Many claimed that Britain "stood alone" against Nazi Germany in the early parts of World War Two,
after the Fall of France. Geographically, that may have been true. But in 1939,
the British Empire comprised 25% of the global population and 20% of the land mass.
Almost every Commonwealth country contributed to the war effort,
whether they deployed small numbers of men from the Caribbean, or huge amounts
of supplies and natural resources from Canada and India. The British were hardly ‘alone.’
While many of those countries have since gained independence, there is no denying the impact they
had on the British fighting power. It would be impossible to cover all the British-controlled
nations during the war, as there were upwards of 75. Instead, we’ll look at the biggest
contributors to answer the question "Which one of these countries did the British love the most?"
Australia, ever loyal, declared war on Germany
the same day as Britain – the 3rd of September, 1939. Despite a good start,
though, the relationship between Britain and Australia during the war was rocky, at best.
From the moment the Australians arrived in Europe, they became a vital part of the war effort. In the
early days in the Mediterranean, the “Scrap Iron” Flotilla, commanded by Captain Hector Waller,
proved to be hugely important. Among other things, the unit kept communication between Allied
forces safe by escorting ships between ports and patrolled the sea for mines and other obstacles.
In 1941, more Australians, as part of the sixth, seventh, and ninth divisions, joined the Allied
forces in the Mediterranean and North African campaigns. While the Australians struggled in
the ill-fated Crete and Greece campaigns, they were valuable fighters in Egypt and Libya,
capturing Tobruk and Benghazi during Operation Compass between late 1940 and early 1941.
Trouble began after Japan entered the war. Immediately,
the sixth and seventh divisions were recalled home to Australia. The ninth division remained
in North Africa and fought in the decisive Allied victory at El Alamein in October 1942,
before also being recalled to protect the homeland. Prime Minister Winston Churchill
stuck with a “Germany First” strategy, believing that the Allies must stop Germany before all else.
With the Australians leaving to defend the Pacific, Churchill viewed this as a
betrayal, and tensions between Churchill and Australian Prime Minister John Curtin spiked.
Like the Aussies, The Kiwis declared war on Germany on the 3rd of September,
1939. However, being a much smaller country,
their manpower contribution to the war effort – both in Europe and the Pacific – was smaller.
The Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force served overseas and provided a large contribution in the
North African campaign. The Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force contributed to decisive
victories in the Siege of Tobruk and the First and Second Battles of El Alamein. Unlike the Aussies,
the Kiwis continued fighting in North Africa until the Axis surrendered in Tunisia in May 1943. This
included the 28th Māori Battalion, famed for their fierce determination in warfare. It is said that
even German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel admired the Māori for their voraciousness in battle.
Despite the war raging in the Pacific in which the 29th Battalion fought, most New Zealand troops
headed toward the invasion of Sicily and the Italian peninsula after they left North Africa.
In the end, New Zealand suffered more casualties,
proportionally, than any other Commonwealth nation. Nearly
12,000 Kiwis died, which to a population of only 1.6 million, was a significant blow.
However, because they were willing to remain in Europe,
they did not receive the same cold shoulder from Churchill that the Aussies did.
Unlike Australia and New Zealand, South Africa didn’t declare war on Germany until the 6th of
September 1939. This came after an intense debate in the South African parliament,
with the pro-war faction ultimately ousting Former Boer General J.B.M. Hertzog as Prime Minister.
General Jan Smuts, a pro-Britain and pro-war leader, took his place.
After South Africa's declaration, they immediately sent troops to the North and East African front.
However, because of Apartheid policies in South Africa, they did not allow coloured
men to enlist in infantry positions or serve on the front lines. As a result, the South
African army contributed far fewer men to the front lines than other Commonwealth nations.
The army was deployed to East Africa, where South Africans found success in the Battle of Gondar
and El Wak. However, once they moved northward, they struggled. For one, the South Africa army
required additional training before Operation Crusader, which delayed British-led operations.
For another, during the Battle of Gazala in 1942, the South Africans,
led by Major-General Hendrik Klooper, were largely blamed for the Allies losing the port of Tobruk,
despite a British court inquiry ruling otherwise. This caused tensions between
the British and the South Africans soldiers for the rest of the war.
