Browse "Communities & Sociology"

"If your buddies got hurt during that and the yelling and crying, you couldn’t stop, you had to keep going." See below for Mr. Godon's entire testimony. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

"“Your blood, our freedom.” That’s how they think of the Canadians." Frank Bing Wong served in the Canadian Army during the Second World War. See below for Mr. Wong's entire testimony. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

In 2012, The Memory Project interviewed Frank Tomkins, a veteran of the Second World War. The following recording (and transcript) is an excerpt from this interview. Tomkins was born in Grouard, Alberta, on 27 February 1927. Born into Poundmaker Cree Band (see also Poundmaker), he joined the Canadian Army in 1945 at the age of 18. Tomkins served as a private on the homefront during the Second World War. Five of his siblings also served in the war, including three as code talkers: brothers Charles and Peter Tomkins and half-brother John Smith. Charles was the subject of a short documentary, Cree Code Talker (2016). In his testimony, Frank Tomkins he tells the story of his brothers’ service as code talkers with the American military, and the role of their Cree (Nehiyawak) language in transmitting critical information during the war. Like Navajo code talkers employed in the Pacific theatre, Cree code talkers developed a system based on the Cree language. The code was an invaluable contribution to Allied military intelligence. See below for Mr. Tomkins' entire testimony. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

"As Mr. Winston Churchill said in one of his last speeches after the war, he said “without the women, we may have lost the war.”" See below for Ms. Crawley's entire testimony. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

Herbert Lim was one of around 150 Chinese Canadians to serve with Force 136 of the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War. After completing his basic training with the Royal Canadian Engineers he was asked to join to join the SOE, working as wireless operator.Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

Howard Sinclair Anderson was under age when he enlisted in the army after the chief of George Gordon Reserve, a veteran of the First World War, went around looking for volunteers. Anderson became a Lance Corporal in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps during the Second World War. Discover his story of serving in France after D-Day and the discrimination he faced after returning.Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

See below for Ms. Ferguson's entire testimony. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

"I found a family in the army, which continues still. Family, my family is the army. It is the CWAC." See below for Ms. Bouchard's entire testimony. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

John “the B” Marchand from Okanagan Reserve #1 was a Bren gunner during the Second World War. He served in the infantry from 1943 to 1945. Learn more about Marchand’s time in the trenches during the Italian Campaign. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

"We sank a German submarine, U-877." See below for Mr. Blais' entire testimony. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

"There, one must wear skirts that go past the knees and they would always ask us to say "ma'am, yes ma'am" even if the girl wasn’t right!" See below for Mrs. Leury's entire testimony. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

"They wanted to give a Christmas dinner to service personnel. So that’s the sort of thing that, you know, it really means a lot." See below for Ms. Melton's entire testimony. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

"The excerpt in English is not available at this time. Please refer to the excerpt in French." See below for Mr. Asham's entire testimony. Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.