“Canada’s Roll of Honour”: Controversy over Casualty Notification and Publication During the Second World War

Authors

Timothy Balzer, Royal Military College of Canada

Abstract

During the Second World War, the Canadian Army’s announcement of casualties to next–of–kin and the press often caused controversy. Even though the army tried to notify the family and public as quickly as possible, it could not always do so. Unofficial communications with the family, procedural failures, and more frequently press and censorship errors, cause occasional mistakes in casualty reporting. Moreover, the interests of Canada’s allies often prevented the timely publication of casualty names and figures, as in the aftermath of the Dieppe Raid, Sicily campaign and Normandy landings. These delays were often for alleged security reasons, sometimes with questionable justification. This led to widespread, albeit inaccurate, suspicion of political manipulation of this process by the Canadian Army and federal government.

Recommended Citation

Balzer, Timothy "“Canada’s Roll of Honour”: Controversy over Casualty Notification and Publication During the Second World War." Canadian Military History 20, 1 (2011)