Fun fact: Every time ( almost) that Canada has participated in war, they updated the Geneva Convention. We never " broke " any rules, we were the reason they were implemented.
Truth. It’s why Remembrance Day is second to Canada Day in numbers attending. We always have been The Worlds Peace Keepers. To Keep Peace Sometimes you need to be the one making the Rules. After serving 10 years in our military, I have personal experience in both peacekeeping and conflicts. Most times we are conflict resolution but can go Beast Mide if Necessary
I’m a Canadian currently working in the Netherlands. The Dutch people have never forgotten that most of their country was liberated by Canadians, after having lost over 6,000 men. They remained in the Netherlands after the German unconditional surrender, not as conquerers or occupiers (as they had experienced under the Nazis), but rather as guests. The Dutch were quite taken by these boys from across the Atlantic who gave them whatever they had to keep them from starving. Many romances bloomed resulting in a few thousand War Brides going westward to make Canada their permanent home. When the Canadians left, they returned the Dutch Royal Family back to the throne, ensured their Parliament was up and running and turned the Netherlands back to their rightful owners; the Dutch people. May 5th every year is Bevrijdingsdag (Liberation Day) where they remind the Dutch people that they lost their country once, and it took the brave sacrifice of strangers from Canada to return it back to them. They are eternally grateful, and schoolchildren still tend the Commonwealth Graves of fallen Canadians today. I served in the Canadian Army, and I know that although our government might neglect us, pound for pound there’s no better warrior than a pissed off Canadian.
They have preteen children put wreaths/flowers on the Canadian graves every year. My grandfather met my Oma there during the war. They got married and my dad was born on Remembrance Day 1946. When I visited my Oma in the Netherlands we would see US citizens wear Canadian flags everywhere in Europe because of how we are treated because we stayed to help the citizens while US didn't.
I live in Canada and in school we learned about how some of the Dutch still give Canadians flowers when they meet them because they still give thanks to our people
Tyler.... just finished watching your show on the Canadians during the two great wars. I was in Holland a few years back and went into a small shop to purchase some cheese. I had my backpack with me and when I placed it on the counter to get my wallet out to pay for my purchase, the shop owner saw my small Canadian flag stitched onto my bag. He rushed out from behind the counter and REFUSED to take my money because he told me that no Canadian would ever pay for anything in his store because of what Canada did to save Holland during the war. I was stunned to say the least.
@@glen3679hmmm let’s compare notes; Canada invaded the US Capital, and burnt down the White House. The US could barely push into our territory before being forced to retreat - that is not a draw - Canadian actions dictate we won. Period. 🤨
@gregorycraig9882 we never lost those wars the Americans did and because they did we had no choice but to pull out are assistance forces Afghanistan was a policing mission and humanitarian aid effort by Canada along side the US invasion. We only got involved in Korea to Aid the USA which we did better then anyone when the Chinese attacked and the American forces ran in full retreat. It was Canadian forces that held the rear and covered the retreat against the full might of the Chinese army and only at the very last minute slowly fell back slowing the Chinese advance allowing for enough time for American forces to retreat and regroup that's not a failure or a loss we did what we where sent there to do defend American troops on the ground.
@@EmperorKaykore We kicked their ass during the war of 1812, burned down the white house, and a little serving girl (Laura Secord), upon overhearing plans by american military leaders, tramped miles through the bush and swamp, and warned British troops of an impending surprise offensive, which British forces were able to defeat. Learn about Laura Secord during the war of 1812. It's really quite a story.
The best comment I've heard regarding Canada in the World Wars was "The Geneva Conventions could have been shortened to 'Do not leave the Canadians unsupervised.'"
We are nice folks but we just aren't comfortable with bullies. Germany should have kept its boys at home. You don't want to step into the rink with us when the ref isn't watching.
He didn't talk about Leo Major who captured an entire town singlehandedly. Check him out. Some of your subscribers may also be interested in the fact that between 35,000 - 50,000 Canadians served in the US Civil War, some 30,000 in Vietnam and sixty-one earned the Medal of Honor mostly in the Civil War. In world war two over 1.1 million Canadians served from a population of only 11 million....10%
There was a photo of Leo Major at the end of this clip - his story is included in the original source. I'm thinking Tyler cut that part out because he's going to do a reaction to Leo Major, specifically.
The term Shock-Troops for the first time was in WW1 by the Germans about Canadians. They would send in raiding parties at night and catch them off guard and fight like mad men. The rumour was that the British had emptied out their asylums
Remember, the US didn't have troops on the ground in WWI until January 1918. Canadian and other British Empire troops began fighting in 1914. In WWII, the US went to war only after Pearl Harbor at the very end of Dec 1941. Canadians declared war on Germany just 24 hrs after the UK, in Sept. 1939.
no Canada declared war on Germany on Sept. 10, 1939 a week after the UK simply to define our independence as our own. Unlike certain other nations Canada responded to need not empiracal demand !
The US declared war on Germany April 1917. Troops arrived in Europe by June 1917. The AEF First Division had arrived at the front and began fighting at Nancy by October 1917. The US were fighting in WWI for a little over a year.
@@drprogensteinphp3169 American troops might have been on the ground for approximately a year, but they were only in combat for about 90 days out of that year.
We don't celebrate our warriors. We don't honor battles. We don't glorify the fighting, the death. We don't cheer the horrors. What we do is remember and mourn, for there are times when we must strip away our human dignity and make of ourselves monsters whose unbridled wrath lays waste to any that dare engage us as mortal enemies. We. Do. Not. Like. Fighting. We *will* take it out of your hide if you make us.
Very well said. It's the way I was raised. it's the way I have lived my life. My father would tell me as a child. If you are being pushed to fight. Try to reason and use diplomacy. If this isn't successful the try to walk away. But if you find you can't. And you find you are cornered. And a fight is indeed inevitable. Be sure to throw the first punch. Make it a good, well placed punch. And cease only when victory is evident. Then, either walk away. Or if the situation presents itself, help your adversary to his feet. Nothing needs to be said.
@@jameshandford2626 That's an individual anecdote. Canada has violent people, just like any other place. My comment was about the nation as a whole, our collective 'culture'.
Flipping the switch--here's a comment I found from a Dutch citizen: My parents and my grandparents, uncles and aunts were all there when the Canadians came over. They say, as do others, that Canadians liberated them, not that they liberated them, but how they liberated them. The Canadians fought with such valor and bravery that it all seemed superhuman, as if they were mortal gods, unconcerned with death, and at the end of the battle they became as gentle as lambs and as good as saints, Provide assistance to those in need. Even their prisoners of war were treated with respect and care.
Oh honey, Germany is not the only reason we have the Geneva convention. And Canada was in both world wars from the start, so they were waaaay more emotionally invested than the Americans. And we didn't throw grenades and improvised explosives INSTEAD of food. Oh no. We threw food the FIRST time. The second time, when they ran towards what they THOUGHT was food, THAT'S when we threw grenades and improvised explosives. The higher they are, the further they fall. The sweeter a person is, the scarier they are when they snap.
One on one hockey … ok … - drone tech and sheer army size with “Bruce Lee discipline” China win and has won already as Trudeau re-baptized his country Chinada with all his new laws and policies
One of the last WW2 Canadian veterans alive turned 100 years old on January 25 2024. He is from my hometown, Lévis, QC. His name is Jean Cauchy. He joined after learning his brother had been killed over Europe. He used to go swimming at the city pool with my dad. My dad was 17 when the war ended so he was lucky not to go. They renamed a street rue Cauchy.
The Canadian Army, WWI, was composed of 80% volunteers and about 10% of our population 1.1 million. They went there with the purpose to defeat evil. We were initially under command of UK and later the US. Canadians & Australians were used as the spearhead of most attacks. Consequently they were engaged in a lot of heavy brutal hand to hand combat. Likewise, they were the first army to be gassed by the Germans - why a NL'der invented the gas mask. In historical German military texts, Canadians and the Australians were the most feared soldiers. Canada was in both world wars, before the US who joined the 1st WW in the last year and the 2nd WW in the later half and only after Pearl Harbor was attacked. On that day, already in the war for years, Canada was the first country to declare war on Japan. Canada has been involved in 7 wars and most wars as US allies. Other wars, in which Canada did not engage, Canada was there as UN PeaceKeepers. Canada has never lost a war and is reported to be the only soldiers who never died from exposure in the trenches. The reason people make fun of the Canadian Military is that they have never been properly equipped and never with cutting edge military tech - hence the reason for improvised weapons in both WWars. Winston Churchill has been quoted as saying 'give me UK commanders, US technology and Canadian soldiers and I will win any war'.
Well said, but everyone knows the real reason our military gets made fun of is because of how badly it's degraded now up till this point. 2924 our army is a joke on par with an army of a 3rd world country
@@tyleryardley845 They certainly were called Stormtroopers and Germans were deathly frightened of Canadians during the war. As told to me by my Grandfather, with lots of stories to back that up.
@@glenchapman3899 AS A CANADIAN YOU MADE ME LOL SO LOUD MY 90LB PITTY WAS SPOOKED! LOL GREAT ONE NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE BUT I ASSURE YOU I WILL BE USING IT, IF YOU DONT MIND! LOL GBYAA!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@glenchapman3899 I think with every war Canada gets involved in, the Geneva Convention gets an update to make sure Canadians know what not to do. Canadians then think of something else brutal and quickly check the list. "Is it on the list?" "Nope." "Then do it!" Then the people that enforce the Geneva Conventions yell, "*F^CK!!!* Alright... let's add that to the list and send the Canadians an update..."
Here is a Canadian viewpoint : I think part of the issue with Canadians in war is.... we don't like bad people. It makes our blood boil. However, this video makes us out to be monsters. I think if you look at the content of most atrocities during war with Canadians Soldiers... you will see there was a "Back Story" such as; When, during the Normandy campaign in 1944, the Canadians found out that dozens of their fellows (who had been captured by the 12th SS) had not been treated as P.O.W.s. Those Canadian Soldiers were shot in cold blood. AND... in the coming battles with the Canadians... the 12th SS were afforded the same treatment. This was not condoned by the Military... this was just ordinary Canadians, in the heat of a very, very violent, and face-to-face conflict... with our blood boiling.
This definitely is the epitome of Canadians. If we see injustice or need to support someone or stop someone… hold my drink… I know I can’t do this with my drink but… I’ll be back for it once I take care of this thing. 😂
@@Saintly2 Unfortunately I don't think we can claim to fight against injustice. Our government still won't condemn Israel. I don't care what side you are on but if you think that everything that Israel is doing is even remotely justified you are crazy. Canada at the very least should have said both sides are horrible and therefor can not support either side. Unfortunately the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians especially children is so unjustifiable that in my opinion Canada has no right to claim to fight for what's right. I truly hope we can gain it back as a nation
Those awesome Canadians were always there for us when we needed them, and we really DID need them. Love and respect Canadians 🙏 you rock! 🇧🇲🇨🇦🇧🇲🇨🇦 Respect from the UK 🇬🇧
Many were recent immigrants and were happy to defend the UK. They did so voluntarily. Canada was a fighting nation back then. Now I question whether we even are a nation.
Yes, so very true. We are fierce, but chose to be nice. Think of the Incredible Hulk. Most of the time we are like Dr Banner, but if you piss us off, you have to fight the Hulk. Pretty simple.
Most americans dont seem to remember, the american government once angered the canadians.... We marched straight to the white house, set it on fire, had a lunch, and marched home.
If you want to know the meanest most badass Canadian soldier of all time...Look for the well known story of the french Canadian soldier who took a town by himself during WWII, Leo Major. You won't be sorry.
That was an incredible and unforgettable story! ❤ He was the most badass of the Canadians imo. So smart and fearless in the face of doing what he considered to be the right thing to do.
It’s not just historical that Canadian soldiers were feared. The taliban in Afghanistan for example would choose to take on an American infantry battalion rather than a Canadian company from 1 PPCLI. Why? Aside from the jump qualifications, they’re on par at least with the US Army Rangers. But they’re just regular infantry here. Rommel said it best: “Give me German officers, American infrastructure and Canadian troops, and I’ll conquered the world quickly!” But then again, in 1812 when the US came into Canada to procure (politely worded) gunpowder and drive out the British, we took the White House with drunken farmers,who burnt it down when they ran out of booze before going home.
I believe even today the biggest reason Canadians are feared on the battle field is because of the brave and fearless reputation that was earned by those who fought in past wars. Our tiny population combined with winning battles in a matter of a few weeks that bigger armies like Britain and France had failed to do in 2 years of trying opened many eyes around the world and that gave us a reputation that those who came after have done an admirable job of upholding. I can only hope that those who will fight in future battles realize they have a strong reputation to uphold and the importance of doing so.
@@buffalobill9793 I retired in 2009 after 30 years service. The knowledge that we are responsible for maintaining the established reputation of Canadian troops is something we're all VERY aware of and that we carry with us constantly........with a great deal of pride.
My grandfather was a heroic WWII vet, he had saved his platoon, however when I asked him, he said “no, it was either them or me”. He lived with survivors guilt, not wanting to speak about the war. I am very proud of the sacrifices he made for us….. and me. He was 19 when the war began.
My grade 10 history teacher said that this was the reason for the "Canadians are so polite" trope. Allied soldiers were fascinated by these mild-mannered Canadians who turned into utter monsters on the battlefield. After the war ended and the fighting stopped, the "polite but terrifying" meme faded into just "polite", which Canadians embraced as our national identity.
The civilians near the waterfront pubs in Londonderry where the RCN corvette sailors had liberty while they waited for the next convoy back to Halifax didn't always consider them exactly "polite." But the world was full of people in uniform I suppose. It's just that in Londonderry they were wearing RCN navy blue.
I think this is why Canadians ARE so polite. When we get p&^^% we throw down. So we do what we can to keep the peace, and keep our tempers on short leashes. Until we can't. Then the gloves come off.
@@geraldelizabethweeks I think you're right.... There's a value of "choose your battles". Some fights are worth the effort, some are not. When the effort is "required" though, you'd better be sure you're in the right!
My grandparents immigrated from Holland to Canada after WW2. At the time, they could have gone to America, Canada, or Australia. They chose Canada because of the admiration that the Dutch people feel for Canada. When I was a child my grandfather would give all his employees a paid day off on Remembrance Day, and if he saw them at the cenotaph memorial for the fallen he would add an extra $50 to their pay. All of his employees would be there for the service. When I was 21 I enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces. My grandfather cried with pride. Today my son serves in CAF as a combat engineer sapper. My grandfather would be so proud.
@rob3609 My family has always been grateful to Canada and the Canadian people. I remember my grandfather correcting a gentleman he said, " I'm not a Dutch Canadian. I'm proudly Canadian. " When relatives came from the Netherlands, he would proudly boast about Canada and the opportunities he built through his hard work. I was proud to wear a uniform that I felt I never deserved to wear. Me and my wife's Latvian family owe much to this country and her people. Thank you, Canada, and Happy Canada Day.
