Blog Post Two

Veterans’ Week November 5-11

Women in the Canadian Military

I have many veterans in my family tree, it’s not lost on me that I can count the female veterans on one hand, as far as I know. Two women in my family, Susan and Anna, were members of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC) during WWII; they were cousins and both from the same small town. Plus, both had older brothers who were already off in battle. The girls’ enlistments, Anna in 1942 and Susan in 1943, both made the local newspaper a few times during the war. I wondered if women were always able to enlist in the Canadian military and the answer was not surprising, no, but the fact of the matter is that Canadian women have played a vital part in serving their country in two of the most significant wars in our collective history.

Taking on the respected role of nurses in the Canadian Army Medical Corps, women served in WWI in a smaller but integral capacity because this was all that women were permitted to do with the army.[1] The Nursing Sisters of Canada[2] provided necessary care to soldiers who were wounded or suffering from illness. So, just how many women nursed those men back to health? More than 2,800 Nursing Sisters[3] spent their days and nights assisting in surgeries, dressing wounds, and checking vitals. They did so not just on land but on hospital ships serving the Royal Canadian Navy. Was the job just checking vitals and dressing wounds for the nurses? No, absolutely not. Nurses also risked life and limb just being there; field hospitals and hospital ships were all at risk for attack and approximately 45 Nursing Sisters[4] lost their lives in those instances. By the time WWI ended over 3,000 nurses had thrown their hats in the ring to help.[5]

The world was different for women by WWII, this was not their mother’s war when women were only allowed to contribute as nurses. Canada’s military woke up and not only were women permitted to serve in many roles, they had their own divisions and training bases. How many nurses are we talking about this time? More than 4,500 nurses[6] divided between 3 military sectors volunteered with many making the journey across the ocean. So, what were those other roles? Hold on to your hats because by the end of the war more than 50,000[7] women volunteered to serve with the army, the navy, and the air force. The Canadian Women’s Army Corps, where Susan and Anna enlisted, had a variety of responsibilities that included many familiarly domestic tasks like cooking and cleaning, but they were also responsible for operating (and fixing) heavy machinery and driving trucks. Susan was stationed in various cities in Western Canada and drove officers and troops as needed. Anna also drove trucks and was stationed in Québec. The Royal Canadian Air Force - Women’s Division (RCAF-WD) provided a mix of office work but, like the CWAC, offered heavy machinery operation and repair positions. But, unlike the CWAC, the RCAF-WD often sent their members abroad to support the Canadians in Great Britain[8]. The Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS) trained their recruits to be coding technicians, radar operators, and administrators over the course of the war[9].

Following WWII the enlistment of women continued in the wars that followed, especially in Canada. Inequality was still dominant but the inclusion of women in war was a big deal in the lives of our grandmothers, grand aunts, great grandmothers, etc… Do you have women in your family tree with a military background? Do yourself a favour and find out, it’s the least we can do for these heroes, am I right?

Veterans’ Week November 5-11

Blog Post Three

Blog Post One