I first met Nadine at the Department of Public Affairs Learning Centre (DPALC) in Gatineau, when they held a reunion for the surviving members of the Canadian Army Film Unit on November 10th, 2009. There was a school dedication, and a Town Hall meeting featuring the members of the CFPU; Michael Spencer, Norman Quick, Chuck Ross, and Nadine Manning.
Nadine was born in London, England, in April of 1923, the result of a union between her father Harold, a WWI veteran, and his British war bride, Florence Hanna. The family, living in Sarnia, Ontario at the time, took a trip to England in the summer of 1939 when suddenly Germany invaded Poland. Britain declared war against the Nazis and the Manning’s found themselves confined to the island where they re-settled in their native London.
Still a teenager, Ms. Manning vividly recalls the German air raids from the Battle of Britain where her family narrowly escaped death when their house was destroyed by a downed German bomber. Wanting to join the Allied cause, Ms Manning joined the Canadian Women’s Army Corps at age 19 in 1943. She worked as a clerk in personnel records prior to her assignment to the Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit as a Motion Picture Librarian.
For a time, she worked at Merton Parks Studio in Wimbledon where the pace of work was regularly halted by enemy air raids and German Buzz-bombs. Promoted to the rank of Sergeant, Ms. Manning returned to Canada in 1946 and was released from military service in Oakville, Ont., later that year.
Ms. Manning moved to Montreal and worked for Associated Screen News for 11 years. She joined the National Film Board of Canada in 1957 where she became Head of the Stock-Shot Library working once again with the Canadian Army Newsreel series she had become so familiar with at Merton Park Studios. She retired in 1986.
Nadine is now peacefully resting at the Lakeview Memorial Gardens Field of Honour, in Pointe-Claire, Quebec.
The life of the dead is placed on the memories of the living 1Marcus Tullius Cicero.
By Lt Provencher, CFCC Ops O
Sgt (Retired) Nadine Manning was the last known surviving member of the Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit (CFPU), and died on June 25th, 2021 at the age of 98. On November 6, 2021, at Lakeview Cemetery in Pointe-Claire QC, a small party made a pilgrimage to where Sgt (Retired) Nadine Manning now rests in peace to commemorate her life’s achievements and the undeniable heritage the CFPU has left us eighty years ago. CFPU set the very foundation for producing military imagery that continues to this day. The gathering included Director General Public Affairs – Brigadier-General Richard Perreault, the PA Branch Colonel Commandant – Colonel (Retired) Ralph Coleman, Master Warrant Officer Frances Gaudet representing all Imagery Technicians, Sgt Carole Gosselin, head of the National Defence Imagery Library and the unit with the most direct heritage from the CFPU, military historian Mr. Dale Gervais, LCol (Ret’d) Duchesneau, and family and friends of Sgt. Manning.
On June 19, 1941, the Canadian Army created a special unit to document Canada’s role in the Second World War. The photographers and cinematographers who formed the Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit ensured that the war would be told from a Canadian perspective. The unit was tasked with providing informative and inspiring imagery to maintain the morale of the Canadian public, increase recruitment and to demonstrate Canada’s war efforts to the world.
Sgt (Retired) Manning and all the other members of the CFPU were recruited from all over the country, covering every aspect of the war. This unit created a lasting legacy that would guide Military Photographers then (now Imagery Technicians) and further pave a path for the future. “Her [Sgt (Retired) Manning] legacy and that of her colleagues lives on through the Public Affairs Branch, through our Imagery Technicians, in our learning institution, and on the very existence of Canadian Forces Combat Camera,” said BGen Richard Perreault, Director General Public Affairs.
Members of the CFPU were often seen in the front line during the Second World War, “…in the thick of every battle, often moving with the most forward units, on a few occasions positioning themselves at a vantage point in no-man’s land in anticipation of a clash” 2Lionel Shapiro, journalist in Maclean’s magazine in April 1945.” For all of the personnel at Canadian Forces Combat Camera (CFCC), the men and women at CFPU established the standard we still strive for when documenting an event and telling a complete story for the audience. “The material produced during the Second World War by CFPU, and the way we preserve imagery today is largely based on the work of folks like Sgt Manning,” said MWO Frances Gaudet, the Senior Imagery Technician representative. “Their work showed the importance of telling the Canadian Armed Forces story and notably in preserving it for future generations. There is little doubt that folks like her paved the way for generations of techs to come.” Now it is our generations’ responsibility to preserve and uphold the Canadian history that members of the CFPU documented, so that their work still lives on.