These traditions didn't end in World War 2. During the Afghanistan War a Canadian Sniper with a Tac 50 took the world for the furthest confirmed sniper kill by over a kilometer. The second furthest shot was and still is 2km, the Canadian JTF2 sniper's shot was 3km. The sniper took out a Taliban soldier preparing an ambush on NATO troops, they scared off the Taliban squad and prevented a possibly gruesome battle. During World War 2, Colonel Leo Major, who is briefly mentioned at the end but is not detailed proved himself as one of the greatest war heroes of all time. Challenging even the Finnish White Death for combat ability. Leo Major during the dead of night by himself rushed into the Dutch village of Scheldt with as many grenades and bullets he could carry. Using the weapons to create chaos he managed to separate the 103 German troops into groups of 1 or 2 soldiers at a time where he'd tie their hands and capture them. He managed to capture all of them, only killing 3 in the process. Afterwards, he was marching the German soldiers back to camp when an SS squad opened fire on the captured Germans. 7 of the German soldiers died before Leo Major was able to kill the SS troops. He didn't just capture 93 Germans, he saved all of their lives afterwards when he did not have to, simply because they had the honour to surrender from a cause they knew was wrong.
@@morgan40654 actually 3.5 and 2.5. The second was Canadian too. 3 of the 5 longest sniper kills were by Canadians. What we lack in gear and skills we make up for in skills.
Hey Tyler. Here is one for you. Canadians were the ones to pushed the Germans out of Italy and the Canadians and when they reached the capital the Canadians were forced to stop so the American troops could enter the capital first and take the credit for liberating of Italy. But it was the Canadians that did all the work . Pushing panthers and tigers completely out of Italy.
Yup that is true. The Canadians were threatened that they would be shot on the spot if any one of them stepped one foot into the City before the Americans. My Uncle Lorne told me that story...he was there.
Canadians in WW1 fought in battalions composed of relatives and neighbours. People from the same town/village weren't separated and so when there were losses, it wasn't just a battle buddy, it was a close relation. This lead to retaliatory attacks and savagery. It's also why people don't generally serve with people from the same area.
He missed one of the best soldiers in the wars who single handedly took down an entire town controled by germans. That guy was a legend and he survived the war too.
One of the reasons why Canada made it further than anyone on D-Day was because a lot of soldiers had Dieppe on their minds from 2 years prior where the majority of soldiers were Canadian fighting their first battle. A lot of them lost their lives, were wounded or taken prisoner! D-Day for Canadians was retribution/retaliation/revenge for their fallen brethren!! The worst mistake an outsider can make is underestimating Canada cuz she'll blow your mind every...single...time!!! We are peace-loving people by nature but piss us off and you'll see the dark side!!
My father was at Dieppe. He was lucky enough to survive, uninjured, and nearly carried a wounded fellow soldier on the forced march to keep the Germans from shooting him. If you couldn't walk, you got dead.
My grandfather fought at Passendale, in ww1, got injured, fought, managed to survive... I never did get to meet him.. If anyone reading this happens to drive though Mattawa Ontario, take a pit stop and hangout at Gordon Dufoe park...the park named after my grandfather... lovely little place.
Training. It's all about constant training. In my eight years in the infantry (1 RCR, 8Pl., Charles Coy.) we were always either working up for exercises, on exercise, cleaning and repairing kit after exercise or on course. I personally have Arctic Warfare course, Mountain Warfare course, Heavy Machine Gun course, Driver (Wheeled) course, Infantry Communicator's course and Infantry Section Commander's course. If you weren't doing any of that, there were lectures you were required to attend, mostly so that junior NCO's could get practice as instructors. (I can't tell you how many times I've sat through the "Backward and Forward Action of the FNC1A1" lecture.) A fact that is unacknowledged by politicians here in Canada, is that the reason we were so good at our UN peacekeeping roles, was because everyone in theater knew not to mess with us. I can personally attest to this. Pro Patria
"Backward and Forward Action of the FNC1A1" - Yessir! LOL!. I'm sure I can still strip, clean and reassemble one blindfolded and in the dark, as I'm sure you did. One hell of a rifle, even if it weighed like a ton of bricks.
I call bullshit. In my career I have never heard of mountain warfare. And Arctic warfare is actually called winter warfare. Do you actually think there will ever be a war in the Arctic, up where Santa lives? I have 3. I have winter warfare,and also have desert warfare and jungle warfare.. And you are talking to the Weapons Tech that was in charge of the switch from FN's to C7's.
My favourite document from the German military said (paraphrased) "We've discovered the enemy trench is full of Canadians, so do we want to cancel the attack or just wait until they're replaced by someone else?" Nowhere was the idea of continuing the attack into the Canadians. It was taken as given that they were not doing that.
1 million Canadians went to WW2, _voluntarily,_ with a population of only 10 million at the time. One in ten Canadians went to WW2. That's a higher ratio than any country and all without drafts or conscripts. There are many excerpts and anecdotes from German soldiers about the Canadian soldiers being particular fear inducing. They would often threaten, mock and tease the enemy during moments of silence from their trenches.
NZ sent about 9% of it's population OVERSEAS in both wars. But there were still a lot of military back in NZ during that time. In WW1 80% volunteers... not sure about WW2's figures about volunteers and conscripts. There were quite a few conscientious objectors... they got a hard time. Sent out to 'work camps' most of them. Planting forestry in cold mountainous areas, that sort of thing. In crappy camps too. Some were convicted of 'dodging'... but most were actually 'conscientious' and genuine, so didn't get convicted of anything... they just had to do time with hard labour. One of the big killers caused by WW1, back in NZ, was the return of servicemen, some carried the 'Spanish Flu'... and that eventually took off and killed heaps of the general population.
@@colonelfustercluck486 In WWI Canada, men of service age who remained home were often presented with a white feather by women who thought them cowards. Petty Officer George Samson had just received the Victoria Cross for rescuing allied troops at Gallipoli and was on his way to a reception where he was guest of honour when he was stopped in the street and was so presented.
@@hzwanepol6947 pretty much the same over here.... the white feather thing etc etc.... I hope that PO Samson peed himself laughing when that happened.... and stuck it on beside his VC !! For his reception.... I only pointed out NZ's 9% of total population were sent mobilised, trained and "ready to go" and actually sent overseas and other countries figures of 10% or more, in the military.... 'coz not everyone one in the military went overseas.... (They say statistics and more lies) And thanks to Canada for their contribution. I meant no criticism of your countries service at all.
@@colonelfustercluck486 No worries. I thought it was an interesting anecdote. The Kiwis can be rightly proud of their war record and went above and beyond many times.
6 місяців тому+3
They also went into battle in BOTH ww1 and ww 2 two years before the U.S. arrived in theatre
May also be the last. Kindness may be half our nature but fuck with us and those we care about, Papa Wolf and Mama Bear are the other half of our nature.
I'm born and raised in Canada on the Island of Newfoundland on the east coast of Canada now I live about an hours drive from Toronto. My father volunteered to go to war in world war two, in the Newfoundland Regiment of the Royal Artillery at the young age of fifteen, he fought on the eastern front, he was a gunner, back then men where a different breed..He passed away in 1992 miss him greatly. The top General in Canada did master of ceremony at my father's funeral. They held a military funeral for him. I never witness such a huge funeral in my entire life. My father lived a very quiet life after the war he become a shipwright and later a finishing Carpenter. I was shocked at how many folks showed for his wake and funeral. The amount of cars went on and on and on down the street as far as i could see. I was blown away at how many folks truly respected my father at his funeral they came from far and wide. He was married once to my mother they both had twelve kids I was the ninth. Canadians still go to war and fight courageously and have a brutal reputation my friend. Just that you American's mostly hear about your own military conquests by the sounds of things at least in school from it seems. BTW I have many American relatives whom I love dearly and we are a close bunch.
May your father rest easy with his brothers up above. Our men from Newfoundland were some of the hardest toughest men to fight. But then again you folk from The Rock are cut from a different cloth than the rest of us Canucks. But with your bitter winters you have to be tough.
As a Canadian I can agree with some. We fight for peace we are friendly until you stirred the wrong pot. It's better to overestimate than underestimate. Long live Canada.
Several of the top snipers in WW1 were Canadians. In fact, the deadliest sniper of the war was an Indigenous Canadian soldier named Francis "Peggy" Pegahmagabow. 378 confirmed kills and he also captured 300 enemy soldiers
Even today the record for longest confirmed kill with a sniper is held by a member of Canada's JTF2 and 3 of the 5 longest range kills were performed by Canadians
My grandfather served in the Canadian infantry in WWI, was gassed 4 times, wounded by shells 3 times. He first met "Peggy" (and he used the name with special affection) while both were hospitalized after being caught in a German poison gas attack. He was older than some soldiers; he'd worked on the railway before 1914, up to fireman. He went off to war on January 1, 2015 and spent the entire war in northern France, eventually promoted to Sergeant. His 1st name was also also Francis, by an odd coincidence. He said that he "learned the art of stalking" from Francis Pegahmagabow, but he did not elaborate too much. He made good use of that knowledge later in the war, leading an "assaulter" section who moved behind cover until reaching German tranches from the sides or rear. With Lewis machine guns, shoulder-slung. Like Francis Pegahmagabow, he survived the war, although he'd lost 40% of his lungs to gas and had been severely wounded - a post-war and life-long issue, as it was for Pegahmagabow. I became aware of his knowing that famous scout/sniper because he had only two framed pictures from the War. One was of "Peggy," the other of "his boys." He went back to the railway, and became a locomotive engineer. He did not dwell on WWI, but always had high, high praise - awe, really - for "Peggy's" skills and accomplishments. He married, had six daughters, and retired from the railroad as Master Mechanic. The last 10-12 years of his life were bad; he had much pain from wounds, and very little help from Veterans Affairs. That said, he was always, unfailingly a gentleman, soft-spoken but not a "soft man." I wish I had known him better.
The story about how Canadians threw improvised explosives made of cans and jars with nails and gunpowder inside is actually a toned-down version of the true story. First we threw actual food and rations in those cans and jars. Once they believed they were safe is when the explosives were sent.
Canadian here. My dad went to war at 17 (lied he said he was 18). He was in the reconnaissance division. This meant he was ahead of all other military. He was over seas for 6 years. He came back at 24. He totally had PTSD. He saw death up close. It changed him at such a young age. He told us very little except he was a private and was asked if he could drive a truck. When he said yes he was promoted to a lieutenant. He was given a tank to drive. He said no where near like driving a truck. He drove into a wall and was demoted to private. He would drink and sit by our fireplace and cry. We knew he was recalling all the people who died. War is so sad.
Thank you to your father. My great grandpa was much the same and ended up in the vet hospital here in London Ont until his death. He suffered what they called shell shock back then PTSD today. My grandfather's both served for Canada in WW2 and some of the stories were almost unbelievable that they would tell us. My hats off to your dad and all our soldiers for the things they do for us
My grandfather was in reconnaissance during WWII with the IV Princess Louise Dragoon Guards. I’ll never forget one of the stories I’ve read about them: something like “we drive through towns until they shoot at us, and then we know where they are.” Reconnaissance men were tough as nails!
My father had a similar experience. He entered at 17 and lied about his age. He was a stretcher bearer in the Canadian Infantry and also came home with PTSD.
My grandfather signed up for the navy by telling them he was 18 when he was only 17 , his mother found out and told on him so he had to get out until he was 18. He then spent nearly the rest of his life in the navy. Was on a corvette during ww2
My dad also lied about his age to get in, or said he did. Either it was a common thing to do, or common to lie about later. No big deal though. We know they did serve, and that was brave as can be, because both world wars were so brutal! May they all Rest In Peace. ❤❤❤
People have to realize a good portion of Canadians are Northerners, Highlanders. Large bodied, cold hardened people. Celtic blood runs in our veins. The blood of old warriors, generations of hardened vikings, barbarians, and savages alike. No wonder we tore through the D-Day front lines.
After we found out that the 12SS executed 156 canadian prisoners during the Normandy battles we didnt take SS prisoners. Especially after what was found at Abbaye d'Ardenne done by SS Colonel Kurt Meyer.
The Canadians did take SS prisoners, but for some reason they kept trying to escape... btw, if you want evidence, look for pictures online of captured SS soldiers --- many of the ones taken by the Canadians have their faces bashed in.
We did take some if they surrendered and had intelligence we could use. Knew a former SS officer who surrendered and gave valuable info, was a POW never went back. Hated Hitler and the crap they pulled.
The song ‘A Ghost in the Trenches’ by Sabaton is about Francis Pegahmagabow, a Canadian Indigenous soldier who served during WWI. I highly recommend listening to it. Also reading up a little more Pegahmagabow’s life after serving. It’s quite fascinating.
I was expecting to see Vimy ridge in this. Canadian suicide mission to soften up the entrenched Germans and keep them awake until British, French and American 100k troops each could clear them out. The Canadian suicide squad instead won the ridge. Allied forces arrived to find the Canadian troops having tea.
Vimy Ridge.. Ypres... Beaumont Hamel... the list is long and full of heroes who would not dream of ever calling themselves such. What many would describe as the actions of a "hero"... Canadians see as "what any good soldier would do".
My grandfather’s brother was killed at vimy ridge at the age of 18, I saw the letter from the government to my great grandmother, terrible thing, my grandfather never talked about it only he was upset because he was to young to enlist
I served in the Canadian infantry in the late 80's to mid 90's. We went thru recruit school.. then battle school.. then spec training... and a bazillion training exercises in between. Most nations we trained with underestimated us... the first time... but never twice. Enemy combatants rarely got the luxury of learning never to underestimate a canadian. Yeah... we're polite... we're nice... we'll help you however we can.. but once we decide you gotta go... you're gone. My bricks unofficial motto was "don't bother running... you'll just die tired."
Thank you for your service. And thanks for the information, I’m planning on joining CAF in the signals reserves while in university (already did the forces test and the CFAT, just waiting on Poland for my security check) and everyone’s comments on their experience are really helping me get a much more encompassing idea of our military now.
A lot of people see the amount of money spent on the USA military and how many soldiers they have, but Canadians have some of the highest quality soldiers in the world. Many countries sent their troops to Canada for training.
@@jennifermarlow. I'm Canadian and I've know a few people who were in the military, didn't join myself. Wasn't a put down either, just stating facts on how little the federal government actually spends on its armed forces. There is a guideline of spending 2% of a signator's GDP on military so that NATO will be well prepared for any conflict that may happen, Canada spends less than 1.5. While the active members may be equipped fairly well, the actual military vehicles have left much to be desired. Still waiting for the first shipment of new aircraft which took 7 years to finally procure. The previous fighter jets were obtained over 50 years ago at this point.
Canadian soldiers are generally more of the 'survivalist' types that can think and act on their own, which is potentially what made them more feared and potent in wartime periods. Basically it's not a lot of grunts and a leader taking charge, but equally smart members that co-operate best. Of course those were the older era soldiers. The modern day ones varies with who they are and where they are from, since Canada increased immigration, the 'stance' of training for war changed a lot. They are trained to be peace keepers like a police force, more so than for war essentially. Old equipment that can still shoot, is still viable btw... What wins offensive wars are boots on the ground, no amount of tech can capture and keep a region captured. If you outright destroy the entire region so no one can control it, then its less on 'who wins' and more on 'who suffered the most'. Cut off logistics, and their soldiers will starve or can't communicate properly. Cut off their leadership, and their morale will drop. All in all, it really depends on the objective of said war... For a region like Ukraine, where defending is the only thing you can do, you are basically asking to get turned into pincushion and blown up because the other side threatens nuclear retaliation if any 'invasion' happens to them in retaliation... That's the conundrum of modern day war, is that they technically try to hold everyone into a psychological hostage situation.
@@dra6o0n Canada's military hasn't done any peacekeeping since the disastrous Rwanda mission in 1994. And even then it was only one guy, General R. Dallaire as leader. The rest of his force was foreign. We only got into the peacekeeping gig in 1967 in Cyprus. So the peacekeeping "tradition" so many older Canadians think of as quintessentially Canadian lasted less than 30 years. Our participation in Gulf War I and especially Afghanistan where we sent ground troops was combat, not peacekeeping.
