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While very little has been written about Royal Canadian Air Force personnel stationed in Africa during the Second World War, even less has been shared about the Canadian airmen who flew out of Africa on anti-submarine operations.

APRIL 1, 1924: The Royal Canadian Air Force officially comes into existence. APRIL 2, 1917: The preliminary artillery bombardment of Vimy Ridge grows in intensity. APRIL 3, 1951: In Korea, divisions of the Eight Army cross the 38th Parallel. APRIL 4, 1949: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is established. APRIL 5, 1955: British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill resigns. APRIL 6, 1941: Yugoslavia is invaded by German forces. PHOTO: UNITED NATIONS Rwandan children, Goma. APRIL 7, 1994: Widespread slaughter of the Rwandan population begins. The commander of the United Nations peacekeepers, Canadian General Roméo Dallaire, finds himself powerless to stop the unfolding massacre. APRIL 8, 1940: [...]

The attacks on Nicoya and Leto on May 12, 1942, signalled the commencement of what became known as the Battle of the St. Lawrence, the most important enemy intrusion into Canadian territory—and the Canadian psyche—of the war. Although the threat was continuous throughout the shipping season and 22 vessels were lost in the river and gulf in 1942, the battle divides into three distinct phases. The first was the cruise of U-553 and the first sinkings on May 12 (The Battle Of The St. Lawrence Begins, January/February). In early July, U-132 arrived and sank five vessels over several weeks, marking the first attacks against organized and escorted convoys in the area. But the heaviest and most dramatic events took place in late summer when a tandem of skilled and aggressive submariners did enough damage to force the RCN to close the gulf and river to oceanic shipping. That devastating third phase had its origins in the tail end of the U-132’s cruise, and it brought the war to the most remote region of the gulf: the Strait of Belle Isle.

General Bernard Montgomery’s “armoured blitzkrieg,” Operation Goodwood, and its Canadian component, Operation Atlantic, ended in rain and confusion on July 20, 1944. The next day, Montgomery and his army commander, Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey, met to consider their options. News of the failed assassination attempt against Hitler was discussed as was the postponement of Operation Cobra, the major American offensive originally scheduled for July 20. The two British generals agreed they could not wait for the Americans; they would launch their attack south of Caen as soon as possible.

In the shadow of Mount Baldy, where lodgepole pine and trembling aspen compete for space in Alberta’s spectacular Kananaskis Country, all that remains of a Second World War prisoner of war camp are weedy building foundations, a rundown guard tower and a restored commandant’s cabin. Here and at 25 other locations across Canada, 35,046 German soldiers, sailors, airmen and potential insurgents were incarcerated under a program one later called “the best thing that happened to me.”

During the 200th anniversary period of the War of 1812, Legion Magazine will present a few photo essays by Ottawa photographer Dan Ward which will look at battlefields of the war as they are today. Each essay will present contemporary photographs where historic events took place, juxtaposed with archival images that capture the tumultuous events. The first focuses on the Battle of Châteauguay.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge remains an iconic event in Canadian history. Fought from April 9 to 12, 1917, it is celebrated in history books, resonates in popular culture and is firmly lodged in Canadian consciousness. The erection of Walter Allward’s stunning memorial on the ridge in 1936 has ensured that the battlefield remains a site of memory, mourning, victory and commemoration. Thousands of Canadians have made a pilgrimage to the memorial and, over time, despite the dangers of France being overrun during the Second World War and the ravages of weather, it has remained a focal point for Canadian war remembrance. The unveiling of the refurbished memorial in 2007 was accompanied by a pageantry of celebration and pride. The Queen, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and over 3,000 Canadians attended the ceremony, where T-shirts and hats were sold containing the tag line, ‘The birth of a nation.’

MARCH 1, 1945: Fourth Canadian Infantry Brigade launches an attack on enemy positions in the Hochwald Forest defence line covering Xanten, the last German bastion west of the Rhine. MARCH 2, 1969: In France, the supersonic Concorde jet completes its first flight. MARCH 3, 1921: The Canadian submarines CH-14 and CH-15 are commissioned.

Learn About Canadians In The Pacific The Military Museums in Calgary presents Ring of Fire: Canadians In The Pacific In The Second World War. The exhibit follows the exploits of three brave Canadians who were awarded the Victoria Cross while fighting in the Far East. It was an honour none of them would live to receive.

The term “Lost Legion” has a specific meaning for Royal Canadian Air Force historians. It refers to the thousands of RCAF personnel who spent part of their wartime service in Royal Air Force units rather than Canadian ones. Their stories have been largely submerged in the larger RAF histories, and one must disentangle their experiences from more general accounts.