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””
Tag Archives: World War II
A Needle in a Beetstack: POWs in Southern Manitoba (Revisited)
Updated October 2024 Several years ago, I acquired a group of photographs that had come from an unidentified prisoner of war interned in Canada during the Second World War. Included were group shots of prisoners in Camp 133 (Lethbridge), photos taken in a bush camp in Northern Ontario, and photos of prisoners working on aContinue reading “A Needle in a Beetstack: POWs in Southern Manitoba (Revisited)”
Upcoming Presentation: POWs on the Lake of the Woods
This Sunday, August 4th, 2024, Kenora’s The Muse (The Lake of the Woods Museum and the Douglas Family Art Centre) will be hosting a virtual presentation by yours truly. Coinciding with the museum’s new exhibit, Temporary Enemies, Permanent Friends: Prisoners of war on Lake of the Woods, I will be presenting my research on prisonersContinue reading “Upcoming Presentation: POWs on the Lake of the Woods”
Scouts and The Silent Killer: A Discovery at Neys
By Spring 1945, Allied advances in Europe suggested that it was only a matter of time before Germany surrendered. But for the guards stationed at Camp 100 at Neys, Ontario, their work was far from over. Camp 100, since its re-opening in September 1944, had been designated to hold ardent pro-Nazi troublemakers transferred from CampContinue reading “Scouts and The Silent Killer: A Discovery at Neys”
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”
Christmas and the War Prisoners’ Aid
Christmas and the holidays were always a difficult time for prisoners of war interned in camps around the world. The holidays often emphasized the great distance between prisoners and their loved ones and, with mail – delayed by weeks or months – the only bridge between them, morale was often low. But one thing theContinue reading “Christmas and the War Prisoners’ Aid”
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”
Nellie and Neys – A Case of Mistaken Bear-dentity
As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, POWs in internment camps and labour projects throughout Canada adopted, kidnapped, and acquired through various means an assortment of domesticated and wild animals and kept them as pets and mascots. Camp 100 at Neys was no exception. Here, POWs found themselves a black bear and photos, such as theContinue reading “Nellie and Neys – A Case of Mistaken Bear-dentity”
Prisoners and Prints: A Linocut from Camp 44 (Grande Ligne)
For the many talented artists who were interned in Canada during the Second World War, their internment provided them with opportunities to continue and hone their craft. Thanks to aid organizations like the War Prisoners’ Aid of the YMCA and the International Red Cross, prisoners had access to art supplies in internment camps and manyContinue reading “Prisoners and Prints: A Linocut from Camp 44 (Grande Ligne)”
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”
POWs in Canada 