THE BATTLE TO DESTROY THE ENEMY ABOVE, ON AND UNDER THE ATLANTIC

War was declared by the United Kingdom against Germany on September 3, 1939, and the Battle of the Atlantic would began the same day. One week later Canada followed the United Kingdom and declared war against Germany. This dangerous threat from the U boats began on September 3, 1939 with the sinking of the              SS Athenia from the torpedoes of a German U Boat. The Athenia had approximately 1,400 passengers and crew onboard and the death toll was 117 passengers and crew. There were American citizens on board at the time of the sinking.

THE GERMAN LUFTWAFFE NIGHT FIGHTER TACTICS OF WWII

World War II was the first conflict to employ the use of night fighter operations and this led to a number of types of aircraft being used, different radar types being used and different tactics being used as the war progressed. Very early in the war when RAF Bomber Command chose to bomb civilian targets the Luftwaffe had one goal which was to "search and destroy". 

1940-1941                                                                                                                                                          

THE CANADIAN ARMY - DIFFERENCES IN EQUIPING / TRAINING FOR WAR - WWI & WWII

Canada had nothing in the way of an Army Force prior to World War I or World War II. Because we did not have any armed forces the Canadian Governments of the time and our military minds of the time scrambled to find equipment and men.

                                                                                                             WORLD WAR I

OUR CANADIANS WWI - THE TRENCHES - THE DISEASES / ILLNESSES

Canada sent a total of 418,606 men overseas and in comparison hospitalizations numbered 539,690. Battle casualties numbered 144,606 with hospitalizations for various diseases numbering 395,084 and this number included more than one hospitalization for a soldier. This was a period prior to there being any effective antibiotics. Minor illnesses of today were rampant in World War I and are mostly eliminated today. A soldier could be way from his unit for weeks or months in WWI.

THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AIR TRAINING PLAN

THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AIR TRAINING PLAN

While the war in Europe was being fought, the American President Franklin Roosevelt was well aware of the training taking place in Canada and it led him to remark that Canada "was the aerodrome of democracy".

During the war years of 1939-45 Canada for the most part was many thousands of miles from the European battlegrounds. 

Jacob Smith - regarding corporal Wm. Hart

Body

Hello,

I have recently come across your website, and it is fantastic!  Thanks to everyone for your hard work.  My Great-Great-Great Grandfather, Corporal William Hart (1878-1918) was killed in World War I, and I have some information and images if you are interested.

William was a very blue collar, working class guy.  He and his family immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1908, and settled in Egmondville.  He worked as a labourer in a brickyard.  

Corporal William Hart

Hoogland remembers James Jamieson

Hoogland

I hope you are all well.
As you probably remember, the Dutch people commemorate the fallen of the Second World War on Monday 4 May during National Remembrance Day (Dodenherdenking).
The village of Hoogland that you visited last year, was liberated 75 years ago by the Canadian forces in April 1945.
Today, we unveiled a plaquard mentioning Pte. James Jamieson and four other Canadian soldiers who died in Hoogland, in the eve of the war.

MALLOCH, William John Ogilvie

DIVISIONAL UNIT:     Canadian Army Medical Corps                                                                                    RESIDENCE:             Toronto - Ontario                                                                                                                      BORN:                        Clinton - Goderich Township - County of Huron - Ontario                                            CEMETERY:              Toronto Mount Pleasant Cemetery - Toronto - Ontario