On July 1, 1867, Canada became a self-governing dominion of Great Britain and a federation of four provinces: Nova Scotia; New Brunswick; Ontario; and Quebec. The anniversary of this date was called Dominion Day until 1982. Since 1983, July 1 has been officially known as Canada Day.
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British Commonwealth Occupation Forces – Japan
Participation in the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) marked the first time that Australians were involved in the military occupation of a sovereign nation which it had defeated in war. BCOF participation in the allied occupation force was announced on 31 January 1946, though planning and negotiations had been in progress since the end of the war. The main body of Australian troops arrived in Japan on 21 February.
Up to 45,000 Australians served in BCOF, including an infantry contingent of 4,700, base units consisting of 5,300, an air force wing of 2,200 and 130 from the Australian General Hospital. The Australian Navy also had a presence in the region as part of the British Pacific Fleet. For two thirds of the period of occupation the Commonwealth was represented solely by Australians and throughout its existence BCOF was always commanded by an Australian officer.
Japanese prefectures
The BCOF area of responsibility was the western prefectures of Shimani, Yamaguchi, Tottori, Okayama, Hiroshima and Shikoku Island. BCOF headquarters were located at Kure, the army was encamped at Hiro, the RAAF at Iwakuni, and the naval shore establishment at the former Japanese naval base at Kure. At the peak of its involvement the Australian component of BCOF was responsible for over 20 million Japanese citizens and 57,000 sq. kilometres of country. Adjacent to the area of Australian responsibility were prefectures occupied by the 2 New Zealand EF (Japan), the British and Indian Division (Brindiv) and, further away, the US 8th Army.
100 Yen BCOF note
The main Australian occupation component was the 34th Infantry Brigade, which arrived in early 1946, and was made up of the 65th, 66th and 67th Battalions. The RAN ships that served were: HMAS Australia, HMAS Hobart, HMAS Shropshire and the destroyers: HMAS Arunta, Bataan, Culgoa, Murchison, Shoalhaven, Quadrant, Quiberon. Landing Ships Infantry: Manoora, Westralia and Kanimbla were used for transport.
The Australian air force component was stationed at Bofu, in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The RAAF Squadrons which served were No. 76, No. 77 and No. 82, all flying Mustangs. The air force component of BCOF was known as BCAIR. By 1950 only one Australian squadron, No 77, remained in Japan.
By early 1947, BCOF had begun to decline from its peak of over 40,000 service personnel from the UK, New Zealand, India and Australia and, by the end of 1948, BCOF was composed entirely of Australians. The force was dismantled during 1951 as responsibilities in Japan were handed over to the British Commonwealth Forces Korea. Some personnel stayed on to serve in the Korean War. Members of No 77 Squadron, for example, had their ‘going home’ celebrations interrupted by the news that they were to be sent immediately to Korea. BCOF ceased to exist on 28 April 1951 when the Japanese Peace Treaty came into effect.
BCOF
The primary objective of BCOF was to enforce the terms of the unconditional surrender that had ended the war the previous September. The task of exercising military government over Japan was the responsibility of the United States forces. BCOF was required to maintain military control and to supervise the demilitarization and disposal of the remnants of Japan’s war making capacity. To this end, Australian army and air force personnel were involved in the location and securing of military stores and installations.
BCOF medal, Australian
The Intelligence Sections of the Australian battalions were given targets to investigate by BCOF Headquarters, in the form of grid references for dumps of Japanese military equipment. Warlike materials were destroyed and other equipment was kept for use by BCOF or returned to the Japanese. The destruction or conversion to civilian use of military equipment was carried out by Japanese civilians under Australian supervision. Regular patrols and road reconnaissances were initiated and carried out in the Australian area of responsibility as part of BCOF’s general surveillance duties.
The RAN component of BCOF was responsible for patrolling the Inland Sea to prevent both smuggling and the illegal immigration of Koreans to Japan. In this task they were assisted by the RAAF whose aircraft were also involved in tracking vessels suspected of smuggling or transporting illegal immigrants. RAAF squadrons also flew surveillance patrols over each of the prefectures in the BCOF zone in order to help locate left over weapons and ordnance.
During 1947, the BCOF began to wind down its presence in Japan. However, BCOF bases provided staging posts for Commonwealth forces deployed to the Korean War from 1950 onwards. The BCOF was effectively wound-up in 1951, as control of Commonwealth forces in Japan was transferred to British Commonwealth Forces Korea.
