Canadian Armed Forces
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Of Luck and War: From Squeegee Kid to Bomber Pilot in World War II
Join Flying Officer Les Morrison in the cockpit of a Lancaster bomber as he flies missions over Germany with 424 (Tiger) Squadron during WWII. Quite a change from his days as a delivery boy during the Depression. But luck has a habit of throwing Les a turn, placing an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances, which he has ably captured for us all in this observant and gently humorous wartime account.
On the Triangle Run
The triangle run was the name given to North Atlantic convoys operating between New York, Halifax and St. John's up to the mid-ocean meeting point (MOMP) where convoys were turned over to UK escorts. This book contains B&W photos of the HMCS Trail, HMCS Dundas, HMCS Chilliwack, HMCS Arrowhead and HMCS Battleford.
Once a Patricia: Memoirs of a Junior Infantry Officer in World War II
Once a Patricia provides an in-depth an account of the author's (C. Sydney Frost) experiences with Canada's Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) in the Second World War, from training through the Italian campaign, and finally to Holland.
Operation Friction 1990-1991: The Canadian Forces in the Persian Gulf (Hardcover)
This official account of the crisis in the Persian Gulf traces the Canadian Forces commitment to the Gulf region in response to Iraqi aggression in 1990-1991. Written by two officers who served in the Persian Gulf during the period of hostilities in 1991, this official account is the fruit of four years of detailed research. Based upon their personal experiences, numerous interviews, and unrestricted access to official papers, they have produced a candid account of value for both the military professional and the interested civilian.
In January 1991, the Chief of Defence Staff authorized the Director of History to post Major Jean Morin as field historian to the staff of the Commander, Canadian Forces Middle East (Commodore Ken Summers). It was the first time since the Korean War that a historical officer had been posted to the staff of a Canadian commander overseas.
Operation Friction 1990-1991: The Canadian Forces in the Persian Gulf (Softcover)
This official account of the crisis in the Persian Gulf traces the Canadian Forces commitment to the Gulf region in response to Iraqi aggression in 1990-1991. Written by two officers who served in the Persian Gulf during the period of hostilities in 1991, this official account is the fruit of four years of detailed research. Based upon their personal experiences, numerous interviews, and unrestricted access to official papers, they have produced a candid account of value for both the military professional and the interested civilian.
In January 1991, the Chief of Defence Staff authorized the Director of History to post Major Jean Morin as field historian to the staff of the Commander, Canadian Forces Middle East (Commodore Ken Summers). It was the first time since the Korean War that a historical officer had been posted to the staff of a Canadian commander overseas.
Ordinary Heros
An eloquent collection of stories of over forty Canadian heroes of World War Two. All were ordinary men and women before volunteering to serve, and each reveals in their own way a gallantry, courage and perserverance that Canadians will take pride in. Includes black and white illustrations.
Ortona: Canada’s Epic World War II Battle
In one furious week of fighting in December 1943, the First Canadian Infantry Division took Ortona, Italy, from elite German paratroopers ordered to hold the medieval port at all costs. When the battle was over, the Canadians emerged victorious despite heavy losses. Over 2,500 Canadians died or were wounded there. Military historian Mark Zuehlke blends reminiscences of the Canadians, Germans, and Italians who were there together with a blow-by-blow account of the fighting to create a harrowing, ultimately hopeful rendering of one of World War II's defining moments.
Our Bravest and Our Best: The Stories of Canada’s Victoria Cross Winners
Between 1854 and 1945 more Canadians per capita were awarded the Victoria Cross than members of any other Commonwealth country. In all, ninety-five Canadians won the British Commonwealth's highest honour for valour in combat.
Our Bravest and Our Best presents the memorable and inspiring stories of these men who were willing to lay down their lives for our freedom. Their courageous actions set them apart as the "bravest and best " examples of Canadian heroism.
Arthur Bishop, son of legendary World War I flying ace and Victoria Cross winner "Billy" Bishop, vividly describes the heroic actions which won each VC winner his medal. He sets the battlefield heroics within the larger picture of the war or campaign involved and follows the later lives and career of each winner.
Our Bravest and Our Best also covers what happened to the medals themselves-some were stored away, others were simply lost,and another found it's way into a pawn shop. In one case, a VC was stolen right out of a recipient's coffin never to be retrieved! Many medals are now on display at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa and various other war museums across the country.
Ranging from the Indian Mutiny to the Battle of Ypres and the Somme, from Vimy Ridge to the raid on Dieppe, Our Bravest and Our Best details some of the most colourful and stirring moments in Canadian military history.