Canada has never started a war. But we have never lost one we've been invited to. In Afghanistan, the Taliban would fight Americans and Brits toe to toe, but not Canadians or Australians because they always lost. We earn respect. In Germany, We could get into places that Americans could not just because of the respect that we were held in. We would point to the flag on our shoulder, and say Kanadish and things were fine. I saw this myself. Canada is a peace loving country - but don't piss us off!
My father served in the Canadian Navy during the Korean war, as a radar operator on a destroyer. He told me and my brothers and sisters how 2 Canadian destroyers would accompany an American fleet, phone at the front and one at the rest of the procession. Upon detecting a 'bogey' the two destroyers would leave to drop depth charges on the submarine while the American fleet turned 90° and sale off. Then they would rejoin the fleet after the oil slick surfaced and their job was complete. I'm immensely proud of him, and grateful for all military service personnel. The Canadian military are the Honey Badgers of the war zone, fearless, ruthless, and carved out of pure valor. I salute you all.
Your comment should not have received 28 likes because it is relating a story that cannot possibly be true. Maybe it got Liked because it does say nice (and true) things about Canadian service people. But I don't like the way it disparages the United States Navy by implying they ran from submarine contacts (had there been any -- there weren't) instead of sticking around to help your father's ship sink them. If your father really did tell you this story he should be ashamed of himself. There were no, zero, antisubmarine actions during the Korean War because neither the North Koreans nor the Chinese had any submarines in 1950-53. No one would want to risk sinking an American sub by accident, or starting World War 3 by sinking a Russian one happening to be nosing around. More to the point, there would be no justification under the rules of engagement covering the UN policing mission for sinking unidentified submarines on the high seas that had not displayed any hostile actions. Canadian destroyers did shoot at trains and railway tunnels with their radar-directed guns and got quite good at it, but not at subs. Canada had too few ships deployed (three destroyers left over from WW2 at first, eight eventually but not all fast powerful ships like destroyers) to have them operating together in the manner described, rather they were individually formed in with the naval task forces from several countries participating in any specific action. Usually these would be centred on American or British aircraft carriers launching air strikes against North Korea, or cruising around shooting at shoreline targets of opportunity. It takes many depth charges, on average, to sink a submarine (if there had been any in Korean waters and if attacking them would have been justified.) It's not a case of dropping a couple, watching the oil gush up, and running back to rejoin the fleet. In WW2 convoy actions, the Canadian corvettes would drop a depth charge or two on a sonar contact to rattle the crew and encourage it to stay submerged. Because they were so slow, they couldn't tarry at the task for long before they had to break off and struggle to catch the convoy. (Aircraft, not escort ships, sank most of the German submarines sunk during WW2.)
Well, I don't know where you dug up your in depth knowledge of Korean war Can/Am tactical nautical manoeuvres or naval vessel duties and assignments but I'm sure a little review will show that I certainly did not say the American ships backed down from anything. The suggestion was, and is, that they were the importance of the convoy and were to be protected, which was Canada's role in that situation. It would be foolish to think anything to the contrary...are you such a fool? Further, I never suggested that disposing of an enemy submarine was a routine thing requiring just a couple depth charges, again read carefully, take your time and sound out big words if necessary. Defeating an enemy vessel would be no small undertaking. To consider it a frivolous task is ludicrous and as rediculous as is the statement that China or Korea had no submarines interested in harming American ships. Let's open this up for anyone who can verify this one way or the other. Did my Father lie to me and my siblings about nerve wracking encounters with enemy subs....listening for the sounds of their propellers to detect motion....screws he called them...doing calculations with a slide rule to gain the edge in life and death scenarios and sweating bullets along the way. I never said it was easy, neither did he. I can't think of any reason he would like to us for the sake of a story, but I do believe you may be innocently mistaken in your eagerness to discredit his account of going to war. I urge you to gather some real facts if you're trying to call my dad a liar, the depth charge you need to be wary of is the depth of your own understanding. If I didn't convey my account of my father's words concisely, you have my apologies. But I believe to the bottom of the ocean every word he said as the truth .,.."what father gives his child who asks for bread a stone?" Your words I have considerably less faith in. Now remember, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
@@scotthuber7261 I offered evidence that there were no antisubmarine operations during the Korean War because (thankfully) there were no enemy submarines to operate against. If you can find documentary evidence from warship logs or action reports or any other source that a Canadian (or any UN force) warship attacked submarines ever, anywhere in the world after 1945, please post it here. I have those sources in my library. I can give you a listing of all sub kills made by RCN ships and RCAF aircraft. An American destroyer enforcing the Cuba quarantine in 1962 did drop small hand grenades on a Russian submarine off Cuba to encourage it to surface and identify itself, which it did and was allowed to proceed on its way unharmed. We know about that. I reiterate that either your father made up the story or you did. If he had been a sailor in an RCN corvette during the crucially important convoy war in the Atlantic, which we almost lost, then yes, that would be a believable, and courageous scenario. Every single cargo ship we ushered safely to England (and the USSR) made a difference. Submarines did sometimes manage to torpedo escort ships that were hunting them. Corvettes and our rusty old destroyers until the Tribals arrived were flimsy and sank almost at once if torpedoed. Once we had enough corvettes, and the Americans were able to supply more escort vessels too, Canadian ships had more freedom to operate in pairs against a trapped submerged submarine, playing it between them, one listening the other dropping charges, and with a little luck and a lot of patience, could kill it. Hedgehog later in the war was better than depth charges. Depth charges dropped by aircraft adjacent to submarines caught on the surface were even better. Flt Lt. David Hornell, RCAF, VC (posthumous.) Facts matter for the historical record, even if they're not "nice". War stories about submarines off Korea are not facts, even if dressed up in religious imagery. To be fair to your father, I can imagine that if he was in one of the Tribal destroyers we sent to Korea he would have shipped with some old salts who had served in corvettes just a few years earlier. They would have regaled the young'uns like your father with embellished stories in the mess of hunting subs in the Atlantic and maybe doing the typical Canadian thing of getting in little digs at Americans, who of course weren't in earshot to take offence. We tend to believe stories like this because they tell us good things about ourselves and our country -- running down others is a way that Canadians love to bid themselves up --and he may well have come to believe sincerely they actually happened to him. But they didn't. We know they didn't because the historical record says they didn't. Don't be a jerk with the "sound out big words" trope. That insult was old and stale even before the Internet. Goodbye.
My apologies for the snide remark, you were right it was uncalled for and impolite and I am sincerely sorry I didn't leave it out of my reply. If I ever get another first hand eye witness account I'll be sure to send them to you so you can correct them too.
My Great Grandfather, Great Grandmother, Grandfather, Great uncle and Great aunt. Were in a concentration camp in Friesland, Netherlands. Were saved by the Canadian Army. They immigrated here to Canada right after. My Grandfather is still alive today, so very happy that the Canadian army was there to save them. I wouldn't be here today.
My Grandfather HF Van Der Horst played a main role in how the Dutch counterintelligence hid Jews,even in fresh graves.Jack van der Geest writes a good account.They came to Vancouver in 57.
Canada has been involved in EVERY American conflict as well as many more. Even if, in some cases, denied by both our governments. Respect to CANSOR and JTF2 and the "Regular" forces (which are highly trained and deployed all over the world). I love Canada's low-profile....
My Grandmother’s cousin, Herman Good, received the Victoria Cross in WWI for single handedly neutralizing 2 German machine gun nests in one day and another the next day at the battle of Amiens. He was in the North Shore Regiment from New Brunswick which had a reputation for being fearless.
There is still a canon and a plaque of him in the old legion building in Bathurst. It's now a Leon's Furniture, but the canon is still there in respect.
That quote is better attributed to David Lloyd George: "The Canadians played a part of such distinction that thenceforward they were marked out as storm troops; for the remainder of the war they were brought along to head the assault in one great battle after another. Whenever the Germans found the Canadian Corps coming into the line, they prepared for the worst.”
I will never claim to have the same level of courage that my fellow Canadians had back in those wars but from what I've learned about them are these things : - Canadians enjoy peace above all... but they will make you regret going to war with them. - The Geneva Convention is like a list of things Canadians aren't allowed to do anymore in times of war. - You do not leave a soldier behind; if a soldier is left behind, you clear a path so he can catch up.
Separate note from my other one, that kind of reputation still persists to recent times. A friend of the family was deployed to the Middle East a few years ago (perhaps Afghanistan?). He was a LAV commander. He told me the enemy called Canadian APCs "evil green monsters that poop Canadians". Talking to him a bit more on it, in that same conflict the Canadian supply convoys stopped getting attacked. It turns out the Canadians had a rather different battle doctrine to Americans. When an American convoy was attacked the soldiers typically did something along the lines of falling back, getting into cover and calling in air strikes in response, which took time and allowed the attackers to get several more hits in and then bail. For a Canadian convoy, if you fired on one, every single gun in that convoy went full auto into your face about 2 seconds after you fired...AND they also called in air strikes for good measure. The attackers kept getting minced while doing so little damage that they eventually said fuck it and stopped trying to hit the Canadians.
As someone who worked for Canada’s Department of National Defence for 32 years and is married to a Canadian soldier with 38+ years of service I can explain why this is. Because our military is so small compared to the US military our troops are cross trained in many areas and every member (clerks, drivers, cooks - literally every member) is responsible for force protection when the situation requires it. In the US military troops generally specialize in one thing so in a fire fight it’s going to fall on those specialists to provide defence. An example of this ethos is when my husband was posted to Germany in the 80s, his M109 self-propelled gun (a tracked vehicle) came across an American tank that had thrown a track. They asked if everyone was ok and if they could provide assistance because part of being on this gun is fixing tracks if and when necessary. They reported that they were fine but also that they had radioed for “the track repair specialist” to come fix the tank. This high level of specialization can really hamper agility on the battle field especially when the crap hits the fan. Sadly, years of fiscal neglect by our federal government had crippled our once great military to the point where I’m not sure it will ever recover. It’s quite sad really. 😢
@@WhirlyGirl_2679 Exactly. I'm a former grunt. It's not just our C6/7/8/9 we carry and our grenades. We have to learn every weapon and how to use them. From SRAAWL's to the Carl G and beyond. That's why when I've been around Marines, US Army, Sailors...I cringe when I hear about how warrior like they are. Put 10 Canadian grunts against 10 from the US, and they'll be sent packing. The US is just larger in numbers in their forces. But a man for a man even, the US wouldn't stand a chance.
@@aaronmcintosh2903 100%. Because we are so small we have to make up for it with excellence. Sadly, thanks to our government, the depth of experience and excellence is dwindling quickly. 😞 Thank you for your service, Aaron. 😊
I have been hearing a lot of negativity about the Canadian forces. I have people in the army and I understand what you are saying. My brother retired but is still consulting for the Canadian army. I don't know what his speciality is.
@@WhirlyGirl_2679 I heard a similar storie where our soldiers was in exercice with the US Army and US soldiers was having trouble with a vehicule. Our CAF soldiers helped them what was way faster than waiting about the ''mechanic specialist''.
My son travelled through Eastern Europe with his High School years ago, and when in Belgium, they were stopped and thanked from older generation Belgians for Canadians leaving the safety of home and crossing an ocean to aid in their liberation.
@@cattymajiv I guess there's no official border, but generally it's like Poland, Ukraine, Romania, other countries around there. On the eastern side of Europe! 😅
As a dual citizen, I can attest to the fact that Yankees know nothing at all about their nearest neighbour. As a 15-year-old in New Jersey, I was asked if Canada had electricity and if we lived in igloos
This is "the fury of a kind man." Both the kindness and the fury are 100% genuine. Canadians are willing to apologize and accept an apology right up until you cross that line. After that, there is no apologizing. Only retribution
Canadian here... what we are taught is if you want a war ended, send in Canada. They are there for a reason. The opposing forces know they've screwed up if the Canadian forces show up to end it.
My Dad was stationed at Canadian military bases that included American military. We always admired your military training. What you show us when you attend Air Shows and partner us on projects is just awe inspiring. We have shared closely together much longer than you or I could know. My Dad visited the countless graves of Canadians in Holland and the Dutch have taken tender care of our young soldiers ever since WW 2. We have a poignant relationship with our friends from Holland. TheDutch actually requested that we leave those soldiers with them in perpetuity. They are in loving hands.
He wouldn't have been stationed there. The only base in Canada with foreign troops stationed is CFB Suffield that is leased to the British military. That being said due to our abundance of land we do host many international exercises which has many countries taking part in.
Look, it's simple. Canada might not be the original "Fuck around and find out".....but we perfected it! The biggest reason that people have forgotten about the Canadian reputation in war is because we take on much smaller roles in modern conflicts. Throughout the conflicts in the Middle East we have sent small numbers of troops and mostly squads of special forces to support the larger groups of American and British troops. The men they worked with will tell you all the stories you need about the ruthless efficiency of the Canadian troops in the face of enemy fire and overwhelming odds (at times). When you ask American soldiers that worked with the Canadians in Afganistan and other theaters in the Middle East they will tell you about the fun loving, friendly guys that turned into wild, deadly, stone faced killers in the middle of a fire-fight. Also, remember that it was Canadian Special Forces units that found Bin Laden and lead American troops to his compound. It was also Canadian Special Forces that "cleared the path" for American troops to infiltrate the compound to get him out!
Is that for real? I always thought (through our Canadian news) that it was all Americans? President Bush was always boasting about his Americans finding Ben Laden? No-one even mentioned Canada.
@@gailhubbard7102 It was an agreement between the American and Canadian military to leave Canadian involvement out of the domestic reports. If you know anyone from the Canadian military involved in the operation OR happened to be paying attention to the news from outside sources (Middle East, Europe, Asia) you would have seen the footage of Bin Laden being escorted by Canadian Special Forces troops off of a UN Transport and handed off to American Forces.
Canadians are like this in war because it PISSES US OFF to be forcibly embroiled by "The World" in conflicts. We would much rather be farming, gardening, growing awesome vegetable gardens on reasonably small sized country properties, feeding people and learning how to play a musical instrument, or most ANY USEFUL endeavour! BS PISSES US OFF. FAFO!
Growing up as a born and bred Canadian, I learned a very Important lesson from my parents. "never go looking for a fight, avoid a fight if possible, but if you're given no choice, make damn sure you're the one to end that fight!"
My dad used to come out with something similar. He would say that if anyone wanted to attack him or anyone close to him, they would be better to take him out asap cuz they wouldn't be given a second chance!
In both world wars the Germans were terrified of the Canadians. To the degree that the allies used to use disinformation about the location of the Canadians to mess with German troop deployments. Canadians were always tip of the spear. Juno beach was the second most well defended beach in Normandy next to Omaha. Canadians penetrated further inland than any other force on D'Day notwithstanding.
@@vampfashions I saw a documentary on Juno Beach. A Canadian company went ashore with 132 men. At the end of the day only 8 of them walked off the beach under their own power. 93% casualties.
Canadian here. My great uncle was a mild mannered accountant when WW1 started. He volunteered and saw action on the western front. After Vimy Ridge, he got a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps where he flew a Sopwith Camel (just like Snoopy did)
It also helped that during WW1 it was uncommon for troops to be given information about the battles- you had one guy command where everyone went, and that was how wars were fought. The Canadians often shared maps and battle plans with the entire troop, which made them significantly more effective and well coordinated.
That "Beaver on his hat" is the cap badge of the "Royal 22nd Regiment" the famous "Vandoos" one of the most storied regiments in Canadian military history, so bite your tongue!
