Canada's Naval History

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The Early Cold War
The Korean War

Communist North Korea's invasion of South Korea in June 1950 sparked a devastating three-year war. Eight Canadian destroyers ultimately served in Korean waters as part of Canada's contribution to United Nations forces fighting the invasion.

Artifact Record

Service Dress Jacket, Chief Petty Officer James Richard Ross

This service dress jacket belonged to Chief Petty Officer James Richard Ross, who served in HMCS Cayuga during the Korean War.

Ross joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1938 and served in a variety of ships, including destroyers, during the Second World War. He was in Cayuga during the ship's first deployment to Korea. This jacket, which dates from after the Korean War, includes the ribbons for Ross' Korean service medals: the Canadian Korea Medal and the United Nations Service Medal Korea (upper right, second row from bottom).

Service Dress Jacket, Chief Petty Officer James Richard Ross
CWM 19830100-017