A Second War Period Canadian Operation Muskox Sleeve Patch

Light blue, white and black embroidery, 56 mm x 61 mm, uniform worn, extremely fine. Footnote: Operation Muskox was the largest military exercise ever held in the Canadian Arctic and the fourth of four military expeditions held in the region in the 1940s. The previous three, Eskimo, Polar Bear and Lemming, had been on a far smaller scale in terms of personnel, equipment, and the sheer distance traveled. The origin of Muskox, and of Arctic exercises generally, dates back to the beginning of the Second World War. The fighting in Norway (1940) and in the Aleutian Islands (1943) demonstrated to Canadian Army planners that combat in such environmental conditions might be required in the future. The growing Western antagonism with the Soviet Union, which lay directly across the Canadian Arctic, only increased these concerns. In discussing the operation, one Canadian Cabinet Minister explained: "We all know that invasion of North America, if and when, will come from the north, not the south. . . . We have to be ready. . . . We have to be able to live, travel and fight in the cold." In 1939, there were no Arctic vehicles in the Canadian Army, nor was there any Arctic clothing, winterized radios or electronics. The military had largely avoided the region. The Army left security to the RCMP, the Navy had few ice-strengthened ships and the Air Force had avoided it for lack of suitable airfields. Muskox thus offered the three services an opportunity to test their skills and equipment in a totally unique environment. The Expedition consisted of forty-eight officers and men driving eleven cabbed, high-powered, 4½-ton snowmobiles. These Canadian designed vehicles called "Penguins" were originally designed for the invasion of Norway and were capable of withstanding temperatures of 50° Fahrenheit or more below zero. Accompanying them were three American observers, with one smaller American snowmobile called a "Weasel". The Royal Canadian Navy was represented by an observer who travelled with the group. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was deeply involved in Muskox. Lacking the logistical support of road or rail networks, the expedition had to make due with what it could carry and what the RCAF could provide through airdrops. Despite being able to fly over the harsh terrain, the RCAF still had a difficult task. The Canadian Arctic boasted relatively few airfields and the spaces to cover were vast with many supply drops requiring a round flight of roughly 1,400 miles. Muskox was not a purely military exercise. It had an important scientific element as well. A group of scientists accompanied the expedition and most of the officers had had some scientific or technical training. They kept careful records on methods of navigation, meteorology, snow conditions, signals and the health of both the men and the Northerners they met along the route. Maps were improved as was the force's understanding of the region. The operation had been the most extensive foray into the Canadian Arctic ever undertaken. Soldiers serving on exercises in Canada late in the war were given these patches to wear.