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BCOF Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Kjell F. Andersen – New London, CT; Merchant Marines, WWII, ETO, / US Army, Korea
Mary Barraco – Renaix, BEL; Danish Resistance, WWII, Captain, USO, POW
Albert Bracy (104) – Durham, CAN; Queen’s Own Rifles, WWII, Hamilton Light Infantry
Leslie Edgerton – NZ; RAF/ RNZ Air Force, WWII, ETO, 75th Squadron
Lyle “Moose” Hardy – Belconnen, AUS; RA Air Force, Sgt., (Ret.)
Kenneth Johnson – Doncaster, ENG; RAF, WWII, Warrant Officer, 61st & 9th Squadrons
Alan Lepper – Taranaki, NZ; RNZ Air Force # 432823, WWII
Vera McLane – London, ENG; RAF, WWII, Photograph intelligence
James K. Thompson – Allentown, NY/Largo, FL; US Army, 11th Airborne Division
Esme Wirth – Leeton, AUS; Australian Womens Land Army, WWII
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Canadian Hero – Leonard Birchall RCAF
Leonard Birchall
One of the things Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Air Commodore Leonard Birchall is most remembered for is being the “Savior of Ceylon.” He was the pilot who warned the Allied forces in Colombo of the Japanese surprise attack that was on its way, thus allowing them to prepare and preventing a repeat of Pearl Harbor.
However, he showed the true breadth of nobility and valor of his character in Japanese prisoner of war camps over a period of three years, in which he saved many men’s lives and took many prisoners’ beatings for them.
Leonard Birchall was born in July 1915 in St Catharines, Ontario, Canada. After graduating from school he worked a number of jobs in order to pay for flying lessons. He eventually decided to embark on a military career, and enrolled in the Royal Military College of Canada in 1933, after which he was commissioned as a RCAF pilot in 1937.
Royal Air Force mechanics at Royal Air Force Station RAF Koggala, Ceylon
It wouldn’t be too long before he saw action: the Second World War broke out in 1939. His first duties involved flying a Supermarine Stanraer with RCAF No. 5 Squadron over Nova Scotia on anti-submarine patrols.
In 1940, he managed to virtually single-handedly capture an Italian merchant ship in the Gulf of St Lawrence by making a low pass over it, feigning an attack, which caused the captain to panic and run his ship into a sandbank. Birchall landed nearby and waited patiently for the Royal Canadian Navy to get there, whereupon they arrested the Italian seamen.
In 1942 he joined No. 413 Squadron, and shortly thereafter was transferred to Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka). Less than 48 hours after touching down, he was flying his Catalina on a patrol mission when he caught sight of an Imperial Japanese Naval fleet which was clearly on its way to attack Ceylon.
Birchall didn’t have much time to act, for not only had he spotted the Japanese, but they had also spotted him. Despite the imminent danger, Birchall flew closer in order to gather details about how many ships and aircraft he could see.
He desperately relayed details to the Allied base even as anti-aircraft fire starting ripping past him, while Japanese fighters took off from the aircraft carriers to shoot him down.
He managed to get a few messages through to the base before anti-aircraft fire tore through his Catalina and disabled the radio. Further fire crippled the plane, and he went down, crash-landing into the ocean. He and the other surviving members of his crew were picked up by the Japanese and taken onto one of the ships. Thus began three years of imprisonment.
IJN destroyer “Isokaze”
As soon as Birchall was brought on board the Japanese destroyer Isokaza, he was singled out as the senior officer and brutally interrogated.
The Japanese eventually believed he had not radioed out, and went ahead with their attack – but they found the Allied defenders prepared for them, and their raid was a failure.
Birchall was then transferred to mainland Japan. He was placed in an interrogation camp in Yokohama where he was subject to solitary confinement and daily beatings. In this camp – in which no speaking (except when answering questions) was allowed – Birchall spent 6 grueling months.
He was then transferred to a POW work camp that had been erected in a baseball stadium. The conditions were harsh; rations were scarce, and the prisoners were basically on a starvation diet. Beatings were commonplace, and everyone, regardless of their physical condition, was forced to work.
Birchall immediately began to earn the respect of the other prisoners by arranging a system in the camp whereby he and the officers displayed the food that had been dished out to them, and if any enlisted man thought that the officers had been given better food, or more food, he was free to exchange his rations with the officer’s.
Despite the risk of severe punishment, he also argued with the guards and demanded better treatment and rations for his men. If a guard was beating a particularly weak prisoner, Birchall and the other officers would step in and take a beating from the guards on that prisoner’s behalf.
Air Commodore Leonard Birchall Leadership Award, at Royal Military College of Canada; bas-relief bronze by Colonel (ret’d) Andre Gauthier Photo by Victoriaedwards CC BY-SA 3.0
Birchall kept detailed diaries of his time in the Japanese POW camps, and these were used as evidence in post-war trials. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions in Ceylon, and made an officer of the Order of the British Empire for his actions in the POW camps.