Our Little Army in the Field: The Canadians in South Africa, 1899-1902
The Boer War, 1899-1902, saw the first Canadian troops sent overseas to fight. Many units of the present Canadian army first distinguished themselves in South Africa, and still proudly bear the Battle Honours earned there.This is the story of the Canadian soldiers in the Boer War, how they overcame the limitations of the old-style British army, and how they defeated very tough, unconventional warriors. The author uses extensive archival research to shed new light on some of the failures and controversies, as well as the obvious successes, of the Canadians in South Africa.
Out of the Shadows: Canada in the Second World War
First published in 1977 this accessible general overview of Canada's contribution to the Second World War and of the war's effect on Canada's evolution. This revised edition incorporates new information, particularly in the realms of intelligence and cipher, allowing new interpretations of policies and operations. It also makes new judgements on Canadian generalship.
Pacific Coast Artillery in Canadian Service
In their 'Canada Weapons of War' series this booklet covers a little known topic, the Coastal Artillery placed along the Canadian coast (sorry, an obvious statement I know) during WW2 to defend against the possibility of an attack by the Japanese. Looking back and knowing the history of the war it may seem to have been unlikely, but at the time it would have been a real concern. The result was a succession of gun emplacements located in potential target areas up and down this long coastline.
The guns varied from lighter AA weapons to heavier coastal artillery such as the 9.2 inch guns, and going purely from the photos included, they all appear to have been in open emplacements, though roofed observation positions were used along with them.
The booklet is essentially a wartime report by Major Nicholson as a historical report but it has been edited for a modern audience. It makes for some interesting reading and explores the background to decisions of what guns were sited where and why different size weapons were chosen appropriate to the risk. Today it is what we would consider a basic Risk Assessment and providing solutions appropriate to the risk and as far as resources allowed. In the end of course there were no direct attacks so these defences were not put to the test of combat but it makes for some interesting reading on a little know subject of WW2.
Passchendaele and Battles of Ypres
The objective of the third battle of the Ypres salient, the site of Passchendaele village was finally captured by the Canadians on 6th November 1917. Published to coincide with the 80th anniversary, this book recounts the experiences of the soldiers involved. From the first clash in 1915, to the final offensive in September 1918, the book allows the reader to follow the course of the war around this strategically vital Belgian town.
Passchendaele: Canada’s Triumph and Tragedy on the Fields of Flanders: An Illustrated History
This fully-illustrated, easily-accessible, account of the battle of Passchendaele presents the background and details of Canada's coming of age in The Great War.
During WWI, the battle for the tiny Belgium town Passchendaele was one of the most significant tests of Canadian courage and expertise. British Commander-in-Chief General Douglas Haig had devised one of the most controversial stratagems of the entire war: Allied forces would attack headlong into the heavily fortified German entrenchments, capture the town of Passchendaele and its highlands, and drive toward the coast to destroy German submarine bases.
General Arthur Currie's Canadian Corps was called to the front for this attack. After their victories at Vimy Ridge and Hill 70, the Canadians had earned the nickname "storm troopers" for, like a storm, they could not be stopped. Even for the battle-hardened Canadians, Passchendaele was a living hell. Many drowned in the mud before ever seeing the enemy. Others died from deadly chlorine gas, and others from artillery shells that rained down in numbers over 175 per square metre.
The Canadians seized Passchendaele, succeeding where all others had failed, and displaying high standards of leadership, staff work and training.The Corps had suffered 16,000 casualties; nine Victoria Crosses were awarded to acknowledge the extraordinary heroism. Though the actual value of the campaign is debated to this day, one thing is certain: Canadians had been tested against the worst horrors of the Great War, and they had proven their valour.
Peewees on Parade: Wartime Memories of a Young (and Small) Soldier
Through an organizational quirk, 12 Platoon of the South Alberta Regiment received the shortest men and was promptly dubbed the "Peewee Platoon." John Galipeau was an inexperienced lad from northern Alberta whose family had suffered in the Depression, and initially was turned down as too short. Eventually he was accepted into the famed "South Albertas." Galipeau recounts his wartime experiences, training in Western Canada and England, and in action. The regiment was in hard-fought action in Normandy, including the Battle of the Falaise Gap, and the rapid sweep across northwest Europe that culminated in the liberation of the Netherlands.
Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry
Originally formed in 1914, this distinguished Canadian regiment served in both World Wars, Korea, and many U.N. missions.
