Remembrance Day Toolkit Remembrance Day Toolkit
Toolkit
From the Collections of the Canadian War Museum

Photographs

Photos of war have been taken since the early days of photography, when equipment was bulky, slow, and difficult to use. Today, photographers continue to record all aspects of the war experience. The photographs included here tell a wide variety of stories, from life on the home front to survival in the trenches.


Canadian Poppy

The lapel Poppies worn in Canada today were first made in 1922. The donations given in exchange for the poppies were used to provide assistance to ex-service personnel, their dependents, and in the promotion of remembrance.
George Metcalf Archival Collection,CWM 19760167-008
George Metcalf Archival Collection,CWM 19760167-008

American Poppy

Memorial Day in the United States was originally called Decoration Day. Anna E. Guerin, the "Poppy Lady from France" mentioned on the flower's tag, established the first sale of poppies with the American Legion in 1920.
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19720228-001
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19720228-001

British Poppy

The Earl Haig Fund Scotland provides assistance to former armed forces personnel and their dependants. The charity has a Poppy Appeal every November to raise money for this purpose.
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19870088-002
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19870088-002

American Revolution

Hannah Ingraham

Born in the British colony of New York, Hannah Ingraham was a child during the American Revolution. Growing up in a Loyalist family behind Rebel lines, she endured hardship and harassment by her neighbours. After the war, Hannah and her family fled into exile and helped to build a new Canada.
Courtesy of Faith Ingraham Thomas
Courtesy of Faith Ingraham Thomas

War of 1812

Veterans of the War of 1812

From left to right: John Smoke Johnson, Jacob Warner and John Tutlee.Jacob Warner and John Tutlee were two of the Iroquois warriors who encountered Laura Secord as she approached the British camp to warn of the impending invasion by American troops. The Iroquois led her to Lieutenant Fitzgibbon, whose troops mobilized and overcame the Americans.
Library and Archives Canada, C-085127
Library and Archives Canada, C-085127

Northwest Resistance

Fine Day

A Cree war chief, Fine Day defeated a Canadian army at the Battle of Cut Knife Creek in 1885.
Library and Archives Canada, PA 28837
Library and Archives Canada, PA 28837

Batoche Burning

Led by combat veteran Gabriel Dumont, Métis forces employed their traditional tactic of digging rifle pits and waiting to open fire from cover when an enemy approached. But by digging in and remaining on the defensive, the Métis allowed the Canadian militia to advance almost undisturbed to Batoche. Once there, the militia overcame the Métis through superior numbers and firepower.
Library and Archives Canada, C-003464
Library and Archives Canada, C-003464

Wars of the First Peoples

Pacific Coast Warrior in Rope Armour



Library and Archives Canada, C-016779

Library and Archives Canada, C-016779

RETURN TO TOP

South African War

To South Africa

The first military contingent sent to South Africa consisted of over 1,000 volunteers, including four nurses. They came from across the country, although most were from urban areas.
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19830041-100
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19830041-100

Canadian Infantry Engaging the Boers

Cameras were bulky, fragile and rarely carried into battle. This is a battlefield photograph of Canadian soldiers firing at Boers on 18 February 1900 at Paardeberg.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-181414
Library and Archives Canada, pa-181414

Into Battle

The soldiers of C Company, Royal Canadian Regiment, climb a hill before attacking.
The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum Collection
The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum Collection

First World War

Pack Horses

Without widespread motor transport, armies relied on horses and mules to move soldiers, guns, ammunition and supplies into the war zone. These horses are carrying 18-pounder artillery shells up to the front for the attack on Vimy Ridge.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-001229
Library and Archives Canada, pa-001229

William Barker, VC

Manitoba's William Barker shot down 50 enemy aircraft over Italy and France in his biplane during the First World War. In one battle, Barker single-handedly engaged several dozen German aircraft, downing four. He was severely injured before managing to escape. His efforts won him the Victoria Cross in 1918. Barker was killed in a flying accident in Ottawa in 1930.
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 75-1
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 75-1

