Canada at War: Fire’s Out

For one of Canada’s least-publicized fighting units, the war practically ended last week. The Corps of Canadian Fire Fighters, 342 strong, was ordered home, to disband.

The Corps was organized in 1942, when bomb-blitzed London’s firemen decided they needed help. Most of the members were young professional firemen who wanted to get into action in a familiar job. Overseas they manned six stations in South England ports, protected docks. The men wore uniforms, drew Army pay, 20 married British brides. In two years they lost only one man—John Stewart Coull, 37, Winnipeg, who was killed last July by a robomb.