Chaplains: Unsung heroes during wartime in the Canadian Armed Forces

Click here to hear my column on CBC Radio Manitoba about chaplains in the Canadian Armed Forces. 

On Remembrance Day, we pause to remember those who fought and those who gave their lives during Canada’s wars. But one group we rarely think about are military chaplains — those who minister to the troops during time of war and peace. Here to talk about the vital role they played in Canada’s military is John Longhurst, CBC’s religion commentator. 

So, what do we know about the history of chaplains in Canada’s military? 

Chaplains—that is, religious clergy—have served in Canada’s wars as far back as the War of 1812. During the First World War there were 524 chaplains. In World War Two, that number rose to about 1,400. At least 16 chaplains were killed in the two World Wars. Today there are more than 200 chaplains in the Canadian Armed Forces. 

What did chaplains do during wartime? 

We might think of them doing things like preaching sermons, and they did that. But they also tended to those wounded in battle. When men died, they buried the dead and often wrote letters to their families. They provided pastoral care and counselling to young men scared and far from home. They also organized recreation and sporting events.   

One thing they never did was carry weapons. That is forbidden by the Geneva Convention. Canada has always adhered strictly to that rule, including more recently when Canadian troops were deployed to Afghanistan. 

What did most members of the military think of chaplains? 

Most viewed them with respect. Soldiers had special respect for the chaplains who shared the dangers of war with them—especially those who served close to the front line. They could be a bit less sympathetic to chaplains who chose to stay far away from the action, behind the lines. 

Could you give us some examples of chaplains who served in the past? 

Sure. There was George Anderson Wells, an Anglican priest who served with Manitoba’s Fort Garry Horse Regiment in the First World War. He became known as the “fighting bishop” because he chose to stay so close to the front line. He became the most decorated chaplain in the British Commonwealth during that war. 

Then there was Father Rosaire Crochetiere (Crow-shet-e-air) of Quebec’s Royal 22nd Regiment. He was killed in 1918 while helping evacuate the wounded. He was highly respected by the men of his regiment. They described him as being like “a father, a brother, a confidant, a friend.” 

The most famous Canadian chaplain was John Weir Foote, a Presbyterian minister from Madoc, Ontario. On August 19, 1942, Foote was with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry when it attacked the French port city of Dieppe. For eight hours, Foote helped care for the wounded on the beach, frequently leaving the relative safety of the aid post to help wounded men.   

Near the end of that disastrous battle, Foote helped load wounded soldiers into landing craft that would take them back to safety in England. When offered a chance to go back with them, he chose to stay, saying the men remaining in France needed him more than those escaping to England. 

Foote was imprisoned by the Germans, along with about 2,000 other Canadian soldiers. Even there—in the prison camp—he continued to serve: preaching, leading Bible studies and generally trying to keep up morale. 

When the second World War ended, Foote was awarded the Victoria Cross—one of only five Commonwealth chaplains to have received that award, and the only Canadian chaplain to do so. 

Wasn’t one of our Canadian chaplains executed by the Germans in World War Two? 

Yes. That was Captain Walter Brown of Peterborough, Ontario. He was the first Canadian chaplain to land in France on D-Day. He spent his time tending to the wounded and helping bury the dead. He was captured by a Nazi SS unit on June 7 and executed. He was the only Allied chaplain executed during the entire war. 

Brown was buried in France, but the communion kit he used overseas was donated to Huron College in London, Ontario, where it is still used in worship services there. 

You mentioned that there are more than 200 chaplains in the Canadian Armed Forces today. Is chaplaincy today different than it was in the past? 

Yes! In the first World War, military chaplains in Canada were exclusively Christian—either Protestant or Roman Catholic. We saw the first Jewish chaplain during World War Two. 

These days, chaplains in the Canadian military reflect the multi-faith character of all of Canada. They come from Christian, Muslim, Indigenous, Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist and even Humanist backgrounds. 

Similarly, members of the military come from various religious backgrounds, or no religious background at all. When asked, many of them said appreciate the work of chaplains—for the spiritual and emotional support they provide, even if they weren’t religious themselves. 

Any final thoughts? 

It used to be said that there are no atheists in foxholes. That is, under fire, everyone became religious. I don’t know if that’s still true today. It’s likely there are many atheists in Canadian military foxholes, just as there are in Canada itself—together with agnostics and members of different religions. Along the way, Canada’s chaplaincy service has adapted to serve them all. 

Photo above: Capt. Robert L. Seaborn, a Canadian army chaplain with the Canadian Scottish Regiment, administering last rites to a dying soldier near Caen, France in World War Two.