Leonard Birchall, WWII Hero
Leonard Birchall retired from the RCAF in 1967, and then worked at York University, Ontario, until 1982. He passed away at the age of 89 in 2004.
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
John Bullard – Stone GA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, HQ Co./188/11th Airborne Division
John Crouchley Jr. – Providence, RI; US Army Air Corps, WWII, pilot, KIA
Carl Gloor – Bolivar, PA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, 17th Airborne Division
Robert L. Miller Sr. – South Bend, IN; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Purple Heart / Korea / Judge / Veteran’s advocate
Domonica Mortellano – Tampa, FL; Civilian, MacDill Air Force Base
Alberta Nash – Saint John, CAN; Civilian, WWII, Canadian Red Cross
Alan Seidel – Montreal, CAN; RC Army, WWII, tank commander
Alan Smith – Fort William, CAN; RC Air Force, WWII, ETO, Flight Sgt.
Edsel Teal – Chicopee, MA; US Navy, WWII
Doris Whitton – Ft. Simpson, CAN; RC Air Force, WWII, radio/telephone
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Missing since September 3rd 1942
75 YEARS, WE MUST NEVER FORGET THEM!
Now, we can even bring their images to life with color.
Missing but never forgotten
Courtesy https://www.facebook.com/color.praeterita/
About the artist
Hi, I’m Harry and I’ve created this page to showcase my efforts in colouring old black/white photographs. Just for fun!
Biography
I’ve long been interested in history, especially that of WW2 aviation, so after coming across the likes of communities like Colourising History and a variety of very talented artists, I decided I’d like to try my hand at this.
I do this for fun: I get a sense of satisfaction when I finally complete an image, but what I really like is how a coloured image can make the history it shows somehow more real… or perhaps more ‘relevant’ would be a better term as I find it makes said history easier to connect with. A colourised photo can remind us that the portrayed person isn’t just some distant, long dead curiosity but was once a living, breathing human being…
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LeClare Allerthorn Walker’s biography
75 years later – WE REMEMBER!
Biography and pictures courtesy of Richard Walker
LeCLARE ALLERTHORN WALKER (1918)
“Clare” Walker (1918)
(picture taken 1942)
LeClare Allerthorn Walker, known as Clare, was born in Norwich, Ontario, Canada on 22 June, 1918, the 2nd child of Spence Allerthorn and Mildred Loral (born Bushell) Walker.
When Clare was just two years of age, in 1920, he moved with his parents to Troy, New York, U.S.A. He attended No.18 Elementary School there from 1924 to 1932. During the last 2 years of this period he was very active in the Boy Scouts of America. In the summer of 1932 the family, now consisting of 6 children, returned to Norwich where Clare attended High School and graduated in 1938. During his High School years he was a member of the High School Cadet Corp in which he served as Commanding Officer for 3 of those years. He was also active in sports…
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Canada Day – 150 Years !
HAPPY 150TH BIRTHDAY NEIGHBORS
Amazing video!!
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Canadian Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Nelson Allen – Yarmouth, NS, CAN; RC Army, WWII
James Andrew – Vancouver, CAN; RC Army, WWII, Seaforth Highlanders
Douglas Brown – Ottawa, CAN; RC Army, WWII
Carl Carlson – Calgary, CAN; RC Army, WWII, radio operator
Robert Cook Manitoba, CAN; RC Navy, WWII
Arie Fox – Toronto, CAN; RC Air Force, WWII
Peter Hires – Calgary, CAN; RC Army, WWII, medic
Jack LaForet – Windsor, CAN; RC Navy, WWII
David Lee – B.C., CAN; RC Army, WWII, Lt., 12th Manitoba Dragoons
George Reddy – brn: India/ Vancouver, CAN; RAF, WWII
Thomas Riley – Winnipeg, CAN; RC Army, WWII, Gov.-Gen. Horse Guards, Royal Canadian Artillery & the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders
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Canadian-Chinese in the C.B.I. 1944-45
Force 136
Rumble in the Jungle: The Story of Force 136 is on at the Chinese Canadian Military Museum in Vancouver Canada until the end of 2016. More information at: www.ccmms.ca
Ironically, while these men were agents for the Allies, back home in Canada they were not considered citizens. Although born in Canada, these soldiers could not vote, nor could they become engineers, doctors or lawyers. Many were forced to live in segregated neighborhoods. In some cities, they were forbidden to swim in public pools and were forced to sit in the back of theaters.
