I think it is highly unlikely that the Allies considered using French subjects to replace losses in French Canadian units.
Firstly, it was an entirely Canadian Governent decision as the country had been self governing since 1867.
Secondly, even if they had had the power to over rule the Canadian Government, neither the British nor French were likely to welcome the idea for their own reasons.
Have you a source for this proposition?
I imagine that history and geography would have restricted French Canadian presence in the Royal Canadian Navy. The British had removed the largest body of French Canadians near the Atlantic Coast (the Aracadians - Cajuns) 150 years before. Quebec is virtually landlocked and the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon are stll French to this day. This doesn't leave much scope for a French Canadian oceanic tradition.
Cheers,
Sid.
Early in the korean war the US forces used koreans to fill up thier ranks. Its amazing what strange mil decisions are made or proposed due to nesseicity.
Well I believe that the Idea of filling French-Canadian regiments with French Replacements was actaully a French Idea, which was rejected by the Canadians. I guess Canadian Command was simply to stingy to accept french into canadian regiments. And I really don't know about french crews during both world wars. Conscription was instituted I believe during September 1944 during the Scheldt Campaign in Holland.
Before D-Day the Allied High Command believed that 50% of the Casualties during the invasion would be in the infantry. During the Scheldt campaign as well as the Battle of the Bulge, the canadians and americans found that almost 80% of the casualties were in the infantry. This led to Shortages in the number of Infantrymen. As a result many Support Troops as well as green troops were pressed into the fold, many had difficulties working with their equipment.
I would not be too surprised if it was a French idea and the Canadians would have been wise to reject it because it was clearly politically motivated. De Gaulle was always keen to establish closer ties with Quebec and upset the unity of Canada, as his "Vive le Quebec Libre!" speech twenty years later indicates.
As a matter of interest, did as high a proportion of French Canadians volunteer during the war as did British Canadians? In South Africa
those of British descent were much more willing to volunteer than were those of Boer descent.
Dear Sid,
There was a perceived difference in the rest of Canada as to the commitment of French Canada. A great deal of this difference was due to the date at which French Canadians married. That is to say that the cultural habit of Franco-Canadians to marry at very young ages. Fourteen year old brides were not unknown in Cathoic circles with grooms of age sixteen or less. Because the French were the largest single block of Catholics in the country folowed by the Irish who were also considered suspect. The facts of the matter are that Catholics that were single participated at a higher rate than non-Catholics. The fact that the officer class was almost entirely Protestant with the odd Catholic interspersed and a lot of these from the UK tended to repulse wider acceptance of conscription in Canada.
' Strip war of the mantle of its glories and excitement, and it will disclose a gibbering ghost of pain , grief, dissappointment and despair'
Dear Sid,
There was a perceived difference in the rest of Canada as to the commitment of French Canada. A great deal of this difference was due to the date at which French Canadians married. That is to say that the cultural habit of Franco-Canadians to marry at very young ages. Fourteen year old brides were not unknown in Cathoic circles with grooms of age sixteen or less. Because the French were the largest single block of Catholics in the country folowed by the Irish who were also considered suspect. The facts of the matter are that Catholics that were single participated at a higher rate than non-Catholics. The fact that the officer class was almost entirely Protestant with the odd Catholic interspersed and a lot of these from the UK tended to repulse wider acceptance of conscription in Canada.
Uh, what?, to my understanding the Francophones didn't have the "Imperialistic Anglo-Saxon Zeal" that the Anglophones had. The French had a lot of problems with Conscription. I don't know about religion being a problem in the Canadian Army.
LukeMiguez wrote:
Uh, what?, to my understanding the Francophones didn't have the "Imperialistic Anglo-Saxon Zeal" that the Anglophones had. The French had a lot of problems with Conscription. I don't know about religion being a problem in the Canadian Army.
Agreed, the reasons they didn't volunteer in the same numbers had more to do with the idea that French-Canadians see themselves as a seperate culture. They don't have cultural ties to England, and they feel that they haven't had ties with France for several hundred years. There was no reason in their minds to get involved in another "British" war.
About that debate, I just want to had that the French Canadians who did volunteer were pretty effective. Mike posted a wondeful site about the Division "Le Royal 22e Régiment". Lieutenant Jean Brillant and Major Paul Triquet received the Victoria Cross, the highest military honor.
Very interesting. So, French Canadians were apparently prepared to take the highest of risks for the common cause, senior Anglo-Canadians presumably approved their recommendations for the Victoria Cross and the Crown awarded them the highest gallantry decoration at its disposal.
Perhaps we are attaching too much significance to signs of conflict between Anglo- and Franco-Canadians during the war?
You are absolutely right sid guttridge, too much is made of the conscription crisis between the Anglo and French Canadians. We tend to forget the real soldier who volunteer who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