So true. There may be another reason why they have the beaver as their emblem. There is a beaver lodge on my farm, so I know enough about the animals to say that those who have never had to patch up their 120 pound guardian dog after an encounter with a beaver have no idea how powerful and dangerous those placid, unassuming rodents can be in a fight. Must be a Canadian thing. 🙂
@@curmudgeonafcorrection: vingt deux. French canadian regiment in which orders are given in french and leaded by french canadian officers, the honorary colonel of the regiment is the King of Canada, King of England Charles III. That is how much respect this regiment has.
One more point (see directly below this comment): All countries commit 'atrocities' while involved in war no matter what they claim......just study history. One situation that all Canadians remember occurred during the War of 1812 - 1814. In 1813, led by Brigadier General Zebulon Pike (Pike's Peak), USA forces consisting of 14 armed vessels and 1,700 soldiers landed to the west of the City of York (present-day Toronto), Upper Canada, and moved east to capture Fort York (defended by 650 regulars, militia and Ojibwe). Pike was killed during the taking of the Fort when the munitions magazine exploded, caused by an ignited fuse lit by the retreating forces. Following the capture of the Fort, the invaders proceeded east to the actual Town of York, occupied it, seized ordnance and supplies (needed by the civilians to make it through the winter), and then looted and burned much of the Town including government buildings (read atrocities). Outraged, the Canadian militia marched from York, Upper Canada, to Washington, DC, and met up with British forces that had sailed up the Potomac. Retaliating for the burning of York, the Canadian Militia and British forces burned the President's House (following the burning, to cover the blackened exterior walls, the building was painted white and thus became The White House), Capitol Building, the Library of Congress (located in the Capitol Building at the time), the Treasury, and other government buildings. Unlike in York where the USA forces burned private dwellings, the Canadian and British forces refrained from burning private residences and even spared the Patent Office due to the importance of the contents. In summary, we Canadians will not initiate a breach of peace, but will most assuredly retaliate against those who attack our peace. Chimo
Canadian Military have not changed. Am a member of a generational military family….they will defend their allies, will help those in need and give their lives doing it
Canadians are a BIG reason as to why the Geneva Conventions were written. When Brits and Americans joke about the Geneva Conventions, calling them 'suggestions', or the 'Checklist', etc its light-hearted dark humour. When the Canadians and Polish join in, calling it a 'checklist', Brits and Americans are like: "STOP! NO! THATS NOT FUCKING FUNNY COMING FROM Y'ALL"
Canadians don't fight to "win", we fight to make the enemy suffer for ever starting it in the first place. "If you can't beat your enemy at least make sure the bastard remembers your name!" Winning is more of a "if it happens it happens" kind of thing.
No, they 100% came to win. Canada didn't want to be a part of the wars, but they kept getting involved. So they came to finish the job as fast as possible by whatever means necessary.
@tristanhofer2491 you disagree but we're literally both canadian so since you said "they" I'm pretty sure we have a better understanding of our own mentality when it comes to violent conflict. And btw we were one of the first to jump into ww2 not the last that was america.
@@G.R.I.T.666 are you implying you're in the armed forces or...? But I'm thinking more WW1 when they kinda just showed up and started plowing through the enemy lines. Enough so that they had to get called back as they were leaving the other's so far behind that they left opportunity for the enemy to come around to their rear. That and that's when most of the war crimes took place.
@@TLPH04 nope not armed forces i was homeless for 13 years in some of our roughest neighborhoods so I've seen first hand our mentality in violent situations it's literally just to make the other person suffer win or lose
Check out Vimy Ridge in WWI. The French tried to take it for one year at the cost of about 100,000 men. The British then tried to take it for a year at the cost of about 90,000 men. The Canadians were given the freedom to act independently and threw out the preconceived ideas existing at the time. They took the ridge in one day at the cost of about 10,000 men.
Not to mention the sound of our boots marching in unison was so loud it caused most of the german army at that location to rout before even engaging (something to do with the exact right air pressure, time of day, wind and landscape) it was literally a perfect storm. I believe a german soldier said it sounded like pounding thunder of a hundred thousand men
To me (a born and raised Albertan) the dichotomy is very simple. We are a massively compassionate, caring, and empathetic society. That is precisely why it impacts Canadians so deeply when they see the horrors of war. Because of the caring and compassionate nature. We fight so hard for others, and the soldiers did what they did to their enemies, to ensure other people and themselves could return to that peace that was destroyed. Also, many Canadians were sent first and used as cannon fodder, and the people dying beside them were friends, family, and neighbours. Of course they’d do whatever they could to stop it. Canadians may not have all the money and “toys” the American military does, but don’t kid yourself…we still have incredibly well trained, brave, and formidable soldiers. It’s also not a distant memory. Think Rwanda, Iraq, and Serbia. Canadian Peacekeepers were always there.
"There are international laws around war." Canada has made quite the contribution to this list of laws being made. Side note about Juno Beach. Canada also showed up a day later then everyone else and still got through first.
For the record Canada fought in Afghanistan. We were defending Kandahar when a lot of Americans pulled out to fight in Iraq. We were also in the Gulf war with Americans.
People always comment that Canadians always say "Sorry". But they never ask why we feel the need. Growing up on Army Bases in Canada, I've heard a lot of stories that continue the tradition of "getting the job done." Never with the equipment they need, or the support they deserve, but always with discipline, ruthlessness, and style.
My great grandfather was a truck driver in WW2 with the Canadian cor. He didnt see much battle but he had been ambushed once and had lied to the germans saying he had pow's for the germans he than killed two of them with his pistol and drove to his base with the coordinates to the pow camp the germans told him to drive to. Many men were saved thanks to a simple canadian truck driver. I will always love and miss him. He got to survive to live 100 years and never needed a chair or walker. He was a mans man and always will be. R.I.P to all the lost soilders.
The bravery of my uncle in WWII: James Henry Wheal (the 4th) (1921-1975) was born in Stratford, Ontario. He joined the Hastings Prince Edward Regiment and was a Drill Sergeant at Camp Ipperwash before requesting transfer to active duty overseas and was sent to North Africa. He battled across North Africa, through Sicily and north into Italy before being gravely wounded in action just south of Florence. He was hit with 8 pieces of shrapnel in the lower back and was machine gunned in both legs and shot through the throat, sideways. He would have been left for dead on the field had he not reached out and grabbed the leg of one of the nighttime searchers looking for the dead and wounded. When I was a kid he told me he thought he was reaching for the leg of the enemy and figured if he was dying he was going to take on last nazi with him!
Eisenhower gave a speech in 1959 wherein he shared the view that based on their record during WW 1, WW 2 and Korea, never tell any branch of the Canadian Military that something can’t be done. If you do so, they will soon make you look incredibly foolish. WW1 - German Field Marshal August Von Mackensen: When you are looking for weakness across the enemy lines, never include areas held by the Canadians. Any action against them will be too costly. WW2 - Admiral Karl Doenitz (Post War) My greatest concern during naval operations after 1942 was to determine how many Canadian ships would be in the area. Their Commanders knew no fear and time and again used unconventional tactics we simply couldn’t match. They were to be feared and respected as tenacious fighters seemingly oblivious to danger.
Tyler: "Canada hasn't had to go to war in a long time." Me: "You and me must have different definitions of what a long time is." Canada's gone to war and fought alongside Americans in both wars that that Bush baby started in the early 2000s.
wrong, we were invited to join the 2nd one, refused because it was not sanctioned by the UN, it was the Yanks looking to get their rocks off on some Iraqis, and we were having none of it.
@@jennifermarlow. wasn’t talking about the invasion of Iraq. I was talking about Desert Storm back in ‘90-91. Canada supplied resupply vessels, destroyers and F-18s. First time that Canadian aircraft dropped bombs since Korean War
Anyone who thinks that Canadians lack the propensity for violence has never seen a hockey game!
when you're watching the game you need to bring a helmet as well just in case
Its why we are polite lol
We got that attitud in hockey from war
@@jamesdowling5945we flip the switch so easily like were bi polar remember dont wake the sleeping beast
I think the concept of the "polite Canadian" is a myth. We're like angry beavers or honking geese when we get mad.
Fun fact: Every time ( almost) that Canada has participated in war, they updated the Geneva Convention.
We never " broke " any rules, we were the reason they were implemented.
Exactly why we joke as Canadians about it being a checklist lmfaoo
Truth. It’s why Remembrance Day is second to Canada Day in numbers attending. We always have been The Worlds Peace Keepers. To Keep Peace Sometimes you need to be the one making the Rules. After serving 10 years in our military, I have personal experience in both peacekeeping and conflicts. Most times we are conflict resolution but can go Beast Mide if Necessary
@@freddabunnyadventures6637canada who the world sends in when another country fucks around and they need to find out!
🤣👍👍
Except when Canada was bombing Syria briefly against international law, and whenever Canada helped the USA in their wars they bases on lies,
I’m a Canadian currently working in the Netherlands. The Dutch people have never forgotten that most of their country was liberated by Canadians, after having lost over 6,000 men. They remained in the Netherlands after the German unconditional surrender, not as conquerers or occupiers (as they had experienced under the Nazis), but rather as guests. The Dutch were quite taken by these boys from across the Atlantic who gave them whatever they had to keep them from starving. Many romances bloomed resulting in a few thousand War Brides going westward to make Canada their permanent home. When the Canadians left, they returned the Dutch Royal Family back to the throne, ensured their Parliament was up and running and turned the Netherlands back to their rightful owners; the Dutch people. May 5th every year is Bevrijdingsdag (Liberation Day) where they remind the Dutch people that they lost their country once, and it took the brave sacrifice of strangers from Canada to return it back to them. They are eternally grateful, and schoolchildren still tend the Commonwealth Graves of fallen Canadians today.
I served in the Canadian Army, and I know that although our government might neglect us, pound for pound there’s no better warrior than a pissed off Canadian.
The Canadian military's unofficial slogan is( should be) "we have done so much with so little for so long we can now do anything with nothing"
They have preteen children put wreaths/flowers on the Canadian graves every year. My grandfather met my Oma there during the war. They got married and my dad was born on Remembrance Day 1946. When I visited my Oma in the Netherlands we would see US citizens wear Canadian flags everywhere in Europe because of how we are treated because we stayed to help the citizens while US didn't.
Canadians helping the Netherlands is how my (maternal) grandparents met. Moved back to Canada after the war.
I live in Canada and in school we learned about how some of the Dutch still give Canadians flowers when they meet them because they still give thanks to our people
i was born May 5th, that's crazy
Tyler.... just finished watching your show on the Canadians during the two great wars. I was in Holland a few years back and went into a small shop to purchase some cheese. I had my backpack with me and when I placed it on the counter to get my wallet out to pay for my purchase, the shop owner saw my small Canadian flag stitched onto my bag. He rushed out from behind the counter and REFUSED to take my money because he told me that no Canadian would ever pay for anything in his store because of what Canada did to save Holland during the war. I was stunned to say the least.
Remember, Canadians never lost a war. That includes against the US.
Neither side won the war of 1812-1814
Afghanistan, Korea
@@glen3679hmmm let’s compare notes; Canada invaded the US Capital, and burnt down the White House. The US could barely push into our territory before being forced to retreat - that is not a draw - Canadian actions dictate we won. Period. 🤨
@gregorycraig9882 we never lost those wars the Americans did and because they did we had no choice but to pull out are assistance forces Afghanistan was a policing mission and humanitarian aid effort by Canada along side the US invasion. We only got involved in Korea to Aid the USA which we did better then anyone when the Chinese attacked and the American forces ran in full retreat. It was Canadian forces that held the rear and covered the retreat against the full might of the Chinese army and only at the very last minute slowly fell back slowing the Chinese advance allowing for enough time for American forces to retreat and regroup that's not a failure or a loss we did what we where sent there to do defend American troops on the ground.
@@EmperorKaykore We kicked their ass during the war of 1812, burned down the white house, and a little serving girl (Laura Secord), upon overhearing plans by american military leaders, tramped miles through the bush and swamp, and warned British troops of an impending surprise offensive, which British forces were able to defeat. Learn about Laura Secord during the war of 1812. It's really quite a story.
The best comment I've heard regarding Canada in the World Wars was "The Geneva Conventions could have been shortened to 'Do not leave the Canadians unsupervised.'"
❤😂 love this!
My Father was a WW2 Sergeant-Major....he called them "The Geneva Suggestions".
Youd think that something like that would make sense, but I guess they were feeling nice that day.
IT's not a war crime the FIRST time....
We are nice folks but we just aren't comfortable with bullies. Germany should have kept its boys at home. You don't want to step into the rink with us when the ref isn't watching.
He didn't talk about Leo Major who captured an entire town singlehandedly. Check him out. Some of your subscribers may also be interested in the fact that between 35,000 - 50,000 Canadians served in the US Civil War, some 30,000 in Vietnam and sixty-one earned the Medal of Honor mostly in the Civil War. In world war two over 1.1 million Canadians served from a population of only 11 million....10%
There was a photo of Leo Major at the end of this clip - his story is included in the original source. I'm thinking Tyler cut that part out because he's going to do a reaction to Leo Major, specifically.
He skipped it👎 I sent watch simple history the one eyed scout who liberated a whole town by himself!- thanks friend 👊
@@jerkyd499don’t forget him going to Korea for that war.
@@CrazyCannuk804right and capturing Hill 300 with his men, not once but twice after the Americans lost it 2 times…
It's a big miss.
The term Shock-Troops for the first time was in WW1 by the Germans about Canadians. They would send in raiding parties at night and catch them off guard and fight like mad men. The rumour was that the British had emptied out their asylums
"The rumour was that the British had emptied out their asylums"
BAHAHAH I love that part
@@duw3095 SAME. I can't stop laughing, oh my lord. 😂
Old Canadian saying... Never go looking for a fight... Be kind and considerate to everyone.. And if you can't avoid a fight.. WIN THE FUCKING FIGHT!
Cheers to that 👍👊😎🇨🇦
"There's nothing fair about a fight, so why fight fair?"
Agreed
Agreed
Agreed!!
Remember, the US didn't have troops on the ground in WWI until January 1918. Canadian and other British Empire troops began fighting in 1914. In WWII, the US went to war only after Pearl Harbor at the very end of Dec 1941. Canadians declared war on Germany just 24 hrs after the UK, in Sept. 1939.
Also, after the attack on pearl harbor, Canada declared war on Japan before the US did.
no Canada declared war on Germany on Sept. 10, 1939 a week after the UK simply to define our independence as our own. Unlike certain other nations Canada responded to need not empiracal demand !
The US declared war on Germany April 1917. Troops arrived in Europe by June 1917. The AEF First Division had arrived at the front and began fighting at Nancy by October 1917. The US were fighting in WWI for a little over a year.
And the Canadians trained the USA Marines back in ww2 to be what they are known for today😅😅
@@drprogensteinphp3169 American troops might have been on the ground for approximately a year, but they were only in combat for about 90 days out of that year.
We don't celebrate our warriors.
We don't honor battles.
We don't glorify the fighting, the death.
We don't cheer the horrors.
What we do is remember and mourn, for there are times when we must strip away our human dignity and make of ourselves monsters whose unbridled wrath lays waste to any that dare engage us as mortal enemies.
We. Do. Not. Like. Fighting.
We *will* take it out of your hide if you make us.
Very well put.