Disaster at Home

During the war, merchant ships carried vital supplies to Britain, traveling in convoys due to the danger of attack by German submarines. In 1917, the collision in Halifax Harbour of two convoy ships, one carrying explosives, resulted in one of the greatest explosions in history. The explosion killed 1,600 and injured 9,000 more. Despite this catastrophe, convoys sailed again from Halifax in less than a week.
W.G. MacLaughlan, Library and Archives Canada, C-019953
W.G. MacLaughlan, Library and Archives Canada, C-019953

Canadian Nursing Sisters

More than 3,000 nurses served in the Canadian Army Medical Corps in the First World War. They saved lives by assisting with operations and caring for soldiers recovering from their wounds. During the intense rush of casualties after a major battle, nurses worked for days on end with virtually no rest.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-001291
Library and Archives Canada, pa-001291

Heavy Howitzer in Action

Artillery such as this howitzer fired hundreds of thousands of shells, before and during large battles. Artillery fire inflicted approximately 60 per cent of all wounds during the First World War.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-000743
Library and Archives Canada, pa-000743

Children's Knitting Club

Even young children were expected to do their bit for the war effort. Children knitted socks for soldiers, helped around the house or farm, and pooled their pennies for victory.
Galt Museum & Archives, P19760231218
Galt Museum & Archives, P19760231218

Plane Crash

Flying as a pilot during the war was tense, nerve-wracking work. Constant alertness meant the difference between life and death. With fragile aircraft, extreme weather conditions, and enemy fighters, a new flyer's life expectancy could be only months, or even days.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-003894
Library and Archives Canada, pa-003894

The Creeping Barrage

The creeping barrage was a key to victory on the Western Front. This moving wall of artillery fire forced the enemy to remain under cover, where he could not fire on the attacking infantry as they moved across No Man's Land.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-001879
Library and Archives Canada, pa-001879

U-Boat Threat

German U-Boats sank 26 ships off Nova Scotia and south of Newfoundland in 1918. The Royal Canadian Navy deployed almost 100 small warships to counter the U-Boat threat.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, PMR086-509
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, PMR086-509

Life at the Front

"Every day our defences were leveled. Every night we would crawl out, after long hours spent flat on our stomachs, covered to the neck in mud and blood, and endeavour to repair the damage. Every night we lost a few men, every day we lost a few men."
Harold Peat
Library and Archives Canada, pa-002044
Library and Archives Canada, pa-002044



National Archives of Canada/pa-001096
National Archives of Canada/pa-001096



Library and Archives Canada, pa-002156
Library and Archives Canada, pa-002156



Library and Archives Canada, pa-002229
Library and Archives Canada, pa-002229



Library and Archives Canada, pa-002162
Library and Archives Canada, pa-002162





George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19930013-786
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19930013-786




George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM O.875
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM O.875



George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM O.849
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM O.849

Soldier Guides Wounded Comrade

Soldiers suffered horrific wounds from shrapnel. Although all weaponry caused terrible physical damage, cone-shaped bullets produced cleaner wounds than irregular-shaped shrapnel. Shrapnel pieces ricocheted inside the body, causing further internal damage and gaping exit wounds. A soldier wounded in the chest from shrapnel was three times more likely to die than one wounded by a bullet.
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19910162-009
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19910162-009

Treating the Wounded

Doctors learned to treat the terrible wounds of modern warfare, and served in the front lines or within range of enemy artillery. New techniques like blood transfusion saved lives. Casualties were so heavy that more than half of all Canadian physicians served overseas to meet the demand. Most would return home with new skills to treat Canadians after the war.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-000699
Library and Archives Canada, pa-000699

First World War Survivor in Wheelchair

With improvements in combat surgery, almost 90 per cent of all wounded soldiers who received medical treatment survived. However, many of these survivors suffered physical and mental wounds that would affect them for the rest of their lives.
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19801026-012
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19801026-012

War Brides

Canadian soldiers - in training, on leave or in the hospital - fell in love. By war's end, an estimated 15,000 Canadian war brides and children lived in the United Kingdom. Many of these families later came to Canada to build new lives.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-008179
Library and Archives Canada, pa-008179

