Recent Blog Posts
Changing of the Guard: The Veterans Guard of Canada in Ottawa
Today, May 24, 2023, marks the eighty-third anniversary of the establishment of the Veterans’ Home Guard, which was later renamed the Veterans’ Guard of Canada. As such, here’s a short post looking back at the first anniversary of the Veterans’ Guard in 1941. When Canada declared war on Nazi Germany on September 10, 1939, the…
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Waiting Out the War on the Shore of Lake Superior: Camp 100 (Virtual Lecture)
For those who missed my virtual lecture for the Thunder Bay Museum, my presentation on the history of Camp 100 (Neys) is now available for streaming. If the embedded video is not working, you can access it here: https://vimeo.com/791187355 A special thanks to Michael Dejong and the Thunder Bay Museum for hosting and to all…
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Virtual Lecture: Camp 100
I am happy to announce that on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, I will be presenting a virtual lecture on the history of Prisoner of War Camp 100 (Neys) as part of the Thunder Bay Museum’s virtual lecture series. This presentation will explore the history of Camp 100, an internment camp situated on the coast of…
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In Photos: POWs and the Swanson Lumber Co. – Clearwater, British Columbia
In December 1944, thirty-nine German prisoners of war stepped off the train at Clearwater, British Columbia, a small settlement roughly halfway between Kamloops and Jasper. Although small, this group of POWs was notable — they were the first combatant POWs to live and work within British Columbia. Employed by Swanson Lumber Co., the POWs would…
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London Calling: The Veterans Guard in Great Britain
In October 1941, the General Duty Company of the Veterans Guard of Canada arrived in Great Britain, becoming the first men of Veterans Guards to serve on foreign soil. The General Duty Company, later known as the No. 1 General Duty Company, was established in mid-1941 with the intention of sending representatives of the Veterans…
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A Day in the Life of a POW Woodcutter
As of April 1946, almost 9,000 German combatant POWs, Enemy Merchant Seamen (EMS), and Civilian Internees were employed in logging and pulpwood operations in Ontario alone. And hundreds, if not thousands, more had spent some time in a bush camp between July 1943 and July 1946. The majority of these bush camps were operated by…
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About Me
Hi, I’m Michael O’Hagan, a historian studying German Prisoners of War in Canada during the Second World War.
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POWs in Canada 