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)”
Tag Archives: Research
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 ofContinue reading “Virtual Lecture: Camp 100”
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”
From Bismarck Survivor to Canadian Citizen: Helmut Keune
Today is the 81st anniversary of the sinking of the #Bismarck. From a crew of over 2,000, only 114 survived. The survivors were subsequently interned in Canada until 1946, but one POW, Helmut Keune, would remain in Canada for the rest of his life. Here is his story.
From Norway to Northern Ontario: One POW’s Journey to Canada
Most of the roughly 40,000 German prisoners of war (POWs) sent to Canada during the Second World War were captured in now well-known campaigns like that in North Africa and Normandy or they were shot down during the Battle of Britain or plucked from the cold Atlantic waters. But some came from lesser-known battles andContinue reading “From Norway to Northern Ontario: One POW’s Journey to Canada”
“Unknown, Foreign Soldier, WWII POW”
Tucked away among the graves in the cemetery in Indian Head, Saskatchewan is a simple white cross bearing a plaque, “Unknown / Foreign Soldier / WWII POW.” Having learned about the grave from a fellow researcher, I visited the cemetery back in 2015. Since then, I have unsuccessfully tried to identify who may be buriedContinue reading ““Unknown, Foreign Soldier, WWII POW””
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””
Requesting Canadian WWII Service Records
One of the more popular emails I receive is from individuals wanting to know more about their relative’s service in the Second World War so I thought I’d write a short post explaining how to do so. Although my requests are usually for men who served in the Veterans’ Guard of Canada, this request willContinue reading “Requesting Canadian WWII Service Records”
Camp 40 (Camp A) – Farnham, Quebec
I whipped this map up for a reader researching his father earlier today and thought I would share. The image shows the layout of the internment Camp at Farnham, Quebec overlaid on some modern satellite imagery from Google. Camp A, as it was initially known, opened in October 1940 and initially held civilian internees andContinue reading “Camp 40 (Camp A) – Farnham, Quebec”
Ottawa – Summer Research Part II
As I mentioned in my earlier post, the next phase of my research took me to Ottawa. Fortunately, I was able to spend two weeks going through the holdings of Library and Archives Canada (LAC), the Directorate of History and Heritage (DHH), and the Canadian War Museum (CWM). Here’s a quick summary of my timeContinue reading “Ottawa – Summer Research Part II”
POWs in Canada 