There is little information about people from the Magdalen Islands who enlisted during the First World War, apart from the fact that most of them were Anglophones. The majority of Francophone Islanders – like Francophones throughout Québec – opposed Canada’s entry into the war, imposed by the British.

During World War II, of the 1,080,000 Canadian volunteers, 150 were from the Magdalen Islands. As islanders, accustomed to spending time at sea, half of them – particularly the Anglophones – served in the Navy. They were assigned to a variety of different companies.

Of those who joined the army, most of the Francophones served in the Régiment de la Chaudière and most of the Anglophones in the Royal Rifles of Canada. Thus, brothers and cousins like the Welshes and the Chenell fought side by side.