Brandon vet one of first women to serve

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This article was published 11/11/2021 (1777 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BRANDON — A special ceremony was held at a Brandon care home Wednesday to honour one of the first women to serve in the Canadian Forces.

Irene Hogeland is a veteran of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps, which was established in 1941.

Hogeland, a resident of Dinsdale Personal Care home, said it was an honour and a privilege to serve in the Second World War.

More than 21,000 Canadian women enlisted in the women’s corps in strictly non-combatant roles from 1941 to 1946. They were office personnel, dental and medical technicians, telephone operators, secretaries, clerks and drivers. Some worked in communications and drafting.

Hogeland was raised on a farm near Moose Jaw, Sask., and moved to town at 16 after finding a job, located in the same building as an army recruiting office.

Every day, recruiters would ask when she would join the army.

Her older brother had already joined the air force, another was in the army, and her younger brother was waiting for his 18th birthday to enlist.

Hogeland said she was inspired to join the Canadian Forces out of a patriotic duty to her country, and she had her heart set on the air force, partially because she loved the blue uniform.

Hogeland enlisted in the air force on Aug. 18, 1943, once she was 18.

She said her parents were proud of her — a sentiment that was not popular at the time. Some parents would not allow their daughters to enlist because it was believed the army was an unsuitable place for women.

While her parents took pride in their children serving their country, they feared their children would never return home.

“It was a constant worry for Mom and Dad,” Hogeland said.

The stress was exacerbated by poor communication and the months-long wait for letters to reach family members.

After training, Hogeland was sent to National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa.

“It was exciting,” Hogeland said.

Her first assignment was as a runner in the headquarters of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. She received a promotion to the Department of Movement and Control; the service was responsible for meeting soldiers returning from Europe at ports in Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax and New York City. Hogeland was charged with dispatching soldiers across the country to their respective depots.

While posted in Ottawa, Hogeland was promoted to sergeant.

One of her proudest moments was being selected for the Honour Guard at Canada’s National War Memorial in 1944, when French Gen. Charles de Gaulle laid a wreath.

“He was a tall man, about six feet. We lined up going to the cenotaph and he walked in. You had to look up to him,” Hogeland said. She added he took the time to introduce himself to the Honour Guard through a translator.

“He spoke very kindly.”

Her busiest time was at the end of the Second World War when she helped troops return home from overseas.

Once the war ended, authorities deemed women’s services no longer necessary. Hogeland said she and many other women were disappointed by the decision because they wanted to remain in the military.

“I felt always patriotic,” Hogeland said.

Hogeland returned to Moose Jaw when the women’s corps was disbanded in September 1946. She attended business college and went on to meet her husband, Mel Hogeland, a veteran from Brandon. They married in 1947 and had three daughters. They rarely spoke about the war. Mel died in 2010.

Hogeland has connected with fellow female soldiers during reunions in Brandon, Winnipeg and Toronto.

“We never fought together but we all had the same memories,” Hogeland said.

In Brandon, she has met other veterans through the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #3.

It’s important to share stories about the war to ensure the knowledge is passed down the generations, she said. She takes pride in sharing her story and hopes Canadians remember to honour veterans.

“Nov. 11 is a difficult day,” Hogeland said. “As I get older, there are fewer Second World War veterans in the community to honour and to share their stories.”

— Brandon Sun