Quote:
Originally posted by FV623
And I think you will find several other nations also had a hand in it.
R.
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You are right, of course. Nobody with more than a single brain cell can ever deny Britain's leadership role in the Second World War - both politically and militarily. However, to step up onto my soap-box podium, many people don't recognize Canada's contribution to the war effort. From a pre-war Permanent Force of 5,000 we raised 5 overseas divisions and 2 independant armoured brigades as well as 3 home divisions. We boasted the third-largest air force of the war and the fourth largest navy. Canada took one of the five beaches on D-Day and met or exceeded all of its D-Day +1 objectives. Canadians could be found in every theatre of the war. In addition to our own forces large numbers of Canadians could be found in the uniforms of the RN and RAF.
Canadian industry supplied arms and other stores to every Allied nation including Russia, China, the US, UK, Australia, NZ, RSA, etc.... From no arms industry in 1939 at all we managed to supply everything from bullets to small arms, artillery, tanks, optics, chemicals and more. We built over 3,000 ships, 7,000 aircraft and almost a million motorized vehicles. Canada trained most of the post-1941 aircrew and was termed, by President Roosevelt, the "Aerodrome of democracy".
I don't wish to belittle the contributions, or sacrifices, made by other Allied nations, but Canada - due to its unusual position of being considered British by the US and of being American by the Brits, is often overlooked in modern story-telling. Perhaps we should have been more forthright at war's end and insisted on a position in the occupation Army - we certainly had more claim to it than the French - but that was not then, or now, our way.
I know that this group, more than any other, knows fully well exactly what Canada accomplished in the 1939-1945 unpleasantness. Lest we forget
Rant over.