Most alive today never knew, and the few that did may not remember much, about World War II – fortunately, the only war that reached Canadian territory since the late 1800s. Before that, there was the War of 1812 (Guerre de 1812) – and some Scots and others from that conflict ended up moving to the Metis area – followed by the Fenian Raids (Raids des fenians) of 1866 to 1871: Fenians were Irish emigrants to the U.S. who crossed the border to take what is now Canada by force. Their goal was to exchange this prize with Britain for Irish independence.
During both World Wars, some local and some summer residents of the Lower Saint Lawrence lost their lives and many lost loved ones overseas. Those who stayed on the home front contributed in many large and small ways to the war effort.
World War II, however, also brought the war in Europe much too close for comfort in what became known as The Battle of the St. Lawrence. This wasn’t just one skirmish, but rather a series of events. From the Canadian Encyclopedia, “The Battle of the St. Lawrence was an extension of the larger Battle of the Atlantic— the German campaign during the Second World War to disrupt shipping from North America to the United Kingdom. Between 1942 and 1944, German submarines (U-boats) repeatedly penetrated the waters of the St. Lawrence River and Gulf, sinking 23 ships and costing hundreds of lives. It was the first time since the War of 1812 that naval battles were waged in Canada’s inland waters.” Wikipedia added: “There were several near shore actions involving the drop of German spies, or the attempted pick up of escaping prisoners of war. Despite the 23 ships lost, this battle marked a strategic victory for Canadian forces as ultimately they managed to disrupt U-boat activity, protect Canadian and Allied convoys, and intercept all attempted shore operations.
During this time, people in the Lower Saint Lawrence and elsewhere experienced rationing, blackouts, local “home guard” patrols, commonwealth airmen training, spies, and explosions. There were times when the community mourned. And there yet were some happy times for younger ones not yet fully aware of what war meant. Click on the links below to learn more.
Those who died far from home
- Airmen lost in training accidents– British, New Zealanders, and Australian
- Overseas graves of Canadian soldiers looked after by others – 13 of the
Sainte-Flavie observation towers
Listen to and read recollections of people in the Lower Saint Lawrence during World War 2:
- Everyone contributed – Supporting the war effort, hosting, spies – Lorna Bethell
- All contributed – an ambulance to Red Cross and a statue back – Sally Tingley
- Of convoys, blackouts, and spies – Lorna Bethell
- Waiting for word and an explosion – Sherrill Tuggey
- Waiting for word – Hart Price
- Surviving the Great Escape – Lorna Bethell
- A child’s view of World War 2 – Ian Bovey
- Dancing as-part of the War effort – Sherrill Shaver
- Rumours of enemies amongst us – Sherrill Tuggey
- Enemies amongst us confirmed – Ian Bovey
The Black Watch Community
- And the messenger boy wept… A recollection of local of what happened after Verrières Ridge, by John Douglas Cowans
- The Black Watch connection to Metis – Ian Bovey, a short recorded recollection
- A child’s view of World War 2 – Ian Bovey