Well said 👏
Very well said. It's the way I was raised. it's the way I have lived my life. My father would tell me as a child. If you are being pushed to fight. Try to reason and use diplomacy. If this isn't successful the try to walk away. But if you find you can't. And you find you are cornered. And a fight is indeed inevitable. Be sure to throw the first punch. Make it a good, well placed punch. And cease only when victory is evident. Then, either walk away. Or if the situation presents itself, help your adversary to his feet. Nothing needs to be said.
@@jameshandford2626
That's an individual anecdote.
Canada has violent people, just like any other place.
My comment was about the nation as a whole, our collective 'culture'.
Absolutely true. I find it humorous how we Canadians are so underestimated. Proud of our kindness but don't mistake it for weakness. ❤ from Canada 🇨🇦
True story: Netherlands still sends us thousands of Tulips as a thank you for what our troops did for them. They are planted in Ottawa every year.
In Ottawa we call it The Tulip Festival, and the events that led to the creation of it are taught in high school.
And they have a tulip that looks like the Canadian Flag. It’s very pretty
@@gohabs8918 Yes and its a beautiful flower.
one of the best phrases i've heard about us is Canada at peace: "we're sorry" Canada at war: "You're sorry"
Love it
Truth!
No, we're still sorry. We do A LOT of things to be sorry about.
😂😂😂😂
That's awesome!
Flipping the switch--here's a comment I found from a Dutch citizen: My parents and my grandparents, uncles and aunts were all there when the Canadians came over. They say, as do others, that Canadians liberated them, not that they liberated them, but how they liberated them. The Canadians fought with such valor and bravery that it all seemed superhuman, as if they were mortal gods, unconcerned with death, and at the end of the battle they became as gentle as lambs and as good as saints, Provide assistance to those in need. Even their prisoners of war were treated with respect and care.
Wow, I've never heard that one, but I absolutely love it! We should all wear that as a badge of honour!
POWs that Canadians had didn't want to leave cause they were treated better than their own side
One would be embaressed with the hospitality the average Canadian shows, even if they have nothing to offer you,.
@@jacindagrove9992 Yes... we should.
@@kaitlinsnair2386 We had POW prisons in Canada, for the ones we gave asylum to, which were used to integrate them into Canadian society.
We cherish peace because we understand war.
-A random Canadian.
This comment is EVERYTHING. It sums us up perfectly. ❤❤❤😊
Amen!
They served until death.
And so shall we.
General Currie, ww1
This is very true
War is our pedigree.
Oh honey, Germany is not the only reason we have the Geneva convention. And Canada was in both world wars from the start, so they were waaaay more emotionally invested than the Americans.
And we didn't throw grenades and improvised explosives INSTEAD of food. Oh no. We threw food the FIRST time. The second time, when they ran towards what they THOUGHT was food, THAT'S when we threw grenades and improvised explosives.
The higher they are, the further they fall. The sweeter a person is, the scarier they are when they snap.
And now you know why Canadians are "nice"... We strive not to offend because we know what ~we~ are like when we decide to be "not nice".
An armed society is a polite society.
@@Kieop Canada is not an armed society. The weapons of choice are mostly sarcasm and maple syrup.
@@splinteredworld Canadians own more guns per capita than Switzerland.
@@simoncleret Switzerland never faced an angry beaver while collecting the maple sap. 🦫
I love this comment .Bang On .
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”
I've seen and experienced all three.
@@shep9231 I've experienced a fart under the bedsheets and that was enough for me.
Demons run...
So very true.
Dont bother running, its too late,@@frostedsiren
As a Canadian, the Canadian Army is the definition of "fuck around and find out"
One on one hockey … ok … - drone tech and sheer army size with “Bruce Lee discipline” China win and has won already as Trudeau re-baptized his country Chinada with all his new laws and policies
I agree I'm also Canadian
Putting the MEN in "menstration"
@@teslabot5650funny- lgbq jokes until it’s time to arm. Then the laughing stops. It happens in every war there drug into.
@@steveo976 No. My friend joined up. I asked him why. He said hes "men" were women. Totaly brain washed
One of the last WW2 Canadian veterans alive turned 100 years old on January 25 2024. He is from my hometown, Lévis, QC. His name is Jean Cauchy. He joined after learning his brother had been killed over Europe. He used to go swimming at the city pool with my dad. My dad was 17 when the war ended so he was lucky not to go. They renamed a street rue Cauchy.
The Canadian Army, WWI, was composed of 80% volunteers and about 10% of our population 1.1 million. They went there with the purpose to defeat evil. We were initially under command of UK and later the US. Canadians & Australians were used as the spearhead of most attacks. Consequently they were engaged in a lot of heavy brutal hand to hand combat. Likewise, they were the first army to be gassed by the Germans - why a NL'der invented the gas mask. In historical German military texts, Canadians and the Australians were the most feared soldiers. Canada was in both world wars, before the US who joined the 1st WW in the last year and the 2nd WW in the later half and only after Pearl Harbor was attacked. On that day, already in the war for years, Canada was the first country to declare war on Japan. Canada has been involved in 7 wars and most wars as US allies. Other wars, in which Canada did not engage, Canada was there as UN PeaceKeepers. Canada has never lost a war and is reported to be the only soldiers who never died from exposure in the trenches. The reason people make fun of the Canadian Military is that they have never been properly equipped and never with cutting edge military tech - hence the reason for improvised weapons in both WWars. Winston Churchill has been quoted as saying 'give me UK commanders, US technology and Canadian soldiers and I will win any war'.
Very well said.
i can tell you're australian
I remember being surprised that after Pearl Harbour, Canada declared war on Japan before the Americans did.
Well said, but everyone knows the real reason our military gets made fun of is because of how badly it's degraded now up till this point. 2924 our army is a joke on par with an army of a 3rd world country
@@SharonTallonbecause we were based in China already
Evidently German troops were not afraid of US troops but were afraid of Canadians.
they called Canadians Stormtroopers
@@tyleryardley845 They certainly were called Stormtroopers and Germans were deathly frightened of Canadians during the war. As told to me by my Grandfather, with lots of stories to back that up.
Canadian Highland regiments were known as the ladies from Hell because of their kilts and bagpipes.
Yes they were and had good reason to be...no messing around with the crazy Canuks.
@@tyleryardley845 shock troops as welll...after the Canadians were done with the enemy, they were in shock.
You know the saying " don't take my kindness as weakness ". That's us, Canadians. 😁🇨🇦
Which is why when Canada go to war, the Geneva convention is seen as a check list lol
Hell yes!!
@@glenchapman3899 AS A CANADIAN YOU MADE ME LOL SO LOUD MY 90LB PITTY WAS SPOOKED! LOL GREAT ONE NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE BUT I ASSURE YOU I WILL BE USING IT, IF YOU DONT MIND! LOL GBYAA!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@JohnMacintyre-cl5nu By all means. I can not claim to have come up with that. Glad you got a laugh.
@@glenchapman3899 I think with every war Canada gets involved in, the Geneva Convention gets an update to make sure Canadians know what not to do.
Canadians then think of something else brutal and quickly check the list.
"Is it on the list?"
"Nope."
"Then do it!"
Then the people that enforce the Geneva Conventions yell, "*F^CK!!!* Alright... let's add that to the list and send the Canadians an update..."
Here is a Canadian viewpoint :
I think part of the issue with Canadians in war is.... we don't like bad people. It makes our blood boil. However, this video makes us out to be monsters. I think if you look at the content of most atrocities during war with Canadians Soldiers... you will see there was a "Back Story" such as; When, during the Normandy campaign in 1944, the Canadians found out that dozens of their fellows (who had been captured by the 12th SS) had not been treated as P.O.W.s. Those Canadian Soldiers were shot in cold blood. AND... in the coming battles with the Canadians... the 12th SS were afforded the same treatment. This was not condoned by the Military... this was just ordinary Canadians, in the heat of a very, very violent, and face-to-face conflict... with our blood boiling.
You never want to hear the Canadian words "hold my beer"😊
😂 that's a good one 🇨🇦
Whiskey means peace, hold my beer means you'll be in pieces
This definitely is the epitome of Canadians. If we see injustice or need to support someone or stop someone… hold my drink… I know I can’t do this with my drink but… I’ll be back for it once I take care of this thing. 😂
@@Saintly2 Unfortunately I don't think we can claim to fight against injustice. Our government still won't condemn Israel. I don't care what side you are on but if you think that everything that Israel is doing is even remotely justified you are crazy. Canada at the very least should have said both sides are horrible and therefor can not support either side. Unfortunately the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians especially children is so unjustifiable that in my opinion Canada has no right to claim to fight for what's right. I truly hope we can gain it back as a nation
@@avroarrow9950wow! You sound just like the hamas propaganda machine 😂😂😂 🇨🇦❤️🇮🇱
Those awesome Canadians were always there for us when we needed them, and we really DID need them. Love and respect Canadians 🙏 you rock! 🇧🇲🇨🇦🇧🇲🇨🇦
Respect from the UK 🇬🇧
Respect to you as well my Brotha🇨🇦 🤝 🇬🇧
as we are in the common wealth i say this all the love to you brits from a Canadian have a good one there bud
We love you too, we’re family!
Thank you.🥰
Awe ❤ This is hands down my favourite comment ever! Thx you for your regard. We are kin to UK people and hopefully will always remain that way.
Many were recent immigrants and were happy to defend the UK. They did so voluntarily. Canada was a fighting nation back then. Now I question whether we even are a nation.
Canadians; no better friend, no worse enemy.
Yes, so very true. We are fierce, but chose to be nice. Think of the Incredible Hulk. Most of the time we are like Dr Banner, but if you piss us off, you have to fight the Hulk. Pretty simple.
Most americans dont seem to remember, the american government once angered the canadians.... We marched straight to the white house, set it on fire, had a lunch, and marched home.
We certainly did
@@pol-pot666 canada wasnt techincally canada at this point, was still ruperts land. nontheless, we burnt it down twice, you can fact check that ;)
You should absolutely check out the story of Leo Major liberating a whole town on his own. Completely bad ass 😂
And William Stephenson
That story was insane. But its still true.
Real world Rambo
leo major is in the regiment de la chaudiere to quebec,he is french he is to juno beach !
And with one eye
If you want to know the meanest most badass Canadian soldier of all time...Look for the well known story of the french Canadian soldier who took a town by himself during WWII, Leo Major. You won't be sorry.
every ww1 soldier in the canadian corps would like a word with you, outside ...
yes he was . incredible
But the Germans were
Sgt Tommy Prince was just as bad ass
That was an incredible and unforgettable story! ❤ He was the most badass of the Canadians imo. So smart and fearless in the face of doing what he considered to be the right thing to do.
It’s not just historical that Canadian soldiers were feared. The taliban in Afghanistan for example would choose to take on an American infantry battalion rather than a Canadian company from 1 PPCLI. Why? Aside from the jump qualifications, they’re on par at least with the US Army Rangers. But they’re just regular infantry here.
Rommel said it best: “Give me German officers, American infrastructure and Canadian troops, and I’ll conquered the world quickly!”
But then again, in 1812 when the US came into Canada to procure (politely worded) gunpowder and drive out the British, we took the White House with drunken farmers,who burnt it down when they ran out of booze before going home.
A drunk 🇨🇦 farmer is more fearsome than a trained U.S. soldier, I like that, it gives me a bit of security.
PPCLI are light infantry, not regular groundpounders.
I believe even today the biggest reason Canadians are feared on the battle field is because of the brave and fearless reputation that was earned by those who fought in past wars. Our tiny population combined with winning battles in a matter of a few weeks that bigger armies like Britain and France had failed to do in 2 years of trying opened many eyes around the world and that gave us a reputation that those who came after have done an admirable job of upholding. I can only hope that those who will fight in future battles realize they have a strong reputation to uphold and the importance of doing so.
@@buffalobill9793 I retired in 2009 after 30 years service. The knowledge that we are responsible for maintaining the established reputation of Canadian troops is something we're all VERY aware of and that we carry with us constantly........with a great deal of pride.
@@mikeb2586 thank you for your service and upholding the reputation earned by my grandfathers and thousands of other brave Canadian men.
My grandfather was a heroic WWII vet, he had saved his platoon, however when I asked him, he said “no, it was either them or me”. He lived with survivors guilt, not wanting to speak about the war. I am very proud of the sacrifices he made for us….. and me. He was 19 when the war began.
My grade 10 history teacher said that this was the reason for the "Canadians are so polite" trope. Allied soldiers were fascinated by these mild-mannered Canadians who turned into utter monsters on the battlefield. After the war ended and the fighting stopped, the "polite but terrifying" meme faded into just "polite", which Canadians embraced as our national identity.
the politeness hides a lot of frustrations...so.......sometimes it all comes out at once.
The civilians near the waterfront pubs in Londonderry where the RCN corvette sailors had liberty while they waited for the next convoy back to Halifax didn't always consider them exactly "polite." But the world was full of people in uniform I suppose. It's just that in Londonderry they were wearing RCN navy blue.
I think this is why Canadians ARE so polite. When we get p&^^% we throw down. So we do what we can to keep the peace, and keep our tempers on short leashes. Until we can't. Then the gloves come off.
The politeness stops when someone tries to cut me in line to get my Tim workers morning wraps
@@geraldelizabethweeks I think you're right.... There's a value of "choose your battles". Some fights are worth the effort, some are not. When the effort is "required" though, you'd better be sure you're in the right!
My grandparents immigrated from Holland to Canada after WW2. At the time, they could have gone to America, Canada, or Australia. They chose Canada because of the admiration that the Dutch people feel for Canada. When I was a child my grandfather would give all his employees a paid day off on Remembrance Day, and if he saw them at the cenotaph memorial for the fallen he would add an extra $50 to their pay. All of his employees would be there for the service. When I was 21 I enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces. My grandfather cried with pride. Today my son serves in CAF as a combat engineer sapper. My grandfather would be so proud.
There are many, many Dutch farmers here in the prairies.
Consider yourself lucky. I do. So Glad I'm not an American.
Canadians feel the same way about the Dutch nothing but respect and we do appreciate that you have respect and gratitude for us too
@rob3609 My family has always been grateful to Canada and the Canadian people. I remember my grandfather correcting a gentleman he said, " I'm not a Dutch Canadian. I'm proudly Canadian. " When relatives came from the Netherlands, he would proudly boast about Canada and the opportunities he built through his hard work. I was proud to wear a uniform that I felt I never deserved to wear. Me and my wife's Latvian family owe much to this country and her people. Thank you, Canada, and Happy Canada Day.
Beautiful story, thank you for sharing.
These traditions didn't end in World War 2. During the Afghanistan War a Canadian Sniper with a Tac 50 took the world for the furthest confirmed sniper kill by over a kilometer. The second furthest shot was and still is 2km, the Canadian JTF2 sniper's shot was 3km. The sniper took out a Taliban soldier preparing an ambush on NATO troops, they scared off the Taliban squad and prevented a possibly gruesome battle.
During World War 2, Colonel Leo Major, who is briefly mentioned at the end but is not detailed proved himself as one of the greatest war heroes of all time. Challenging even the Finnish White Death for combat ability. Leo Major during the dead of night by himself rushed into the Dutch village of Scheldt with as many grenades and bullets he could carry. Using the weapons to create chaos he managed to separate the 103 German troops into groups of 1 or 2 soldiers at a time where he'd tie their hands and capture them. He managed to capture all of them, only killing 3 in the process. Afterwards, he was marching the German soldiers back to camp when an SS squad opened fire on the captured Germans. 7 of the German soldiers died before Leo Major was able to kill the SS troops. He didn't just capture 93 Germans, he saved all of their lives afterwards when he did not have to, simply because they had the honour to surrender from a cause they knew was wrong.
somebody got longer in ukraine
I've given you your 69th like.
