Sporting During WWII and Athletics in the RCAF

This post was written by Rory M., one of our summer students. Rory is a Music major at Brandon University.

While WWII changed the experiences of Canadian life in almost all ways, in Canada and other Allied nations sports remained as an escape from the tragedy of war and became an important morale booster. During this period many athletes enlisted in the war effort, professional leagues adapted to the changing times, and Armed Forces organized sports became an important part of everyday life away from the war, and for increased physical fitness and morale alike.

Early in the war, many politicians recognized the value of sports in both morale building, as well as recruitment for some branches of the Armed Forces. Prime Minister Mackenzie King (who was the head of the sports paper at his time at the University of Toronto) as well as President Franklin D. Roosevelt (who often enjoyed horseback riding, golf, and tennis) supported the maintaining of civilian sports, so while many professional leagues considered disbandment during this period, sports were framed as essential to public well-being and patriotism, continuing their operation through the war. In a letter from FDR to the commissioner of MLB known as the “Green Light Letter”, he wrote that “I honestly feel that it would be best for the country to keep baseball going”. He reasoned that a two-hour recreational activity like baseball could offer a much-needed mental break from the demands of wartime work, and even encouraged the expansion of night games to accommodate more workers.

It was also early in the war that the RCAF as well as other branches of service recognized and prioritized athletics for physical training and morale, and established many formal and informal teams across bases in the BCATP, as well as other branches of service. Common sports during this period include soccer, hockey, boxing, softball, baseball, and track and field, and in Brandon at #12 SFTS there are records of organized hockey, soccer, and baseball. In fact, #12 SFTS had many personnel who were avid about playing hockey, and after the war many played for the Brandon Wheat Kings as well as professional hockey teams. This team’s photo can be found on the photo wall of the main gallery of the CATPM, and is of the many sports teams from the RCAF that produced and recruited professional athletes to serve pre and post war. In fact, the RCAF Flyers, an amateur hockey team consisting of RCAF members competed at the 1948 winter Olympics in St. Moritz Switzerland, and won gold. In the Olympics, their goal differential was a staggering 69-5. The team consisted of members who were pilots, gunners, and navigators who had served overseas. 

Many professional athletes during the war-era left their teams and careers behind to serve their countries, despite the promise of organized competition and consistent pay. NHL stars like Syl Apps, Maurice “Rocket” Richard, and Turk Broada, MLB players like Ted Williams, Hank Greenberg, Jackie Robinson, and Bob Feller all left the professional leagues for the front lines, and contributed to the war effort by their service while leaving professional sports behind for the time being. In Canadian football, while the CFL suspended operations during the war, military leagues such as the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU) still operated, and Armed Forces teams such as the RCAF Hurricanes of Winnipeg were successful, winning the Grey Cup in 1942. Baseball as well had several adaptations to react to the loss of many players to the war effort. Leagues adapted with younger players, older veterans, as well as the inclusion of women into many leagues such as the MLB and Negro National League. At the time, American baseball was segregated until Jackie Robinson broke the “colour barrier” of baseball in 1947. However, the war was one of the major factors for integration, as black service members served along their white counterparts, and racist stereotypes were shattered by the experience of comradery of all people regardless of race. 

Beyond professional leagues, sports were an important part of everyday life for people stationed abroad. Recreational games among airmen, soldiers, and sailors served not only as physical exercise, but also stress relief, identity building, and camaraderie. In the theatre of war, impromptu games of soccer as well as “mud ball” (modified baseball in muddy conditions) became a unifying experience and provided a reminder of normalcy and home. 

On the home front, sports also became an important part of civilian and community life. Despite shifting priorities, local leagues continued to operate with the support of volunteers, and charity matches to support the war effort and civilian morale. Events like the Victory Loan hockey series as well as professional and semi-professional baseball exhibitions sold war bonds in support of those overseas, and blended entertainment simultaneously with patriotism. During this period women’s sports also gained much of the visibility not present before the war, with increased participation in sports like softball and track and field.

As the war began to come to a close, the legacy of sports endured. Many returning servicemen brought their experience in war and athletics into coaching and resumed professional careers, and revived many leagues and local teams that were adapted or put on pause. The Armed Forces investment in personal fitness and recreation during the war era laid groundwork for post-war fitness and recreation, as well as standards of fitness in education. (such as the National Fitness Act of 1943). At the CATPM, we have many artifacts of sporting and fitness during the era, such as photos and uniforms ultimately reminiscent of how sports offered strength, patriotism, and relief in a period of challenge in Canadian history.