Second World War

Warren Bernard Runs After his Father Jack, British Columbia, 1940

Canadians enlisted by the thousands when Canada declared war on Germany on 10 September 1939. The Canadian military grew to over 60,000 members in less than one month and individual regiments had little difficulty recruiting. Virtually each one represented a new family separated by war.
Courtesy of Mrs. D. Joan MacPherson Library and Archives Canada, C-038723
Courtesy of Mrs. D. Joan MacPherson Library and Archives Canada, C-038723

Women Packing Parachutes

Prevented from participating on the frontlines, women in the military took on important support tasks, such as folding and packing parachutes.
Nicholas Morant, Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, pa-140654
Nicholas Morant, Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, pa-140654

Relief Packages

Canadian troops on board a train receive packages from the Red Cross. The organization distributed these packages to Allied troops throughout the war.
Canadian Pacific Railway Archives, NS.8135
Canadian Pacific Railway Archives, NS.8135

Destruction on the Beach at Dieppe

The Canadian amphibious raid at Dieppe on 19 August 1942 was the bloodiest day in Canadian military history. Seventy per cent of the attackers were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. In less than nine hours of fighting, 907 Canadians died, 1,946 were captured, and more than 2,400 were wounded.
Library and Archives Canada, C-14160
Library and Archives Canada, C-14160

Canadian Troops in Campochiaro

Under sniper fire, personnel of the Carleton and York Regiment advance up the steep main street of the mountain village of Campochiaro, Italy, 21 October 1943.
Alexander M. Stirton, Library and Archives Canada, pa-114482
Alexander M. Stirton, Library and Archives Canada, pa-114482

Fighting in Sicily

In this 20 July 1943 photograph, troops of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry are in combat, while enemy vehicles burn in the background. Twenty thousand Canadian troops helped lead the Allied conquest of Sicily, the Canadian army's first sustained land operation in the Second World War. Canadians met greater resistance as they pushed into the Sicilian interior and came more into contact with determined German forces.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-163670
Library and Archives Canada, pa-163670

Caring for the Injured

Nursing Sister Lieutenant B. Rankin administers a blood transfusion to a wounded soldier in Montreuil, France, 10 September 1944.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-128234
Library and Archives Canada, pa-128234

Going Ashore

"Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade...The eyes of the world are upon you."

General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force, 5 June 1944

Library and Archives Canada, pa-132790
Library and Archives Canada, pa-132790

Canadian Troops Landing at D-Day

In this photograph, soldiers of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and the Highland Light Infantry of Canada go ashore at Bernières-sur-Mer on 6 June 1944. Canada participated as a full partner with the United States and the United Kingdom in an amphibious invasion of coastal France code-named Operation Overlord but generally known as D-Day. Some 14,000 Canadians were among the nearly 150,000 Allied troops who landed or parachuted along the invasion area.
Gilbert Alexander Milne, Library and Archives Canada, pa-122765
Gilbert Alexander Milne, Library and Archives Canada, pa-122765

D-Day Invasion

Allied naval forces that included 110 Canadian warships and 10,000 sailors supported the Normandy landings. Canadian ships and sailors helped protect the invasion fleet, cleared German minefields, bombarded German coastal positions, and ferried Allied troops across the Channel.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, CT-299
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, CT-299

Equipment on the Beach at Normandy

The Normandy campaign became a brutal battle of attrition. The Allies tried to push inland. The Germans, holding the high ground, tried to throw them back into the sea. Both sides suffered terrible casualties. Progress was frustratingly slow, and battles often ended in stalemates.
George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 20020045-1455
George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 20020045-1455

Canadian Soldiers Guard German Prisoners on D-Day, Bernières-sur-Mer

These German prisoners, captured during the assault, were evacuated to England along with Canadian wounded.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-136280
Library and Archives Canada, pa-136280

Rationing at the Grocery Store

The relative scarcity of foods and consumer goods vital for the war effort led to rationing. Every man, woman, and child received a personal set of ration books, and needed it to buy goods such as gasoline, butter, sugar, meat, tea, and coffee.
The Montreal Gazette, Library and Archives Canada, pa-108300
The Montreal Gazette, Library and Archives Canada, pa-108300

