War on the HomefrontWorld War 2 in Canada

Canada and the War : Women in World War 2 With so many men absent from home in the

armed forces and with industries pushing for more production, the Canadian government actively urged women to work in the war effort.

In 1942 Ottawa registered all women born between 1918 and 1922, those then ages 20 to 24, into the Selective Service to meet possible labour shortages. In 1943-1944, some 439,000 women were in the service sectors of the Canadian economy. A further 373,000 had jobs in manufacturing, and of these about 261,000 worked directly in the munitions industries, a large number doing tasks traditionally considered to belong to men. Women, for example, worked in shipyards and in the smelter at Sudbury, and made up 30% of the workforce in Canada's aircraft industry.

Many more women worked in the home or on farms, and often combined this with volunteer work with the Red Cross or in military canteens. They also organized salvage drives or helped to prepare packages for the military overseas or for prisoners of war in the Axis countries. The Department of National War Services coordinated many of these voluntary activities at a national level.

African Canadians Little more than 20 years after the end of the “War to End all Wars,” the Second World War (1939–1945) erupted and soon spread across Europe and around the globe. The Second World War saw considerable growth in how Black Canadians served in the military. While some Black recruits would encounter resistance when trying to enlist in the army, in contrast to the First World War no segregated battalions were created. Indeed, several thousand Black men and women served during the bloodiest war the world has ever seen. Black Canadians joined regular units and served alongside their white fellow soldiers here at home, in England, and on the battlefields of Europe. Together they shared the same harsh experiences of war while fighting in places like Italy, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

In the early years of the war, however, the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force were not as inclusive in their policies. This did not mean that trail-blazing Black Canadians did not find a way to persevere and serve. Some Black sailors served in the Navy, and Black airmen served in the Air Force as ground crew and aircrew here at home and overseas in Europe.

he contributions of Black servicemen was second to none and several earned decorations for their bravery. Some Black women joined the military as well, serving in support roles so that more men were available for the front lines.

And back on the home front, Black Canadians again made important contributions by working in factories that produced vehicles, weapons, ammunition and other materials for the war effort, and taking part in other patriotic efforts like war bond drives. For example, Black women in Nova Scotia worked in vital jobs in the shipbuilding industry, filling the shoes of the men who would usually do that work but who were away fighting in the war.

Many Black Veterans returned home after the war with a heightened awareness of the value of freedom and their right to be treated as equals after all they had done for Canada in their country’s time of need. The service of Black Canadians in the Second World War remains a point of pride and was a measure of how Black Canadians were becoming increasingly integrated into wider Canadian society.

The Carty Brothers.Military service was in the Carty family blood. Five brothers from the Saint John, New Brunswick family served during the Second World War. They came by this dedication to duty honestly—their father Albert Carty had served with the No. 2 Construction Battalion during the First World War.

At a time when recruiting regulations restricted the ability of Black people to serve in the Royal Canadian Air Force, all five overcame the odds and became airmen. Four of the five served at military bases in Canada during the war. Flight Sergeant Adolphus Carty, the eldest, was an airframe mechanic. His brother, Flight Sergeant William Carty, was an aeronautical inspector. Leading Aircraftman Clyde Carty was a firefighter. And Aircraftman (Second Class) Donald Carty was an equipment assistant.

Gerald Carty enlisted at age 18 and became one of the youngest commissioned officers in the Royal Canadian Air Force a year later. He served as a wireless air gunner in more than 35 bomber missions over occupied Europe and was wounded in action.

In keeping with the family tradition, the two younger Carty brothers still at home during the war years, Robert and Malcolm, were members of the Army and Air Cadets.

Major Stephen Blizzard