Even though they were barred from serving in the Canadian military at the start of World War II, Chinese Canadians stepped up to volunteer for dangerous covert operations when called upon in 1944, and their contributions are being commemorated with a new Canada Post Remembrance Day stamp issued earlier this month.
The stamp honours the legacy of a group of 150 Chinese Canadians who were recruited for their language skills and ability to blend in for secret missions behind enemy lines in Japanese-occupied Asia.
Chinese Canadians who stepped forward to serve in these missions were either on Force 136 – part of Britain’s Special Operations Executive – or with Australia’s Services Reconnaissance Department and underwent intense specialized training in espionage, sabotage, guerrilla warfare, parachuting and intelligence gathering.
At a time when Chinese Canadians faced discrimination, were denied basic rights and considered second-class citizens, many saw enlistment as a way to demonstrate their commitment to the country and change the way immigrants were viewed and treated.
The stamp was unveiled in Vancouver on Nov. 3 and a ceremony was also held in Toronto on Tuesday ahead of Remembrance Day by Canada Post, alongside the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, attended by family and friends of those who volunteered for Force 136.
“Their sacrifice at the time when the Chinese in Canada were still underneath the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act is actually kind of extraordinary,” said Rick Wong, the son of Hank Wong who served in Operation Oblivion. “At the time, my father didn’t think it was a big thing – he just said ‘you gotta do what you gotta do’ – but when you look at it in hindsight he was willing to sign up for essentially a suicide mission when Chinese in Canada did not have full rights.
Historians say the contributions of Force 136 members extended far beyond the battlefield. Their service helped advance the Allied war effort and strengthen the push for equality at home.
Two years after the war ended, the Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed and Chinese Canadians gained full citizenship rights, including the right to vote.
The new stamp features a historic black-and-white photograph of Force 136 members awaiting repatriation in 1945, overlaid with the red phoenix insignia of Force 136, whose name appears in English, French and traditional Chinese. It’s meant to serve as a lasting tribute to their courage, sacrifice and role in breaking down barriers in Canada.
“For Canada Post to recognize that immigrants built Canada and also fought in the war is so very important. That’s a legacy – these are stories that we’re going to tell to our next generation – and not just to Chinese [people] but to Canadians at large,” said Sharifa Khan, Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto.