Propaganda on the Home Front

Loggers in Quebec sit down to eat breakfast. The two posters on the wall encourage them to focus on the war effort.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-123533
Library and Archives Canada, pa-123533

Metal Drives

The ongoing war increased the need for metal. Civilians, including these children at Hopewell Avenue School in Ottawa, responded by organizing scrap metal drives to support the war effort.
Malak, Library and Archives Canada, pa-182924
Malak, Library and Archives Canada, pa-182924

Women Workers

Twenty-five per cent of Canada's war workers were women. Like this welder, many worked in positions previously reserved for men. Women's social profile grew, as tens of thousands worked outside the home for the first time. After the war, however, social pressure and government policy encouraged women to return to the home.
Library and Archives Canada, e000760454
Library and Archives Canada, e000760454

RCAF Beaufighters

Enemy vessels in the English Channel were a serious threat to the invasion force. They could potentially cost the Allies the element of surprise or attack the landing force. Royal Canadian Air Force anti-shipping and anti-submarine squadrons joined other Allied aircraft in the effort to destroy all enemy surface warships and submarines in the Channel. Anti-shipping aircraft like these Beaufighters used cannon and rocket fire to attack enemy vessels.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, PL61347
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, PL61347

Battle of the Atlantic

In the early stages of the Battle of the Atlantic, more Allied merchant ships were being destroyed by U-Boats than were being built. Even though the Allies gained the upper hand in mid-1943, U-Boats continued to sink ships until the end of the war. Here, the corvette HMCS Fennel rescues survivors from the minesweeper HMCS Clayoquot , torpedoed by U-806 near Halifax on 24 December 1944.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-134342
Library and Archives Canada, pa-134342

Wrens Service Machine Guns

Prior to the Second World War, women were not allowed in Canada's armed forces except as nurses. This policy was reversed beginning in 1941 and, in early 1942, recruiting began for the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service, the "Wrens". The women who joined performed many of the same duties as men, including equipment maintenance and communications, but did not serve aboard warships.
George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM PLA 663716
George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM PLA 663716

A Lancaster Bomber Over its Target

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) contributed heavily to a massive and costly air offensive against Germany's ability to wage war. Attacks on industrial centres, military installations, and cities devastated vast areas and killed hundreds of thousands. They also diverted German resources from other fronts and damaged essential elements of the German war effort. Nearly 10,000 Canadian aircrew died in the bomber offensive, almost three-quarters of the RCAF's total combat losses during the war.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, PL-144407
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, PL-144407

RCAF Air Gunners' School, 1941

Training prepared students for deadly combat. This photo, taken upon graduation from a school in Mossbank, Saskatchewan, indicates with an "X" those young men who were killed overseas during the war.
George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 19870036-002
George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 19870036-002

Invading Germany: The Rhineland Campaign

By February 1945, Canadian and Allied forces were on Germany's western border with the Netherlands, and were preparing to launch an offensive into the Rhineland. In this 8 February 1945 photograph, infantry of the North Shore Regiment are marching past amphibious personnel carriers near Nijmegen, the Netherlands, shortly before attacking.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-140424
Library and Archives Canada, pa-140424

Canadian Machine Gunners

These machine gunners of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa provide covering fire during the bloody battle to take Carpiquet airfield outside of Caen, 4 July 1944.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-129037
Library and Archives Canada, pa-129037

Sherman Tank

Armoured units provided the Allies with mobile firepower. The American-made M4 Sherman tank was the workhorse of the Canadian Armoured Corps from 1943. With a crew of five, its armament consisted of a 75mm gun and a number of machine guns. In this picture, a Sherman of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division is on the move near Cintheaux, France, 8 August 1944.
Ken Bell, Library and Archives Canada, pa-131373
Ken Bell, Library and Archives Canada, pa-131373

The Humble Jeep

The four-wheel drive, quarter-ton general purpose MB vehicle, or Jeep, was one of the workhorses of Allied armies throughout the war. Produced in the United States, the Jeep was fast and reliable on damaged roads. The Canadian army used jeeps extensively, especially in the muddy, thawing ground of the Rhineland. This 6 March 1945 photograph shows Jeeps and armoured vehicles in a forest near Sonsbeck, Germany.
National Archives of Canada, pa-138353
National Archives of Canada, pa-138353

The 25-Pounder Field Gun

"Little wonder some of my artillery friends often appeared a little stand-offish ... I realized they were stone deaf and half-stunned from the blasts of their own artillery pieces."