Raymond Collishaw and the Black Flight
Ever wondered what it would be like to fly a biplane or triplane in the First World War? Raymond Collishaw and the Black Flight takes you to the Western Front during the Great War. Experience the risks of combat and the many close calls Collishaw had as a pilot, flight commander, and squadron leader. Understand the courage Collishaw and his fellow flyers faced every day they took to the air in their small, light, and very manoeuvrable craft to face the enemy.
As the third-highest-scoring flying ace among British and colonial pilots in the First World War, scoring 60 victories, Collishaw was only surpassed by Billy Bishop and Edward Mannock. This book traces Collishaw's life from humble beginnings in Nanaimo, British Columbia, to victories in the skies over France.
Salute!: Canada’s Great Military Leaders from Brock to Dextraze
Canada has produced some outstanding military leaders in every field of endeavour---in the air, on the land, and at sea. Arthur Bishop once again brings Canadian history to life. As more and more Canadians examine what's gone wrong with the military, Bishop takes a look at an inspiring selection of Canada's finest and noblest military leaders from 1812 to the present day. In Bishop's trademark colourful, narrative style, fifteen leaders are covered in detail from their personal history through their accomplishments on and off the battlefield. Journey into Canada's history as Salute! takes you into battle with such leaders as Isaac Brock, Tecumseh, Arthur Currie, Guy Simonds, John Rockingham, Wilf Curtis, and Jacques Dextraze. See how their outstanding leadership shaped Canada from the War of 1812 to the present. As Canada's Armed Forces struggle out from under the shame of hazings, Somalia, and the subsequent coverups, it is time to look at the great military leaders who led Canada to battle and glory, to learn from them, to be proud of them, to salute them.
Arthur Bishop was a WWII pilot and is the son of legendary WWI flying ace Billy Bishop. His most recent book was Canada's Glory: Battles That Forged a Nation.of effective teamwork in her popular user- friendly, anecdotal style.
Scarlet to Green: The Colours, Uniforms, and Insignia of the Grey and Simcoe Foresters
This is a photographic history of American military aircraft.
Contents cover:
Superfort
Bomber force
Hot pursuits
Top trainers
Cargo classics
Secret Weapons of the Canadian Army
During the Second World War the Canadian Army experimented with a variety of home grown vehicles and weapons systems as well as improvements or modifications to existing British and US designs. The Sexton self-propelled 25-pdr gun may be one of the best known but there existed many others which never progressed beyond single examples. Based in great part on the Army Technical Development Board reports as well as the Army Engineering Design Branch work, this book will show many previously unknown experimental variants.
Shutting Down the National Dream: A. V. Roe and the Tragedy of the Avro Arrow
An account 'of the rise and fall of a Avro Canada, an aircraft manufacture that over its lifespan came close to some aviation firsts, but through bad timing, government indifference, political hostility (or American pressure?) and management decisions, it failed to achieve what it might have. The end comes in the mid-1950s with the Arrow, a jet fighter that some believe was not equaled anywhere until the mid-1970s.
Slow March to a Regiment
To enlist was, of course, an immediate solution to this problem. As a way out, it was especially attractive late at night as I laboured over the dull material of my texts. Interestingly, it was on the first day of February 1941, that my future artillery regiment, the 17th Field, was officially formed in Petawawa. Three and one-half years were to go by, however, before I wore the shoulder flashes of this regiment. Mine was to be a slow march up to the guns."
This memoir, based on diaries and letters, traces the author's life from his early years during the first part of this century in southwestern Ontario's countryside until the end of WWII, an experience which, in his own words, left his memory "so scarred, so vulnerable, so rich."
Somme 1916: Battle Story
One of the bloodiest battles fought in military history — this Battle Story will make you understand what happened and why.
The Battle of the Somme raged from July 1 to November 18, 1916, and was one of the bloodiest fought in military history. It has come to signify for many the waste and bloodshed of the First World War, as hundreds of thousands of men on all sides lost their lives fighting over small gains in land. Yet this battle was also to mark a turning point in the war and to witness new methods of warfare, such as all-arms integrated attacks, with infantry units and the new Tank Corps fighting alongside each other.
In this Battle Story, Andrew Robertshaw seeks to lift the battle out of its controversy and explain what really happened and why. Complete with detailed maps and photographs, as well as fascinating facts and profiles of the leaders, this is the best introduction to this legendary battle.
South Albertas: A Canadian Regiment at War
This revised edition of the history of the famous South Alberta Regiment includes some minor corrections. The book tells the story of the celebrated regiment that played a key role in the Battle of the Falaise Gap and was in the forefront of the sweep across northern Europe that culminated in the liberation of the Netherlands.
