Tag Archives: War and Memory

What Happened to the Survivors of the Bismarck?

Some eighty-four years ago, on May 27, 1941, British battleships and torpedo bombers engaged the Bismarck – Germany’s famed battleship – in its final battle. The ship sustained heavy casualties and crippling damage before the surviving crew scuttled the ship to avoid it falling in British hands. The survivors abandoned ship and the Bismarck soonContinue reading “What Happened to the Survivors of the Bismarck?”

Requesting Canadian WWII Service Records

Originally published May 2017. Updated May 2024 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 on how to do so. There are two methods: the Formal Request and the Informal RequestContinue reading “Requesting Canadian WWII Service Records”

Volkstrauertag 2015 (German Remembrance Day)

The annual German Remembrance Day service will be held this coming Sunday, November 15, 2015. This service takes place at Woodland Cemetery in Kitchener, Ontario (119 Arlington Boulevard) at 2:30 p.m. For more information, please visit the German Embassy’s website.

“Men of Vimy”

  “They were the men of the Canadian Veterans’ Guards. Old soldiers who had not faded away but who have returned to serve with their sons.” An appropriate video considering the 98th anniversary of Vimy Ridge on April 9. The Canadian Army Newsreels series was produced by the Canadian Army Film Unit during the warContinue reading ““Men of Vimy””

“German POW’s Buried in Bleak Northern Bush”

The following newspaper article appeared in the April 12, 1950 issue of the Globe and Mail. Having first come across this a few years ago, it remains one of my favourite articles and I thought I would share. While these graves were relocated to Kitchener, Ontario in the 1970s, the article provides an interesting perspectiveContinue reading ““German POW’s Buried in Bleak Northern Bush””

German Remembrance Day 2014

As I am in the midst of my comprehensive exams, this is a just a quick update! The annual German Remembrance Day service is being held on Sunday, November 16. This service takes place at Woodland Cemetery in Kitchener, Ontario (119 Arlington Boulevard) at 2:30 p.m. For more information, please visit the German Embassy’s website.

Juno Beach: Then and Now

To mark the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day landings, here is one of the projects I have been working on. Earlier in the year, the Laurier Military History Archive released thousands of aerial photographs taken during the Second World War. Among the collection was a number of photos taking during reconnaissance missions leading up toContinue reading “Juno Beach: Then and Now”

Volkstrauertag – German Remembrance Day

Today, I attended the German-Canadian Remembrance Society’s annual German Remembrance Day (Volkstrauertag) service at the Woodland Cemetery in Kitchener, Ontario. Honouring the sacrifices made by veterans on both sides as well as the victims of war, this moving ceremony was attended by representatives of the Federal Republik of Germany, the province of Ontario, the citiesContinue reading “Volkstrauertag – German Remembrance Day”