November 11th

[Malcolm]

Diaries, Letters and Stories

A range of materials about Canada's sacrifices in war, our military history and our Veterans' unique experiences.

Diaries, Letters, and Stories - Remembering those who served - Remembrance - Veterans Affairs Canada

[Malcolm]

Hopefully the books will be available for those who served in  Afghanistan to read and comment on.

The first comprehensive, in-depth history of Canada's war in Afghanistan, written largely in real time over several years by a military historian, was quietly (some might say reluctantly) published last summer by a federal government printer.

Average Canadians, the soldiers who fought there and the families of those killed in action will have a hard time getting their hands on a copy, however.

 

 

The history was commissioned by the Canadian Army and the Department of National Defence (DND), and written while the war was still raging by Royal Military College historian Sean Maloney.

Only 1,600 copies of the history (800 English and 800 French) have been produced — much to the dismay of veterans and the retired general who initiated the project.

The Canadian Army in Afghanistan, an exhaustive three-volume history, covers the entire dozen-plus years the Canadian Forces fought the Taliban in the landlocked, impoverished South Asian country.

Maloney's work is Canada's first comprehensive history of the war in Afghanistan. Unlike previous volumes commissioned by the military on Canada's experiences in the First and Second World Wars, it's not an "official" military history (official histories tend to examine more than just army operations).

 

Related video: Military historians worry about dwindling number of Second World War veterans (The Canadian Press)

 

The Canadian Press

Military historians worry about dwindling number of Second World War veterans

Unmute

0

 

View on Watch

More videos

• 

  de of delays

Embedded with Canadian troops for months at a time during the five-year combat mission in Kandahar and the subsequent three-year training mission in Kabul, Maloney was given inside access to soldiers, commanders and documents that journalists who covered the war did not share.

He has produced a highly detailed, clear-eyed, occasionally visceral account of the war on the ground that in some cases provides new insights into key battles and events.

CBC News was able to borrow copies from the Canadian War Museum.

A major portion of Maloney's research and writing was completed after Canada's withdrew from combat operations in Kandahar in the summer of 2011. The expectation at the time was that the history would be published around 2014, upon the completion of the mission to train Afghan soldiers.

 

A Canadian soldier with the 1st RCR Battle Group, the Royal Canadian Regiment, chases a chicken seconds before he and his unit were attacked by grenades shot over the wall during a patrol in Salavat, southwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Sept. 11, 2010. (Anja Niedringhaus/The Associated Press)© Provided by cbc.ca

But publication was held up for almost a decade by reviews and debates within DND and the Canadian Forces about Maloney's often blunt assessments — his criticism of Canada's allies and other government departments, his questioning of some decisions by senior commanders.

The work was published with an extensive legal disclaimer: "The views expressed in this publication are entirely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies or positions of the Publisher, the Editor, the Government of Canada, the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Armed Forces or any of its affiliates."

In an interview with CBC News, Maloney acknowledged he faced pushback from some quarters of the defence department about what he had written. Overall, though, he said he was happy and relieved to see the work finally in print.

No plans to offer the history for sale

In a media statement, the army said it hopes to one day produce a downloadable electronic version. That plan is still in the formative stages.

But there are "no plans to support the public sale of hard copies" because the King's printer "is not structured to be a public publishing enterprise," the army said.

The history was commissioned in 2007 by former lieutenant-general (later Liberal MP) Andrew Leslie, who was army commander at the time.

Maloney said he was given a very specific set of instructions and took the assignment only after being granted academic and editorial freedom.

In an account backed up by Leslie, Maloney said he was told that the history "cannot be army propaganda. It has to come from somebody who understands us but is not directly, deeply involved in the politics of the organization."

 

Maloney's mandate was later renewed by now-retired lieutenant-general Peter Devlin, who took over as army commander after Leslie's departure.

Maloney said his task was to tell the story of Canada's mission in Afghanistan in isolation, and not through a wider lens including the actions of allies, as was done with previous official military histories of Canada's involvement in the two world wars.

"We need to frame what we did there on our terms, not through the lens of our allies," he said. "And it's important we do that for who we are, and what we want to be about [as a nation]."

In an author's note, Maloney wrote about how important it is for Canada to "take responsibility for our history."

Canada 'written ... out' of war's history, author says

He described the work as an unapologetic Canadian approach to the war.

"The existing literature in the United States and in the United Kingdom dealing with the war in Afghanistan has thus far virtually written Canada out of history," Maloney wrote in the author's note.

"Worse, American and British failures are now assumed to be Canadian failures, as well. Where Canada or the Canadian Army is mentioned, it is cursory in nature, derisive in tone, or both."

 

A tearful Sgt. Renay Groves salutes during the final Remembrance Day ceremony at Kandahar Air Field. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)© Provided by cbc.ca

Maloney said he started experiencing pushback within DND and the military after he handed in his first draft of the manuscript following the end of the combat mission.

CBC News asked for an interview with the commander of the army for an explanation of the concerns. The request was denied.

 

'Uncomfortable truths'

In a written statement, the army said it recognized that "the commentary, views, and opinions expressed in Dr. Maloney's work may present as uncomfortable truths to some."

But the army said it did not try to suppress or derail the project.

Maloney said there was "a steady drum beat" of concerns and qualms in military and department circles about his work. Eventually, he said, the project was shuffled within the military to the Canadian Defence Academy Press, an internal government printer that publishes scholarly and professional works.

"There are a number of people that tried to step in and interfere with my editorial prerogative," said Maloney, who pointed out that Leslie, the commander who commissioned his work, had left the army by the time he finished his first draft.

"And then another colonel stepped in to say I can't contradict an established Canadian position, for political reasons. And I said yes I can. I have academic freedom on this and editorial control."

Maloney would not describe the "established Canadian position" he was accused of contradicting.

 

Chief of the Defence Staff Jonathan Vance responds to a question during a news conference on May 7, 2020 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)© Provided by cbc.ca

Maloney said that several years ago, he took the list of specific complaints about his work from within the department and the Canadian Forces to the chief of the defence staff at the time, now-retired general Jonathan Vance. He said Vance dismissed 90 per cent of the complaints.

A few years later, publication was moved once again to the Army Publishing Office. There, Maloney said, he discovered that portions of his text had been rewritten without his permission; he reversed the changes.

In an interview with CBC News, Leslie praised the final work. He said it differs from the official histories of previous wars, which were published many years after the conflicts had ended, when "just about everybody involved had died [of] either old age or disaster."

He said the history should serve as a tool to help the army learn lessons from its past operations and campaigns.

"You had to tell the whole narrative and decide for future generations what was relevant," Leslie said. "In terms of editorial independence or independence of thought, the last thing you want is for senior officers to try and influence the outcome. Revisionist history — that was not the intent."

 

Pvt. Richard Boutet, 38, of Quebec City searches a compound as the owner Fazel Mohammad, left, looks on during an operation in the Panjwaii district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan on June 30, 2011. (David Goldman/The Associated Press)© Provided by cbc.ca

The disadvantage of publishing such a history so soon after the conflict has ended, he said, is that the author might come to "conclusions or assumptions" that may be superseded by new facts and information down the road.

Leslie said he's only heard rumblings about the project since leaving the military and was mystified by the delay in publication.

"I found that extraordinarily disappointing, not fully understanding really what the causes were," he said. "There was perhaps some jealousy from some other academics or military officers [with a vested interest in Afghan war history]. I honestly don't know."

Veterans vexed by limited distribution

The limited distribution and the delays in publication are a source of frustration for veterans who served in the war. Dozens of them have reached out to CBC News since the summer to complain.

Retired master-corporal Nathan Kehler is passionate about military history and helps run Project 44, an online interactive site that digitally maps Canadian Second World War campaigns using battle diaries and archival maps.

Kehler, a veteran of Afghanistan, said he's disappointed that Maloney's work was buried in bureaucracy.