While tensions were high on the battlefield, General Jan Smuts was a favorite of Prime
Minister Churchill. He was considered one of Churchill’s closest confidants,
with Churchill’s private secretary, Jock Colville proclaiming, “There were very few of Churchill’s
colleagues in the British government whose words carried the same weight [as Smut’s]."
Churchill definitely loved General Smuts more than any other Commonwealth leader,
but the South Africans themselves contributed little overall, and the rifts that formed
between men on the battlefield didn't earn them any love among the Brits.
Like South Africa, Canada didn’t immediately declare war on Germany,
instead waiting until the 10th of September, 1939, after a vote in Parliament. While the number of
Canadians initially sent to the front lines was small due to Canada's reluctance to conscript,
Canada contributed in many other ways. Canada played a huge role in the defense
of the North Atlantic. During the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous battle of the
war, the Canadian Royal Navy ensured the safety of countless convoys sailing from North America to
the UK and Soviet Union. These convoys transported men, weapons, and goods that were vital to the
Allied war effort. Additionally, Canada hosted and paid for the Commonwealth Air Training Plan,
which trained airmen from several Commonwealth countries to fly in the Royal Air Force.
In 1944, after the voluntary Canadian forces suffered heavy losses in Italy,
Prime Minister William Mckenzie King began sending conscripts overseas.
These Canadians played a pivotal role in the landing at Normandy, with the taking
of Juno Beach, a hard fought victory that paved the way to the liberation of Europe.
Over 1.1 million Canadian men and women served in World War Two. However, Canada’s
greatest contribution came from the direct and industrial aid it sent to Europe during the war.
At a strategic location away from the front,
Canadian factories and farms provided machinery, arms, and food to Allied soldiers.
In the end, over 800,000 military vehicles, 50,000 tanks, 348 merchant ships, and 1.7
million small arms were produced in Canada during the war. The nation even continued
producing goods for the Allied forces after they could no longer afford it. Canada's total
financial contribution is said to be around 10 billion dollars (which would equal about 30
billion dollars today). Without this industrial boost, Britain would have run out of steam.
When the war broke out, Indians were divided on
whether or not they should support Britain, much like South Africa.
But because India was a colony, as opposed to a dominion,
these oppositions went largely unheard, and India soon declared war on Germany.
During the war, India contributed 2.5 million men to the Allied war effort, all of them volunteers.
Fifteen percent of all Victoria Crosses
awarded during the war went to Indian and Nepalese soldiers.
These men fought in North Africa, Western Europe, and in Southeast Asia, most notably in Burma.
The former Commander-in-Chief of the British Indian Army, Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck,
stated that Britain "couldn't have come through [the war] if they hadn't had the Indian Army."
India provided more troops than any other Commonwealth nation and suffered
heavy losses as a result. With the Japanese advancing rapidly through Southeast Asia,
the British Indian Army held firm,
preventing Japanese forces from entering India and eventually driving them out of Burma.
Without Indian soldiers fighting on all the fronts, Britain would have been in much worse
shape. However, "love" isn't the right word to describe how Britain felt about India.
Churchill, while recognising the importance of the British Indian Army,
did little to help India through its problems back at home.
A famine in Bengal during the war killed nearly three million people,
all while Britain continued to take food from India to fuel its war in Europe.
This move drew a lot of criticism and bolstered anti-British sentiment in India.
It’s hard to say for certain which Commonwealth nation the British loved
most. While Churchill held the leaders of South Africa and New Zealand in high regard,
their overall contributions to the war were rather small. Certainly India contributed the
most men and helped win decisive battles in Europe and Asia. However, Canada
provided not only men but much needed weapons, vehicles, food, and direct financial aid too.
Both India and Canada had significant impacts on the British war effort, and they were
probably the two nations that deserve the most love. But the war could not have been fought,
and won, without the sacrifices of countless other soldiers from Commonwealth nations.
But what do you think? Which commonwealth nation did Britain love the most? Did we
miss any big ones? Let us know in the comments below.