Canadian Red Cross Corps. Overseas Club : The Canadian Red Cross Corps was a female-only volunteer detachment of the Canadian Red Cross, formed during World War II to assist the Department of National Defence both during and after the war. The Canadian Red Cross Corps eventually numbered more than 15,000 women, of which 641 volunteers served in England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and parts of Africa.
The Overseas Detachment played a vital role in the war effort: they drove ambulances, supported patients, and assisted staff in military hospitals. In London, they staff four "Maple Leaf" hostels and two canteens as well as offering assistance to civilians in England. A number of volunteers served as welfare officers with military hospitals in the United Kingdom, Africa, Italy, northern Europe and Korea. Other activities included helping with the rehabilitation of the war-blinded and coordinating the distribution of parcels to prisoners of war. Between 1945 and 1947, a delegation of 58 Corps volunteers escorted nearly 45,000 war brides and their 21,000 children on their trans-Atlantic journey to Canada. This was the largest mass migration of women and children in Canadian history.
The Overseas Club was formed in 1945 by these female volunteers who served abroad, and included former members of the Overseas Detachment as well as former members of the Escort Service who crossed the Atlantic on escort duty and former members of the Canadian Red Cross Welfare Team who served in the Far East. Branch clubs were formed in cities across Canada and reported to a National Executive by means of quarterly reports and annual meetings.
Initially, the purpose of the Club was to continue and promote the 'esprit de corps' of the Overseas groups by promoting the interests of the members in relation to their overseas service. They maintained contact with the Canadian Red Cross throughout the Club's existence and cooperated as needed. In 1969 they established the Overseas Club National Project Charitable Trust to administer the Project and Memorial Fund, which over the years raised over $230,000 to support Red Cross programs.
The Overseas Club had their last formal gathering in May 2005, when they met in Ottawa and participated in the official opening of the new Canadian War Museum.
