Nambu World: Canada and the Pacific War

(under construction—much, much more to come)

This page is still in its infancy but will summarize the many ways in which Canada was involved in the Pacific Theatre in WWII. While the number of Canadian troops who served in the Pacific was much smaller than the number who served in Europe, there are nevertheless a number of interesting stories to be told.

Pacific Coast Militia Rangers (PCMR):

The PCMR was a militia raised in British Columbia in 1942 to defend Canada’s West Coast against possible Japanese invasion. To read more about the PCMR, please click here: pcmr.htm

Lt. Robert Hampton “Hammy” Gray, VC:

Lt. “Hammy” Gray was a Royal Canadian Navy pilot serving on the aircraft carrier HMS Formidable in April, 1945. On his last mission he was assigned to attach Japanese ships in a bay in northern Japan. While bombing one of the ships he was hit but continued on course to deliver his bombs and crashed into the ship, earning him the sobriquet “the Canadian kamikaze” and, more importantly, the last Victoria Cross of WWII, awarded posthumously. To read more about Lt. Gray, please click here: lthammygrayvc.htm

Some of the topics to come include:

-Japanese shelling of BC coast

-balloon bombs

-Birchall

-Kiska

-Aleutians

-links to military museums and gateway

-Uganda

-Hong Kong

-internment of Japanese-Canadians

-obituaries of Pacific Theater vets

-weapons made for China: Bren, Hi-Power, Sten

Did You Know?

*in 1942-43 Japan occupied two Alaskan islands, Attu & Kiska.

*Japan shelled BC, Oregon & California with sub deck guns (1942).

*a Japanese sub-based plane bombed Oregon twice (1942).

*Japan launched 9,300 balloon bombs at North America, killing 6 (1944-45).

*1,973 Canadian troops fought in the 1941 defense of Hong Kong. 555 died in battle or horrendous POW camps.

*Canadian pilot L.J. Birchall became known as the “saviour of Ceylon” for radioing a warning of impending Japanese attack, 1942.

*Canadian pilots also flew in Burma and the Aleutians

*the RCN ship Uganda fought in the naval campaigns against Japan (1945).

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Last updated: August 27, 2006. All contents are copyright Teri unless otherwise specified and may not be used elsewhere in any form without prior permission.