PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Vol 28, No. 19 Prince George, BC Thursday, May 10, 1945

An Independent Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of Central and Northern British Columbia

REFLECTIONS ON THE U-BOAT PERIL

As the war winds down, Canada must address the
changes that have occurred at sea. The development of the
German U-boat wreaked havoc on our merchant and naval
fleets. Although the Germans used this technology in the last
war, the speed, stealth, and firepower of the Nazi
wolfpacks was a threat unrivalled by anything we saw
twenty years ago. As the U-boats prowled the Atlantic,
Canadians worked tirelessly to keep the vital flow of men
and supplies going between our shores and our British allies
where they could be used in the fighting.
We have the U-boats to thank for our remarkable naval
growth. At the outset, we had 6 ocean-going ships and 3,500
personnel. At last count, our navy has 434 vessels and
95,000 personnel, making us the fourth largest naval power
in the world!
Looking back, we must remember the high price paid to
finish off the Germans in the Atlantic. Lest we forget the
1,600 men who gave their lives for our country, and who
now rest in a watery grave.
VICTORY IN EUROPE:
GERMANY SURRENDERS!
The Third Reich is No More
Germany surrendered unconditionally to Western Allies and Russia
on Monday. Surrender took place at 5:41 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. The
surrender brought war in Europe to a formal end after five years, eight
months, and six days of bloodshed and destruction.
Canadians across the country are overjoyed to hear the news of
Germanys defeat. Crowds gathered in the streets of our own city to
celebrate this momentous occasion. As we look back on the war, we cannot
help but be thankful that the hostilities and aggression never truly reached
the shores of the Great White North.
When we agreed to go to war, Canadians knew in their hearts that it
was necessary to wage war against the Nazis. We were not compelled to go
to war with mother Britain, as we were in the Great War, but still we stood
valiantly with the Allied powers in Europe to bring an end to Hitlers reign
of terror.
The fighting isnt over yet, though. The Japs still need to be licked in
the Pacific before the world finally returns to peace. We need to keep our
spirits high, our factories churning, and our support for our lads strong.
Were coming for you next, Japan. We sacked Mussolini, we crushed
Hitler, and Hirohito is next on our list!

Left: Wait for Me, Daddy This photograph, taken October 1, 1940 by Claude Dettloff
for the Province, has come to symbolize the Canadian war effort. It was taken when the
Duke of Connaughts Own Rifles, marched down 8th Street in New Westminster.
Canadians bravely volunteered to fight the fascists in Europe, even as they made sacrifices
like leaving their wives and children back home. The soldiers in the photo remain stationed
overseas to bring order to Europe after nearly five years of occupation by the Nazis.

REMEMBERING THE FALLEN LOOKING BACK: King and Conscription

The National Resources Mobilization Act, 1940, allowed our government to register men

Canadian Soldiers at Dieppe

The Dieppe Raid of 1942 was one of the darkest chapters in our
countrys history. Of the 5,000 Canadian soldiers who crossed the
English Channel on the fateful morning of August 19, nearly 3,400 of
those lost their lives landing on the heavily defended coastline at the
hands of German artillery. We solemnly remember their sacrifices.
Dieppe was marked by many acts of great courage. Two Canadians
proved themselves so valiantly that they earned the Victoria Cross, our
nations highest award for valour. The very fact that the Allies had
come ashore in occupied France also gave our French brethren hope
for a better future. Dieppe also resulted in important lessons learned.
The cost of this knowledge was steep, but our boys returned to the
shores of France victorious when they helped to liberate Europe on D-
Day, delivering the final blow to Hitlers war machine.
and women and move them into jobs considered necessary for wartime production, and
more importantly, conscripted men for home defensive roles. At this point in the war,
Canadians were fighting a total war at home and overseas, but King refused to send the
NRMA recruits or Zombies to the front lines, much to the chagrin of right-thinking
Canadians. Even after the national plebiscite of 1942, King clung to his position of not
necessarily conscription, but conscription if necessary.
The conscription issue came to a head just 6 months ago, when manpower shortages
overseas necessitated greater Canadian commitment to the war. Back in November,
Defence Minister J.L. Ralston called for total conscription of the 60,000 NRMA recruits to
reinforce our troops in Europe. In one fell swoop, King appointed war hero Andrew
McNaughton as Ralstons successor. Despite his recruiting drive, McNaughton was unable
to scrounge up enough replacements, and King was forced to accept that overseas
conscription was the correct and necessary course of action. Since the rest of the Canadian
home front committed themselves wholly to the war, we were pleased to learn that the
first round of Zombie conscripts arrived in Europe this past February to fight the good fight.

CANADIANS LIBERATE CONCENTRATION CAMP AT BERGEN-BELSON

The horrifyingly full extent of German atrocities regarding the Jewish population is just now becoming known. Last month, Canadians
and Brits advanced on Bergen-Belson concentration camp in northern Germany. Overseas war correspondents describe Belsen as being
a byword for human evil and depravity, a benchmark in the history of evil in the world. Inside the camp were some 60,000 people
more than half of them Jewish still clinging to life and crying to be saved. Reports state that another 13,000 corpses littered the camp,
unburied and decomposing. We Canadians should be proud of our efforts to curb Nazism in the great battle between democracy and
dictatorships. We shudder to think of how much worse the situation would have been at Bergen-Belsen if our troops did not arrive when
they did. At the same time, these atrocities remind us of the human capacity for evil. They also raise the question, what could we have
done sooner? We must remember that we, too, discriminated against the Jews and turned them away from our borders in their greatest
time of need. Are we capable of these same acts of hatred? Are Canadians cut from the same cloth as Germans?