Banners honour Uxbridge’s women in service
Submitted by Tish MacDonald
October marked Women’s History Month in Canada — a time to reflect on and celebrate the many contributions that women have made to this nation.
Among the most remarkable women I have known are those who have served, or are serving, in the Canadian Armed Forces. Their patriotism, bravery, determination, and dedication embody the very best of what it means to serve one’s country.
The local “Honour Our Veterans Banner Program” proudly recognizes the service of 20 women with a connection to Uxbridge who answered the call to serve their country, both overseas and at home, in uniform and through other service organizations, in times of both war and peace. Their service reflects the many ways that women have contributed to our nation’s military and to Canada’s social fabric.
As you look at Uxbridge’s banners, which now total well over 300, you will note that these women served in a variety of organizations.
The women of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS) were strong, capable, and patriotic. Among them were Heidi Cushing and Rodine (Ronnie) Egan — two of the most remarkable women I have ever met.
At just 18, Heidi Cushing joined the newly formed WRCNS in 1942, inspired by her father’s First World War service. She became a vehicle transport driver, maintaining and driving vehicles and delivering messages from the Admiral to ships in port.
Ronnie Egan also joined in 1942 and rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. She was one of only four Wrens to oversee the Mechanical Training Establishment offices and demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, even leading parade drills for both men and women.
The Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC), established in August 1942, performed non-combat roles such as clerical work, driving, mechanics, radar operations, and cooking. Most served in Canada, but some were posted overseas to the UK, Italy, and Northwest Europe.
Four women who served with the CWAC are represented in our banner program: Joan Huntley, Lois Torrance, Miriam Knowles, and Helen Smith (Joel).
Helen Smith (Joel) enlisted at age 18 and was one of 450 CWAC members who served as military police. They were attached to the Canadian Provost Corps and patrolled streets, railway stations, and other areas frequented by CWAC personnel to maintain discipline.
Miriam Knowles joined the CWAC in 1942 at 19. After completing basic training and serving in Canada, she shipped overseas for postings in England, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Appointment to overseas work was highly competitive — only about 3,000 women served abroad — and Miriam was one of them. She finished her service as a Sergeant and returned home at war’s end.
Several women also served in the Royal Canadian Air Force Women’s Division (RCAF-WD) and the British Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), including Betty Dalrymple, Brenda Deigan, Frances Graham, Marjorie Puffet, and Winifred McGee. At its peak, the WAAF had over 181,000 personnel, and women served as radar operators, clerks, telephonists, aircraft mechanics, and drivers. The RCAF-WD, created in 1941, allowed women to fill vital non-combat support roles, replacing men in positions such as clerks, mechanics, and parachute riggers.
Brenda Deigan trained and served in one of the WAAF’s most secret and essential wartime roles — as a radar operator, critical to Britain’s air defence network. Working long, tense hours in operations rooms, she endured bombing raids and contributed directly to the RAF’s success defending Britain and conducting air campaigns across Europe.
Betty Dalrymple served in the War Records Office as a shorthand typist, and then with a mobile medical unit responsible for x-raying Allied troops and prisoners of war. She travelled throughout England, from the south coast to Wales and to the Scottish border and assisted with troop demobilization in Staffordshire at war’s end, working around the clock to help process soldiers returning home.
The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), the women’s branch of the British Army, was formed in 1938. It initially provided support roles such as cooking and driving but later expanded to include vital duties like operating anti-aircraft guns and serving overseas to free men for combat. Women honoured from this service include Martha Kennedy, Mary Kenny, Kathleen Morrison, and Daisy O’Brien.
Daisy O’Brien enlisted in January 1942 with the ATS. After training with a platoon in England, she was sent to France, landing at Arromanches Beach, where she served as a cook for officers in France and Belgium.
At the same time, countless women served on the home front, some working in munitions factories such as Dominion Industries Limited (DIL) (Alma Haynes) and General Engineering Company of Ontario (GECO) (Bessie McVey). For years, these women, nicknamed "Bomb Girls," risked their lives handling high explosives to fill ammunition. Others on the home front volunteered with organizations like the Canadian Red Cross (Verna Ritchie). They prepared care packages, organized blood drives, and supported soldiers and their families — indispensable service that sustained both military operations and Canadian communities.
Sherrill Hodgson represents women in the Canadian Armed Forces who have served in more recent times. At 18, she joined the Forces out of high school and completed basic training in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia. Trained as a supply technician in Logistics at Borden, she was posted across the country before retiring as a Warrant Officer after 20 years of service.
Whether serving in Canadian or British uniforms, or dedicating themselves to service on the home front, these women exemplified courage, resilience, and leadership. Their contributions helped shape Canada’s history, advanced opportunities for women in service, and continue to inspire generations today.
During Women’s History Month, the Uxbridge Honour Our Veterans Banner Program proudly honoured all these remarkable women.
We Will Remember Them.