CDKW00374 - Combat Services

This memo from R. G. Kingstone in mid-April clarified that all Canadian troop commitments to the UN Forces were “were made available for combat service in Korea.” Although ostensibly clarifying the role Canadian troops were to play, this assertion also made the Minister of National Defence nervous, leading him to respond asking for clarification about whether “for combat service” could be misconstrued to send Canadian troops to fight against the Chinese directly, particularly in relation to Formosa. As the conflict cooled down and Canadian Army staff in Asia began replying that they were clear in their commitment to the Korean peninsula alone, these anxieties waned in Ottawa. However, it would be clear from here out that any troops sent by the Canadians would not be merely a symbolic effort to make the UN Forces look less dominated by American units but would be trained and deployed in combat.