"It's disappointing," he said. "Our history deserves to be told, deserves to be in a proper historical context, and a three-volume set like this deserves to be out in the public and in libraries."

He said he has a hard time explaining to his children what he did in Afghanistan because society is so steeped in narratives from previous conventional wars, where the transition from war to peace was less ambiguous.

Some people may be uncomfortable with what Maloney wrote, Kehler said, but that's no excuse for downplaying or interfering with his work.

"Being a soldier means you have to be uncomfortable sometimes. It means you have to be accountable," he said.

[Malcolm]

CANADA REMEMBERS THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN

afghanistan-eng.pdf (veterans.gc.ca)

[Malcolm]

'It still haunts me': Military veterans keen to share their history as numbers drop

Remembrance Day 2023: Canadian veterans' stories | CTV News

 

'It still haunts me': Military veterans keen to share their history as numbers drop© Provided by The Canadian Press

CALGARY — The time around Remembrance Day is tough for Second World War veterans like Hank Jackson, who turns 103 in January. 

"It's the only time you really stop and think about all the poor buggers that didn't make it," said Jackson, a former tail gunner on a Halifax bomber. 

 

Jackson flew 32 combat missions from the United Kingdom. All members of his crew received Distinguished Flying Crosses from the United States Armed Forces.

"They've all disappeared. My father and my brother were both in the army overseas — my father in the First World War — and all three of us made it back. So we did above average. We gotta remember a lot of those guys that didn't."

Bill Cook, who is 98 and was also a tail gunner in the Second World War, flew a dozen missions over Europe.

"My crew have all passed away. It still haunts me."

More than one million Canadians served in the Second World War. More than 45,000 died and another 55,000 were wounded. Another 33,000 fought in the Korean War.

Veterans Affairs Canada says there are 9,267 veterans of the Second World War and Korean War who are still alive in Canada.

But as veterans die, military historians worry about keeping their history alive in the minds of Canadians. 

 

Related video: Veterans Voices 2023 Special (WDVM Hagerstown)

 

Video Player is loading.

WDVM Hagerstown

Veterans Voices 2023 Special

 

Staff with The Military Museums in Calgary, home to eight separate museums, have interviewed many of the dwindling number of Second World War veterans.

"It's always a huge loss when we lose our veterans' voices," said senior curator Rory Cory.

"That's why it's important for us as a museum and as educators and historians in general to try and keep the public interest alive in those kind of things. It's up to the next generations to carry the torch forward."

Cory said the organization has come up with ways to get more war history into Calgary classrooms. There's a program called Explosive Threats related to mining and demining and peacekeeping. And there's another called Explosive Math, which has students do mathematical calculations to plot the shot fall of an artillery shell. 

Karl Kjarsgaard, curator of the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton, Alta., said he's disappointed with how little students are learning in school about Canada's contribution to the Second World War.

"Why should children come to our museum and say, 'Canada was in World War II?' I am concerned that Canadians are not being told of the excellence of gentlemen like these guys that did their best to give us our freedom."

Canada’s involvement in the Second World War is taught in schools, but it often focuses on international conflicts and root causes as opposed to specific battles and exploits.

In British Columbia, for example, the provincial education ministry says social studies for Grade 10 covers the history of Canada and the world from 1914 to present day and requires all students learn about "international conflicts and co-operation," with the world wars a suggested topic. 

Jackie Jansen van Doorn, executive director of The Military Museums Foundation, said stories from a source are key to educating the younger generation.

"Having someone who's actually been through a war and tell their first-hand experience is something that really makes memories for students that come through our doors," she said.

"The education component this is just huge, and having the loss of these veterans impacts on how the next generation remembers things."

Cook vividly remembered the first time he was in a firefight.

"The instructor would say, 'You don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes.' This Focke-Wulf (German fighter plane) was coming in on the tail and I was sitting there waiting until he got closer, and all of a sudden he fired and hit the tail fin," Cook said. 

"I was so bloody scared, I didn't know which way to turn. After that, I thought to hell with the hero worship. When a fighter came in and he was 400 or 500 yards away, I would fire a blast off to let him know, 'I see you,' and they would usually peel off."

Jackson said he doesn't remember a lot of the missions, but he does recall facing his own mortality.

"When we were flying, I honestly did not think we'd make it. Because, you know, I thought if it happened, it's going to happen, and I just hope it happens quick," he said with a laugh.

"I didn't want to go down in a flame or something."

Jackson said he has shared some of his experiences with young people who have come to visit, but he also understands why some aren't aware of what happened in the past. They may not have had family members who served.

"Anyone who has had a family member affected, they probably do." 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 10, 2023.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

[st27]

1 hour ago, Malcolm said:

It still haunts me':

My Dad was ground crew with 428 Squadron at Middleton St George…..we went over for a reunion in 84 (?) and had the BBMF Lanc on hand. There was a line up of vets going onboard and I will never forget one gentleman who climbed up into the mid upper turret. He looked around and the tears started flowing.

We will never know what some have seen and experienced as veterans….

[Seeker]

18 minutes ago, st27 said:

We will never know what some have seen and experienced as veterans….

This is true but in a larger sense, we will never know what anyone has seen or experienced.  The random homeless dude, the odd guy on the subway, the homeless woman on the corner - we will never know what they have seen or experienced.

[Malcolm]

1 hour ago, Seeker said:

This is true but in a larger sense, we will never know what anyone has seen or experienced.  The random homeless dude, the odd guy on the subway, the homeless woman on the corner - we will never know what they have seen or experienced.

some of our members just might.....

[Malcolm]

Did Canada have an air force in ww1?

 

 

 

 

Canada did not have its own air force until the last month of the war, but 22,000 Canadians served in the British flying services. By November 1918, 25 per cent of Royal Air Force officers were Canadians.

THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE

1939-1945

The Royal Canadian Air Force played a key role in Allied victory.

Between 1939 and 1945, the Royal Canadian Air Force enlisted 232,000 men and 17,000 women and operated 86 squadrons, including 47 overseas. Canadians flew bomber, fighter, reconnaissance, transport, and other missions around the world. Tens of thousands of Canadian air crew also served with Britain’s Royal Air Force and Canadian fighter aircraft participated in the epic Battle of Britain in 1940. For the rest of the war, Canadian fighter-bombers attacked coastal areas in German-occupied Europe while Canadian heavy bombers struck at targets much further inland. In addition, Canadian maritime patrol bombers based in Canada, Newfoundland, Iceland and Britain fought German submarines. By 1945, the R.C.A.F. had grown to be the world’s fourth- largest air force. More than 17,000 Canadian airmen perished during the war.   In allSoutheast AsiaMany were members of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), often posted to British units. The RCAF's 435 and 436 Squadrons transported equipment and personnel in India and Burma (now Myanmar), while 413 Squadron patrolled the Indian Ocean, searching for Japanese ships and submarines.,  Canadian airmen flew more than 2,200 combat missions and more than 1,500 round-trip airlift flights during the Korean War. RCAF nurses were involved in about 250 medical evacuation flights in the Pacific and many more throughout Canada.Jun 25, 2020

[Malcolm]

Canadian military vehicle restorers aim to open new museum | Watch (msn.com)

 

Military vehicle restoration group aims to start new museum | CBC News

[Malcolm]

Veteran stories from the archives - Dutch pay tribute | Calgary Herald

[Malcolm]

[Malcolm]

 

Remembrance is about adding to the historical record, not cancelling it

The statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Edmonton is washed after it was vandalized in 2021.© Provided by Calgary Herald

We live in an odd era where some cancel or attack historical figures on the justification they were not perfect and therefore should be expunged from the record. Case in point? In 2021, someone threw red paint on the Edmonton statue of Sir Winston Churchill. In the United Kingdom in 2020, the Churchill statue outside Parliament was boxed up to prevent more attacks after vandals spray-painted that Churchill “was a racist” across the plinth.

In Canada, statues of our own historical figures have been attacked or removed over the past decade. That includes ones of John A. Macdonald in Hamilton, Victoria and Montreal, of Queen Victoria in Winnipeg, and of British Columbia’s first Supreme Court Justice Matthew Begbie.

Churchill has a legacy as the statesman who, almost alone, warned the world for a decade about the dangers of Adolf Hitler and his genocidal German Nazis. Churchill was ignored and shunned for doing so. He was also, as prime minister, key to defeating the Axis powers.

Specific to Churchill, the vandalism is regrettable because it — and those who downplay its importance — makes the mistake of demanding a historical figure exactly reflect someone’s views today, and that anything less means Churchill or other critical figures in history should be “cancelled.”

We disagree. Lest we forget, without Churchill and his bloody-minded refusal to consider surrendering to the Nazis, it is entirely likely other British politicians would have surrendered or concluded another disgraceful treaty with Hitler, akin to what then-prime minister Neville Chamberlain agreed to in 1938.

 

Related video: Remembrance Day a time 'to reflect on the people that fought for us' (cbc.ca)

 

 

Loaded: 78.75%

 

 

Play

Current Time 0:19

/

Duration 1:31

 

Quality Settings

Captions

Fullscreen

 

cbc.ca

Remembrance Day a time 'to reflect on the people that fought for us'

Unmute

0

 

View on Watch

More videos

• 

  Global NewsRemembrance Day 2023: Tributes to Canadian veterans amass in Ottawa ceremony

  9:23
• 

  DailymotionRemembrance Sunday

  0:47

 

Criticisms of Churchill are often based on myths, such as the false notion he was responsible for or did nothing about the wartime famine in Bengal. (Historian Zareer Masani decisively rebutted this in his article, Churchill and the Genocide Myth.) Or they assume a man with 19th-century views on imperialism should be cancelled precisely because he was born in the 19th century.

But we can honour and celebrate history’s fighters despite views we now find distasteful or the mistakes they made. We, too, have views and flaws that future generations will no doubt think odd or condemn. The proper way to remember history is to add to it, rather than subtract from it as cancel culture too often does.

Consider some examples of Indigenous service to Canada that deserve to be remembered:

Alex Decoteau hailed from the Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. He was a member of the 1912 Canadian Olympic Team in Stockholm and was a runner in the First World War. He was killed by a sniper’s bullet shortly before his 30th birthday and was buried in Passchendaele New British Cemetery in Belgium, and was given a traditional Cree ceremony in 1985.

Oliver Milton Martin was a Mohawk of the Six Nations Grand River. He served in both world wars, ending his service in 1944 with the rank of brigadier. During the Second World War, he commanded multiple infantry brigades and was the officer in charge of training hundreds of recruits for overseas combat. After the war, Martin took up various occupations, eventually becoming a provincial magistrate in Ontario. He was the first Indigenous person appointed to such a position in the province, serving until his death in 1957.

Mary Greyeyes Reid was a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation. She was the first Indigenous woman to enlist in the Canadian Army and served in the Second World War. She was sent overseas to England and continued working in London until 1946 when she was discharged. After returning home, she helped call for full voting rights for Indigenous Canadians.

We do not cancel past heroes because they do not fit current expectations. We remember Churchill’s bravery and courage as he led the Commonwealth toward victory. We remember Canada’s soldiers, including the Indigenous who were denied voting rights, yet still responded to the call to service.

We remember them all, not because they were perfect or fit a modern mould, but because their sacrifices and courage helped further the freedoms we enjoy today.

Mark Milke is the president of the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy and also of the Sir Winston Churchill Society of Calgary.

Kelvyn van Esch is Mohawk and served in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve.

[Malcolm]

Indigenous Veterans - Veterans Affairs Canada

Remembrance ceremonies are held at this special monument, including on Indigenous Veterans Day which is observed each year on November 8. Why a separate day?

[Malcolm]

Built tough.