Today is the first peace-time Armstice Day after another world war. The Second World War, too, saw the peoples of the Empire arise as one man to defend what we hold true and dear. In those dark days that will be known in history as the Battle for Britain when everything we had did notContinue reading ““Lest We Forget” – November 11, 1945″
Tag Archives: Remembrance
May 8, 1945: VE-Day at Camp 130
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”
Kananaskis Cartoons: The Art of Otto Ellmaurer – Part II
This is the second post exploring the art of Otto Ellmaurer, a German-Canadian civilian interned in Canada during the Second World War. Missed the first part? Check it out by clicking here. Continuing from last week’s, today’s post looks at more of Otto Ellmaurer’s cartoons, although these ones take a more joking look into internmentContinue reading “Kananaskis Cartoons: The Art of Otto Ellmaurer – Part II”
Kananaskis Cartoons: The Art of Otto Ellmaurer – Part I
When Otto Ellmaurer arrived in Kananaskis, Alberta in July 1940, the forty-one year old was not there to admire the majestic Rocky Mountains. Instead, he was a prisoner of war, a civilian internee detained as a potential threat to national security and he would spend almost five years behind barbed wire. To help pass theContinue reading “Kananaskis Cartoons: The Art of Otto Ellmaurer – Part I”
Duty and Discrimination: Black Canadians in the Veterans Guard
February marks Black History Month in Canada, an opportunity to learn more about the history of Black Canadians. George Alexander Downey was forty-eight years old when he stepped foot in a Halifax-area recruiting office to enlist in the Canadian Army. Like most of the men his age, Downey had served in the First World WarContinue reading “Duty and Discrimination: Black Canadians in the Veterans Guard”
“Canada’s Oldest Soldier”
When Jim Barber tried to enlist in the Veterans Guard of Canada in May 1940, he was initially turned away. But after the Japanese attack on Pearl Habour, he tried again and this time he succeeded. Recording his age as forty-eight, two years under the age limit for VGC recruits, Barber would spend the nextContinue reading ““Canada’s Oldest Soldier””
Why Were You Spared? – Remembrance Day 1946
On November 10, 1946, the day before Remembrance Day, the German prisoners of war in Camp 133 (Lethbridge) held a memorial service to honour their dead. With the war over and most of the camp’s population transferred to the United Kingdom, the remaining 1,300 POWs in camp knew their time left in Canada was short.Continue reading “Why Were You Spared? – Remembrance Day 1946”
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, theContinue reading “Changing of the Guard: The Veterans Guard of Canada in Ottawa”
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 allContinue reading “Waiting Out the War on the Shore of Lake Superior: Camp 100 (Virtual Lecture)”
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 VeteransContinue reading “London Calling: The Veterans Guard in Great Britain”
POWs in Canada 