Canadian Troops in England

Southland Times, Issue 24533, 6 September 1941, Page 6

Canadian Troops in England

XT WAS reported last week that Canadian troops in England had given a noisy reception to their Prime Minister, Mr W. L. Mackenzie King. They were said to be aggrieved because they had been left to a long inactivity while troops from the other Dominions were meeting the enemy on the battle fields of the Middle East. Mr Mackenzie King and Mr Churchill both referred indirectly to the incident in speeches reported this moming from London. The Canadian Prime Minister simply explained that the policy of his Government is “to have its troops serve in those theatres where ... it believes their services will count for most.” Mr Churchill was more direct, and perhaps more consoling. But the difficulty may not vanish under the soothing influence of words. Discontent in the armed forces is usually given no publicity: it carries implications which are likely to be welcomed by the enemy. There is no reason, however, why the protests of the Canadians should be left discreetly unnoticed. These men were not complaining about the rigours of military service; they were not responding to an impulse of defeatism. Their one grievance was simply that they had not been allowed to come to grips with the enemy. Even Dr Goebbels should have some difficulty in twisting this fact into a story of Empire disunity. Actually the Dominion troops have not all been in England. At different times there have been reports of Canadians in Iceland and at Gibraltar. These were both danger zones which might have become theatres for desperate conflicts. And it is true, also, that at certain periods England herself was potentially the most dangerous front in Europe. The invasion did not come; but if it had come the presence of large Canadian forces would have made a great difference to the defence of Britain. Modern warfare has created many new problems for the military authorities, and not the least of these is the constant danger of boredom. Troops have to be trained to a hairtrigger efficiency; but they may see nothing of an enemy for many months, and when at last the clash comes it may be sharp and short. The New Zealand Division, for instance, has been in the Middle East for more than 18 months; yet in this period it has had barely five weeks of actual fighting. The Australians have seen more service, and the South Africans had their own

brilliantly successful campaign in East Africa. But they, too, have known the long months of waiting and preparation. The Canadians were unlucky in that their positions remained always outside the battle zone. Nevertheless, if the hints and signs now creeping into the cable messages foreshadow British offensive action they may not have to wait much longer for their baptism of fire.