Thanks,
I’ll probably work on another colour photo sometime soon. In the meantime my site currently has nearly 400 Canadian WW2 photos (link), adding new ones all the time… check them out if you wish.
Edit: Already working on a new one!
RCAF Wellinton Crew of 425 Sqn. My thanks to Ted Biech for the information on 331 Wing.
His father, P/O A. Biech, was the navigator, second from left in the photo.
Canadian planes and pilots served all over the world, including in Tunisia
Hello Rigteous Duncan, et. al.
I tried the link in your post but could not connect. Apparently there are some photos for which captions had been provided. I am particularly interested in 331 Wing RCAF during it’s time in Tunisia and would appreciate connecting with Ted Biech or any others who might be able to provide me with leads dealing with an “RAF” bomber field at Bou Ficha, Tunisia, summer of 1943. Any help shall be greatly appreciated.
John Cahill, Mount Vernon, Virginia, USA
To put canadas Contribution to the war effort into the proper perspective. Up to 1939 canadas navy had a regular strength of under 2000, canadas airforce had 298 officers and 2750 airmen. Canadas army was no better with a regular foce strength 4261 all ranks. So the amount of expansion in a very short time and the calliber of men and weapons produced by canada was astounding.
As also did several first class regiments (e.g. Le regiment de la Chaudiere)
Jan
Depends.
As per regulations the P37 webbing (light khaki in it’s natural state) was supposed to be blancoed, this means to be treated with a fabric preservation compound, which came in cakes looking like a hockey puck and which was then mixed with water to form a stiff paste (like white wash) and then brushed upon the webbing, after which it was leeft to dry. Early war British regulations gave the shade pea green, but later (at least in the European theatre of operations) khaki green No. 3 became regulation, which is a dark olive drab shade. In Northern Africa the troops simply used to brush their webbing, which sunlight turened into a very light khaki. The brass fittings (black steel fittings are post war) were supposed to be either painted over in the field (in garrison polished as per RSM orders!) or left to get dull.
The respirator bag was not to be blancoed, as well as “General service” webbing items, which did not belong to the personal equipment of an individual soldier, but came out of regimental stores (like e.g. a Bren spare barrel bag) were usually left in their original colour.
So far the regulations.
Many Canadian soldiers wanted to show that they were NOT British but Canadians. In the Normandy some replacements wore unblancoed webbing, due to no time to blanco it in the field, others had their webbing still blancoed from the camps in Britain, others followed regimental customs, e.g. pre war the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada had their webbing dyed black, since they were a rifles unit.
In the jungles of the Far East, webbing was, after an initial period, vat diyed jungle green in the units, together with the uniforms down to underwear.
Jan
Was that the total size of your pre-war army forces, or just of your regular army?
We too had a very small regular army pre-war, but its function was essentially to be a training cadre for the militia, i.e part-time civilian soldiers. So our regular army was very small, but our total army was much bigger.
Yes the the regulars were used as a trianing cadre for a very rapid expansion. the reserve forces were almost non existant. From a total Canadian population at the time of between 11 to 12 million, Canada by the end of the war, had put in the field 1.1 million men and women for the war effort. Roughly about 10 % of the population was in uniform.
Was that the total size of your pre-war army forces, or just of your regular army?
“Canada’s army, outdated and uprepared for another global confict, grew rapidly at the outbreak of war. The RCAF had fewer than 20 modern combat aircraft and the navy consisted of only six destroyers. From a pre-war regular army of 4,500 men and 51,000 partly-trained reservists, 58,000 Canadians would enlist in September 1939 alone.”
In Canada 40% of men aged 18-45 enlisted.
How’s it looking?
Hi Erik
The Picture looks like 3rd Canadian Div Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
Cheers
Just practising.
Great job colorizing Erik! You should do some pictures from the picture side of WW2 in color. Or, post some pictures that you’ve colorized.
I need more practice before I’m ready to go all out and do a complete photo. When I do I’ll post it here.