Black history month post: Black Canadians' long history of military service
Black history month post: Black Canadians' long history of military service
OP: I thought it might be interesting to do a post having to do with Canada (i.e. since I'm from there), and since (white) Canadians tend to be woefully uninformed about their own history of racism. :-)
Pre-First World War
Victoria Rifles standing at attention
-------------------
The tradition of military service by Black Canadians goes back long before Confederation (OP: this is when Canada officially became a country, and took place in 1867). Indeed, many Black Canadians can trace their family roots to Loyalists who emigrated North in the 1780s after the American Revolutionary War. American slaves had been offered freedom and land if they agreed to fight in the British cause and thousands seized this opportunity to build a new life in British North America.
This tradition of military service did not end there, with some Black soldiers seeing action in the War of 1812, helping defend Upper Canada against American attacks. A number of volunteers were organized into the “Company of Coloured Men,” which played an important role in the Battle of Queenston Heights. Black militia members also fought in many other significant battles during the war, helping drive back the American forces. Black soldiers also played an important role in the Upper Canadian Rebellion (1837-1839). In all, approximately 1,000 Black militia men fighting in five companies helped put down the uprising, taking part in some of the most important incidents such as the Battle of Toronto.
Black volunteers also served with British forces farther away from home, including in the Royal Navy. Indeed, one such man, William Hall, would earn the Victoria Cross (the highest award for military valour) for his brave actions in India in 1857.
Black people in the West also forged their own military traditions. In the late 1850s, hundreds of Black settlers moved from California to Vancouver Island in pursuit of a better life. Approximately 50 of the new immigrants soon organized the Victoria Pioneer Rifle Corps, an all-Black volunteer force also known locally as the “African Rifles.” While the corps was disbanded by 1865 after only a few years of existence, it was the first officially-authorized militia unit in the West Coast colony.
While relatively few Black Canadians served in the military in the years immediately following Confederation, a few were part of the Canadian Contingent that went overseas during the South African War of 1899-1902. However, the First World War that erupted a decade and a half later would see a great change in how Black Canadians served.
First World War
Three soldiers in a German dugout captured during the Canadian advance east of Arras, France in October 1918.
---------------------
Like so many others swept up in the excitement and patriotism that the First World War (1914-1918) initially brought on, young Black Canadians were eager to serve King and country. At the time, however, the prejudiced attitudes of many of the people in charge of military enlistment made it very difficult for these men to join the Canadian Army. Despite the barriers, some Black Canadians did manage to join up during the opening years of the war. Black Canadians wanted the chance to do their part on a larger scale, however, and pressured the government to do so.
On July 5, 1916, the No. 2 Construction Battalion was formed in Pictou, Nova Scotia-the first large Black military unit in Canadian history. Recruitment took place across the country and more than 600 men were eventually accepted, most from Nova Scotia, with others coming from New Brunswick, Ontario, the West and even some from the United States. The Black Battalion’s chaplain was Reverend William White, who had also played a leading role getting the unit formed. He was given the rank of Honourary Captain-one of the few Black commissioned officers to serve in the Canadian Army during the war.
No. 2 Construction Battalion members in 1917.
--------------------------
In addition to the men of the Black Battalion, an estimated 2,000 Black Canadians, such as James Grant, Roy Fells, Seymour Tyler, Jeremiah Jones and Curly Christian, were determined to get to the front lines and managed to join regular units, going on to give distinguished service that earned some of them medals for bravery.
Black Canadians also made important contributions on the home front. They helped achieve victory by working in factories making the weapons and supplies needed by the soldiers fighting overseas, and by taking part in patriotic activities like raising funds for the war effort.
Today, the dedicated service of the "Black Battalion" and other Black Canadians who fought in the First World War is remembered and celebrated as a cornerstone of the proud tradition of Black military service in our country.
Second World War
Welsford Daniels in 1943.
----------------------
Little more than 20 years after the end of the “War to End all Wars,” the Second World War (1939-1945) erupted and soon spread across Europe and around the globe. The Second World War saw considerable growth in how Black Canadians served in the military. While some Black recruits would encounter resistance when trying to enlist in the army, in contrast to the First World War no segregated battalions were created. Indeed, several thousand Black men and women served during the bloodiest war the world has ever seen. Black Canadians joined regular units and served alongside their white fellow soldiers here at home, in England, and on the battlefields of Europe. Together they shared the same harsh experiences of war while fighting in places like Italy, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
In the early years of the war, however, the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force were not as inclusive in their policies. This did not mean that trail-blazing Black Canadians did not find a way to persevere and serve. Some Black sailors served in the Navy, and Black airmen served in the Air Force as ground crew and aircrew here at home and overseas in Europe.
