Comments by "dixon pinfold" (@dixonpinfold2582) on "War Stories"
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In early December 1939 the first contingents of Canadian soldiers arrived in Britain to serve alongside British soldiers in the Expeditionary Force. Not many months afterwards, I have read more than once, the only battle-ready division on British soil was Canadian. For reasons such as these, the phrase "Britain Stood Alone" may well stick in the craw of any Canadian who's aware of them.
At the time, it pains me to remind you, Canada was a fully-fledged country in its own right, was a founding member of the League of Nations, etc. The monarchy was meaningful to Canadians generally, but generally only as a symbol of national heritage, of the days before nationhood. Though the constitutional provisions held otherwise, the King was regarded as England's king, not Canada's, and Canada's parliament had decidedly ceased to answer to Westminster. In most ways that had happened a full lifetime earlier.
Thus Canadians went to the war in Europe as Canadians, and as friends and allies of the nations there, not as colonial subjects. All this is to say simply: Britain did not stand alone. Credit where credit is due.
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