins: British and Canadian airplanes bomb Hamburg by night, and American planes bomb the city by day.

[mxdae]

Beyond Cringe, but what can ya do?

[heltersk3lter]

This isn’t my usual post, but as a history major and someone who’s family member is a D-DAY veteran, I wanted to talk about it :)

This photo — above, is a photo my great-grandfather taken in Berlin (1945). He fought in D-DAY for Great Britain during the Normandy Landings exactly 80 years ago today (June 6, 1944). He arrived by ship — the same ship seen above, and didn’t know how to swim, but he managed to swim to shore with about 60-80lb of artillery and gear on him. He never spoke about his experiences in the battle, but he did speak of the friends he lost, and the friends and fellow soldiers he watched die on this historical day.

Today, we never forget D-DAY and the sacrifices every allied soldier made for us to be here in this moment. From the United States, Canada, the UK, Norway, and Free France, we all owe our countries to our soldiers 🤍

[allthebooksandcrannies]

I was today years old when I learned that Canada also incarcerated Japanese immigrants and Japanese Canadians during World War II.

I knew America had concentration camps for people of Japanese ancestry, but I had never been told by anyone that Canada did too. I only figured it out now because the Wikipedia article on the American camps had a link to the page on Canada's.

Seems like something that should be talked about more often. I hate how America centric even our world history classes are.

[lilithism1848]

[bantarleton]

Canadian infantrymen advance up stairs while dodging sniper fire in Campochiaro, Italy in 1943. Colourized by Marina Amaral.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

Pat Lenihan

"When we were moved from Petawawa we expected to go to another camp. We arrived at Hull to find a new jail, a big building, very modern. When we saw the walls around this building we refused to go in. By this time there were about a hundred of us anti-fascists from all over Canada. When we were told to go in, Norman Freed, our spokesman, said, "No man move. We're not going in there."

When the officer told us to get marching we told him that we were not going into any jail or prison. We would tolerate a camp but not this. For about an hour there was lots of excitement. The officer went in to consult his superiors, and I guess they phoned across the river to Ottawa. Finally they came back and told us that Hull was not going to be operated as a prison. We were going to run it. Before we'd move they took our committee in and showed them the whole place. A little while later Norman Freed and the committee came out and told us it was going to be all right.

On the inside, it was fine; there was a beautiful kitchen, everything shining. There were two bunks to a cell, and no locks on the doors, no soldiers in sight at all, no police, no prison staff. Any soldiers that were on guard were on the outside. There was only one lock on the whole building. That didn't stop us as we had complete freedom to go outside. There was a big compound for exercise, and there was also a door that led to the outside. We could go out to a wooded area and sit under the trees. Outside there were maybe five acres of bush. It looked like an unkempt park but it was a beautiful spot for reading and studying.

The soldiers were members of the Veterans' Guard. They were our friends. Sometimes when we were outside, there would be soldiers sitting at the corner of the fence, maybe 3 feet outside it. On a hot day, a soldier would sit down and the next thing he'd be snoozing with his rifle between his legs. If we saw a sergeant or an officer coming we'd holler or throw rocks to wake the guard. When we received a crystal radio set in a can of cottage cheese, it was decided that it would be kept in my cell. I shared a cell with Muni Taub, right in the middle of the cell block. I was on the bottom bunk, he was on the top. The radio was put under my pillow. The cells were inspected once a day, but after a while it got pretty lax. In the afternoons, when things had quieted down after the inspections, a few of us took turns listening to all the news. So every night we had a full report on the day's news.

I'll never forget it - I was lying in the bunk one night listening and the news broke about Pearl Harbor. I sailed out of my bunk. I don't think my feet hit the ground until I got down to the end of the passage where Norman Freed was resting and reading. "Norman!" I said. "Get up. I just got it. Pearl Harbor's wiped out." He thought I had gone crazy. They all did for a couple of seconds. I told them to come on up and listen for themselves. And sure enough, they found out that it was true.

I imagine that set is somewhere around that building yet. We used it right until the last man was released. You couldn't take it out with because you were searched going out.

There were two attempts that we know of to plant RCMP stool pigeons among us. These fellows would come in through ordinary channels. The door would open and some fellow dressed like we were would walk in. We'd all gather around him wondering if we knew him or knew of him. Both times the guy was French Canadian. There was quite a group of French Canadians with us. We became worried right away with the first fellow. You could tell by the way he carried himself that he'd had military training. Within a couple of days the French-Canadian comrades knew that he was a plant. Our committee went immediately to the camp commandant and told him to get the plant out before he got hurt. Of course the commandant had an excuse. He said he didn't know who the guy was but that he had to keep him interned. Possibly it was true. It was up to the top brass in Ottawa.

In a way I felt sorry for the stool pigeon. He had to eat and live with us. Nobody would look at him; they would almost spit at him every time he came round. His food would be delivered to him on a plate. All the rest, say twelve men at a table, would share a big platter of meat, vegetables and potatoes. He was never allowed to touch any of the platters, only the portion that was served to him. It was often doused heavily with pepper and salt so no one in the world could eat it.

We wanted him out. A couple of times we took his kit, mattress and all his possessions and threw them outside, right next to the door that divided us from the soldiers' headquarters. When they opened the door they'd find his mattress and everything else. He'd be standing with his stuff, looking glum. After about a week they let him out. About three months later they repeated the process with someone else, but then they gave up.

All through our internment in Kananaskis, Petawawa and finally in Hull, we were treated with respect by 98 per cent of the military staff, and that included a lot of the officers too. There is one episode I'll never forget.

In Hull jail we did all the cooking ourselves; we had all the regular cooking equipment of the army, such as big seven-or eight-gallon pots for making soup. We received a lot of fruit, raisins and such, more than we could eat. We decided to make some good whisky. We had to cook the stuff in one of those kitchen pots, and make it in the kitchen. We poured the juice from the mash into this big pot and then covered it with a pan which would sink into the soup about 6 inches. Then we filled it to the top with ice. The steam from the juice would start to boil or percolate and it would hit the bottom of the ice pan. There was another pan to catch the alcohol, and that liquid was clear. Did we have a party with the first batch!

One day, the orderly officer came in to inspect the kitchen; Fred Collins, Misha Cohen and I were there. We had made maybe 10 gallons and we had it stored in vinegar jugs behind the sacks of flour, We had a supply but we were making another batch. When you came into the kitchen the smell was pretty powerful. The officer came in as we were busy chopping up meat. He looked at all the pots and when he came to the special pot he asked what it was.

"Oh, that's a new kind of French soup we're making," said Fred. I could have died laughing. "Well now, isn't that interesting?" The officer turned to the sergeant and said, "Isn't that interesting?" We didn't

hear a word more. Everything went fine. About three days later, who should stop me but the commandant. He asked me if I worked in the kitchen. When I said yes, he asked what the stuff was we had behind the flour sacks. Obviously they had checked the kitchen at night when we were asleep. I told him it was vinegar. All he said was, "Take it easy drinking that stuff." He was the commander of the camp. That shows you what kind of consideration we got from the soldiers.

As the war went on the Communist Party told people to forget about strikes, forget about everything else except production to help win the war and smash Hitler. This speeded up our release. I was released in September 1942. I took the train and arrived in Calgary about 6:30 in the morning. About 200 people, many of them my friends, met me at the station and gave me a royal welcome.

The following Sunday I spoke at a meeting in a big hall that held 500 people. It was jammed to the roof. I said that I should never have been put in jail because we were fighting a war against fascism and if there was one thing I had hated all my life it was fascism. I also pointed out that there had been no charges brought against me and no trial.

When our people were released, most of them volunteered for active service. Some of them were killed in France and other places. I was 39, so naturally I had to look for a job. I was blacklisted everywhere in Calgary -in fact everywhere in Alberta - as a result of my years of activity with the Communist Party and as a mine union organizer throughout the province. I was forced to go to people who knew me at city hall. I talked to Mayor Andy Davison, who knew me because I had been an alderman for eighteen months before I was interned. He agreed that I'd have a struggle getting a job outside and he gave me a job the very next morning as a motor man, a streetcar driver."

- William Repka & Kathleen Repka, Dangerous Patriots: Canada’s Unknown Prisoners of War. Vancouver: New Star Books, 1982. p. 222-225.

[theworldatwar]

Dispatch rider Pte McDowell of the Canadian 48th Highlanders - Regalbuto Italy, Aug 1943

[enbysiriusblack]

cuban hope lupin and italian lyall lupin who travelled the world together before they had remus, learning languages and cultures and meeting people from everywhere.

and remus lupin who's never gone further than newport, half an hour away, constantly reading of the rest of the world. imagining being able to go there, to explore the world.

[hibiscusbabyboy]

(Dividers by @estrellitqs )