Cecilia Butler working in the John Inglis Company munitions plant in Toronto during the Second World War, December 1943.
--------------------
The contributions of Black servicemen was second to none and several earned decorations for their bravery. Some Black women joined the military as well, serving in support roles so that more men were available for the front lines.
And back on the home front, Black Canadians again made important contributions by working in factories that produced vehicles, weapons, ammunition and other materials for the war effort, and taking part in other patriotic efforts like war bond drives. For example, Black women in Nova Scotia worked in vital jobs in the shipbuilding industry, filling the shoes of the men who would usually do that work but who were away fighting in the war.
Many Black Veterans returned home after the war with a heightened awareness of the value of freedom and their right to be treated as equals after all they had done for Canada in their country’s time of need. The service of Black Canadians in the Second World War remains a point of pride and was a measure of how Black Canadians were becoming increasingly integrated into wider Canadian society.
Major Stephen Blizzard.
--------------------
Korean War and the Post-War Years
Ordinary Seaman Lisa Nelson relays information from the bridge during drills aboard HMCS Regina patrolling the Gulf of Oman in 2003.
--------------------
Since the end of the Second World War, the tradition of Black Canadian service in the military has expanded and evolved.
In the Korean War (1950-1953), Canadians returned to the battlefield scarcely five years after the end of the Second World War, travelling halfway around the world to join the United Nations forces fighting to restore peace in Korea. Black soldiers were among the Canadian Army troops that were sent to fight so far from home.
While some last traces of discrimination continued in Canadian military recruiting practices into the mid-1950s, Black Canadians became more established in the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force, as well. For example, Raymond Lawrence joined the Navy in 1953, rising to become the first Black Petty Officer 1st class and first Black coxswain on a Canadian ship.
The Air Force’s Major Stephen Blizzard was a flight surgeon and also got his wings in the 1960s as a jet pilot during a long and varied career in the Canadian military-a trailblazer both in the air and in medicine. He also made important contributions to aviation medicine in both the military and civil fields.
Over the decades since the Korean War, Black Canadians have gone on to serve in every branch of the military, in duties both here at home and in operations around the world during the Cold War and in international peace support efforts (right from the first large-scale United Nations peacekeeping mission to Egypt during the Suez Crisis of the 1950s).
Today, Black Canadians standing on the shoulders of the trailblazers who led the way continue to serve proudly in uniform where they share in the sacrifices and achievements being made by the Canadian Forces. Our country’s efforts in Afghanistan have come at a high cost, one that has been borne by Black soldiers, as well. Brave men like Ainsworth Dyer and Mark Graham are among the more than 150 Canadian Forces members who have died in Afghanistan since 2002.
SOURCE 1.
------------------------
Profiles of Courage (Pre-First World War):
William Hall
William Hall, VC.
------------------------
William Hall, who served on the British Royal Navy Ship HMSShannon, was the first Black person-and the first Nova Scotian-to receive the Victoria Cross, the British Empire’s highest award for military valour.
In 1857, Hall was sent with a brigade of soldiers to Lucknow, India, to relieve the besieged British garrison that was fighting a rebellion there. As a member of one of four gun crews, Hall was attempting to help break through the walls of an important enemy stronghold. It was a very dangerous mission and heavy enemy gunfire eventually left only Hall and one other officer still alive. However, they continued to load and fire the last gun until the wall was finally broken through, allowing the soldiers of the British garrison to escape.
Hall survived the battle and returned to Nova Scotia where he died in 1904 at his farm in Avonport. Today, his Victoria Cross is on display at the Nova Scotia Museum, alongside his other medals.
Profiles of Courage (First World War):
Curley Christian
Curley Christian after the war.
--------------------
Ethelbert 'Curley' Christian was born in the United States. He eventually settled in Canada where he enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1915 during the First World War. On April 9, 1917, Christian was serving with the 78th Canadian Infantry Battalion (the Winnipeg Grenadiers) during the Battle of Vimy Ridge when heavy artillery fire buried him in a trench. All four limbs were crushed by debris and the wounded soldier was trapped for two days. Found barely alive, Christian cheated death again when two of his stretcher bearers were killed by enemy fire while carrying him from the battlefield.