In late 1941, Japan entered the war. It quickly invaded large swathes of Southeast Asia. Many of these areas had been British, French and Dutch colonies.
Britain was desperate to infiltrate the region. They had had some success in occupied Europe when Special Operations Executive (SOE.) trained and dropped secret agents into France, Belgium, and Holland. These agents organized and supported local resistance fighters, and helped with espionage and sabotage of infrastructure and German supply lines and equipment.
Training camp near Poona, India. (another camp was in Australia).
However, Southeast Asia presented unique challenges to SOE. It was a vast area with many islands, challenging physical terrain and diverse populations and languages. As well, most of the residents of the region resented their former colonizers.
SOE realized that Caucasian agents would stand out too much and would struggle to gain local trust. The British needed an alternative.
There was one glimmer of hope. Scattered throughout the region was a sizeable population of Chinese who were vehemently opposed to Japanese occupation and angry about Japanese aggression in China. The question was how to contact and organize them?
Training by British Intelligence.
That’s when the British discovered Chinese Canadians. They could easily blend into the population. They could speak Cantonese. They were loyal to the Allies. And there were lots of these young men waiting for an assignment.
Between 1944 and 1945, Chinese Canadians were recruited and quietly seconded to SOE in Southeast Asia (Force 136). They were told they had a 50-50 chance of surviving. They also were sworn to secrecy.
To do this kind of work would require much more than basic army training. The men would need to learn commando warfare techniques. Over the course of several months they learned skills such as: stalking; silent killing; demolition; jungle travel and survival; wireless operations; espionage; and parachuting.
Originally unsure that Chinese Canadians could pass muster, SOE recruited in waves. The first team consisted of only 13 hand-picked men. Eventually, about 150 were seconded for Southeast Asia with the majority based out of India.
Force 136
Some men had been assigned to do short trips into occupied Burma. But 14 Chinese Canadians found themselves operating behind Japanese lines for several months in Borneo, Malay, and Singapore. They endured primitive conditions as well as suffocating heat and humidity. They befriended headhunters and other guerrilla groups in the jungles. To survive, some men were forced to eat monkey and crocodile meat, and even insects.
Fortunately, all the Chinese Canadians in Force 136 survived the war although some came back sick with tropical diseases.
With the war over and the Allies victorious, Chinese Canadians now wanted a second victory – the right to vote. Armed with their war wounds and service records, veterans became part of a chorus that demanded full citizenship for the community. Their loyalty won out. Two years after the guns fell silent, Chinese Canadians were finally granted citizenship. By 1957, the country elected their first Chinese Canadian Member of Parliament: Douglas Jung, who had served with Force 136.
Veterans from Force 136; Hank Lowe, Gordon Quan, Tommy Wong, Charlie Lee & Ronald Lee, cut their cake, 14 May 2016
Today, through the Museum’s special exhibition, a new generation is learning how the blood, sweat, and tears of a small group of men, in a secret jungle war, helped change the destiny of an entire community. And how their service helped secure a coveted title: the right to be called a “Chinese Canadian.”
Condensed from information found with the Chinese-Canadian Military Museum, Vancouver, Canada.
Click on images to enlarge.
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CBI Roundup Humor – Private Louie by Somerville
“I guess it’s safe to say – he DOESN’T like snakes !”
Louie leaving for a change & rest – the bearers have all his change and the railroad got the rest !
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Farewell Salutes –
Edward Albert – Milwaukee, WI; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Division
Kenneth Bailey – Ames, IA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, B-24 pilot, Major (Ret.)
Passing the Colors
Joseph Clancy – Durand, MI; US Army, WWII & Korea, Captain
Kenneth Eastlick – Osoyoos, BC, CAN; RC Army, WWII
Beryl Head – Hawke’s Bay, NZ; WR Air Force, WWII, LACW R-T operator
George Keyser – Redington Bch., FL; US Army, WWII/USAF, Korean War
Keith Meredith – Launceston, AUS; RA Army # TX6408, WWII, 6th & 2nd Regiments
Garrett ‘Ray’ Myers – Hemet, CA; US Navy, WWII, signalman
Allen Pellegrin – Houma, LA; US Army, WWII, 109th Engineers/”Red Bull” Division
Karl Zerfoss – Chicago, IL; US Army, WWII, 397th/100th Infantry Div., T-5 radio operator
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Alaska Films
Alaska – 1942-1943, contributed from Pierre Lagacé, 43 minutes
Kiska, 10 minutes
What remains on Alaska… 3 minutes
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Military Humor –
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Alaskan Highway – Home Front
An example of some of the obstacles needed to be overcome for the highway.
