Wars and ConflictsΒ permalink
Canada's contribution
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Message 1.Β
Posted by vesturiiis (U13688567) on Tuesday, 20th July 2010
been away but after reading Ireland neutral stance it makes me sick, why was Canada on a population persentage such a huge contributor to both WW1 and WW2 when we are like 3000 miles from the conflict. Even today in conflicts there a'int too much grumbling about our involvement, must be the water........
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Message 2
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Tuesday, 20th July 2010
Yes, a little odd that the RCN provided 49% of Atlantic convoy escorts at the critical time late 42 - mid 43, especially as during Hood's imperial tour Canada had only one useable ship, and Hood's captain got into hot water for suggesting a country with two considerable oceanic seaboards might really need at least 2 vessels - one for each coast.
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Message 3
Posted by vesturiiis (U13688567) on Tuesday, 20th July 2010
Hi Urnungaal
just as an aside, I was in Iceland and my cousin said his Grandfather saw the HMS Hood leaving on her illfated trip to meet the Bismarck. It really hits home as we were on a whale watching trip in those same waters! -
Message 4
Posted by White Camry (U2321601) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010
vesturiiis,
been away but after reading Ireland neutral stance it makes me sick, why was Canada on a population persentage such a huge contributor to both WW1 and WW2 when we are like 3000 miles from the conflict. Even today in conflicts there a'int too much grumbling about our involvement, must be the water........Β
Canada also sent its share of volunteers to South Africa in the Second Anglo-Boer War.
Here are a couple of clues on Canada defined itself in Empire days:
in any language
How does Canada define itself now? -
Message 5
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010
The 2nd Boer War marked the first major Canadian overseas operation, and British refusal to provide or licence the Lee-Enfield led to the Canadian adoption of the .303 Ross which proved suspect under trench conditions durinfg WW1, but was issued to many Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Guard units in 1940. Australia did ready contigents for South Africa, but most of them were diverted to China at the time of the Boxer Rebellion.
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Message 6
Posted by LongWeekend (U3023428) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010
Urungal
To be fair, the British Gogvernment was perfectly happy to supply SMLE for the Canadians (as was done for the other Imperial contingents). what it wasn't prepared to do was agree to licence production on terms extremely favourable to Canada, which is what was proposed by the Canadian government.
The adoption of the Ross itself, declared to be inadequate in trials by both British and Canadian officers, had a lot to do with political corruption in Canada - blaming the Brits, the usual colonial fallback, was a useful smokescreen.
For a discussion of the Ross procurement issue in particular, and more importantly the whole political and national context of Canada's involvement in the Great War, I would strongly recommend Pierre Berton's "Vimy". It was recommended to me some years ago by a serving CF officer, and although it is a little chauvinistic (Berton's declared aim with his history books was to celebrate Canada's emergence as a nation), it is still probably the best general history on this subject.
LW -
Message 7
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010
LW - Are you sure about the British Government's "willingness?" The Australians sent to China are, in the few surviving pictures in the Victorian Navy archives, without exception armed with Martini-Henry rifles.
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Message 8
Posted by vesturiiis (U13688567) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010
Hi WhiteCamry
Thank-you for the info, I had sent a reply earlier but then I went and cut the grass and.....anyway
I of course cannot speak for Canucks in general but I really believe that we are solidly behind our Armed Forces.
My earlier story, lost in the ether
was about a trapper I got to know in latter years who heard over the radio ~1940 WW2, left his camp and travelled thru 30miles of bush to join the army and ended up on Juno beach-end of chapter.
He told that was a nasty bit of business and glad to get back to Northern Manitoba. I just marvel in the fellow he could have easily "hidden out" so to speak but no it was what had to be done!!
Must be the water!!! -
Message 9
Posted by wollemi (U2318584) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010
#5
umungal
Other way around
The Australian colonies had aready sent 'bushmen' contingents to South Africa when the Boxer Rebellion broke out - so the contribution there was from the Navy
Canada, NZ and Australia contributions to the Boer War were particularly for men who could 'shoot and ride' in the guerrilla phase and equalise the Boer advantage -
Message 10
Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010
Yes, I know theywere from the Navies, but they also were being readied for SA. If you follow up the Victorian Navy or Cerberus sites, there's a good account (I'm in the Victorian Navy myself - to help preserve Cerberus or as much of her as possible)
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Message 11
Posted by LongWeekend (U3023428) on Thursday, 29th July 2010
Urungal
Yes. The British did indeeed refuse to supply original Lee Enfields during the Boer War (British needs taking priority). BSa were also uninterested in proposals to license build the weapon in Canada.
This was taken as a political opportunity, with the Boer War over, to build a "Canadian" rifle, with a militarised version of a sporting weapon being offered. This weapon, the Ross, was adopted despite fairing badly in comparative trials with the Lee Enfield (trials which were, in any case, rigged). The decision to go ahead with the Ross was heavily political.
In the run-up to war a few years later, Imperial contingents were pressed to acquire the S.M.L.E. but Canada insisted on perservering with the Ross, again for mainly political reasons, with tragic results when the Canadians went into action in 1915. Haig agreed to re-equip the 1st Canadian Division with SMLE - he needed these fine fighting men to have a weapon to fight with.
Apart from Berton's book, there is quite a lot of discussion of the issue on various Canadian sites.
This is quite a complicated topic, involving Imperial political and economic relations, and Canadian political alliances and aspirations. Very interesting it all is.
Cheers
LW
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