Image: British soldier helping an elderly woman in Caen, France, July 1944, World War II

Tune in for Civilians at the Sharp End – First Canadian Army Civil Affairs in Northwest Europe, 1944-1945 presented by David Borys on Thursday March 17th, 2022 at 7 pm.

Civil Affairs is the forgotten branch of First Canadian Army (FCA) in the Second World War. The men of Civil Affairs (CA) were a crucial link between the army and the civilian populations that were both liberated and occupied by FCA. From control of refugees, to reestablishing law and order, to organizing civil defence, to the recovery of lost and stolen art as well as an entire spectrum of activities, FCA Civil Affairs handled a wide variety of tasks and met challenges in every new region they entered.

In this talk David Borys will touch on some of those key challenges as the men of FCA Civil Affairs worked their way across northwest Europe from northern France all the way into northwestern Germany.

About David Borys:

David Borys is a Canadian military historian and a faculty member at Langara College. His research focuses on the history of the relationship between the Canadian Armed Forces and civilian populations in combat zones. His published works include a wide variety of topics in the realm of Canadian military history and have been printed in academic journals such as Canadian Military History Journal and in print media such as the Globe and Mail.

His most recent book is titled Civilians at the Sharp End: First Canadian Army Civil Affairs in Northwest Europe, 1944-1945 published by McGill-Queens Press in 2021. He has been seen on such television history programs as APTN’s Nations at War and National Geographic’s Hitler’s Last Stand. David is also the producer, writer and host of the popular Canadian history podcast, Cool Canadian History.

Missed the live event? Watch the recording of Civilians at the Sharp End below: