Bolt Action: Canada

Due to the worsening crisis in Europe, the Canadian government declared partial mobilization on 25 August 1939. Upon being informed that German troops had invaded Poland, Canada declared full mobilization on 1 September and preparations were immediately begun to send troops to Britain. Canada was firmly on the side of Great Britain from the outset, but the government delayed declaring war on Germany until 10 September in order to emphasize Canadian independence. Almost 16,000 Canadian soldiers were in England by December 1939, mainly in the 1st Canadian Infantry Division.

From a population of 11.2 million in 1939, Canada had enlisted over 1.1 million men and women in its military forces. By 1945 nearly 1 million other Canadians were employed in war industries. Over 700,000 men and women served in the Canadian Army between 1939–45. The vast majority of Canadian soldiers who served overseas in World War Two were volunteers, with only 2,400 conscripts serving at the front.

During World War Two, Canada produced over 800,000 military wheeled vehicles, 50,000 armoured vehicles, 40,000 artillery pieces and 1.7 million small arms.