From early September, 1939 Halifax was at war. When the war began, people gathered along the waterfront to watch the fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy leave. For the next six years, the city was uniquely affected by the war's events. Halifax at War explores this transformation of the city and civilian life, making use of a rich blend of historical, biographical and archival sources.
Bill Naftel describes the incredible demands placed upon the city due to the war -- which far exceeded any other city in Canada. Halifax's infrastructure was barely able to cope as thousands of soldiers and sailors streamed through the city and thousands more arrived for war-related work. At first the war was welcomed for the jobs it created and the prosperity it brought, but soon crowding and inflated prices proved a trial for native Haligonians as well as thousands of temporary residents.
Reflecting new insights derived from primary documents, this lively history offers a new perspective on the impact of the war on Canada and Canadians, and on the many ways in which Halifax played a unique role in supporting Canada's contribution to the allied war effort.
The story of HMCS Oakville, a corvette that fought U-boats in WWII and remains a hero to its hometown in Oakville, Ontario.
This is an in-depth look at the history and legacy of HMCS Oakville, a Canadian World War II corvette that fought in the Battle of the Atlantic, and was one of the few corvettes to sink a U-boat. From its creation through its christening off the shores of its namesake town, its exploits at sea, the famous encounter with U94, and the ships lackluster end, Oakvilles is a story that showcases not only our nations proud naval heritage, but also the importance of remembrance.
Oakvilles Flower sets the scene of naval war in the Atlantic ? the battles between convoys, stealthy U-boats, and the lowly corvettes that formed the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy. We follow Oakville, one of those corvettes, through its rise and fall as a Canadian naval legend, to its revival in the town of Oakville, championed by the local Sea Cadet Corps that shares its name and safeguards its legacy.
Canadians formed the only all-volunteer overseas army of any of the major invading forces. They quickly commanded respect among senior Allied planners and on D-Day they were assigned Juno Beach. From the beach at Bernieres-sur-Mer to Falaise, and up the coast to the channel ports to the Scheldt, Nijmegen, the Rhineland, and ultimately near war's end into heavily defended Holland where the Dutch population faced starvation, these volunteers pushed forward relentlessly, usually in small sections, a point man in front, covering each other. This is the story from the regiment members themselves