On November 6, 2021, during the Ceremony at Lakeview Cemetery in Pointe-Claire QC, the Imagery Technician coin has been symbolically presented to Nadine Manning.
The coin will be mounted with a photo and a biography of Nadine Manning to be displayed at the Imagery Technicians School in Borden. There, future Imagery Technicians will be reminded, as they are building a career, the importance of building a legacy.
The Public Affairs Branch is indebted to Dale Gervais who maintains the Canadian Film and Photo Unit (CFPU) website, LCol (Ret’d) Réjean Duchesneau, and James O’Regan who maintained connections with Sgt (Ret’d) Manning and other members of the CFPU over several years. The Branch also thanks Judy O’Regan, Maddy O’Regan, and Capt Fraser Clark for providing the music for the ceremony.
La vie des morts consiste à survivre dans l’esprit des vivants 3Marcus Tullius Cicero.
Par Lt Provencher, Ops O, CCFC
La sergent (à la retraite) Nadine Manning était la dernière survivante connue de l’Unité de film et de photographie de l’Armée canadienne (UFPC), elle est décédée le 25 juin 2021, à l’âge de 98 ans. Le 6 novembre 2021, au cimetière Lakeview, à Pointe Claire (Québec), un petit contingent a fit un pèlerinage au site où la Sgt (ret) Nadine Manning repose désormais en paix afin de commémorer ses réalisations et l’héritage indéniable de l’UFPC nous a laissé il y a 80 ans. L’Unité a établi les fondements de la production d’images militaire qui se poursuit encore aujourd’hui. Le rassemblement incluait le Directeur général affaires publiques, le brigadier-général Richard Perreault, le Colonel Commandant de la Branche AP, le colonel (à la retraite) Ralph Coleman, l’adjudant-maître Frances Gaudet qui représentait tous les techniciens en imagerie, la Sergent Carole Gosselin, chef de la Bibliothèque d’imagerie de la Défence nationale et de l’unité dont l’héritage du UFPC est le plus direct, l’historien militaire, M. Dale Gervais et le Lcol (ret) Réjean Duchesneau, de la famille et les amis de la Sgt (ret) Nadine Manning.
Le 19 juin 1941, l’Armée canadienne a constitué une unité spéciale pour documenter le rôle du Canada dans la Seconde Guerre mondiale. C’est grâce aux photographes et aux opérateurs de caméra cinématographique qui formaient l’Unité de film et de photographie de l’Armée canadienne que la
guerre a pu être racontée d’un point de vue canadien. La tâche de l’Unité consistait à fournir des images informatives et inspirantes afin de maintenir le moral de la population canadienne, d’accroître le recrutement et de montrer au monde l’effort de guerre du Canada.
La Sgt (à la retraite) Manning et les autres membres de l’Unité ont été recrutés partout au pays afin de couvrir tous les aspects de la guerre. Cette unité a constitué un héritage durable qui allait guider les photographes militaires de l’époque (les techniciens en imagerie d’aujourd’hui) et paver la voie pour l’avenir. « Son héritage [celui de la Sgt (à la retraite) Manning] et celui de ses collègues se perpétuent par l’entremise de la Direction générale des affaires publiques, de nos techniciens en imagerie et de notre établissement d’enseignement ainsi que par l’existence même de la Caméra de combat des Forces canadiennes. », a dit le Bgén Richard Perreault, Directeur général affaires publiques.
Pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, les membres de l’Unité de film et de photographie se trouvaient souvent sur la ligne de front, « au cœur de l’action lors de chaque bataille, se déplaçant souvent avec les unités les plus avancées, se plaçant parfois à un point d’observation dans le “ no man’s land ” en prévision d’un affrontement » [traduction de la citation originale]. 4Lionel Shapiro, journalist in Maclean’s magazine in April 1945. Pour tout le personnel de la Caméra de combat des Forces canadiennes (CCFC), les hommes et les femmes de l’Unité ont établi la norme que nous visons encore quand nous documentons un événement et présentons un récit complet au public. « Les documents produits par l’Unité pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale et notre façon actuelle de conserver l’imagerie dépendent grandement du travail de personnes comme la Sgt Manning. » a dit l’Adjum Frances Gaudet, représentante sénior des techniciens en imagerie. « Leur travail a montré qu’il est important de raconter l’histoire des Forces armées canadiennes, notamment en la préservant pour les générations à venir. Il ne fait aucun doute que les gens comme la Sgt Manning ont pavé la voie à des générations de techniciens à venir. » Il revient maintenant à notre génération de préserver et de faire respecter l’histoire du Canada que les membres de l’Unité ont documentée, afin que leur travail se perpétue.
Le 6 novembre 2021, lors de la cérémonie qui a eu lieu au cimetière Lakeview, à Pointe- Claire (Québec), le médaillon de technicien en imagerie a été symboliquement remis à Nadine Manning.
Le médaillon sera monté avec une photo et une biographie de Nadine Manning afin d’être exposé à l’école où les techniciens en imagerie reçoivent leur instruction, à Borden. Cela rappellera aux futurs techniciens en imagerie qui se bâtissent une carrière l’importance de bâtir un héritage.
La Branche AP est redevable à Dale Gervais qui entretien la page web du UFPC, au Lcol (ret) Réjean Duchesneau et James O’Regan qui ont entretenue la relation avec la Sgt (ret) Manning et les autres membres de l’UFPC pendant plusieurs années, La Branche remercie aussi Judy O’Regan, Maddy O’Regan et le Capt Fraser Clark qui ont joué la musique pour la cérémonie.
This is a lovely tribute to a wonderful person.
Thank you, Donna Fisher, Toronto
she didn’t stop being a warrior; she just enlisted in the LORD’S ARMY. she was very learned in the Bible and many of the study groups she signed on with sought her personal views on numerous occasions. we had many a in depth conversation as i altered and corrected her views of certain bible passages without any reprisals. i was privileged to announce to her that i had been in touch with Rideau Hall and had confirmed her warrant as Sgt. Major. But really she knew that i outranked her and was obliging and peaceable. just a little bit of fantasy which we spared in mutually. during her waning years i was pleased to drive her to her various doctor appointments. she was always trying to say thank you and my response was always the same = if it were me would you do likewise in Jesus’ service. she edited the prayer care list for St. Marys Anglican Church for many years and in the latter stages she had assistance from another angel Mary Battershill. just so you know while she was quite shy i was always able to get her in a joyful mood when i would call her and ask for CUDDLES. she was a great prayer warrior and managed the prayer care phone requests for st. marys. the best compliment she paid me was two days before her passing, i was able to get through on the phone to her hospital room and her closing comments were “YOUR A GOOD FRIEND WALTER.” because she said it i will accept her accolade; however, i did only what i knew my ministry required of me = love; assist; care for HER. CHEERFULLY SUBMITTED ; Walter Noye; Deacon Minister ; Southern Baptist style.
I am honoured to have known Nadine and privileged to call her a dear friend. She loved the Lord and shared many wise and insightful thoughts on scripture at our weekly Bible studies.
Thank you for honoring in this way.
Maureen Firth
Its makes us very proud to read this lovely tribute to Nadine (or Deanie as we, her English family called her) . She was a real character , with a great sense of humour , and although we only managed to visit her every 5 years on significant birthdays, we enjoyed her stories of her time in the Armed Forces very much .
We were of course planning out visit to Montreal for her 100th birthday but sadly that was not to be .
Thank you for Honouring Nadine in this way
Jenny Chaudoir
I first met Deanie as an 11 year old English school boy. in 1962.
Receiving Christmas parcels from Canada were always a really special part of our Christmas celebrations and our subsequent five yearly visits this century have been exceptional.
We are very proud of her contribution to the Canadian Woman’s Army Corps.
I only wished we had recorded some of her experiences in London during WW2, as she was are really good story teller. We will miss her greatly.