Canada's Military History 2.0

Steel and Sunshine: The Ontario Regiment’s Italian Interlude    On June 26, 1944, Number One Troop of the Ontario Regiment paused on the outskirts of Pucciarelli, Italy, for a rare moment of rest. Gathered around a makeshift outdoor table, shirtless and sun-drenched, the soldiers shared a meal in the shadow of their Sherman tank—T-147513—commanded by Battle Captain Lieutenant M.A. Maidlow. The scene, framed by a war-torn building and scattered supplies strewn about, most definitely captures the dreadful essence of war: camaraderie, exhaustion, and fleeting normalcy amid chaos¹. This moment unfolded during the Italian Campaign, a gruelling Allied effort to push German forces north through mountainous terrain and fortified towns. The Ontario Regiment, part of the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, had been in the middle of the heavy fighting since the struggle in Sicily². By mid-1944, these men were battle-hardened veterans, their Shermans serving as both the spearhead and the shiel...

  Steel Through the Hochwald: The Dragoons’ Drive in Operation Blockbuster During the grim final winter of World War II, the Hochwald forest became a crucible of fire and mud. On March 2, 1945, the General Motors T17E1 Staghound armoured cars of “A” Squadron, 12th Manitoba Dragoons, rolled into this maelstrom as part of Operation Blockbuster—a Canadian-led offensive designed to shatter the German defensive line in the Rhineland’s last bastion. The goal of the Canadian/British combined force was to capture the Hochswald Gap and then advance to capture Xanten. The image captures not just machines of war, but the resolve of men who braved shellfire and sodden terrain to force a breakthrough in one of the war’s most punishing battles. The Battle of the Hochwald Gap took place at the Hochwald Gap, a narrow corridor flanked by dense woods and fortified positions near Xanten, which was the key to unlocking Germany’s western defences. The First Canadian Army, having been reinforced by Brit...

  The Battle of Hill 355, October 1952, during the Korean War. Image: The painting “Incoming” by Edward Zuber depicting Canadian action at Hill 355 in October 1952. This painting shows soldiers of B Company, the Royal Canadian Regiment, reacting to a communist artillery attack on their section of the line on October 23, 1952. The 45-minute bombardment was one of the heaviest that Canadians endured in Korea. The Battle of Hill 355, October 1952. Hill 355 was a dominant feature in the landscape, located about 40 kilometres north of Seoul. Its elevation provided a commanding view of the surrounding terrain, making it a highly contested position throughout the war. The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) was stationed on the hill from early September 1952, enduring frequent bombardments from Chinese forces throughout October. These attacks weakened defensive positions, setting the stage for a major assault. The Battle of Hill 355 was made up of three separate and distinct battles. The first ...

A Bed in the Mud: Canadian Soldiers and the Quiet Symbols of Trench Life, December 1917. .  Two Canadian soldiers are seen standing in a trench, inspecting the skeletal remains of a bed frame in December 1917. One soldier wears a jerkin — a sleeveless leather vest well-suited to the bitter cold of winter — and which bears two wound stripes on his sleeve, silent markers of past injuries. The scene is serene, almost domestic, yet framed by two dreaded items symbolic of the First World War: barbed wire and mud. We need to ask ourselves what exactly this moment tells us about the lived experience of war. Trench Warfare and the Persistence of Routine By late 1917, Canadian forces were entrenched in the brutal Passchendaele and Ypres Salient campaigns. The use of trenches had turned into semi-permanent dwellings, where soldiers created an environment using whatever furniture, storage, and sleeping arrangements they could salvage. A bed frame in this context was not a luxury — it’s a symb...

Leading Seaman Eric Kirtland, Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (R.C.N.V.R.), displaying his tattoos, St. John’s, Newfoundland, 10 January 1943. #RoyalCanadianNavalVolunteerReserve https://amzn.to/3L0DdF2

Leading Seaman A.L. Teasdale (left) and Able Seaman Rex Vyner, both of the Torpedo School, H.M.C.S. Cornwallis, Halifax, Nova Scotia, January 26, 1943. #HMCSCornwallis https://amzn.to/45Hfctr

  Lance-Corporal Bill Weston (left in jeep) receives a message from despatch rider Sapper Arnot Walter, both men with the 6th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers (R.C.E.), France, 2 July 1944. #BattleforNormandy1944 https://amzn.to/4sIToI2