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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
Canadian military policies in the early Cold War impacted 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 (NATO).
- Military families faced separation due to new policies regarding overseas postings and accommodation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the impact of early Cold War Canadian military policies on a military surgeon and his family.
- To provide insight into the challenges faced by Canadian military personnel and their dependents during overseas deployments.
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 government policies of the early Cold War period.
Main Results:
- Major Elliott experienced frustration with the integration of Canadian forces under British command and imperial/colonial dynamics within the hospital.
- The military's initial reluctance to permit dependents overseas created anxiety and uncertainty regarding family housing.
Conclusions:
- Early Cold War military policies significantly affected the personal and professional lives of Canadian service members and their families.
- The study highlights the complexities of military family life and policy implementation during a period of geopolitical tension.
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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