Christian survived but unfortunately gangrene set in and both arms and both legs had to be amputated. His positive demeanor remained, however, and after returning to Canada he married a volunteer aide who worked at the Toronto hospital where he was recuperating.
Christian received artificial limbs and lived a long and active life until his death in 1954. In fact, he was one of the more than 8,000 veterans who returned to France when the new Canadian National Vimy Memorial was dedicated by King Edward VIII in July 1936.
Jeremiah "Jerry" Jones
Private Jeremiah 'Jerry' Jones.
--------------------
Jeremiah "Jerry" Jones of Truro, Nova Scotia enlisted in the 106thBattalion (Nova Scotia Rifles) in June 1916. Being more than 50 years old, he had to lie about his age just to join the army. He was sent overseas and then transferred to the Royal Canadian Regiment where he saw combat on the front lines.
During the famous Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917, Private Jones’ unit was pinned down by machine gun fire. Jones volunteered to attack the enemy position, getting close enough to throw a grenade that killed several of the enemy and eliminated the threat of the gun position. The surviving German soldiers surrendered to Jones and he had them carry the machine gun back and drop it at the feet of his commanding officer. Jones was injured in the battle and again in the Battle of Passchendaele later that year, before being discharged from the army in early 1918 because of his injuries.
It was said that he was recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal (an award for military valour second only to the Victoria Cross), but he never received it. Jones died in 1950 and efforts were made over the years to get him the official recognition that he rightfully deserved. Finally in 2010, Jones was posthumously awarded the Canadian Forces Distinguished Service Medallion for his heroic actions in the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
Profiles of Courage (Second World War):
The Carty Brothers
The Carty Brothers.
-------------------------
Military service was in the Carty family blood. Five brothers from the Saint John, New Brunswick family served during the Second World War. They came by this dedication to duty honestly-their father Albert Carty had served with the No. 2 Construction Battalion during the First World War.
At a time when recruiting regulations restricted the ability of Black people to serve in the Royal Canadian Air Force, all five overcame the odds and became airmen. Four of the five served at military bases in Canada during the war. Flight Sergeant Adolphus Carty, the eldest, was an airframe mechanic. His brother, Flight Sergeant William Carty, was an aeronautical inspector. Leading Aircraftman Clyde Carty was a firefighter. And Aircraftman (Second Class) Donald Carty was an equipment assistant.
Gerald Carty enlisted at age 18 and became one of the youngest commissioned officers in the Royal Canadian Air Force a year later. He served as a wireless air gunner in more than 35 bomber missions over occupied Europe and was wounded in action.
In keeping with the family tradition, the two younger Carty brothers still at home during the war years, Robert and Malcolm, were members of the Army and Air Cadets.
Edwin Erwin Phillips
Sergeant Edwin Erwin Phillips.
----------------------
Edwin Erwin Phillips was born in Montréal and worked as a printer’s apprentice before volunteering for service with the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942 during the Second World War. Only 21 years old when he enlisted, he would go on to work as a mechanic with the No. 168 Heavy Transport Squadron and rise to the rank of sergeant. As part of his duties, Phillips would sometimes accompany transatlantic cargo flights.
The eastern European country of Poland had suffered greatly during the Second World War and there was a serious shortage of medical supplies. The Canadian Red Cross donated tons of penicillin in response to the humanitarian crisis there after the end of the war and the military agreed to transport it overseas from Canada.
On November 4, 1945, the Flying Fortress aircraft carrying the vitally needed medicine to Warsaw, Poland crashed into a hilltop near Halle, Germany and burst into flames. Phillips and the four other crew members onboard were killed in the accident. The fallen Canadian airmen are buried at Munster Heath Cemetery in Germany.
Profiles of Courage (Korean War and the Post-War Years):
Ainsworth Dyer
Corporal Ainsworth Dyer.
------------------------
Ainsworth Dyer was born in Montréal and grew up in Toronto. He enlisted in the Canadian Forces in 1996 and would go on to become a member of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.
A mature and responsible soldier, Dyer was well-respected by his colleagues. He took on many challenges including training for the military’s grueling ‘Mountain Man’ endurance competition, qualifying as a paratrooper and serving in Canadian Forces peace support efforts in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2000.
