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Volume1 Issue4
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The Royal CanadianDental Corps afterWorldWar II:
THEKOREANCONFLICT,THESUEZ
CANALANDNATOINEUROPE
Korea (1950–57)
InAugust 1950, theCanadian
governmentdecided thatCanada
wouldparticipate in theUnited
Nationspoliceaction inKorea. The
participationof theRCDC in theKorean
Warwasof significant importance to the
developmentof theCorps.During this
action, both theCanadianForcesand
theDental Corpsmore thandoubled
in size. Thehigh standardofdental
serviceprovided inKoreaunderdifficult
conditionsenhanced the reputationof
theCorpswith the soldiersandofficers
of theCAFandourAllies.
Thefirstdental detachment arrived
inPusanonNovember 7, 1950and
the lastdetachmentdepartedKorea
on July1,1957.During these7years,
43officersand85non-commissioned
members served inKoreawithgreat
distinction, continuing the tradition
of ahigh standardofmobiledental
service toCanadian troops in thefield.
Thiswas inaddition to the immense
taskofpreparing the troopsathome
formilitary service,manyofwhom
wereWWII veteranswhohadnot
hadanydental care for several years
orwerenewvolunteers “indreadful
dental condition.”Thecommanding
officerof thedental detachment at the
stagingarea inFort Lewis,Washington,
reported thatmanymembersof the
PrincessPatricia’sCanadianLight
Infantrywhohaddeparted forKorea
wereedentulous,whichheconsidereda
“scandalous” situation.
CaptainW.O.Mulligandescribed service
inKorea: “Everythingwasunder canvas
except thedental clinic itself. Thedental
clinicwas in ‘B’ echelonwhere the
canteenwas located; troopswereglad
togetback for ‘shopping’ plusa few
fillings.”RCDCmobileclinicswereoften
as far forwardas the ‘A’ echelonand it
wasnever verydifficult for the front line
troops to travel back for treatment. The
dental detachmenthadawell equipped
laboratory that couldprovideawide
rangeof services, frompartial dentures
tobridgework,while thedental clinicsof
ourAllieswerepartof theMobileArmy
SurgicalHospital (MASH),well back from
the front lines.
The high standard of dental service provided inKoreaunder
difficult conditions enhanced the reputation of theCorpswith
the soldiers and officers of theCAFand ourAllies.
Canada’smilitarydental serviceshave lookedaftertheoral
healthneedsofCanada’stroops inbothWorldWars,Korea,
Afghanistanandmanyotherpeacemaking,peacekeeping,
humanitarianand forensicoperations. Inthe lead-uptothe
100thanniversaryoftheRoyalCanadianDentalCorps(RCDC)
in2015, thisarticle isthethird inaseriesthatwillbringto light
thehistoryoftheRCDCoverthe lastcentury,celebratingthe
heritage,accomplishmentsanddedicationofthedental services
personneloftheCanadianArmedForces(CAF).
