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Tag: vintage Canada

The Halifax, Nova Scotia Women Volunteers of WW2

Recently on Instagram a friend posted a link to a Canadian history mini movie called “Dancing was my Duty“. It was about the WW2 homefront work of the women in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada. Now being a swing dancer and a lover of Canadian history from the 1940’s, I instantly needed to see what this as all about.

Dancing was my duty -Halifax Nova Scotia Women Volunteers of WW2

WOW was my reaction after I watched the movie. How have I never heard of this in my history classes? These women did so much for the homefront in such a short amount of time and their story needed to be shared.

So friends lets not have you wait a minute longer and fill you in on the Canadian women who “knitted socks and hats and scarves and absolutely all of the nice, warm, cozy things that our military personnel needed in Europe” (Quote from Janet Guildford Halifax Women’s History Society Chair).

1940's Vintage Photo of CanadianHomefront war effort - A Canadian Red Cross Volunteer in 1940s fashion.
Source: Halifax Archives

Vintage Photos of the Halifax, Nova Scotia Women Volunteers of WW2

Background of Halifax during WW2

September 10th, 1939 Canada declares war on Germany. Halifax, a small gritty seaport city of only about 78,000 instantly becomes the principal and closest staging point in Canada for the war in Europe (Source).

Halifax Canada before ww2 vintage aerial view From Prince Street to Cogswell and Cunard Streets
Halifax Before the War. Aerial view From Prince Street to Cogswell and Cunard Streets. Source: Halifax Archives

In just over 5 years the city would grow to 117, 000 as an influx of transient sailors, soldiers and airmen and, often, their families came and went. These new numbers of “residents” would strain every resource and create a shortage of housing and diversions for the troops, who were often bored while waiting for active duty (Source). The people of Nova Scotia and Halifax stepped up and volunteered their services (in huge numbers), with the majority being women. They worked in canteens, service clubs and hostels, providing food, entertainment and a ‘home away from home’ for the thousands of troops who flooded into the city.

Simpsons Catalogue Cover 1942 featuring a Canadian women on the homefront going to work with her lunchbox and in her factory uniform.
Source: Halifax Archives

The below is an excerpt from the Halifax Women’s History Society Website going into further detail about their contributions:

Women joined national organizations such as the Red Cross, the IODE, the Salvation Army, and the St. John Ambulance. In the Halifax/Dartmouth/Bedford area alone there were 18 separate branches of the IODE.

Local women also formed and launched groups such as the North End Services’ Canteen, the Halifax Central Magazine Exchange and the ANA Club. The hand of friendship was extended to thousands by churches and clubs offering hot meals and entertainment.

Women also formed groups to knit what were called “comforts” for sailors and merchant seamen, and for people in England, who were dealing with the German bombings. The women volunteers made quilts, clothing and bandages, collected salvage, helped organize blood donor clinics and encouraged people to buy war bonds.

A Few Important Statistics (source):

  • The North End Servicemen’s Canteen served 400,000 hot meals in a two-year period.
  • The Halifax Central Magazine Exchange distributed 4 million magazines and 30,000 packs of cards by June 1942 for troop and merchant ships in the harbour to alleviate some of the boredom and stress.
  • There were 13 nursing divisions of the St. John Ambulance brigade in Halifax alone. The women’s volunteer brigades contributed more than 200,000 hours of nursing aid.

Knitting and sewing for overseas relief also was undertaken by women volunteers. The output was astounding. These figures are for the year 1945 alone:

  • Knitted comforts for men overseas (mittens, scarves, etc.)  42,282
  • Surgical dressings   33,263
  • Quilts for civilian relief   4,664
1940s Vintage Photo: Members of the Halifax North (Women’s) Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade Association in a practice at their headquarters on West Young Street. Halifax Civil Emergency Corps, September 1942
Source: CBC News. Members of the Halifax North (Women’s) Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade Association in a practice at their headquarters on West Young Street. Halifax Civil Emergency Corps, September 1942

Volunteers at Work – The Vintage Photos

Magazine Department of the Naval Reading Service-1940 vintage photo.

1940s Vintage Photo of the Magazine Department of the Naval Reading Service in Halifax Canada -1940.
Source: Halifax Archives

Naval Reading Service 1942.

1940s Vintage Photo of the Halifax naval reading service in 1942. The image feattures sailors reading and volunteers helping to stock shelves.
Source: Halifax Archives

1940s Vintage Photo: Corporal Daisy Nunn working in the hospital of the RCAF Station Dartmouth (Note: Dartmouth is a community and former city in Halifax. Dartmouth is located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour).

1940s Vintage Photo of Corporal Daisy Nunn working in the hospital of the RCAF Station Dartmouth
Source: Halifax Archives

Woman crocheting-1941.

1940s Vintage Photo of a Canadian Woman crocheting a sweater in 1941.
Source: Halifax Archives

Picking and Packing Apples factory-1941.

1940s vintage photo: 1941 picking and packing apples in Halifax Canada for the Canadian Homefront WW2 Effort.
Source: Halifax Archives

Red Cross, girls drilling-1941.

