Canada
The Second World War lasted six terrible years and left a legacy of
death and destruction. It was truly a world war encircling the globe
from the Atlantic to the Pacific and touching the far reaches of the
Arctic. Nor was it confined to soldiers and battlefields, for new
weapons of destruction made war possible on the land, in the air, and
beneath the seas, and brought death and suffering indiscriminately to
the young and the old, to their homes and their hearts.
A few pages are not sufficient for a full account of that war - its
causes, its events, its heroism and its treachery. The aim here is
simply to tell something of the story of the Canadians who went
overseas, to give some idea of where they fought and died, and what
they were able to achieve.
For a young nation it was a remarkable achievement. Serving in the
Canadian Army, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force
and with other Allied Forces, thousands of young Canadians fought from
1939 to 1945 on the battlefronts of the world. They were there to
defend the United Kingdom when it appeared that Nazi invasion was
imminent. They fought valiantly in the unsuccessful attempt to defend
Hong Kong against the Japanese. At Dieppe they bore the brunt of a
daring, but fateful raid against the enemy-controlled coast of France.
Above all they played their part in two great campaigns: they fought
for twenty months in Italy, and were in the front lines when the
Allies returned to Continental Europe on D-Day in 1944.
They brought honour and a new respect to their country. Most of all
they helped to win the struggle against the tyranny and oppression
which threatened to engulf the world. It was for our freedom that
these young Canadians fought, and it was for that freedom that many of
them died.
More than one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served in the
Second World War. Of these more than 45,000 gave their lives, and
another 55,000 were wounded. Countless others shared the suffering and
hardship of war.
These few words are dedicated to those who fought that we might live
in freedom. It is their valour that we must remember.
ExcBuilder ßeta