@@bakabunny788ehehehe nice
@@morgan40654 actually 3.5 and 2.5. The second was Canadian too. 3 of the 5 longest sniper kills were by Canadians. What we lack in gear and skills we make up for in skills.
@@cannabis3491 yeah and the Ghost became an ace day 1.
Hey Tyler. Here is one for you. Canadians were the ones to pushed the Germans out of Italy and the Canadians and when they reached the capital the Canadians were forced to stop so the American troops could enter the capital first and take the credit for liberating of Italy. But it was the Canadians that did all the work . Pushing panthers and tigers completely out of Italy.
Yup that is true. The Canadians were threatened that they would be shot on the spot if any one of them stepped one foot into the City before the Americans. My Uncle Lorne told me that story...he was there.
Canadians in WW1 fought in battalions composed of relatives and neighbours. People from the same town/village weren't separated and so when there were losses, it wasn't just a battle buddy, it was a close relation. This lead to retaliatory attacks and savagery. It's also why people don't generally serve with people from the same area.
That is enlightening.
Oh shiiiiit!! OK that puts a lot into perspective
I remember being taught about this in grade 4😆
He missed one of the best soldiers in the wars who single handedly took down an entire town controled by germans. That guy was a legend and he survived the war too.
Léo Major was is name
@@davidjalbert4755 thanks I had forgotten
He also won medals and survived the Korean war! The guy was a badass for sure!
He is the photo of the 3guys at the end of the video
Yep and pilots like Billy Bishop.
One of the reasons why Canada made it further than anyone on D-Day was because a lot of soldiers had Dieppe on their minds from 2 years prior where the majority of soldiers were Canadian fighting their first battle. A lot of them lost their lives, were wounded or taken prisoner! D-Day for Canadians was retribution/retaliation/revenge for their fallen brethren!! The worst mistake an outsider can make is underestimating Canada cuz she'll blow your mind every...single...time!!! We are peace-loving people by nature but piss us off and you'll see the dark side!!
I dont know if they will all see the dark side, many will only see the dark
Canada has only lost two battles and never lost a war
The Canadian Military are the monsters you send out to deal with the other monsters...
My father was at Dieppe. He was lucky enough to survive, uninjured, and nearly carried a wounded fellow soldier on the forced march to keep the Germans from shooting him. If you couldn't walk, you got dead.
My grandfather fought at Passendale, in ww1, got injured, fought, managed to survive... I never did get to meet him.. If anyone reading this happens to drive though Mattawa Ontario, take a pit stop and hangout at Gordon Dufoe park...the park named after my grandfather... lovely little place.
We are related. I've met Gordon Dafoe. He was an artist who painted landscapes. His son Norm had a big fire pit where my dad would cook fish.
That is awesome.....Tycoles Lake in Northern SK named after my uncle killed in WWII on air operations over Europe
I had relatives from Mattawa. Last name of Parent, and Riel. Yes the Riel rebel was a relative too, and also fierce.
Training. It's all about constant training. In my eight years in the infantry (1 RCR, 8Pl., Charles Coy.) we were always either working up for exercises, on exercise, cleaning and repairing kit after exercise or on course. I personally have Arctic Warfare course, Mountain Warfare course, Heavy Machine Gun course, Driver (Wheeled) course, Infantry Communicator's course and Infantry Section Commander's course. If you weren't doing any of that, there were lectures you were required to attend, mostly so that junior NCO's could get practice as instructors. (I can't tell you how many times I've sat through the "Backward and Forward Action of the FNC1A1" lecture.)
A fact that is unacknowledged by politicians here in Canada, is that the reason we were so good at our UN peacekeeping roles, was because everyone in theater knew not to mess with us. I can personally attest to this.
Pro Patria
Pro Patria Brother. Look that up Tyler. It is who we are!
Top comment.
"Backward and Forward Action of the FNC1A1" - Yessir! LOL!. I'm sure I can still strip, clean and reassemble one blindfolded and in the dark, as I'm sure you did. One hell of a rifle, even if it weighed like a ton of bricks.
Ah! the FNC!A1 I still remember the Serial number of mine OL4801 and that was 64 years ago
I call bullshit. In my career I have never heard of mountain warfare. And Arctic warfare is actually called winter warfare. Do you actually think there will ever be a war in the Arctic, up where Santa lives? I have 3. I have winter warfare,and also have desert warfare and jungle warfare.. And you are talking to the Weapons Tech that was in charge of the switch from FN's to C7's.
My favourite document from the German military said (paraphrased) "We've discovered the enemy trench is full of Canadians, so do we want to cancel the attack or just wait until they're replaced by someone else?"
Nowhere was the idea of continuing the attack into the Canadians. It was taken as given that they were not doing that.
That's awesome
And then the Canadians decided to attack. (I have no idea if they did. Just memeing)
1 million Canadians went to WW2, _voluntarily,_ with a population of only 10 million at the time. One in ten Canadians went to WW2. That's a higher ratio than any country and all without drafts or conscripts.
There are many excerpts and anecdotes from German soldiers about the Canadian soldiers being particular fear inducing. They would often threaten, mock and tease the enemy during moments of silence from their trenches.
NZ sent about 9% of it's population OVERSEAS in both wars. But there were still a lot of military back in NZ during that time. In WW1 80% volunteers... not sure about WW2's figures about volunteers and conscripts. There were quite a few conscientious objectors... they got a hard time. Sent out to 'work camps' most of them. Planting forestry in cold mountainous areas, that sort of thing. In crappy camps too. Some were convicted of 'dodging'... but most were actually 'conscientious' and genuine, so didn't get convicted of anything... they just had to do time with hard labour.
One of the big killers caused by WW1, back in NZ, was the return of servicemen, some carried the 'Spanish Flu'... and that eventually took off and killed heaps of the general population.
@@colonelfustercluck486 In WWI Canada, men of service age who remained home were often presented with a white feather by women who thought them cowards. Petty Officer George Samson had just received the Victoria Cross for rescuing allied troops at Gallipoli and was on his way to a reception where he was guest of honour when he was stopped in the street and was so presented.
@@hzwanepol6947 pretty much the same over here.... the white feather thing etc etc.... I hope that PO Samson peed himself laughing when that happened.... and stuck it on beside his VC !! For his reception....
I only pointed out NZ's 9% of total population were sent mobilised, trained and "ready to go" and actually sent overseas and other countries figures of 10% or more, in the military.... 'coz not everyone one in the military went overseas.... (They say statistics and more lies)
And thanks to Canada for their contribution. I meant no criticism of your countries service at all.
@@colonelfustercluck486 No worries. I thought it was an interesting anecdote. The Kiwis can be rightly proud of their war record and went above and beyond many times.
They also went into battle in BOTH ww1 and ww 2 two years before the U.S. arrived in theatre
Canada during peacetime: "Hey there. We're sorry, bud"
Canada during wartime: "Hey there. You're going to be sorry now, bud"
Never mistaken a Canadians kindness as a sign of weakness, the biggest mistake one could ever make.
May also be the last. Kindness may be half our nature but fuck with us and those we care about, Papa Wolf and Mama Bear are the other half of our nature.
I'm born and raised in Canada on the Island of Newfoundland on the east coast of Canada now I live about an hours drive from Toronto. My father volunteered to go to war in world war two, in the Newfoundland Regiment of the Royal Artillery at the young age of fifteen, he fought on the eastern front, he was a gunner, back then men where a different breed..He passed away in 1992 miss him greatly. The top General in Canada did master of ceremony at my father's funeral. They held a military funeral for him. I never witness such a huge funeral in my entire life. My father lived a very quiet life after the war he become a shipwright and later a finishing Carpenter. I was shocked at how many folks showed for his wake and funeral. The amount of cars went on and on and on down the street as far as i could see. I was blown away at how many folks truly respected my father at his funeral they came from far and wide. He was married once to my mother they both had twelve kids I was the ninth. Canadians still go to war and fight courageously and have a brutal reputation my friend. Just that you American's mostly hear about your own military conquests by the sounds of things at least in school from it seems. BTW I have many American relatives whom I love dearly and we are a close bunch.
May your father rest easy with his brothers up above.
Our men from Newfoundland were some of the hardest toughest men to fight. But then again you folk from The Rock are cut from a different cloth than the rest of us Canucks. But with your bitter winters you have to be tough.
May he rest in peace. Extreme respect, for such honor and bravery. I'm also a Newfoundlander.
Canadian at peace: I'm sorry!
Canadian at war: You're sorry!
As a Canadian I can agree with some. We fight for peace we are friendly until you stirred the wrong pot. It's better to overestimate than underestimate. Long live Canada.
Several of the top snipers in WW1 were Canadians. In fact, the deadliest sniper of the war was an Indigenous Canadian soldier named Francis "Peggy" Pegahmagabow. 378 confirmed kills and he also captured 300 enemy soldiers
Even today the record for longest confirmed kill with a sniper is held by a member of Canada's JTF2 and 3 of the 5 longest range kills were performed by Canadians
@@General_WeebusSooke BC ❤ Hotspot for some of the best snipers in the Canadian Military! Indigenous and non indigenous.
Dallas Alexander 🫡
My grandfather served in the Canadian infantry in WWI, was gassed 4 times, wounded by shells 3 times. He first met "Peggy" (and he used the name with special affection) while both were hospitalized after being caught in a German poison gas attack. He was older than some soldiers; he'd worked on the railway before 1914, up to fireman. He went off to war on January 1, 2015 and spent the entire war in northern France, eventually promoted to Sergeant. His 1st name was also also Francis, by an odd coincidence. He said that he "learned the art of stalking" from Francis Pegahmagabow, but he did not elaborate too much. He made good use of that knowledge later in the war, leading an "assaulter" section who moved behind cover until reaching German tranches from the sides or rear. With Lewis machine guns, shoulder-slung.
Like Francis Pegahmagabow, he survived the war, although he'd lost 40% of his lungs to gas and had been severely wounded - a post-war and life-long issue, as it was for Pegahmagabow. I became aware of his knowing that famous scout/sniper because he had only two framed pictures from the War. One was of "Peggy," the other of "his boys." He went back to the railway, and became a locomotive engineer. He did not dwell on WWI, but always had high, high praise - awe, really - for "Peggy's" skills and accomplishments. He married, had six daughters, and retired from the railroad as Master Mechanic. The last 10-12 years of his life were bad; he had much pain from wounds, and very little help from Veterans Affairs. That said, he was always, unfailingly a gentleman, soft-spoken but not a "soft man." I wish I had known him better.
Top sniper and holder of the longest kill shot, in Afghanistan....is a Canadian SPECOPS soldier. We don't screw around.
The story about how Canadians threw improvised explosives made of cans and jars with nails and gunpowder inside is actually a toned-down version of the true story.
First we threw actual food and rations in those cans and jars. Once they believed they were safe is when the explosives were sent.
its amazing that more people dont know about this......
@@5t0n3d-G4m3r We don't brag about it, not a show and tell army.
Canadian here. My dad went to war at 17 (lied he said he was 18). He was in the reconnaissance division. This meant he was ahead of all other military. He was over seas for 6 years. He came back at 24. He totally had PTSD. He saw death up close. It changed him at such a young age. He told us very little except he was a private and was asked if he could drive a truck. When he said yes he was promoted to a lieutenant. He was given a tank to drive. He said no where near like driving a truck. He drove into a wall and was demoted to private. He would drink and sit by our fireplace and cry. We knew he was recalling all the people who died. War is so sad.
Thank you to your father. My great grandpa was much the same and ended up in the vet hospital here in London Ont until his death. He suffered what they called shell shock back then PTSD today. My grandfather's both served for Canada in WW2 and some of the stories were almost unbelievable that they would tell us. My hats off to your dad and all our soldiers for the things they do for us
My grandfather was in reconnaissance during WWII with the IV Princess Louise Dragoon Guards. I’ll never forget one of the stories I’ve read about them: something like “we drive through towns until they shoot at us, and then we know where they are.” Reconnaissance men were tough as nails!
My father had a similar experience. He entered at 17 and lied about his age. He was a stretcher bearer in the Canadian Infantry and also came home with PTSD.
My grandfather signed up for the navy by telling them he was 18 when he was only 17 , his mother found out and told on him so he had to get out until he was 18. He then spent nearly the rest of his life in the navy. Was on a corvette during ww2
My dad also lied about his age to get in, or said he did. Either it was a common thing to do, or common to lie about later. No big deal though. We know they did serve, and that was brave as can be, because both world wars were so brutal! May they all Rest In Peace. ❤❤❤
People have to realize a good portion of Canadians are Northerners, Highlanders. Large bodied, cold hardened people. Celtic blood runs in our veins. The blood of old warriors, generations of hardened vikings, barbarians, and savages alike.
No wonder we tore through the D-Day front lines.
Remember, it's never a war crime the first time.
😉
then we put it on the Canadian Apology List and no one is allowed to do it anymore.
The corollary of that is that it's only kinky the first time.
Can't be convicted of a war crime if you leave no witnesses.
-because we don't stop feeling sublime, until we at the end of the line.
After we found out that the 12SS executed 156 canadian prisoners during the Normandy battles we didnt take SS prisoners. Especially after what was found at Abbaye d'Ardenne done by SS Colonel Kurt Meyer.
"executed" is a "polite" description of what they did. My father survived Meyer's atrocities, my uncle did not.
The Canadians did take SS prisoners, but for some reason they kept trying to escape...
btw, if you want evidence, look for pictures online of captured SS soldiers --- many of the ones taken by the Canadians have their faces bashed in.
@@maryvincent8043 my God-- I didn't know there were survivors. What horrors your father experienced for all of us.
We did take some if they surrendered and had intelligence we could use. Knew a former SS officer who surrendered and gave valuable info, was a POW never went back. Hated Hitler and the crap they pulled.
Leo Major would deserve his own video. He did so many heroic and crazy things during the war, it's insane.
he does have many of his own videos, the guy is a tank.
Leo major was "the rambo" a real one
Came here to say this and Tommy Prince.
Would love to have a big blockbuster movie about him!
@@Kotiare me too lol
The song ‘A Ghost in the Trenches’ by Sabaton is about Francis Pegahmagabow, a Canadian Indigenous soldier who served during WWI. I highly recommend listening to it. Also reading up a little more Pegahmagabow’s life after serving. It’s quite fascinating.
I was expecting to see Vimy ridge in this. Canadian suicide mission to soften up the entrenched Germans and keep them awake until British, French and American 100k troops each could clear them out. The Canadian suicide squad instead won the ridge. Allied forces arrived to find the Canadian troops having tea.
Lot of french Canadian, Québec.
Ya, that was the main thing I expected and wasn't mentioned
There were no American troops at Vimy Ridge. Too early in the War.
Vimy Ridge.. Ypres... Beaumont Hamel... the list is long and full of heroes who would not dream of ever calling themselves such.
What many would describe as the actions of a "hero"... Canadians see as "what any good soldier would do".
My grandfather’s brother was killed at vimy ridge at the age of 18, I saw the letter from the government to my great grandmother, terrible thing, my grandfather never talked about it only he was upset because he was to young to enlist
I served in the Canadian infantry in the late 80's to mid 90's.
We went thru recruit school.. then battle school.. then spec training... and a bazillion training exercises in between.
Most nations we trained with underestimated us... the first time... but never twice.
Enemy combatants rarely got the luxury of learning never to underestimate a canadian.
Yeah... we're polite... we're nice... we'll help you however we can.. but once we decide you gotta go... you're gone.