C.S. Frost, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry

Ken Bell, Library and Archives Canada, pa-115569
Ken Bell, Library and Archives Canada, pa-115569

The Face of Genocide

In April 1945, Canadians accompanying British forces in Germany entered the Nazi concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen. Sickened and horrified by the atrocities they witnessed, these Canadians made a visual record on film and on paper of the war's tragic victims. Note the writing on the back of this photo, which reads: "May we never forget and never let it happen again".
George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 19850625-006 (#S2.1)
George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 19850625-006 (#S2.1)

War Brides and Children

Many Canadian personnel stationed overseas married women from the United Kingdom and Europe. The press dubbed the transport to Canada of 45,000 war brides and their 21,000 children "Operation Daddy".
Toronto City Archives Fonds 1266, Item 102055
Toronto City Archives Fonds 1266, Item 102055

Girl with Wreath

In a cemetery ceremony at Adegem, Belgium, a young girl places a wreath on the grave of Rifleman Clifford Howard Baxter, Royal Winnipeg Rifles, June 1946.
George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 19890086-953
George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 19890086-953

Major David Currie, VC

Major David V. Currie, South Alberta Regiment, was awarded the Victoria Cross at St. Lambert-sur-Dives, through which ran the last road open to the escaping Germans during the closing stages of the Normandy campaign. With a handful of soldiers, Currie captured the village and held it for several days in the face of repeated counterattacks by superior German forces. His command destroyed seven tanks, 12 guns, and 40 vehicles, and captured an incredible 2,100 German prisoners. This photo is the closest we have to someone actually winning a Victoria Cross. Currie is standing on the left with a pistol in his hand, while Trooper R.J. Lowe reports to him.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-111565
Library and Archives Canada, pa-111565

Sergeant Major John Osborn, VC

Company Sergeant Major John Osborn, a First World War veteran, served with the Winnipeg Grenadiers at Hong Kong. On 19 December 1941, Osborn led his troops in an attack on Japanese positions. When a Japanese grenade landed near his comrades, Osborn threw himself on it, and was killed instantly when it exploded. Osborn was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-037483
Library and Archives Canada, pa-037483

Korean War

Artillery in Action

Twenty-five-pounder gun of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Korea, May 1951. The Battalion was formed in 1950 for United Nations Service in Korea.
Library and Archives Canada, SF-1761
Library and Archives Canada, SF-1761

Servicewomen

Canadian servicewomen in Korea heading off for a wash. Note the flip-flops on the woman at left. Typical of field conditions, no two women wear exactly the same uniform.
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19820095-005
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19820095-005

A War of Patrols

Static lines of defence and Korea's mountainous terrain increased the importance of small-unit patrols to gather information and keep the enemy off guard. In this photo, tired 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade soldiers return from patrol loaded on tanks.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-145367
Library and Archives Canada, pa-145367

Memorial, Korea

The Canadian Korean War Memorial Garden is situated in Naechon, just below the hills defended by Canadian forces in the Battle of Kapyong in April 1951. Various Canadian organizations award a number of scholarships each year to Korean students of the Kapyong Buk Middle School as a "living memorial" and to provide ongoing support to the Korean people. The children from this school also assist in maintaining the memorial park.
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 20050045-1557
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 20050045-1557

A Desperate Measure

When the enemy broke into a defensive position, defending troops sometimes exercised a dangerous option: calling for artillery fire on their own positions to drive off the attack. Canadian 2nd Lieutenant E.H. Hollyer, a platoon commander with the 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, made this desperate call on the night of 2-3 May 1953 as Chinese troops overran his unit. After 90 minutes of heavy shelling, the Chinese finally withdrew. More than 90 Canadian and South Korean troops had been killed, wounded, or captured during the battle.
Library and Archives Canada, e002505269
Library and Archives Canada, e002505269