1940s Vintage Photo: 1941 Red Cross girls drilling in halifax canada for the Canadian WW2 Homefront Effort.
Source: Halifax Archives

Red Cross Knitting Instructions for War Work-1942.

Side Note: Her set looks like my usual messy vintage set. Glad to see I’m true to history!

1940s Vintage Photo: 1942 Canadian Women in hair curlers learning to knit for the war effort from instructions from the Red Cross
Source: Halifax Archives

Entertaining the Troops

1940s vintage photo of a woman performing from the Marcus Dance showing signing autographs in her 1940s dress and 1940s hairstyle for the sailors in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
1941-Marcus Dance Show. Source: Halifax Archives.

Excerpt from Halifax Archives:

World War II brought Royal Navy warships and Armed Merchant Cruisers to Halifax, spilling hundreds of sailors on to the streets in 1940-1941. They encountered a city which had become very ‘straight-laced’ during the 1930s.

Drink was available but under restricted circumstances that gave way to bootlegging and speakeasies. Social conventions of the time also looked down upon informal mingling of the sexes outside of marriage. As a result, there was not a lot for servicemen and war workers to do — so many took to entertaining themselves outdoors, and as they wished.

Before long, a network of hostels and canteens sprang up throughout the city, catering to servicemen and seamen and providing them with food, drink, a bath, sometimes a bed, and always a friendly ear. There were Merchant Navy Hostels, YMCA Huts, Knights of Columbus Huts, Salvation Army Canteens, IODE Canteens and the North End Service Canteen, as well as dedicated clubs for servicemen from foreign countries such as France and Norway.

The most famous of them all, the Ajax Club, opened in 1940 and welcomed naval ratings and petty officers from all the Allied navies. Monthly attendance was estimated between 10,000 and 15,000 men — until the club was unceremoniously shut down in 1942.

Another wartime entertainment initiative, The Halifax Concert Party, was created out of freely-given volunteer talent; show after show was produced throughout the war years for an unending sea of men in uniform. As well, troops and Halifax residents alike were routinely entertained by travelling productions such as The Marcus Show, which brought ‘the world’s foremost exposition of female loveliness’ to town, to relieve the tedium and horror that was otherwise known as war.

Ping Pong Game at RCAF Station Dartmouth.

1940s Vintage Photo of servicemen plaing Ping pong game at RCAF Station Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Source: Halifax Archives

North End Services Canteen.

1940s vintage photo of the North End Services Canteen in Nova Scotia during WW2.
Source: Halifax Archives

Marcus Dance Show-1941.

1940s vintage photo of a serviceman and his date in a 1940s dress going to the Marcus Dance show in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1941 during WW2.
Source: Halifax Archives
1940s vintage photo of four sailors standing in front of a sign for the Marcus Dance Show in Halifax, Nova Scotia during WW2.
Source: Halifax Archives

A scene from the Marcus Dance Show in 1941.

1940s Vintage Photo of women performing in the Marcus Dance Show in Halifax, Nova Scotia for the Troops during WW2.
Source: Halifax Archives

Marcus Dance showgirls taking a break during or in-between shows-1941.

Side note: Love the 1940s hairstyle in this image.

1940s vintage photo: Marcus Dance showgirls taking a break during or in-between shows-1941. Great examples of 1940s hairstyles.
Source: Halifax Archives

Naval Personnel at a dance-1941.

1940s vintage photo of Naval Personnel at a dance in 1941.
Source: Halifax Archives

Service personnel and civilians at Orpheus movie theatre Barrington Street, Halifax.

1940s vintage photo of Service personnel and civilans at Orpheus movie theatre Barrington Street, Halifax
Source: Halifax Archives

Ajax Club: 5 pints of beer or 10 glasses are allowed each man (that is a lot of beer!).

1940s vintage photo of the Ajax Club in 1941 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Photo is of sailors cashing in their tickets for beers.
Source: Halifax Archives

Evening of Music at the Quinpool Road Hostel-1942.

Evening of Music at the Quinpool Road Hostel-1942. 1940s Fashions & 1940s Hairstyles on display with servicemen in uniform in Halifax Nova Scotia.
Source: Halifax Archives

After the war ended, Halifax returned to normal fairly quickly (however not without a big bang, which you can read all about HERE). The troops went home, Canadian troops returned and the women went back to the lives that they had before the war started. Life carried on without any recognition to the hard-work and sacrifices made by these women.

Present Day & Wonderful News!

In 2017 these amazing women finally received public acknowledgment with the below monument, thanks to the efforts from the Halifax Women’s History Society. Thank you to the society and thank you to the women of Nova Scotia.

Read about how this historic monument came to be HERE.

Halifax Women WW2 Volunteer Monument
Source: CBC News\

Dancing Was My Duty – The Documentary

JANUARY 2023 Update: The video has been taken down and I can no longer show you any clips. SORRY ABOUT THIS!

BUT I did find a fun snippet from an interview from Vicki Grant who created the Documentary.