Standing Against Fire: A History of the Fire Service of Canada’s Military Forces and Department of National Defence
Standing Against Fire chronicles the history of the Fire Service that has served within Canada's military for the better part of a century. Today, the Fire Service is a cohesive organization with its members qualified to stringent international standards. However, for years after its tentative beginnings during World War I, the Fire Service led a nomadic existence, first as part of one military branch then another, before settling in as a component of the Military Engineers.
Drawing on archival documents, personal memoirs, contemporary accounts, and military records, Standing Against Fire gathers together for the first time a comprehensive account of the Fire Service's legacy and accomplishments. Embarrassments, humorous tales and outstanding achievements by both fire crews and individual firefighters are recounted. Approximately 200 visuals complement the text. Standing Against Fire is a tribute to the men and women who have proudly and honourably served Canada in the Fire Service.
Storms of Controversy: Secret Avro Arrow Files Revealed
The development of the Avro Arrow was a remarkable Canadian achievement. Its mysterious cancellation in February 1959 prompted questions that have long gone unanswered.
- What role did the Central Intelligence Agency play in the scrapping of the project?
- Who in Canada’s government was involved in that decision?
- What, if anything, did Canada get in return?
- Who ordered the blowtorching of all the prototypes?
- And, did Arrow technology find its way into the American Stealth fighter/bomber program?
Storms of Controversy answers these questions. Using never-before-released documents, the book exploded the myth that design flaws, cost overruns, or obsolescence had triggered the demise of the Arrow.
Storms of Controversy: The Secret Avro Arrow Files Revealed (3rd Edition)
New documents clarify the American government's role in the scandalous decision to scrap the Avro Arrow.
Not since the Spitfire of World War II has an aircraft single-handedly captured a nation's imagination, and no one has uncovered more new insights into this legendary aircraft than Palmiro Campagna. For this edition, Campagna has done just that, turning up new documents that further clarify John Diefenbaker's role in the Arrow cover-up, addressing Cabinet Minister Pierre Sevigny's mysterious claims in February 1998 about the destruction of the Arrow, and asking why, when the names of so many government officials appeared on the orders to kill the Arrow, Diefenbaker alone shouldered the blame.
Tapestry of War: Private View of Canadians in the Great War
Sandra Gwyn's first highly praised non-fiction work, The Private Capital, won the Governor General's Award and was a national bestseller. Tapestry of War brings to brilliant life the Great War experiences of ten Canadians, three of them women. Through diaries, personal letters, and memoirs, enriched by anecdotes and meticulous research, Sandra Gwyn has created a vivid world where, as Elizabeth Longford noted, "The boom of the guns never drowns the voices of the people."
The 25-Pounder in Canadian Service
A detailed review of the 25-pounder's development and use by the Canadian Military during WWII.
The 3.7 Inch Anti-Aircraft Gun in Canadian Service
This compact book provides details of the 3.7 Inch Anti-Aircraft gun that was designed for the British Army in the 1930s. It was in service with the Canadian Forces from 1941.
The Armoured Train in Canadian Service
Armoured trains were perhaps the earliest real Armoured Fighting Vehicles, and appeared in various guises and places for many years. One unusual train was designed and put into service in Canada during World War Two. As the Japanese armed forces pushed through South-East Asia and across the Pacific, there were real fears of them invading the Western coast of Canada and some areas with strategic importance needed special defence measures.
One stretch of line where Canada borders Alaska had its own armoured train for this purpose. Built using standard rolling stock, it had a protected engine which pushed and pulled carriages for troops as well as armed cars with 75mm field and 40mm anti-aircraft guns. As such it would have been a formidable oponent to land forces, though like all trains it was vulnerable to attacks on the tracks and from the air.
The story of No 1 Armoured Train is interesting and unusual. While it is easy to write this off as "a train, not an AFV" it is both and as such should appeal to those interested in either field. It may never have been called upon to fight but that does not mean that its story should not be recorded.
That story is well told here, along with the background to the need for it there is an account of the assembly of the component parts including photos of the various gun and troop cars, as well as details of how the train operated including the problems of using the same tracks as working trains.
As this was a one-off, the account can go into considerable detail and the photos would give a modeller the chance to produce their own replica which would certainly be something different though even in small scale would be a big model.
The C15TA in Canadian Service
The C15TA Light Armoured Truck was developed early in World War II by the Canadian Department of Munitions and Supply and General Motors of Canada. It was in essence, Canada's first general-purpose armoured vehicle, marrying a Chevrolet C15A Canadian Military Pattern four-wheel drive chassis, the GM 270 cubic-inch engine, and an armoured body built by the Hamilton Bridge Company. This Service Publications book details its development and service use.