Canadian War Brides
Canadian men and women serving overseas often interacted and socialized with European locals, especially in Britain. Many people fell in love and married while serving, creating a large group of war brides. War brides are civilian women who married Canadian servicemen who were overseas. Sometimes Canadian women serving married foreign civilian men, who were often teased lightheartedly and called “male war brides.” Marriages between servicemen and foreign civilians occur during every conflict; thousands of women married Canadian servicemen during WWI. There were approximately 48 000 marriages between Canadian servicemen and war brides during WWII; these unions resulted in around 22 000 children. The majority of the women came from Britain, but some came from other parts of Europe, like the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, and Germany.
Marriages were officially discouraged by the Canadian military. In order to get married, the groom needed permission from his commanding officer. Furthermore, it was sometimes difficult to get parental support from the bride’s parents; many parents were worried marriage to a foreign serviceman would mean their daughters would likely move away. Despite the obstacles, the young men and women were determined to get married. With growing numbers of these unions, various branches of the Canadian military prepared to support these war brides and organize their trip to Canada. Trips to Canada took place between 1942 and 1947. Those who traversed the Atlantic in 1942 and 1943 were at risk of an attack by German U-boats. Therefore, most of the women and their children came to Canada in 1946, after the war had ended and troops had been demobilized and returned to Canada. War brides and their children made up over 70% of the total number of immigrants to Canada in 1946.
RED CROSS NURSERY AT PIER 21 IN HALIFAX, 1948. IMAGE FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
The Canadian Wives’ Bureau operated between 1944 and 1947 and worked to send brides and children to Canada. The first office opened in central London, England, and the Bureau worked with many local war bride organizations to assist women and their children during their immigration to Canada. Like many other immigrants that have entered Canada, the war brides arrived through Pier 21 in Halifax. Upon their arrival they were greeted by volunteers from the Red Cross and the Salvation Army who provided food and clothing. After arriving in Nova Scotia, the women and children had to be transported to other areas in Canada. They were boarded on trains to travel west; journeys to the Prairies and British Columbia took days. The sheer size of their new country was shocking to many of the war brides. Rural Canadian life was also quite a shock to many of the European women who were previously city-dwellers.
Most war brides were warmly welcomed into their new home and new family. For the few that were not so fortunate, they had to find their own way home as the Canadian government would only pay for a one-way ticket. Some found assistance from neighbours and organizations like the Red Cross to fund their return trip. War brides that established new lives in Canada often joined local War Brides Clubs and made lasting friendships. As families grew, connections between war brides began to fade. Nevertheless, in the 1970s, as parents retired and children became adults, war brides were increasingly interested in reconnecting. Today, surviving war brides can still connect through the Canadian War Brides Associations.
Large scale conflict often entails social, political, and economic upheaval. The Canadian Home Front during WWII experienced its own struggles and changes as the war progressed. This blog series will look at some controversies and uprisings that occurred on Canadian soil during the war, like conscription and conscientious objectors. This series will also address new roles for women and social changes that occurred as women filled new roles within Canadian society and the Canadian Armed Forces.