Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 43 Concept and Execution Between February 1938 and September 1939 nearly 100 Canadians were recruited into the British Armed Forces. Many of these Canadians opted to enlist in the 2nd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment (M.G.) – aka 2/Mancs. Some opted for service in other infantry regiments and corps. This group of Canadians became affectionately known as the “Halifax 100.” Retired Lieutenant Colonel Robert Billopp Willis lead this recruitment drive from his home in Halifax. Willis was born in Petitcodiac, NB, in 1877. He served as a lieutenant in “H” Company of the First Canadian Contingent that travelled to South Africa in 1899. Willis accepted a transfer to the Manchester Regiment of the British Army in 1900. He returned to Halifax in 1906 and was transferred to the Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR). During the Great War he was assigned to garrison and training duties in Halifax. Major Willis was transferred to the Canadian Expeditionary Force, in a staff position, on 3 December 1918. In late 1919 he was transferred back to the regular battalion of the RCR and remained with that unit until his retirement in 1924. In late 1937, a young man named Walter O’Hara, approached Willis about finding a way for him to join the BritishArmy. The retired staff officer used his connections in the Manchester Regiment and by February 1938 O’Hara was on his way to England. Willis arranged for Walter’s friend, Bill Adams, to join him in England in August. It appears that Walter and Bill grew up on the same street prior to family tragedies which resulted in both boys going to an orphanage. Shortly after that, many young Canadians were contacting Willis for assistance in getting into the British forces. Jobs were scarce in Canada during the 1930s and many young men were looking for employment, travel, and excitement. The harsh economic conditions of that era, as well as a lack of federal funding for the Canadian military, frustrated many militia members in their failed attempts to join the ‘permanent force’ in Canada. The Halifax newspapers soon ran stories about the large groups of men congregating in Willis’ front yard at 252 Tower Road. continued ... The Halifax 100 collated and edited by Gary Silliker Over a decade ago, Dave Gilhen of Halifax, took it upon himself to chronical the stories of the many men, primarily from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, who enlisted in the armed forces of England prior to the outbreak of WW II. Much of this article is based upon Dave’s excellent research and unflagging dedication to their memory.
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