“There were ten boys for every girl so, as one of my ladies said, “If you didn’t have at least a few dates for Saturday night, you were slipping.” (Source)

Dancing was my duty halifax womens ww 2 history
Source: CBC

Further Reading:

  • Nova Scotia Archives has a excellent virtual exhibit (where many of my images came from) on Halifax’s war effort. Check it out HERE.
  • Halifax Women’s History website has lots of wonderful gems about this time period.

Question time: How did you like this post? Have you heard of these amazing women before? Maybe you have your own story to share about a grandmother, mother, aunt etc. who were one of these volunteers. Share your thoughts and comments below, I love hearing from you!

Liz

Vintage Canada: The Bill Lynch Travelling Carnival Show

The Bill Lynch Carnival Show-A Staple of Martime Culture (The East Coast of Canada).

Bill Lynch Carnival show vintage poster

While working on my post for Canada’s 150th Birthday, I stumbled upon a poster advertising a Canadian Carnival show in the 1940’s (Seen in my post HERE). I had never heard of the name ‘Bill Lynch’ before and was instantly intrigued and knew I just had to know more. And like the good blogger I am, I figured that if I did not know much about Bill and his Exposition Shows then maybe many of my readers hadn’t either. So lets explore the Carnival’s history together friends!

Meet William (Bill) Lynch

Bill Lynch Carnival Show Vintage Image
Source: The Halifacts

About the Show & Bill:

  • William Lynch (Born 1905) as a young boy growing up on McNab’s Island, Nova Scotia loved the annual summer fair on Findlay’s Picnic Grounds. In fact he loved it so much that when he became a teenager he took a job racking the balls and assisting with the old merry-go-round. All the while, he yearned to be a bigger part of this magical escape (Source).
  • 1917 – Halifax has a horrific explosion which ends the summer fun and fairs as the city rebuilt and forces Bill back to regular life working in a machine shop.
  • BUT the dream is not dead and Lynch returns to McNabs Island in the spring of 1920, buying the famous merry-go-round for $800. He managed it until 1924, but people didn’t come to the island like they used to. Lynch decided to go to the people and starts to travel around to small towns in Nova Scotia (Source).
  • 1928, he adds a second ride: a Ferris wheel.
  • In 1929, Bill wins the bid for the Halifax Exhibition and invests in 3 more rides and 3 shows to boost the size of his show to fit the exhibitions request. It was a hefty purchase that paid off and Lynch was asked back for the 1930 exhibition.
  • Changing the negative perception of Carnies & giving back to the community: Bill hired hundreds of Maritimers to run the games and partnered with service groups. Made donations to charitable groups in every town his roadshow visited and told the carnies that all disabled children should ride for free (Source).
  • By the 1940’s, The Bill Lynch Carnival is the Biggest in Canada  and becomes “the search for relief from monotony from everyday living.”
  • 1956 the show is now massive, towing 27 railway cars of rides, games and performers all around the Maritimes. Lynch hired acts such as The Turtle Woman, The Tattooed Man, The Worlds Fattest Couple, and conjoined twins Ronnie and Donnie (Source).
  • After 52 years in the business, Lynch dies in 1972. The carnival has changed hands a couple of times but is currently still in operation.
Bill Lynch Exhibition Shows Vintage Posters
Source: Hake’s
Bill Lynch Carnival show vintage poster
Source: Hake’s
Bill Lynch Shows Carnival Posters
Bill Lynch Carnival Pass Book vintage booklet
Source: Caperpics

1941 photo of a Monkey Race.

1941 Bill Lynch Carnival Show - 1940s vintage image of a Monkey Race.
Source: Nova Scotia Archives. E.A. Bollinger Nova Scotia Archives accession no. 1975-305 1941 no. 465-7a

The Famous Ferris Wheel-1941.

1941 Bill Lynch Carnival Show Canada. 1940s photo of the Famous Ferris Wheel. Nova Scotia Archives
Source: Nova Scotia Archives. E.A. Bollinger Nova Scotia Archives accession no. 1975-305 1941 no. 465-1b

1940s photo of the Merry-Go-Around.

Bill Lynch Carnival merry go around 1940s Canada
Source: Nova Scotia Archives. E.A. Bollinger Nova Scotia Archives accession no. 1975-305 1941 no. 465e

Sailors watching either a ride or a show in 1941.

Canadian sailors 1941 watching Bill Lynch Carnival show Nova Scotia Archives
Source: Nova Scotia Archives. E.A. Bollinger Nova Scotia Archives accession no. 1975-305 1941 no. 465-2d

Advertising for a show in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Bill Lynch Carnival 1940s Saint Johns appearance
Source: The Lost Valley

High Wire Bicycle Act.

Bicycle high wire act at a Bill Lynch Show.
Source: Dalhousie University

Further Reading on the Carnival:

I hope you enjoyed learning about Bill Lynch and his Carnival Show. It was really fun researching this topic and learning about a piece of Canadian history dear to many hearts in the East Coast.

Vintage Inn Blog Post To Read:

Liz