Corporal Dyer was taking part in night training in Afghanistan on April 17, 2002 when his position was bombed by an American warplane in a friendly fire incident at Tarnak Farms. Sadly, he and three other Canadian soldiers were killed and eight more were injured. Dyer was just 24 years old.
The fallen soldier was buried with full military honours in the Necropolis Cemetery in Toronto. The Royal Canadian Legion named his mother, Mrs. Agatha Dyer, the 2004 National Silver Cross Mother.
Mark Graham
Private Mark Graham.
-----------------------
Born in Jamaica, Mark Graham moved to Hamilton, Ontario with his family as a child. An exceptional athlete, he was a member of the Canadian 4 x 400 metre relay team in the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. While his team did not reach the finals, Graham’s skills in track-and-field would go on to earn him an athletic scholarship from the University of Nebraska and later at Kent State University in Ohio.
In 2004, he answered the call to serve and enlisted in the Canadian Forces. Private Graham was sent to Afghanistan with the Royal Canadian Regiment. He was an excellent role model for the younger soldiers and had an excellent record of efficiency in his unit. Tragically, the 33-year old was killed by “friendly fire” on September 4, 2006, when his platoon was mistakenly attacked by an American warplane during an operation to capture a Taliban stronghold west of Kandahar.
Graham is buried at the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa and, in 2010, a Hamilton park where he had played as a boy was renamed “Mark Anthony Graham Memorial Olympic Park” in his honour.
SOURCE.
Additional links:
(OP: I think it is important to note, in addition to the above, that black Canadians faced a lot of racism and difficulties when it comes to serving their country. Some of the links below discuss this.)
-WWI racism: black, Asian and aboriginal volunteers faced discrimination.
-Remembering a black soldier in a 'white man's war'. Georgetown man was a decorated soldier and one of few black people to serve in non-segregated units.
-Black Canadians (at the Canadian Encyclopedia).
-African Canadians have a proud history of military service.
-Black history Canada. Forgotten stories. Black soldiers.
-Black Canadian soldier’s life and D-Day exploits remembered.
OP: I will say that I don't agree with all of the military actions that Canada has undertaken before and after Confederation. But I also think that the exclusion of black people from regular military service (as well as the lack of recognition for their bravery in wanting to serve their country) was an important symptom of the exclusion of black people in general in this country.
OP: I thought it might be interesting to do a post having to do with Canada (i.e. since I'm from there), and since (white) Canadians tend to be woefully uninformed about their own history of racism. :-)
Pre-First World War
Victoria Rifles standing at attention
-------------------
The tradition of military service by Black Canadians goes back long before Confederation (OP: this is when Canada officially became a country, and took place in 1867). Indeed, many Black Canadians can trace their family roots to Loyalists who emigrated North in the 1780s after the American Revolutionary War. American slaves had been offered freedom and land if they agreed to fight in the British cause and thousands seized this opportunity to build a new life in British North America.
This tradition of military service did not end there, with some Black soldiers seeing action in the War of 1812, helping defend Upper Canada against American attacks. A number of volunteers were organized into the “Company of Coloured Men,” which played an important role in the Battle of Queenston Heights. Black militia members also fought in many other significant battles during the war, helping drive back the American forces. Black soldiers also played an important role in the Upper Canadian Rebellion (1837-1839). In all, approximately 1,000 Black militia men fighting in five companies helped put down the uprising, taking part in some of the most important incidents such as the Battle of Toronto.
Black volunteers also served with British forces farther away from home, including in the Royal Navy. Indeed, one such man, William Hall, would earn the Victoria Cross (the highest award for military valour) for his brave actions in India in 1857.
Black people in the West also forged their own military traditions. In the late 1850s, hundreds of Black settlers moved from California to Vancouver Island in pursuit of a better life. Approximately 50 of the new immigrants soon organized the Victoria Pioneer Rifle Corps, an all-Black volunteer force also known locally as the “African Rifles.” While the corps was disbanded by 1865 after only a few years of existence, it was the first officially-authorized militia unit in the West Coast colony.
While relatively few Black Canadians served in the military in the years immediately following Confederation, a few were part of the Canadian Contingent that went overseas during the South African War of 1899-1902. However, the First World War that erupted a decade and a half later would see a great change in how Black Canadians served.
First World War
Three soldiers in a German dugout captured during the Canadian advance east of Arras, France in October 1918.