Reminiscing

E.H. Hollyer (right) and D.J. Redknap recall the battle, fifty years later. Redknap, a gunner, was one of those who responded to Hollyer's emergency request.
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19970045-002
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19970045-002

Cold War and Peacekeeping

Canada Goes Nuclear

For many years, Canada played an important nuclear role in NATO defence planning. The Honest John was a simple, free-flight rocket that could also deliver a low-yield nuclear warhead.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, EF64-9605-7
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, EF64-9605-7

Honest John

The launching of an Honest John rocket at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, 27 October 1961.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence/CC-12390-2
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence/CC-12390-2

The Birth of Peacekeeping

Lester B. Pearson's suggestion that impartial military observers could help restore peace during the 1956 Suez Crisis marked the onset of modern peacekeeping. This photo shows United Nations Emergency Force (or UNEF) personnel on patrol in Egypt as part of this mission.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, ME64076-2
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, ME64076-2

Canada's Contribution

Canada became a respected international player through its commitments to Western defence and peacekeeping. In this photo, Lt. Dave Sproule and LCpl Ed Foster scan the Egypt-Israel frontier during a desert patrol in a Ferret scout car as part of the UNEF mission.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, ZK-1946-17
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, ZK-1946-17

Foot Patrol

A soldier of the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment of Canada, patrols an abandoned street on the Green Line near Paphos II Gate, Cyprus.
United Nations, NAGATA UN123,765
United Nations, NAGATA UN123,765

Operation Musk Ox

Operation Musk Ox (February to May 1946) gave the Canadian military experience in living and moving over long distances in the icy conditions of the Arctic, where the average daily temperature was approximately -32° C. In this photo, the Canadian-designed Penguin armoured snowmobile hauls two sleds across the Arctic.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-134302
Library and Archives Canada, pa-134302

Air Support

Canadians unload an American glider during Operation Musk Ox. Ground operations in the Arctic depended on aircraft for supplies, food, and fuel.
Library and Archives Canada, pa-196940
Library and Archives Canada, pa-196940

Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, PL-107769 Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, PL-107769

Scramble!

Canada kept a permanent air contingent in Western Europe for more than 40 years, and would have sent more aircraft in the event of war. Control of the air would have been essential in protecting NATO's positions and attacking the Warsaw Pact's superior ground forces.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, PCN3679
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, PCN3679

HMCS Brandon in the Arctic

HMCS Brandon is a Maritime Coast Defence Vessel (MCDV). The main purpose of these vessels is coastal surveillance, though they also perform other tasks such as search and rescue, counter-terrorism and anti-smuggling missions.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, DCS-1648
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, DCS-1648

Leopard 2 in Flight

From the late 1970s, the Canadian Forces addressed the gradual deterioration of many key weapons systems, or "rust out", with new purchases. These included warships, fighter aircraft, and tanks, such as this Leopard 2.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, GN2002-0247-01d
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, GN2002-0247-01d

Dee Dee Brasseur and Fellow Pilot

Brasseur (left) achieved international fame in 1989 by becoming one of only two women to fly the CF-18 Hornet, a world-class jet fighter. In 1999, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, CK89-3336
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, CK89-3336

Loading Chaff

Missiles are a deadly threat to all surface ships, especially in narrow waters where they can hit with little warning time. Here, two sailors load a chaff dispenser during the Gulf War in 1991.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, HSD989033-36
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, HSD989033-36

Handshake

Cpl Gaetan Roy with Recconaissance (Recce) Platoon, the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, meets a young resident of Dek'emhare during a familiarization patrol in the Eritrean town 3 January 2001.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, ISD01-0024a
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, ISD01-0024a

Izzy Dolls

Master Corporal Mark Isfeld, a military engineer on peacekeeping duty, was 31 when killed in 1994 removing land mines in Croatia. These woolen dolls are called "Izzy" dolls. Before Mark Isfeld died in Croatia in 1994, his mother created them for him to hand out to Croatian children. They are still made and distributed in his memory.