My bricks unofficial motto was "don't bother running... you'll just die tired."
Thank you for your service 🫡 🇨🇦
Thank you for your service.
And thanks for the information, I’m planning on joining CAF in the signals reserves while in university (already did the forces test and the CFAT, just waiting on Poland for my security check) and everyone’s comments on their experience are really helping me get a much more encompassing idea of our military now.
Thank you for your service. My dad served in WWII.
Served with the Military Engineers around the same time period as you. Nice to meet you! Chimo!
Yes Sir , we get the job done under any condition , we DÒ NOT back down , and stand down only under command order by higher rank
Salute
A lot of people see the amount of money spent on the USA military and how many soldiers they have, but Canadians have some of the highest quality soldiers in the world. Many countries sent their troops to Canada for training.
Gotta train better cause the equipment sucks comparatively. Still using some really old equipment. heh
Canada virtually always wins in training "war games" against Brit and Yank troops.
@@jennifermarlow. I'm Canadian and I've know a few people who were in the military, didn't join myself. Wasn't a put down either, just stating facts on how little the federal government actually spends on its armed forces.
There is a guideline of spending 2% of a signator's GDP on military so that NATO will be well prepared for any conflict that may happen, Canada spends less than 1.5.
While the active members may be equipped fairly well, the actual military vehicles have left much to be desired. Still waiting for the first shipment of new aircraft which took 7 years to finally procure. The previous fighter jets were obtained over 50 years ago at this point.
Canadian soldiers are generally more of the 'survivalist' types that can think and act on their own, which is potentially what made them more feared and potent in wartime periods. Basically it's not a lot of grunts and a leader taking charge, but equally smart members that co-operate best.
Of course those were the older era soldiers. The modern day ones varies with who they are and where they are from, since Canada increased immigration, the 'stance' of training for war changed a lot. They are trained to be peace keepers like a police force, more so than for war essentially.
Old equipment that can still shoot, is still viable btw... What wins offensive wars are boots on the ground, no amount of tech can capture and keep a region captured. If you outright destroy the entire region so no one can control it, then its less on 'who wins' and more on 'who suffered the most'.
Cut off logistics, and their soldiers will starve or can't communicate properly. Cut off their leadership, and their morale will drop. All in all, it really depends on the objective of said war... For a region like Ukraine, where defending is the only thing you can do, you are basically asking to get turned into pincushion and blown up because the other side threatens nuclear retaliation if any 'invasion' happens to them in retaliation... That's the conundrum of modern day war, is that they technically try to hold everyone into a psychological hostage situation.
@@dra6o0n Canada's military hasn't done any peacekeeping since the disastrous Rwanda mission in 1994. And even then it was only one guy, General R. Dallaire as leader. The rest of his force was foreign. We only got into the peacekeeping gig in 1967 in Cyprus. So the peacekeeping "tradition" so many older Canadians think of as quintessentially Canadian lasted less than 30 years. Our participation in Gulf War I and especially Afghanistan where we sent ground troops was combat, not peacekeeping.
Hey, Tyler. I’m a Canadian and didn’t know much about what this documentary reveals. Thanks very much.
Canada has never started a war. But we have never lost one we've been invited to. In Afghanistan, the Taliban would fight Americans and Brits toe to toe, but not Canadians or Australians because they always lost. We earn respect. In Germany, We could get into places that Americans could not just because of the respect that we were held in. We would point to the flag on our shoulder, and say Kanadish and things were fine. I saw this myself. Canada is a peace loving country - but don't piss us off!
Amen brother!
Yessir!
Exactly
During both world wars Germans were more afraid of Canadian Australian and New Zealander than any other nations
I agree 💯%. But! Today, would our Gen Z's hold up our reputation?
My father served in the Canadian Navy during the Korean war, as a radar operator on a destroyer. He told me and my brothers and sisters how 2 Canadian destroyers would accompany an American fleet, phone at the front and one at the rest of the procession. Upon detecting a 'bogey' the two destroyers would leave to drop depth charges on the submarine while the American fleet turned 90° and sale off. Then they would rejoin the fleet after the oil slick surfaced and their job was complete. I'm immensely proud of him, and grateful for all military service personnel. The Canadian military are the Honey Badgers of the war zone, fearless, ruthless, and carved out of pure valor. I salute you all.
Your comment should not have received 28 likes because it is relating a story that cannot possibly be true. Maybe it got Liked because it does say nice (and true) things about Canadian service people. But I don't like the way it disparages the United States Navy by implying they ran from submarine contacts (had there been any -- there weren't) instead of sticking around to help your father's ship sink them. If your father really did tell you this story he should be ashamed of himself.
There were no, zero, antisubmarine actions during the Korean War because neither the North Koreans nor the Chinese had any submarines in 1950-53. No one would want to risk sinking an American sub by accident, or starting World War 3 by sinking a Russian one happening to be nosing around. More to the point, there would be no justification under the rules of engagement covering the UN policing mission for sinking unidentified submarines on the high seas that had not displayed any hostile actions. Canadian destroyers did shoot at trains and railway tunnels with their radar-directed guns and got quite good at it, but not at subs. Canada had too few ships deployed (three destroyers left over from WW2 at first, eight eventually but not all fast powerful ships like destroyers) to have them operating together in the manner described, rather they were individually formed in with the naval task forces from several countries participating in any specific action. Usually these would be centred on American or British aircraft carriers launching air strikes against North Korea, or cruising around shooting at shoreline targets of opportunity.
It takes many depth charges, on average, to sink a submarine (if there had been any in Korean waters and if attacking them would have been justified.) It's not a case of dropping a couple, watching the oil gush up, and running back to rejoin the fleet. In WW2 convoy actions, the Canadian corvettes would drop a depth charge or two on a sonar contact to rattle the crew and encourage it to stay submerged. Because they were so slow, they couldn't tarry at the task for long before they had to break off and struggle to catch the convoy. (Aircraft, not escort ships, sank most of the German submarines sunk during WW2.)
Well, I don't know where you dug up your in depth knowledge of Korean war Can/Am tactical nautical manoeuvres or naval vessel duties and assignments but I'm sure a little review will show that I certainly did not say the American ships backed down from anything. The suggestion was, and is, that they were the importance of the convoy and were to be protected, which was Canada's role in that situation. It would be foolish to think anything to the contrary...are you such a fool? Further, I never suggested that disposing of an enemy submarine was a routine thing requiring just a couple depth charges, again read carefully, take your time and sound out big words if necessary. Defeating an enemy vessel would be no small undertaking. To consider it a frivolous task is ludicrous and as rediculous as is the statement that China or Korea had no submarines interested in harming American ships. Let's open this up for anyone who can verify this one way or the other.
Did my Father lie to me and my siblings about nerve wracking encounters with enemy subs....listening for the sounds of their propellers to detect motion....screws he called them...doing calculations with a slide rule to gain the edge in life and death scenarios and sweating bullets along the way. I never said it was easy, neither did he. I can't think of any reason he would like to us for the sake of a story, but I do believe you may be innocently mistaken in your eagerness to discredit his account of going to war. I urge you to gather some real facts if you're trying to call my dad a liar, the depth charge you need to be wary of is the depth of your own understanding.
If I didn't convey my account of my father's words concisely, you have my apologies. But I believe to the bottom of the ocean every word he said as the truth .,.."what father gives his child who asks for bread a stone?" Your words I have considerably less faith in. Now remember, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
@@scotthuber7261 I offered evidence that there were no antisubmarine operations during the Korean War because (thankfully) there were no enemy submarines to operate against. If you can find documentary evidence from warship logs or action reports or any other source that a Canadian (or any UN force) warship attacked submarines ever, anywhere in the world after 1945, please post it here. I have those sources in my library. I can give you a listing of all sub kills made by RCN ships and RCAF aircraft. An American destroyer enforcing the Cuba quarantine in 1962 did drop small hand grenades on a Russian submarine off Cuba to encourage it to surface and identify itself, which it did and was allowed to proceed on its way unharmed. We know about that.
I reiterate that either your father made up the story or you did. If he had been a sailor in an RCN corvette during the crucially important convoy war in the Atlantic, which we almost lost, then yes, that would be a believable, and courageous scenario. Every single cargo ship we ushered safely to England (and the USSR) made a difference. Submarines did sometimes manage to torpedo escort ships that were hunting them. Corvettes and our rusty old destroyers until the Tribals arrived were flimsy and sank almost at once if torpedoed. Once we had enough corvettes, and the Americans were able to supply more escort vessels too, Canadian ships had more freedom to operate in pairs against a trapped submerged submarine, playing it between them, one listening the other dropping charges, and with a little luck and a lot of patience, could kill it. Hedgehog later in the war was better than depth charges. Depth charges dropped by aircraft adjacent to submarines caught on the surface were even better. Flt Lt. David Hornell, RCAF, VC (posthumous.)
Facts matter for the historical record, even if they're not "nice". War stories about submarines off Korea are not facts, even if dressed up in religious imagery. To be fair to your father, I can imagine that if he was in one of the Tribal destroyers we sent to Korea he would have shipped with some old salts who had served in corvettes just a few years earlier. They would have regaled the young'uns like your father with embellished stories in the mess of hunting subs in the Atlantic and maybe doing the typical Canadian thing of getting in little digs at Americans, who of course weren't in earshot to take offence. We tend to believe stories like this because they tell us good things about ourselves and our country -- running down others is a way that Canadians love to bid themselves up --and he may well have come to believe sincerely they actually happened to him. But they didn't. We know they didn't because the historical record says they didn't.
Don't be a jerk with the "sound out big words" trope. That insult was old and stale even before the Internet. Goodbye.
My apologies for the snide remark, you were right it was uncalled for and impolite and I am sincerely sorry I didn't leave it out of my reply. If I ever get another first hand eye witness account I'll be sure to send them to you so you can correct them too.
@@scotthuber7261 Or you could look up the written records yourself. You know, in books.
My Great Grandfather, Great Grandmother, Grandfather, Great uncle and Great aunt. Were in a concentration camp in Friesland, Netherlands. Were saved by the Canadian Army. They immigrated here to Canada right after. My Grandfather is still alive today, so very happy that the Canadian army was there to save them. I wouldn't be here today.
Me too
My Grandfather HF Van Der Horst played a main role in how the Dutch counterintelligence hid Jews,even in fresh graves.Jack van der Geest writes a good account.They came to Vancouver in 57.
Canada has been involved in EVERY American conflict as well as many more. Even if, in some cases, denied by both our governments. Respect to CANSOR and JTF2 and the "Regular" forces (which are highly trained and deployed all over the world). I love Canada's low-profile....
My Grandmother’s cousin, Herman Good, received the Victoria Cross in WWI for single handedly neutralizing 2 German machine gun nests in one day and another the next day at the battle of Amiens. He was in the North Shore Regiment from New Brunswick which had a reputation for being fearless.
There is still a canon and a plaque of him in the old legion building in Bathurst. It's now a Leon's Furniture, but the canon is still there in respect.
@@BigJobe21 I had no idea the Legion had been closed. What happened to all of the museum artifacts?
@@karenk2255 No idea where the rest went, sorry....
"There are rules of war"
Canadians: "Don't quote the rules to me, I was there when they were written!"
"I'm also the reason half of them were written" 😉
@@nodrogstacey7813* more than half
@@nodrogstacey7813 "I am the reason for the Geneva List"
@@SappyDuder Oh, I know: you mean the Geneva Suggestions, right?
@@karenburrows9184 or the Geneva Checklist!
A quote from a captured German soldier during WWI: “when we heard that Canadians were coming into the line facing us, we knew to expect the worst.”
That quote is better attributed to David Lloyd George: "The Canadians played a part of such distinction that thenceforward they were marked out as storm troops; for the remainder of the war they were brought along to head the assault in one great battle after another. Whenever the Germans found the Canadian Corps coming into the line, they prepared for the worst.”
I will never claim to have the same level of courage that my fellow Canadians had back in those wars but from what I've learned about them are these things :
- Canadians enjoy peace above all... but they will make you regret going to war with them.
- The Geneva Convention is like a list of things Canadians aren't allowed to do anymore in times of war.
- You do not leave a soldier behind; if a soldier is left behind, you clear a path so he can catch up.
Separate note from my other one, that kind of reputation still persists to recent times. A friend of the family was deployed to the Middle East a few years ago (perhaps Afghanistan?). He was a LAV commander. He told me the enemy called Canadian APCs "evil green monsters that poop Canadians".
Talking to him a bit more on it, in that same conflict the Canadian supply convoys stopped getting attacked. It turns out the Canadians had a rather different battle doctrine to Americans. When an American convoy was attacked the soldiers typically did something along the lines of falling back, getting into cover and calling in air strikes in response, which took time and allowed the attackers to get several more hits in and then bail. For a Canadian convoy, if you fired on one, every single gun in that convoy went full auto into your face about 2 seconds after you fired...AND they also called in air strikes for good measure. The attackers kept getting minced while doing so little damage that they eventually said fuck it and stopped trying to hit the Canadians.
As someone who worked for Canada’s Department of National Defence for 32 years and is married to a Canadian soldier with 38+ years of service I can explain why this is. Because our military is so small compared to the US military our troops are cross trained in many areas and every member (clerks, drivers, cooks - literally every member) is responsible for force protection when the situation requires it. In the US military troops generally specialize in one thing so in a fire fight it’s going to fall on those specialists to provide defence. An example of this ethos is when my husband was posted to Germany in the 80s, his M109 self-propelled gun (a tracked vehicle) came across an American tank that had thrown a track. They asked if everyone was ok and if they could provide assistance because part of being on this gun is fixing tracks if and when necessary. They reported that they were fine but also that they had radioed for “the track repair specialist” to come fix the tank. This high level of specialization can really hamper agility on the battle field especially when the crap hits the fan. Sadly, years of fiscal neglect by our federal government had crippled our once great military to the point where I’m not sure it will ever recover. It’s quite sad really. 😢
@@WhirlyGirl_2679 Exactly. I'm a former grunt. It's not just our C6/7/8/9 we carry and our grenades. We have to learn every weapon and how to use them. From SRAAWL's to the Carl G and beyond.
That's why when I've been around Marines, US Army, Sailors...I cringe when I hear about how warrior like they are. Put 10 Canadian grunts against 10 from the US, and they'll be sent packing.
The US is just larger in numbers in their forces. But a man for a man even, the US wouldn't stand a chance.
@@aaronmcintosh2903 100%. Because we are so small we have to make up for it with excellence. Sadly, thanks to our government, the depth of experience and excellence is dwindling quickly. 😞 Thank you for your service, Aaron. 😊
I have been hearing a lot of negativity about the Canadian forces. I have people in the army and I understand what you are saying. My brother retired but is still consulting for the Canadian army. I don't know what his speciality is.
@@WhirlyGirl_2679 I heard a similar storie where our soldiers was in exercice with the US Army and US soldiers was having trouble with a vehicule. Our CAF soldiers helped them what was way faster than waiting about the ''mechanic specialist''.
My son travelled through Eastern Europe with his High School years ago, and when in Belgium, they were stopped and thanked from older generation Belgians for Canadians leaving the safety of home and crossing an ocean to aid in their liberation.
But Belgium is not in Eastern Europe...?
@@PoppyDada27 It's awfully far east from here! Where is the border to Eastern Europe?
