Canadians who served overseas and on the home front are being honoured on two new Canada Post stamps, unveiled Friday to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
On May 8, 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered to Allied forces, bringing the Second World War – which killed 85 million people worldwide and 42,000 Canadians – to an end.
The stamps tell the stories of two Canadians who “exemplify bravery on the battlefront and support on the home front,” according to Canada Post.
In April 1945, Private Léo Major of the Canadian army’s Régiment de la Chaudière, was with the Allied forces as they advanced rapidly through Holland, liberating the Netherlands from years of Nazi occupation.
Major – nicknamed the “One-Eyed Ghost” after a bomb blast left him with partial vision – volunteered with his friend Willy Arsenault to scout the German-occupied Dutch town of Zwolle.
Arsenault was killed early in the mission, and Major took revenge by storming the enemy outposts alone. He tricked the Germans into believing they were under full attack, and single-handedly captured dozens of prisoners and, aided by local resistance forces, forced the Germans’ retreat.
Major earned the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his heroism, along with the “lasting gratitude” of Zwolle, according to a release by Canada Post. He is now honoured in one of the two new commemorative stamps.
The second stamps celebrates the women who stepped up at home to support Canada’s military and economy, filling vital roles in factories and on farms as men served overseas.
Veronica Foster, pictured on the second stamp, assembled Bren machine guns at a factory in Toronto. Once her efforts came to light, the Canadian government created a promotional campaign centred on “Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl,” in an effort to motivate a generation of women to roll up their sleeves and support the war effort.
She is believed to have inspired the creation of the fictional character “Rosie the Riveter,” who later appeared in ads throughout the United States.
The stamp issue includes a booklet of 10 permanent domestic-rate stamps, five of each design, as well as two Official First Day Covers, according to Canada Post.
The stamps were designed by Ivan Novotny of Taylor Sprules Corporation and printed by Lowe-Martin. They are available at canadapost.ca/shop
