Important Moments in World War 2 for canada

1. Important Moments in World War 2 for canada Canadian History

2. The Battle of Hong Kong • The first Canadian military fight in WW2 happened in the British Colony of Hong Kong (1941) • 2000 troops from the Winnipeg battalion fought • Japan kept invading and the Canadians job was to defend British colonies like Hong Kong

3. On Dec. 8th 1941, Japan attacked Northern Malaysia, the Philippines, Guam and Wake Islands. • The attack also included Hong Kong

4. The Result -290 died in the battle -267 Canadians died in the prisoner war camps • The Battle lasted 17 days, our troops were young and inexperienced • Hong Kong surrendered on Christmas Day (Dec. 25th) 1941 • Allied soldiers were captured by the Japanese, and held as war prisoners

5. Lack of clothing, food and shoes! Conditions in the War Camps were brutal--The Japanese derived Canadians of basic rights like drinking water to get revenge on the allies.

6. Moment 2: Women go to War! Women were eager to join the war beyond working in the factories and making guns and ammunition

7. The work never ended Women took over the farms and had to maintain ALL the food productions Women worked in factories so much that daycares were set up in the actual factories • Women had a key role keeping things going at home • Women visited the wounded, wrote letters to lonely soldiers, they helped clean and bandage the wounded and women began saving items– wrappers, food scraps etc to SAVE money and supplies

8. Women having to Prove themselves -Women were fighting for equal rights since before WW1 -They were earning their own money and new they were getting less money for the same work a man was doing

9. Women continued Women in Uniform • Women couldn’t officially join the war as a soldier, they formed volunteer units such as CATS • Canadian Auxiliary Territorial Service • Taught women first aid and technical training so they could assist in the makeshift hospitals at war

10. The Change • In 1941, the armed forces were desperate for recruits, women were finally allowed to join • 45000 women officially signed up to join the war • 244 women gained medals of bravery • 73 were killed and 19 were wounded

11. Unfortunately, Conscription happens again Hesitantly, Conscription occurs under McKenzie King (1942) • The war begins to heat up more- Italy invades France (axis against allies) • In Nov. 1944 King ordered 16000 men to go overseas to aid in fighting off the axis powers • French Canadian leaders mostly stood by King’s decision this time even though they were against the entire thing– they saw it as necessary to win the war and bring their men home