View looking east along "Non White" beach, showing personnel of the 9^th
Canadian Infantry Brigade landing from LCI(L) 299 of the 2^nd Canadian (262^nd RN)
Flotilla on D-Day, Bernières-sur-Mer, France, 6 June, 1944. Photo by Gilbert A. Milne.
Public Archives of Canada

World War II - 1939-1945

At the outbreak of the Second World War, when Canada declared war on September 10, 1939 and in the following years, over 350 men and women of the Wellington Legion area enlisted in the Armed forces of Canada. Of this number, 75% enlisted in the Army, 12.5% in the RCAF (RAF), 6.1% in the R.C.N. (R.C.N.V.R.), and others served in the Merchant Marine, the Womens' Corp and in the American forces. Of the 350 enlisted personnel, 59 or 17% ranked as officers or N.C.O.'s of the total enlistment, 67.7% served in overseas theatres of war, 27.9% served in Canada only and 5 were prisoners-of-war of the Germans or of the Japanese in Hong Kong. When one considers Canadian casualties during the Second World War, over 22,000 Army, over 17,000 R.C.A.F. and over 2,000 Navy, these grim statistics were echoed in our own local area, where 26 were killed in action (7.5% of enlistment) and 28 were wounded (8.1% of enlistment). As the reader examines World War II veterans' service records, it becomes quite evident that our service personnel represents all branches of the service and auxiliary support.

At the divisional level for the Army, soldiers were taken on strength by all 5 divisions:

- Black Watch
- Fusiliers Mont Royal

  5^th Division 

- Perth Regiment
- Cape Breton Highlanders
- 8^th Princess Louise N.B. Hussars

Many of World War I veterans also served in World War II in the Veterans Guard of Canada to guard power plants, bridges, waterways, factories, communications and enemy prisoner-of-war camps.

After V-E day, many of the returning servicemen volunteered to fight in the Pacific war, but the dropping of the Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki put an end to the war against Japan.

Veterans of the Hong Kong expedition, of the Normandy beaches, of the Falaise Gap, of the Rhine battles, of Ortona, the R.C.A.F. (R.A.F.) bombardments over enemy territory, of naval engagements in German-infested waters - all who served -

We Salute You!