The Participation of Ukrainians in the Canadian Armed Forces during WWII
Over 35,000 Canadians of Ukrainian descent served in the Canadian military during WWII. These servicemen and women constituted the second-largest group of non-British, non-French serving in the Canadian armed forces. The servicemen and women were not only an integral part of the Canadian military during wartime, but also made a significant contribution to the development of Canadian postwar policy on displaced persons and refugees.
In its archives, the UCRDC has a collection of oral history testimonies of these servicemen, which were conducted in 1989-1991 and have recently been digitized. The format of the interviews follows a standard questionnaire and the interviews were conducted by UCRDC volunteers.
There are five key themes that come out of most of the interviews:
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‣Reasons for joining the armed forces;
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‣The efforts to maintain ‘Ukrainianess’ while overseas by the servicemen and women as exhibited through their participation in the Ukrainian Canadian Servicemens’ Club;
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‣Discrimination [absence of] against Ukrainians in the armed forces;
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‣The veterans’ relationship with the Central Ukrainian Relief Bureau, Ukrainian displaced persons, repatriation and attitudes towards the Soviet Union;
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‣And, finally, their views on the consequences for or impacts on Canadian society of Ukrainian participation in the Canadian armed forces.
On our website, we are making available excerpts of five such interviews:
Joseph Romanow, Peter Smylski, William Kereliuk, Michael Lucyk and Ann Chraplywa-Smith
NAME
LIVED IN
DATE OF BIRTH
SERVED IN
Andrunyk Stephan
Barrie, ON
1923
Army
Bodnar Nicholas
Edmonton, AL
1914
Air Force
Chmiliar William
Edmonton, AL
1921
Army
Chorny Walter
Edmonton, AL
1915
Air Force
Crapleve-Smith Ann
Winnipeg, MA
1920
Army/WAC
Gregorash Michael
Winnipeg, MA
1921
Army
Halychuk Nestor
Edmonton, AL
1913
Army
Iwacki Fred
Winnipeg, MA
1921
Army
Kashtan Stephen
Edmonton, AL
1919
Army
Kit Paul
Edmonton, AL
1917
Army
Kupchenko Wally
Edmonton, AL
1919
Army
Lachman Walter
Edmonton, AL
1922
Air Force
Lucyk Michael
Toronto, ON
1916
Army/Dental
Malanchuk Nicholas
Winnipeg, MA
1916
Air Force
Malanchuk William
Edmonton, AL
1917
Air Force
Melnyk Dimitri
Edmonton, AL
1917
Army/Medical
Michalchyshyn Bohdan
Edmonton, AL
1919
Army/Medical
Ochota Nicholas
Edmonton, AL
1926
Army
Plawiuk Eugene
Edmonton, AL
Army
Poohkay Peter
Edmonton, AL
1913
Air Force
Romanow Joseph
Ottawa, ON
1923
Air Force
Slonetsky Evhen
Toronto, ON
1924
Army
Smylski Peter
Toronto, ON
1915
Army/Dental
Wach Peter
Winnipeg, MA
1920
Army
Wachniak John
Winnipeg, MA
1923
Army
Yaremchuk Stephen
Edmonton, AL
1913
Air Force
Yuzyk John
Winnipeg, MA
1913
Air Force
Kereliuk William
Toronto, ON
1917
Air Force
The UCRDC Oral History Archives have video interviews with the following Ukrainian Canadians who served in the Canadian Armed Forces during World War II.
The interviews are can be accessed at the UCRDC. Please contact us at: office@ucrdc.org
Born in 1921, Saskatoon, Sask.
Served in the Royal Canadian Air Force
Died in 2011
Date of Interview: 1989
Interviewer: Oksana Zakydalsky
Length of Interview: 74 min.
Born in 1916, Calgary, Alta.
Served in the Dental Corps
Died in ....
Date of Interview: 1989
Interviewer: Oksana Zakydalsky
Length of Interview: 31 min.
Born in 1917, Insinger, Sask.
Served in Royal Canadian Air Force
Died in 2008
Date of Interview: 1989
Interviewer: Jurij Darewych
Length of Interview: 61 min.
Born in 1915, Dauphin, Man.
Served in the Dental Corps
Died in 2002
Date of Interview: 1989
Interviewer: Oksana Zakydalsky &
Jurij Darewych
Length of Interview: 101 min.
Born in 1920, Ladywood, MB
Served in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps
Died in 2005
Date of Interview: 1990
Interviewer: Kwitoslawa Kushnir
Length of Interview: 50 min.
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It provides receipts for tax purposes.
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