---------------------
Like so many others swept up in the excitement and patriotism that the First World War (1914-1918) initially brought on, young Black Canadians were eager to serve King and country. At the time, however, the prejudiced attitudes of many of the people in charge of military enlistment made it very difficult for these men to join the Canadian Army. Despite the barriers, some Black Canadians did manage to join up during the opening years of the war. Black Canadians wanted the chance to do their part on a larger scale, however, and pressured the government to do so.
On July 5, 1916, the No. 2 Construction Battalion was formed in Pictou, Nova Scotia-the first large Black military unit in Canadian history. Recruitment took place across the country and more than 600 men were eventually accepted, most from Nova Scotia, with others coming from New Brunswick, Ontario, the West and even some from the United States. The Black Battalion’s chaplain was Reverend William White, who had also played a leading role getting the unit formed. He was given the rank of Honourary Captain-one of the few Black commissioned officers to serve in the Canadian Army during the war.
No. 2 Construction Battalion members in 1917.
--------------------------
In addition to the men of the Black Battalion, an estimated 2,000 Black Canadians, such as James Grant, Roy Fells, Seymour Tyler, Jeremiah Jones and Curly Christian, were determined to get to the front lines and managed to join regular units, going on to give distinguished service that earned some of them medals for bravery.
Black Canadians also made important contributions on the home front. They helped achieve victory by working in factories making the weapons and supplies needed by the soldiers fighting overseas, and by taking part in patriotic activities like raising funds for the war effort.
Today, the dedicated service of the "Black Battalion" and other Black Canadians who fought in the First World War is remembered and celebrated as a cornerstone of the proud tradition of Black military service in our country.
Second World War
Welsford Daniels in 1943.
----------------------
Little more than 20 years after the end of the “War to End all Wars,” the Second World War (1939-1945) erupted and soon spread across Europe and around the globe. The Second World War saw considerable growth in how Black Canadians served in the military. While some Black recruits would encounter resistance when trying to enlist in the army, in contrast to the First World War no segregated battalions were created. Indeed, several thousand Black men and women served during the bloodiest war the world has ever seen. Black Canadians joined regular units and served alongside their white fellow soldiers here at home, in England, and on the battlefields of Europe. Together they shared the same harsh experiences of war while fighting in places like Italy, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
In the early years of the war, however, the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force were not as inclusive in their policies. This did not mean that trail-blazing Black Canadians did not find a way to persevere and serve. Some Black sailors served in the Navy, and Black airmen served in the Air Force as ground crew and aircrew here at home and overseas in Europe.
Cecilia Butler working in the John Inglis Company munitions plant in Toronto during the Second World War, December 1943.
--------------------
The contributions of Black servicemen was second to none and several earned decorations for their bravery. Some Black women joined the military as well, serving in support roles so that more men were available for the front lines.
And back on the home front, Black Canadians again made important contributions by working in factories that produced vehicles, weapons, ammunition and other materials for the war effort, and taking part in other patriotic efforts like war bond drives. For example, Black women in Nova Scotia worked in vital jobs in the shipbuilding industry, filling the shoes of the men who would usually do that work but who were away fighting in the war.
Many Black Veterans returned home after the war with a heightened awareness of the value of freedom and their right to be treated as equals after all they had done for Canada in their country’s time of need. The service of Black Canadians in the Second World War remains a point of pride and was a measure of how Black Canadians were becoming increasingly integrated into wider Canadian society.
Major Stephen Blizzard.
--------------------
Korean War and the Post-War Years
Ordinary Seaman Lisa Nelson relays information from the bridge during drills aboard HMCS Regina patrolling the Gulf of Oman in 2003.
--------------------
Since the end of the Second World War, the tradition of Black Canadian service in the military has expanded and evolved.
In the Korean War (1950-1953), Canadians returned to the battlefield scarcely five years after the end of the Second World War, travelling halfway around the world to join the United Nations forces fighting to restore peace in Korea. Black soldiers were among the Canadian Army troops that were sent to fight so far from home.
While some last traces of discrimination continued in Canadian military recruiting practices into the mid-1950s, Black Canadians became more established in the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force, as well. For example, Raymond Lawrence joined the Navy in 1953, rising to become the first Black Petty Officer 1st class and first Black coxswain on a Canadian ship.
The Air Force’s Major Stephen Blizzard was a flight surgeon and also got his wings in the 1960s as a jet pilot during a long and varied career in the Canadian military-a trailblazer both in the air and in medicine. He also made important contributions to aviation medicine in both the military and civil fields.
