World War II

German-Soviet Pact

Aug 23, 1939

Aug 23, 1939 - The Soviet Union and Germany signed a non-aggression pact, which eased the way for Adolf Hitler's invasion of Poland.

World War II Begins

Sep 1, 1939

Sep 1, 1939 - World War II began when Adolf Hitler sent the German army into Poland.

Britain and France Declare War

Sep 3, 1939

Sep 3, 1939 - Great Britain and France declared war on Germany.

Wartime Prices and Trade Board

Sep 3, 1939

Sep 3, 1939 - The Wartime Prices and Trade Board was established to control inflation and to ensure that social unrest did not interfere with the upcoming war effort.

Canada Declares War on Germany

Sep 10, 1939

Sep 10, 1939 - Canada declared war on Germany, 7 days after Britain and France. The first Canadian troops left for England in December. Although "obliged to go to war at Britain's side," King's delay of a week was a symbolic gesture of independence.

First Troops Sail for Britain

Dec 10, 1939

Dec 10, 1939 - The first Canadian troop convoy sailed for Britain escorted out of Halifax by HMC ships Ottawa, Restigouche, Fraser and St. Laurent.

Air Training Plan Established

Dec 17, 1939

Dec 17, 1939 - The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan was established. Operating from 1940-45 the BCTATP trained some 131 000 airmen at over 350 schools - one-half the total Commonwealth aircrew - a decisive Canadian contribution to victory in WWII.

1st Division Lands in Europe

Dec 31, 1939

1939 - Troops of the 1st Canadian Division landed in England.

Liberals Win Federal Election

Mar 26, 1940

Mar 26, 1940 - In the federal election, the Liberals retained power with 178 seats. The Conservatives stayed at 39, the CCF won 8 and the Social Credit 10. King remained prime minister.

Vancouver Shipyards Gear up for War

Apr 11, 1940

Apr 11, 1940 - Vancouver shipyards began to build corvettes and minesweepers for action in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Evacuation from Dunkirk

Period: May 26, 1940 to Jun 4, 1940

May 26, 1940 to Jun 4, 1940 - In one of the epic events of naval history, some 300 000 British and Allied forces were evacuated from Dunkirk.

National Resources Mobilization

Jun 21, 1940

Jun 21, 1940 - The National Resources Mobilization Act responded to the public clamour for a more effective Canadian war effort that arose in the wake of the stunning German victories in Belgium and France.

Conscription Act Passed

Jun 21, 1940

Jun 21, 1940 - Parliament passed the National Resources Mobilization Act, providing for the conscription of able-bodied men for home defence. It was amended in 1942 by Bill 80, giving the government power to conscript for overseas service.

Women Enlist in Army

Period: Jun 27, 1941 to Dec 31, 1941

Jun 27, 1941 to Dec 31, 1941 - The federal government passed legislation that allowed women to enlist in the army.

Canada Declares War on Romania

Dec 7, 1941

Dec 7, 1941 - Canada declared war on Romania, Hungary, Finland and Japan.

Japanese Attack Hong Kong

Dec 8, 1941

Dec 8, 1941 - The Japanese attacked the mainland (Kowloon) side of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong itself on December 18. Hong Kong surrendered on December 25. Numerous Canadians were killed or died in Japanese prison camps.

Canada Declares War on Japan

Dec 8, 1941

Dec 8, 1941 - Canada joined Great Britain and the US in declaring war on Japan after the Japanese attacked the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on Dec 7.

Hong Kong Surrenders

Dec 25, 1941

Dec 25, 1941 - Hong Kong surrendered to the Japanese forces. Of 1975 Canadians who surrendered, 557 were killed or died in prison camps.

Wartime Prices and Trade Board

Dec 31, 1941

1941 - The Wartime Prices and Trade Board established almost complete control over the economy.

Japanese Relocation

Feb 26, 1942

Feb 26, 1942 - The federal government announced that all people of Japanese origin living in the coastal regions of British Columbia would be relocated to the BC interior or inland farming areas.

Dieppe Raid

Aug 19, 1942

Aug 19, 1942 - Canadian and British troops raided the French port of Dieppe to test German defences. The raid lasted only 9 hours, but of the nearly 5000 Canadian soldiers involved, more than 900 were killed and 1874 taken prisoner.

RCAF Bomber Group

Jan 1, 1943

Jan 1, 1943 - The airmen of the Canadian bomber squadrons became part of 6 Group, the first non-British formation to become part of the RAF Bomber Command. They flew their first operation on January 3/4 laying mines off the Frisian Islands.

Invasion of Sicily

Jul 10, 1943

Jul 10, 1943 - The Canadian 1st Infantry Division and the 1st Tank Brigade took part in the invasion of Sicily.

Battle of Ortona

Period: Dec 20, 1943 to Dec 27, 1943

Dec 20, 1943 to Dec 27, 1943 - Infantry from the Loyal Edmonton Regiment and the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada attacked Ortona, Italy. The German forces withdrew on the night of December 27.

Normandy Landings (D-Day)

Jun 6, 1944

Jun 6, 1944 - The 3rd Canadian Division and 2nd and 3rd Armoured Brigades landed on the beaches at Courcelles, St Aubin and Bernières-sur-Mer on the Normandy Coast as part of the invasions that led to the liberation of Europe from Nazi occupation.

Liberation of Dieppe

Sep 1, 1944

Sep 1, 1944 - The 1st Canadian Army liberated Dieppe, scene of the previous disaster.

Burns in Italy

Dec 31, 1944

1944 - General E.L.M. Burns led the 1st Canadian Corps during operations in the Liri Valley, leading to the capture of Rome.

Migration Restrictions in Canada

Dec 31, 1944

1944 - Canadians were prohibited by law from moving to certain over-populated cities, including Victoria, New Westminster, BC, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa and Hull, Québec, without prior permission.

Canadian Casualties Announced

Jan 16, 1945

Jan 16, 1945 - Canadian casualties from the start of the Second World War to November 30, 1944, were reported at 78 985, including 28 040 killed.

First Conscripts Overseas

Jan 20, 1945

Jan 20, 1945 - The first of Canada's home defence forces conscripted for overseas duty arrived in Britain. The government confirmed that over 6000 "zombies" absent without leave in Canada would be classed as deserters.

Canada Attends UN Conference

Mar 5, 1945

Mar 5, 1945 - Canada was invited to attend the United Nations Conference in San Francisco.

Air Training Plan Closes

Mar 29, 1945

Mar 29, 1945 - A ceremony in Ottawa marked the closing of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. One of Canada's major contributions to the Second World War, the plan trained 130 000 pilots.

End of World War II in Europe

May 7, 1945

May 7, 1945 - Hostilities ceased in Europe. The unconditional surrender of Germany was signed at Rheims on May 7, and it was ratified at Berlin on May 8.

Germans Surrender

May 7, 1945

May 7, 1945 - The Germans surrendered unconditionally to the western Allies, and to the Soviets the next day.

Canada Joins United Nations

Jun 26, 1945

Jun 26, 1945 - Canada joined the United Nations at its founding.

Japanese Formally Surrender

Sep 2, 1945

Sep 2, 1945 - The formal surrender of the Japanese took place on the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, bringing World War II to a close. Altogether 1 086 771 Canadians, including 49 252 women, served in the armed forces. Total fatalities were 41 992.

Gouzenko Defects

Sep 5, 1945

Sep 5, 1945 - A Soviet cipher clerk, Igor Gouzenko, defected from the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa with secret documents suggesting the evidence of a Soviet spy ring in Canada.