The Alaska Road Commission had built thousands of miles of trails throughout interior and Northern Alaska, and many short roads from communities to the nearest water transportation access. It had not-except for the Valdez to Fairbanks road-undertaken to link communities by overland routes. That came only with the military requirements of World War II.
One of the first of those requirements was for a highway connecting air bases at Fairbanks and Anchorage. To make this connection, in 1941 the Alaska Road Commission began a road from the Richardson Highway, near today’s Glennallen, to Anchorage. When completed, it would be possible for the first time to drive from Anchorage to Fairbanks using a portion of the Richardson Highway and the newly-named Glenn Highway.
A highway from the rest of the United States through Canada to Alaska had been talked about as early as 1930. Congressional committees had recommended such a road in 1935 and 1939, but it was not until February of 1942, three months after the United States became an active participant in World War II, that a presidential committee recommended a highway link to supplement air and sea supply routes.
A point completed and used for rest and refreshment.
Work on the new Canadian-U.S. project began at once from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Big Delta, Alaska. Seven U.S. Army engineer regiments ( ~ 10,000 soldiers) and 47 civilian contracting companies ( ~ 6,000 workers) finished the work in nine months and six days. They bridged some 200 streams and rivers and completed an average of 8 miles per day.
The first “Fairbanks Freight” rolled up the highway in November of 1942. Work went on in 50-degree-below-zero weather as finished grading followed rough leveling. By December of 1943 the original bulldozed pioneer road had been upgraded to a permanent road 26 feet wide, gravel surfaced over 20 to 22 feet, with grades reduced to no more than 10 per cent and narrow bridges replaced by new two-lane structures. At the peak of construction in September of 1943 the Alaska Highway required over 1,100 pieces of heavy equipment. The total cost of the pioneer road exceeded $19 million.
Part of the highway created through virgin forest.
While the highway turned out not to be of much use in the military campaigns of World War II, for the first time people could travel to and from Alaska by other than sea or air. In 1944, the Alaska Road Commission assumed maintenance of the Alaska Highway between the Canadian border and Big Delta and also maintenance of the Tok to Slana spur of the highway
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Current WWII News –
Memphis Belle & the returned control panel
The control panel of the Memphis Belle is back in the famous bomber! Read the story!!
Co-pilot Dick Cole
Doolittle’s co-pilot celebrates his 100th birthday at the Flight Museum! Read the story Here!
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Military ‘Cold’ Humor –
Is this really worth it, Joe?
And you thought shoveling your driveway was hard?
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Farewell Salutes –
Harold Blampied – Auckland, NZ; RNZ Air Force # 133320, WWII, Artillery
Norman Farberow – Pittsburgh, PA; US Army Air Corps, WWII
Rex Fisher – Fairbanks, AK; US Army, Korea
Horace Garton – Benton, AR; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 188th/11th Airborne
Eugene Jackson – No.Marshfield, MA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Tuskegee airman
Christopher Mulalley – Eurecka, CA; US Army, Afghanistan, Sgt.
Edward B. Ridley – Oxon Hill, MD; US Air Force, Vietnam, Technical Sergeant
Michael Sarni – Stamford, CT; USMC, Korea
Robert Tilden – Pittsboro, NC; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 187th Medical
Anthony Verdesca – Haworth, NJ; US Navy, WWII, Ensign
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The Packard Merlin Rolls-Royce Engine and Avro [Canadian] Lancaster Bomber
Added information from Canada!!
Research and article by Clarence Simonsen
This classic 1939 British poster celebrates fifty years of British aviation design and aircraft production, as the topless English lady looks to the beginning of her dark war-torn future. The next five war years will bring together the development of British and American aircraft and aero-engines which will effect combatant air forces until the end of the hostilities in May 1945. My story will be told by poster ads used in that time period, also demonstrating how the Canadian built Lancaster Mk. X bomber idea was created and constructed using North American engines and parts.
This pre-war British ad possibly appeared in 1938, when the first production Spitfire Mk. I fighters were delivered to No. 19 and 66 RAF Squadrons. The prototype Spitfire was fitted with the first Rolls-Royce Merlin engine and flew in March 1936, setting a world record of 342 mph [547.2…
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Current News Links
Australian in Thailand devotes his life to “Death Railway” POWs ___
Korean War soldier’s remains are identified and buried at Arlington Cemetery ___
New audio collection from the WWII bombing crews ___
The Pacific Coast Air Museum is hosting the Canadian Snowbirds!! ___
HMS Hood in Sydney Harbor
Bell is recovered from the UK battleship HMS Hood, sunk in WWII
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Military Humor –
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Pacific Paratrooper 