By 1936, the City Engineer’s Office for the City of Westminster, London, England, had been directed by the Home Secretary to identify potential shelters in case of war for all the resident population, as well as for employees in Westminster, shoppers and retail outlets. By 1938, the staff members of the City Engineer’s Office were going from house to house, and business to business on every street and back alley of the city, assessing the area, strength of basements, suitability for shelter, and potential capacity, of each of the underground spaces visited.

Although the surprise attack by the Japanese on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 had a direct impact in terms of lives lost and in convincing the United States to declare war, there were far-reaching consequences for people of Japanese ethnic descent living in North America. Japanophobia reached a crescendo shortly thereafter with the expulsion of Canadians and Americans of Japanese heritage from their homes and their relocation in internment camps.

Adrian Grant Duff (1869-1914) was born into a noble family in Britain. Educated at Wellington College and Sandhurst, Grant Duff trained to be a professional soldier and his values and ethics reflected those of the armed service. He joined the Scottish Black Watch in 1893 achieving notable success which culminated in a command position.

In 1911, just a few years prior to the outbreak of World War I, Edward Rubidge Crombie settled on Gilston Farm near Paris, Ontario. A former banker, Edward uprooted his young family and left the hustle and bustle of the city to seek a quieter and more satisfying life on the farm.