George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19980071-005
George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19980071-005

George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19980071-005

George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19980071-005

Handing out Izzy Dolls

MCpl Perry Collins (left) and Sapper David McCormick (right) of the 4 Engineer Support Regiment hand out "Izzy" dolls to local children outside Senafe, Eritrea on 25 May 2005.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, ISD01-3125
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, ISD01-3125

Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, IE83-438-3 Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, IE83-438-3

Grave Stones, Beechwood Cemetery

Beechwood, in Ottawa, Ontario, is home to Canada's National Military Cemetery of the Canadian Forces and the RCMP Memorial Cemetery.
Bill Kent, CWM
Bill Kent, CWM

Remembrance

On 18 July 2002, Master-Corporal Charles Gladue from the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (3 PPCLI) Battle Group, along with American and Romanian soldiers, during the close-out parade and memorial cairn dedication ceremony held at Kandahar Airfield. The 3PPCLI was in Afghanistan in support of Operation Apollo, Canada's military contribution to the international campaign against terrorism. Three days later, the group left Afghanistan, having completed a 6-month deployment.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, AP2002-5645.a
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, AP2002-5645.a

Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, VKD01-0005-01A Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, VKD01-0005-01A

Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, IXC88-48 Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, IXC88-48

Canadian Rangers

The Canadian Rangers are Canada's primary military presence across the vast and sparsely populated high Arctic and in remote coastal regions. Ranger Eric Hitkolok, Ranger Calvin Pedersen and Ranger Gary Kukilukak of the Kugluktuk Ranger Patrol march in file with their CF-issue .303-calibre Lee-Enfield rifles shouldered.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, ISD01-6344a
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, ISD01-6344a

Military Exercises, Bosnia

On 27 July 2001, Quick Reaction Force member Corporal H. Pagiatakis (front) runs for cover as other members of her team take up positions to defend the Griffon helicopter that delivered them to this hilltop exercise area. Corporal Pagiatakis was an Army Reservist serving with Task Force Bosnia-Herzegovina (TFBH) on Roto 8 of Operation PALLADIUM, Canada's contribution to the NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR).
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, ISD01-6587
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, ISD01-6587

Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, IEC95-546-12 Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, IEC95-546-12

Ready, Aim...

Corporal Zita Szekely, a reservist with the Canadian Scottish Regiment, 8 August 2000.
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, 39CBG00-023-29
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, 39CBG00-023-29

Field Artillery, Bosnia

On 23 June 2001, F Battery, 2 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (2 RCHA) fires the LG-1 Mk II, a 105-mm howitzer; No 2 gun (foreground) is completing its firing cycle. Based at Petawawa, Ontario, F Battery was deployed with Task Force Bosnia-Herzegovina (TFBH) on Operation PALLADIUM, Canada's contribution to the NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR).
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, ISD01-6537a
Courtesy of the Department of National Defence, ISD01-6537a

Explosive Ordnance Disposal

Afghanistan is littered with millions of explosives. Canadian combat engineers in Kabul regularly collected, stockpiled, and disposed of deadly weapons with controlled demolitions.
Courtesy of Stephen Thorne
Courtesy of Stephen Thorne

Liaising with Locals

Captain Alex Watson of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta consults elders in a village close to Kandahar Airfield in February 2002 to gain their cooperation with coalition efforts.
Courtesy of Stephen Thorne
Courtesy of Stephen Thorne

Rebuilding Education

Sergeant Mariangeles Najlis meets with Afghans to help transform a former Soviet military base in Kabul into a school for 1,100 children.
Courtesy of Stephen Thorne
Courtesy of Stephen Thorne

Securing the Landing

Canadian troops secure their landing site before setting out in search of al Qaida positions on the Whale's Back mountain in eastern Afghanistan, March 2002.
Courtesy of Stephen Thorne
Courtesy of Stephen Thorne
RETURN TO TOP
    Date created: October 27, 2006 | Last updated: October 7, 2009