Topic: Canadian Army
12,000 N.R.M.A. Troops Went Overseas
The National Resources Mobilization Act (NMRA), 1940, 4 George VI, Chap. 13, was a statute of the Parliament of Canada that was passed to provide for better planning of a much greater Canadian war effort, both overseas and in military production at home. (Wikipedia)
Hamilton Spectator, 9 July 1945
Ottawa, July 9.—(CP)—Defence headquarters said to-day that approximately 12,000 national resources mobilization troops were overseas when V-E day came and of that number more than 4,000 were serving in northwest Europe at the cessation of hostilities.
Fifty-five of the N.R.M.A. men were killed in action, 10 died of wounds, six were listed as missing and 226 were listed as wounded.
The troops were dispatched overseas a few weeks after the Government passed an order-in-council last November authorizing the sending to Europe of home defence personnel, originally mobilized for service in Canada and adjacent territories.
A total of 12,736 N.R.M.A. men had been dispatched of overseas service by May 7, the day the war in Europe was declared ended. Of the total, 682 became general service soldiers after dispatch and 21 were returned to Canada on medical grounds.
The conversions to general service, the return of men to Canada on medical grounds and the fatal casualties reduced the original total of 12,736 N.R.M.A. men overseas to 11,968 by V-E day.
Of the 11,968, 4,081 were serving in northwest Europe and 7,655 outside the battle zone. Six of the remainder were missing and 226 were wounded.
N.R.M.A. strength in Canada at the cessation of hostilities was 38,500, including 6,500 on extended compassionate, farm or industrial leave.
No Recent Figures
The 32,000 on active strength included 16,000 of infantry combat category, and of these 9,000 were in the training stream, 3,000 in operational units and 2,000 employed in home establishment. The remaining 2,000 were in depots for allocation.
Of the 16,000 troops who were in categories not suitable for infantry, 5,000 were employed in home war establishments and 3,000 in operational units. There were 3,000 in training for corps requiring lower categories than infantry, and a further 3,000 were employed in duties at training centres. Some 2,000 were in depots awaiting reposting or disposal on medical grounds.
When the N.R.M.A. troops were ordered to report for overseas embarkation more than 6,000 of them went absent without leave. A total of 6,311 were unaccounted for on January 16 and 4,082 were still not accounted for by the end of March.
No recent figures on the number of men still unaccounted for have been released.
The National Resources Mobilization Act
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