Over the decades since the Korean War, Black Canadians have gone on to serve in every branch of the military, in duties both here at home and in operations around the world during the Cold War and in international peace support efforts (right from the first large-scale United Nations peacekeeping mission to Egypt during the Suez Crisis of the 1950s).
Today, Black Canadians standing on the shoulders of the trailblazers who led the way continue to serve proudly in uniform where they share in the sacrifices and achievements being made by the Canadian Forces. Our country’s efforts in Afghanistan have come at a high cost, one that has been borne by Black soldiers, as well. Brave men like Ainsworth Dyer and Mark Graham are among the more than 150 Canadian Forces members who have died in Afghanistan since 2002.
SOURCE 1.
------------------------
Profiles of Courage (Pre-First World War):
William Hall
William Hall, VC.
------------------------
William Hall, who served on the British Royal Navy Ship HMSShannon, was the first Black person-and the first Nova Scotian-to receive the Victoria Cross, the British Empire’s highest award for military valour.
In 1857, Hall was sent with a brigade of soldiers to Lucknow, India, to relieve the besieged British garrison that was fighting a rebellion there. As a member of one of four gun crews, Hall was attempting to help break through the walls of an important enemy stronghold. It was a very dangerous mission and heavy enemy gunfire eventually left only Hall and one other officer still alive. However, they continued to load and fire the last gun until the wall was finally broken through, allowing the soldiers of the British garrison to escape.
Hall survived the battle and returned to Nova Scotia where he died in 1904 at his farm in Avonport. Today, his Victoria Cross is on display at the Nova Scotia Museum, alongside his other medals.
Profiles of Courage (First World War):
Curley Christian
Curley Christian after the war.
--------------------
Ethelbert 'Curley' Christian was born in the United States. He eventually settled in Canada where he enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1915 during the First World War. On April 9, 1917, Christian was serving with the 78th Canadian Infantry Battalion (the Winnipeg Grenadiers) during the Battle of Vimy Ridge when heavy artillery fire buried him in a trench. All four limbs were crushed by debris and the wounded soldier was trapped for two days. Found barely alive, Christian cheated death again when two of his stretcher bearers were killed by enemy fire while carrying him from the battlefield.
Christian survived but unfortunately gangrene set in and both arms and both legs had to be amputated. His positive demeanor remained, however, and after returning to Canada he married a volunteer aide who worked at the Toronto hospital where he was recuperating.
Christian received artificial limbs and lived a long and active life until his death in 1954. In fact, he was one of the more than 8,000 veterans who returned to France when the new Canadian National Vimy Memorial was dedicated by King Edward VIII in July 1936.
Jeremiah "Jerry" Jones
Private Jeremiah 'Jerry' Jones.
--------------------
Jeremiah "Jerry" Jones of Truro, Nova Scotia enlisted in the 106thBattalion (Nova Scotia Rifles) in June 1916. Being more than 50 years old, he had to lie about his age just to join the army. He was sent overseas and then transferred to the Royal Canadian Regiment where he saw combat on the front lines.
During the famous Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917, Private Jones’ unit was pinned down by machine gun fire. Jones volunteered to attack the enemy position, getting close enough to throw a grenade that killed several of the enemy and eliminated the threat of the gun position. The surviving German soldiers surrendered to Jones and he had them carry the machine gun back and drop it at the feet of his commanding officer. Jones was injured in the battle and again in the Battle of Passchendaele later that year, before being discharged from the army in early 1918 because of his injuries.
It was said that he was recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal (an award for military valour second only to the Victoria Cross), but he never received it. Jones died in 1950 and efforts were made over the years to get him the official recognition that he rightfully deserved. Finally in 2010, Jones was posthumously awarded the Canadian Forces Distinguished Service Medallion for his heroic actions in the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
Profiles of Courage (Second World War):
The Carty Brothers
The Carty Brothers.
-------------------------
Military service was in the Carty family blood. Five brothers from the Saint John, New Brunswick family served during the Second World War. They came by this dedication to duty honestly-their father Albert Carty had served with the No. 2 Construction Battalion during the First World War.
At a time when recruiting regulations restricted the ability of Black people to serve in the Royal Canadian Air Force, all five overcame the odds and became airmen. Four of the five served at military bases in Canada during the war. Flight Sergeant Adolphus Carty, the eldest, was an airframe mechanic. His brother, Flight Sergeant William Carty, was an aeronautical inspector. Leading Aircraftman Clyde Carty was a firefighter. And Aircraftman (Second Class) Donald Carty was an equipment assistant.