@@cattymajiv I guess there's no official border, but generally it's like Poland, Ukraine, Romania, other countries around there. On the eastern side of Europe! 😅
As a dual citizen, I can attest to the fact that Yankees know nothing at all about their nearest neighbour. As a 15-year-old in New Jersey, I was asked if Canada had electricity and if we lived in igloos
This is "the fury of a kind man." Both the kindness and the fury are 100% genuine. Canadians are willing to apologize and accept an apology right up until you cross that line. After that, there is no apologizing. Only retribution
It's all fun and games until the Canadians stop saying sorry.
@@KairiPrime When Canadians stop saying "Sorry", Geneva orders a fresh supply of ink.
@@BoojumFed lol.
Canadian here... what we are taught is if you want a war ended, send in Canada. They are there for a reason. The opposing forces know they've screwed up if the Canadian forces show up to end it.
The Canadians aren't in every battle, not every battle needs help.
@@cathydyck1333 True, we never were in every battle.
But should others need help, feel free to ring us up🙂
if canada is sent in it isnt because the agressors messed up but the defenders
@@jason221145this is the truth
Confusing kindness for weakness is a dangerous mistake
A fatal mistake.
But a fantastic strategical advantage. Sun Tzu would approve.
Well said
Kindness, courtesy, decency and caring for other people costs nothing. Hello from Edmonton Alberta Canada ❤🇨🇦💖💝
There's a reason why a lot of Canadians love Patrick Swayze's 'Roadhouse'. "Be nice. Until it is time, to not be nice."
Demons run when a good man goes to war,
Night will fall and drown the sun,
When a good man goes to war.
"Oh I'll be polite, right up until I'm rude"
We should have our own little version "Everyone thinks they are Canadian... until they find out what being Canadian really means!"
@@standupman6422 Maple syrup and actual freedoms? lol
My Dad was stationed at Canadian military bases that included American military. We always admired your military training. What you show us when you attend Air Shows and partner us on projects is just awe inspiring. We have shared closely together much longer than you or I could know.
My Dad visited the countless graves of Canadians in Holland and the Dutch have taken tender care of our young soldiers ever since WW 2. We have a poignant relationship with our friends from Holland. TheDutch actually requested that we leave those soldiers with them in perpetuity. They are in loving hands.
He wouldn't have been stationed there. The only base in Canada with foreign troops stationed is CFB Suffield that is leased to the British military. That being said due to our abundance of land we do host many international exercises which has many countries taking part in.
Oh with the exception of NORAD, that has both American and Canadian personal stationed in Newfoundland.
Look, it's simple. Canada might not be the original "Fuck around and find out".....but we perfected it!
The biggest reason that people have forgotten about the Canadian reputation in war is because we take on much smaller roles in modern conflicts. Throughout the conflicts in the Middle East we have sent small numbers of troops and mostly squads of special forces to support the larger groups of American and British troops. The men they worked with will tell you all the stories you need about the ruthless efficiency of the Canadian troops in the face of enemy fire and overwhelming odds (at times). When you ask American soldiers that worked with the Canadians in Afganistan and other theaters in the Middle East they will tell you about the fun loving, friendly guys that turned into wild, deadly, stone faced killers in the middle of a fire-fight.
Also, remember that it was Canadian Special Forces units that found Bin Laden and lead American troops to his compound. It was also Canadian Special Forces that "cleared the path" for American troops to infiltrate the compound to get him out!
Is that for real? I always thought (through our Canadian news) that it was all Americans? President Bush was always boasting about his Americans finding Ben Laden? No-one even mentioned Canada.
@@gailhubbard7102 It was an agreement between the American and Canadian military to leave Canadian involvement out of the domestic reports.
If you know anyone from the Canadian military involved in the operation OR happened to be paying attention to the news from outside sources (Middle East, Europe, Asia) you would have seen the footage of Bin Laden being escorted by Canadian Special Forces troops off of a UN Transport and handed off to American Forces.
I did not know that... and served in the Canadian Forces.
Canadians are like this in war because it PISSES US OFF to be forcibly embroiled by "The World" in conflicts. We would much rather be farming, gardening, growing awesome vegetable gardens on reasonably small sized country properties, feeding people and learning how to play a musical instrument, or most ANY USEFUL endeavour! BS PISSES US OFF. FAFO!
Your videos are wonderful. Thank you 😊🇱🇷🇨🇦 Toronto area here
Growing up as a born and bred Canadian, I learned a very Important lesson from my parents. "never go looking for a fight, avoid a fight if possible, but if you're given no choice, make damn sure you're the one to end that fight!"
I heard something very similar: Never throw the first punch but make damn sure you throw the last one.
Great advice.
As i was told, "don't punch to hit, punch to hurt"
I was told a fair fight is the one you win or don't die from.
My dad used to come out with something similar. He would say that if anyone wanted to attack him or anyone close to him, they would be better to take him out asap cuz they wouldn't be given a second chance!
In both world wars the Germans were terrified of the Canadians. To the degree that the allies used to use disinformation about the location of the Canadians to mess with German troop deployments. Canadians were always tip of the spear. Juno beach was the second most well defended beach in Normandy next to Omaha. Canadians penetrated further inland than any other force on D'Day notwithstanding.
Canadians also took the highest casualty rate, and the second most total casualties, yet exceeded all of their objectives.
@@vampfashions I saw a documentary on Juno Beach.
A Canadian company went ashore with 132 men. At the end of the day only 8 of them walked off the beach under their own power. 93% casualties.
@@snidecommenter7117 I'm not sure but I've heard it was between 80-90% dead and wounded, yet they achieved all their objectives
We're the tip AND the pointed ridges at the back when you pull it out.
Canadian here. My great uncle was a mild mannered accountant when WW1 started. He volunteered and saw action on the western front. After Vimy Ridge, he got a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps where he flew a Sopwith Camel (just like Snoopy did)
It also helped that during WW1 it was uncommon for troops to be given information about the battles- you had one guy command where everyone went, and that was how wars were fought.
The Canadians often shared maps and battle plans with the entire troop, which made them significantly more effective and well coordinated.
What everyone should always fear: When we stop saying "Sorry"...
That "Beaver on his hat" is the cap badge of the "Royal 22nd Regiment" the famous "Vandoos" one of the most storied regiments in Canadian military history, so bite your tongue!
So true.
There may be another reason why they have the beaver as their emblem.
There is a beaver lodge on my farm, so I know enough about the animals to say that those who have never had to patch up their 120 pound guardian dog after an encounter with a beaver have no idea how powerful and dangerous those placid, unassuming rodents can be in a fight.
Must be a Canadian thing. 🙂
@@curmudgeonafVingt-deux 😊
I served with some Van Doos for a summer, when I was in the Reserves. They are truly, legitimately. INSANE!
@@curmudgeonafcorrection: vingt deux. French canadian regiment in which orders are given in french and leaded by french canadian officers, the honorary colonel of the regiment is the King of Canada, King of England Charles III. That is how much respect this regiment has.
@@curmudgeonafactually spelled "Les Vingt deux"-- affectionately known by us in Quebec as the "Van Doos," known by enemies as terrifying.
One more point (see directly below this comment): All countries commit 'atrocities' while involved in war no matter what they claim......just study history. One situation that all Canadians remember occurred during the War of 1812 - 1814. In 1813, led by Brigadier General Zebulon Pike (Pike's Peak), USA forces consisting of 14 armed vessels and 1,700 soldiers landed to the west of the City of York (present-day Toronto), Upper Canada, and moved east to capture Fort York (defended by 650 regulars, militia and Ojibwe). Pike was killed during the taking of the Fort when the munitions magazine exploded, caused by an ignited fuse lit by the retreating forces. Following the capture of the Fort, the invaders proceeded east to the actual Town of York, occupied it, seized ordnance and supplies (needed by the civilians to make it through the winter), and then looted and burned much of the Town including government buildings (read atrocities). Outraged, the Canadian militia marched from York, Upper Canada, to Washington, DC, and met up with British forces that had sailed up the Potomac. Retaliating for the burning of York, the Canadian Militia and British forces burned the President's House (following the burning, to cover the blackened exterior walls, the building was painted white and thus became The White House), Capitol Building, the Library of Congress (located in the Capitol Building at the time), the Treasury, and other government buildings. Unlike in York where the USA forces burned private dwellings, the Canadian and British forces refrained from burning private residences and even spared the Patent Office due to the importance of the contents. In summary, we Canadians will not initiate a breach of peace, but will most assuredly retaliate against those who attack our peace. Chimo
I heard about the white house, but not the other government buildings. Interesting.
@@youtubasoarus That sent a message to the USA for sure... 🤣🤣🤣
Thank you so much to all who took the time to read my comment and give it a 'like'. Cimo
@@jennifermarlow. Your note, Jennifer, is very much appreciated. Big smiles and another 'Chimo' to you.
Canadian Military have not changed. Am a member of a generational military family….they will defend their allies, will help those in need and give their lives doing it
Canadians are a BIG reason as to why the Geneva Conventions were written.
When Brits and Americans joke about the Geneva Conventions, calling them 'suggestions', or the 'Checklist', etc its light-hearted dark humour.
When the Canadians and Polish join in, calling it a 'checklist', Brits and Americans are like:
"STOP!
NO!
THATS NOT FUCKING FUNNY COMING FROM Y'ALL"
It's not a war crime the first time 😁
This just in Canada is scary
@@Spriggan626 Just don't piss Canada off otherwise you'll be the one saying sorry for everything 😂
@@justinkellner9928 I'm from Canada
Canadians are the type of people that will make you voluntarily eat a brick or make you wish you could disappear when we stop saying sorry
Canadians don't fight to "win", we fight to make the enemy suffer for ever starting it in the first place. "If you can't beat your enemy at least make sure the bastard remembers your name!" Winning is more of a "if it happens it happens" kind of thing.
No, they 100% came to win. Canada didn't want to be a part of the wars, but they kept getting involved. So they came to finish the job as fast as possible by whatever means necessary.
Canadians are the type of people to make someone voluntarily eat a brick
@tristanhofer2491 you disagree but we're literally both canadian so since you said "they" I'm pretty sure we have a better understanding of our own mentality when it comes to violent conflict. And btw we were one of the first to jump into ww2 not the last that was america.
@@G.R.I.T.666 are you implying you're in the armed forces or...? But I'm thinking more WW1 when they kinda just showed up and started plowing through the enemy lines. Enough so that they had to get called back as they were leaving the other's so far behind that they left opportunity for the enemy to come around to their rear. That and that's when most of the war crimes took place.
@@TLPH04 nope not armed forces i was homeless for 13 years in some of our roughest neighborhoods so I've seen first hand our mentality in violent situations it's literally just to make the other person suffer win or lose
Check out Vimy Ridge in WWI. The French tried to take it for one year at the cost of about 100,000 men. The British then tried to take it for a year at the cost of about 90,000 men. The Canadians were given the freedom to act independently and threw out the preconceived ideas existing at the time. They took the ridge in one day at the cost of about 10,000 men.
Whoa; I had no idea.
Not to mention the sound of our boots marching in unison was so loud it caused most of the german army at that location to rout before even engaging (something to do with the exact right air pressure, time of day, wind and landscape) it was literally a perfect storm.
I believe a german soldier said it sounded like pounding thunder of a hundred thousand men
To me (a born and raised Albertan) the dichotomy is very simple. We are a massively compassionate, caring, and empathetic society. That is precisely why it impacts Canadians so deeply when they see the horrors of war. Because of the caring and compassionate nature. We fight so hard for others, and the soldiers did what they did to their enemies, to ensure other people and themselves could return to that peace that was destroyed. Also, many Canadians were sent first and used as cannon fodder, and the people dying beside them were friends, family, and neighbours. Of course they’d do whatever they could to stop it. Canadians may not have all the money and “toys” the American military does, but don’t kid yourself…we still have incredibly well trained, brave, and formidable soldiers. It’s also not a distant memory. Think Rwanda, Iraq, and Serbia. Canadian Peacekeepers were always there.
"There are international laws around war."
Canada has made quite the contribution to this list of laws being made.
Side note about Juno Beach. Canada also showed up a day later then everyone else and still got through first.
For the record Canada fought in Afghanistan. We were defending Kandahar when a lot of Americans pulled out to fight in Iraq. We were also in the Gulf war with Americans.
And were the first to fly into the combat zone...flying the F-18's .....(gulf war)
People always comment that Canadians always say "Sorry". But they never ask why we feel the need. Growing up on Army Bases in Canada, I've heard a lot of stories that continue the tradition of "getting the job done." Never with the equipment they need, or the support they deserve, but always with discipline, ruthlessness, and style.
Lesson learned: Do NOT underestimate us🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
My great grandfather was a truck driver in WW2 with the Canadian cor. He didnt see much battle but he had been ambushed once and had lied to the germans saying he had pow's for the germans he than killed two of them with his pistol and drove to his base with the coordinates to the pow camp the germans told him to drive to. Many men were saved thanks to a simple canadian truck driver. I will always love and miss him. He got to survive to live 100 years and never needed a chair or walker. He was a mans man and always will be. R.I.P to all the lost soilders.
My granfather landed on Juno told me it was terrifying... but also rage inducing. Hatred gets er' done.
''Lest we forget.'' o7
My grandfather was a POW in ww2 he would have loved your grandfathers story of bravery and sense of duty. Thank you to him from our family
Corps**
The Canadian people lost hundreds to poison gas. It shouldn’t surprise that they got mean. Sweet friends, bad enemies.
"Sweet friends, bad enemies." Is a great description.
The bravery of my uncle in WWII: James Henry Wheal (the 4th) (1921-1975) was born in Stratford, Ontario. He joined the Hastings Prince Edward Regiment and was a Drill Sergeant at Camp Ipperwash before requesting transfer to active duty overseas and was sent to North Africa. He battled across North Africa, through Sicily and north into Italy before being gravely wounded in action just south of Florence. He was hit with 8 pieces of shrapnel in the lower back and was machine gunned in both legs and shot through the throat, sideways. He would have been left for dead on the field had he not reached out and grabbed the leg of one of the nighttime searchers looking for the dead and wounded. When I was a kid he told me he thought he was reaching for the leg of the enemy and figured if he was dying he was going to take on last nazi with him!
Eisenhower gave a speech in 1959 wherein he shared the view that based on their record during WW 1, WW 2 and Korea, never tell any branch of the Canadian Military that something can’t be done. If you do so, they will soon make you look incredibly foolish.
WW1 - German Field Marshal August Von Mackensen:
When you are looking for weakness across the enemy lines, never include areas held by the Canadians. Any action against them will be too costly.
WW2 - Admiral Karl Doenitz (Post War)
My greatest concern during naval operations after 1942 was to determine how many Canadian ships would be in the area. Their Commanders knew no fear and time and again used unconventional tactics we simply couldn’t match. They were to be feared and respected as tenacious fighters seemingly oblivious to danger.
Tyler: "Canada hasn't had to go to war in a long time."
Me: "You and me must have different definitions of what a long time is."
Canada's gone to war and fought alongside Americans in both wars that that Bush baby started in the early 2000s.
wrong, we were invited to join the 2nd one, refused because it was not sanctioned by the UN, it was the Yanks looking to get their rocks off on some Iraqis, and we were having none of it.
I was thinking the same thing. Korea, desert storm, Afghanistan, and many, many peace keeping actions.
I seem to remember going to Afghanistan 2008-2009. And ya, taliban didn’t like us.
@@jennifermarlow. wasn’t talking about the invasion of Iraq. I was talking about Desert Storm back in ‘90-91. Canada supplied resupply vessels, destroyers and F-18s. First time that Canadian aircraft dropped bombs since Korean War
Hell yeah. Thank you for your service. @@davidhodder8036