Canadian Servicewomen: Picture Thread

[Biscuit]

Not to leave out our neighbors to the North, here is a picture thread for you guys!

This first one only has the caption 'Canadian women soldiers', so I don't know anything about them. I am thinking the one on the left is a soldier. Notice that she has a different hat. Anybody have any thoughts?

[Jim O]

They have three different hats and it would appear three different coats. I have no idea what the difference means.

[Biscuit]

Yeah, good catch on the differences. I was in a hurry! Men and women's clothing buttons in opposite directions. I wonder if the jacket going the other way is a men's jacket - though it doesn't look it.

[Pirate-Drakk]

Note that they are walking in step, but don't appear to be marching. What does that imply? It's an intermediate level of formality...

[Whiterook]

Thanks for that Heather...that is sooooo cool! The Canadian involvement in the war seems to be so overlooked I think.

[Biscuit]

Originally Posted by Whiterook

Thanks for that Heather...that is sooooo cool! The Canadian involvement in the war seems to be so overlooked I think.

I agree on that count for both world wars. That's why they were the second picture thread I started. They earned it.

[Whiterook]

Nice! And good point on WWI as well. It's funny, but on all my trips to Canada, history books on WWI and WWII are so hard to find. I don't think it's a lack of pride thing...they just look at things differently, I guess. I've asked my relatives there, and they can't put their finger on it either, but they just don't seem to focus on it.

[PatBC]

More then 50,000 Canadian Women served in WW2.
CWACs (army) 21,600
WDs (RCAF) 17,400
Wrens (Navy) 7,100
4,480 Nuring sisters

Nursing Sister Margaret Brooke was awarded the Order of the British Empire for her heroic efforts to save her fellow Nursing Sister Agnes Wilkie after the S.S. Caribou, the ferry they were taking to Newfoundland, was torpedoed in the Cabot Strait in 1942.

In addition a number of Canadian women served in SOE. (Canada was a sources of frenchwomen for the SOE both as agents and as radio operators).

During the 1.2 million women held full times jobs. Canada total population was 11 million

Mona Parsons

Marion Orr

[Biscuit]

Originally Posted by Whiterook

Nice! And good point on WWI as well. It's funny, but on all my trips to Canada, history books on WWI and WWII are so hard to find. I don't think it's a lack of pride thing...they just look at things differently, I guess. I've asked my relatives there, and they can't put their finger on it either, but they just don't seem to focus on it.

Pat would know better than me, but take a look at Vimy Ridge!

[PatBC]

For many different reasons Canadian have not been great flag wavers, especially about our military history.

The issue with Quebec has frequently meant that service personnel did not wear their uniform in public in Quebec. There have been times where that was the case even in the rest of Canada.

I remember the first Remembrance Day Parade (1994) I was on where the military received applause it surprised me as I had never seen that before.

Until the last few decades few Canadian veterans wrote memoirs and most were negative. In addition some Canadian Generals wrote scornfully about their soldiers. Arthur Currie who was one of the greatest military minds Canada ever produced was Character assassinated for political reason that had nothing to due with the military.

I hope that in future Canada remains rightfully proud of the it accomplishments