In the morning of May 8, 1945, Camp 130 Spokesman Generalleutnant Artur Schmitt, Assistant Spokesman Oberstleutnant Hans J. Brehmer, and their interpreter, Major Werner Gauthier, walked through the main gates and were escorted into the camp office. Here, they entered the office of Camp Commandant Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh de Norban Watson to await the news theyContinue reading “May 8, 1945: VE-Day at Camp 130”
Tag Archives: Alberta
An Update
I am happy to announce some significant additions to this site. When I first started this site for a Digital History course back in 2013(!), I had always hoped on turning it into a resource for individuals interested in learning more about Canadian Internment Operations during the Second World War. For the last few yearContinue reading “An Update”
When Interests Collide: POWs and Beer
“Lethbridge Ale” from the House of Lethbridge, “Royal Stout” from Lethbridge Breweries Limited, and “Calgary Beer Export Lager” from Calgary Brewing & Malting Co. These three beer labels are not only a part of Lethbridge’s and Calgary’s beer history but part of Canada’s internment history as well. These labels are souvenirs kept by German prisonerContinue reading “When Interests Collide: POWs and Beer”
An Update and “Held Captive: Prisoners of War and Their Pets in Canada during the Second World War”
It has been a while since my last post here but I’m still researching and writing about POWs in Canada. I’m happy to say that I finished my dissertation and successfully defended my PhD. I’m hoping that this (and the current pandemic) will give me more time to share some of my research here. SpeakingContinue reading “An Update and “Held Captive: Prisoners of War and Their Pets in Canada during the Second World War””
A Needle in a Beetstack
Some time ago I acquired a series of forty-five photos documenting a PoW’s time in Canada. As is so often the case, the photos are unnamed and the provenance was unknown. Three group photos of PoWs at Camp 133 at Lethbridge lead me to believe that the original owner of the group was the manContinue reading “A Needle in a Beetstack”
Searching for an Artist – PoW Richard Schlicker
Richard Schlicker was among the thousands of German soldiers captured in North Africa and subsequently shipped to Canada in 1942. First arriving at Camp 133 at Ozada, Alberta, Schlicker was later transferred to Camp 133 at Lethbridge, Alberta. With the exception of working on some Albertan farms in 1945, he spent the remainder of theContinue reading “Searching for an Artist – PoW Richard Schlicker”
Museums, Marshes, and Mountains – Summer Research, Part 1
As some may have noticed, I’ve neglected my blog as of late, with only one post in the last two months. This, I assure you, was not intentional but instead the result of me having been on the road for most of that time. Now, 12,000 kilometers later, I have returned to London following theContinue reading “Museums, Marshes, and Mountains – Summer Research, Part 1”
POWs in Canada 