Hitler's Canadians

[chris vickery]

Just caught the program, "Hitler's Canadians", on History Channel last night.
The program featured the story of German POWs interned in Canadian camps right here on our soil.
It was really interesting to note how well Canadian authorities took care of their captives; fresh foods, lots of it, all kinds of sports activities. Really it appeared as if they were attending summer camp. The common opinion from these ex-prisoners was that the conditions were superior here, so much so that at least 6000 of them returned to Canada after their repatriation to Germany.
I found it interesting to note that it was filmed here in Ontario and a certain "jeep guy" and his ontourage made up the inhabitants of the re-enacted camps. Lots of screen time for Marcus and quite a convincing roll...
Obviously locals portrayed Canadian Army guards as well.
If you missed it, certainly worth watching. Good to see History Channel keeping things interesting.

[mike mckinley]

hello chris

at some time during the war, my grandfather was given prisoner escort duty, bringing pow's back here. this was basically and armed guard from the port of departure to the prison camp here in canada. officially, he was to be armed at all times, but before he passed i can remember him saying that he soon dispensed with the weapons, they weren't required. he said that in the numerous crossings, he never had a problem with one pow coming to canada. they mostly sat around playing instruments, eating, smoking, and relaxing, probably knowing full well they were headed for a better place. cheers!!

mike

[chris vickery]

Another interesting note; Canadian authorities merely guarded the camps; the Germans ran their own affairs including discipline etc. It is well known fact that several POWs were murdered by their own (SS and sworn Nazi party officers) for their political ideas, that being anti-Hitler for instance.

In Bowmanville , inmates rioted against the guards and a melee ensued; the Germans figured that their disobediance would be met with bullets and teargas; instead the guards sorted it out the old fasioned, manly way, man on man, fisticuffs. This gained the guards a great respect from their captives.

[chris vickery]

Here's a POW story, passed to me from my father from a fellow he knew.
Just shows the difference between one monster and another.

The guy my father had worked with had the opportunity to see things from both sides. Turns out the man was a Polish soldier who was captured by the Germans shortly after the Blizkrieg. While in captivity with the Germans, he said they were treated humanely, fed, sheltered and clothed as well as could be considering the circumstances at the time.
As time wore on and more and more prisoners were taken by the Germans on the Eastern front, the POW camps began to overflow with Russian prisoners.
The Russians were savages, and it was not uncommon for them to fight amongst one another for the smallest scrap of food.
As the Germans began to suffer increasing losses at the front and POWs began to be problematic a simple solution was derived; Offer the Poles a chance to fight for the Fatherland in exchange for their freedom. Afterall they were closer to being Germanic than Russian.
Many thousands of Poles defected to the German army in light of the "deal".

Apparently this fellow decided it was a way out, ignorant of the deplorable conditions on the front. Face the Russinas and get shot or run from the Germans and get shot.
Well, shortly after his "enlistment" he was once again a guest, this time of the Russian army.
He said the conditions and treatment in the Russian camp was no where near the same as the Germans; the Soviets were barbaric, inhumane and cruel to the German prisoners, a bit of payback in a way for the treatment of Russians by the Germans. He vowed that he would have stayed in the German POW camp for an eternity rather than been a guest of the Russians...