Gerald Carty enlisted at age 18 and became one of the youngest commissioned officers in the Royal Canadian Air Force a year later. He served as a wireless air gunner in more than 35 bomber missions over occupied Europe and was wounded in action.
In keeping with the family tradition, the two younger Carty brothers still at home during the war years, Robert and Malcolm, were members of the Army and Air Cadets.
Edwin Erwin Phillips
Sergeant Edwin Erwin Phillips.
----------------------
Edwin Erwin Phillips was born in Montréal and worked as a printer’s apprentice before volunteering for service with the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942 during the Second World War. Only 21 years old when he enlisted, he would go on to work as a mechanic with the No. 168 Heavy Transport Squadron and rise to the rank of sergeant. As part of his duties, Phillips would sometimes accompany transatlantic cargo flights.
The eastern European country of Poland had suffered greatly during the Second World War and there was a serious shortage of medical supplies. The Canadian Red Cross donated tons of penicillin in response to the humanitarian crisis there after the end of the war and the military agreed to transport it overseas from Canada.
On November 4, 1945, the Flying Fortress aircraft carrying the vitally needed medicine to Warsaw, Poland crashed into a hilltop near Halle, Germany and burst into flames. Phillips and the four other crew members onboard were killed in the accident. The fallen Canadian airmen are buried at Munster Heath Cemetery in Germany.
Profiles of Courage (Korean War and the Post-War Years):
Ainsworth Dyer
Corporal Ainsworth Dyer.
------------------------
Ainsworth Dyer was born in Montréal and grew up in Toronto. He enlisted in the Canadian Forces in 1996 and would go on to become a member of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.
A mature and responsible soldier, Dyer was well-respected by his colleagues. He took on many challenges including training for the military’s grueling ‘Mountain Man’ endurance competition, qualifying as a paratrooper and serving in Canadian Forces peace support efforts in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2000.
Corporal Dyer was taking part in night training in Afghanistan on April 17, 2002 when his position was bombed by an American warplane in a friendly fire incident at Tarnak Farms. Sadly, he and three other Canadian soldiers were killed and eight more were injured. Dyer was just 24 years old.
The fallen soldier was buried with full military honours in the Necropolis Cemetery in Toronto. The Royal Canadian Legion named his mother, Mrs. Agatha Dyer, the 2004 National Silver Cross Mother.
Mark Graham
Private Mark Graham.
-----------------------
Born in Jamaica, Mark Graham moved to Hamilton, Ontario with his family as a child. An exceptional athlete, he was a member of the Canadian 4 x 400 metre relay team in the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. While his team did not reach the finals, Graham’s skills in track-and-field would go on to earn him an athletic scholarship from the University of Nebraska and later at Kent State University in Ohio.
In 2004, he answered the call to serve and enlisted in the Canadian Forces. Private Graham was sent to Afghanistan with the Royal Canadian Regiment. He was an excellent role model for the younger soldiers and had an excellent record of efficiency in his unit. Tragically, the 33-year old was killed by “friendly fire” on September 4, 2006, when his platoon was mistakenly attacked by an American warplane during an operation to capture a Taliban stronghold west of Kandahar.
Graham is buried at the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa and, in 2010, a Hamilton park where he had played as a boy was renamed “Mark Anthony Graham Memorial Olympic Park” in his honour.
SOURCE.
Additional links:
(OP: I think it is important to note, in addition to the above, that black Canadians faced a lot of racism and difficulties when it comes to serving their country. Some of the links below discuss this.)
-WWI racism: black, Asian and aboriginal volunteers faced discrimination.
-Remembering a black soldier in a 'white man's war'. Georgetown man was a decorated soldier and one of few black people to serve in non-segregated units.
-Black Canadians (at the Canadian Encyclopedia).
-African Canadians have a proud history of military service.
-Black history Canada. Forgotten stories. Black soldiers.
-Black Canadian soldier’s life and D-Day exploits remembered.
OP: I will say that I don't agree with all of the military actions that Canada has undertaken before and after Confederation. But I also think that the exclusion of black people from regular military service (as well as the lack of recognition for their bravery in wanting to serve their country) was an important symptom of the exclusion of black people in general in this country.