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Posted to Germany: Early Cold War Canadian Military Policy and Its Impact on One Family's Experience
1Jayne Elliott - University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Early Cold War military policies impacted Canadian soldiers and their families. Major Elliott
Area of Science:
- Military History
- Canadian Foreign Policy
- Social History
Background:
- Canadian soldiers were stationed in Iserlohn, Germany, in 1954 as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization commitment.
- Military families faced separation due to new policies regarding overseas postings and accommodation.
- Major Robert Elliott served as a military surgeon during this period.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the impact of early Cold War Canadian military policies on a military surgeon and his family.
- To explore the challenges arising from the Canadian Brigade's placement under British control.
- To understand the effects of new policies on dependents joining military personnel overseas.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of personal letters written by Major Robert Elliott to his wife during an eight-month separation.
- Historical review of Canadian military and foreign policies during the early Cold War.
- Examination of the social and administrative context of military life in post-war Germany.
Main Results:
- Major Elliott experienced frustration with imperial/colonial relations within the British Military Hospital.
- The military's reluctance to allow dependents overseas caused confusion and anxiety for families.
- Policies affected both the professional duties and personal life of military personnel.
Conclusions:
- Canadian military policies in the early Cold War significantly affected the well-being of soldiers and their families.
- The integration of Canadian forces within NATO structures presented unique administrative and social challenges.
- The study highlights the personal costs of military service and policy implementation.
Abstract:
In the summer of 1954, military surgeon Major Robert Elliott was posted to the British Military Hospital in Iserlohn, Germany, to provide medical care to Canadian soldiers, members of the 5,500-strong Canadian Brigade that had earlier been stationed there as part of Canada's commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Like many other military families, Elliott's family had to remain behind until suitable accommodation for them could be found. Based on the letters that Elliott wrote home to his wife during their eight-month separation, this article provides a glimpse of how both old and new Canadian military policies during the early Cold War period had an impact on his work and his family. The Canadian government's decision to place the Brigade under British control reflected, in part, the long-standing attachment to Britain, but Elliott was often frustrated with how imperial/colonial relations played out in the hospital setting. And the military's initial reluctance to officially allow dependents to join their loved ones overseas, a new phenomenon in Canadian military life, undoubtedly contributed to his confusion and anxiety over when family quarters would finally be finished.
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