I must apologize for my absence in the last month but I have been quite busy and unable to post any updates. Hopefully I can make it up to everyone and make posting a regular habit!
One thing that I did get a chance to do this month was to visit the former site of Camp 132 in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Nearly every PoW that spent time in Manitoba, and many that spent time in Canada, also spent time behind the barbed wire fences that surrounding Camp 132.
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| Camp 132 Today |
Thousands of PoWs went through the gates at Medicine Hat, some spending short periods of time here while others spent most of the war here. With large grounds, the PoWs were able to play sports and with recreation halls, orchestras, bands, and plays were often held for entertainment. Not everyone enjoyed their time at Medicine Hat as thousands volunteered for labour projects across the country.
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| Camp 132 Gymnasium |
Interesting! Looking forward to seeing more posts.
ReplyDeleteHallo, far away in Germany, I'm able to tell you about the feeling of one PoW, when he had been left the train in canada, medicine hat. My father had been POW from 1943-1946, camp 132. He was captured in africa in the age of 22 years.
ReplyDeleteDuring my whole childhood and later, when my own son was listening to his grandpa, my father told us about the nature, the awesome woods, the hard winters and the howling of the wolves. Until today, my son has the first watch, my father bought from his first money. We call it "the Canada-watch!
All the years my father dreamed about a journey to medicine hat again, to show his family the place, he lived for three years. My mother had been afraid of the flight, so my father died many years ago without realising his wish.
Our most wonderful treasure is a great box with all letters of the time as prisoner, letters from Canada to Germany and from Germany to the camp. Also the correspondences with one of his brothers, who was POW in another camp in the USA, is a very impressing historical document.
I'm a psychologist and therapeut, so my interests are biographies.
Coming from the job in the afternoon today, I've suddenly the idea, to google "medicine hat" and found your blog. Thank you for the fotos and the informations.
Here a tipp, I 've also found a few minutes before:
http://www.buchfreund.de/Ein-kleines-Buch-Beutner-Max-verantwortl-Redakteur,53881490-buch, perhaps you know it. I'm proud, because I have one of the originals, my father got it from the fellows, who wrote and painted it.
So, as well, I hope, my English is good enough, that you can understand my informtions.
If you want to contact me, please mail to the following adress:
momotime@gmx.de
Hope, you are well an send you best regards!
Sabine K., Dortmund, Germany
Hallo,
Deletemy father also has been as a PoW in Medicine hat from 1944-1946. He was captured in France in July 1944. Very often he told us about this time. He was thinking back with a good feeling.
I also have one of these small books. My brother asked me to scan the pages for him. I did it today and than I had the idea to look in internet, if I can find some informations and got this blog.
I don't know, if Max Beutner alone was the author of the book. In my memory my father told, that he took part to make this book. He was a painter, he always wanted to be an artist, but after the war, when he came home from Canada, he was married and became a master craftsman. That's life.
I'm happy to have this book.
Kindly regards.
Renate G., Bochum, Germany
My name is Heather McCaig, I am a teacher in Medicine Hat and my great grandfather was a guard at camp 132. I came across your posts. I am wondering if you might be willing to share some of the letters/scans from your father. I am having my students do a research project into the camp in Medicine Hat and I would like them to experience as much as possible the real feelings of the POW's and how life here really affected them. One of my fellow teachers is part German and her husband is from Germany so we can have the letters translated if you are willing to share them. Thank you so much for your consideration in this matter.
DeleteHeather McCaig
Medicine Hat , AB
heavendawn999@hotmail.com
My name is Heather McCaig, I am a teacher in Medicine Hat and my great grandfather was a guard at camp 132. I came across your posts. I am wondering if you might be willing to share some of the letters/scans from your father. I am having my students do a research project into the camp in Medicine Hat and I would like them to experience as much as possible the real feelings of the POW's and how life here really affected them. One of my fellow teachers is part German and her husband is from Germany so we can have the letters translated if you are willing to share them. Thank you so much for your consideration in this matter.
DeleteHeather McCaig
Medicine Hat , AB
heavendawn999@hotmail.com
Dear Michael, I have just began to organize several documents I have recieved from an uncle who was at 132 Medicine hat. I even recieved the hand made book (of 3500 copies) made my POW Max Boutner. Hand colored pages showing the life as it was in Medicine Hat 132. I will be scanning them and putting them on my blog. I you would like copies of anything to assist you in your studies, please let me know. Thank you,
ReplyDeleteSteve (Artuimus Freeman)
My name is Heather McCaig, I am a teacher in Medicine Hat and my great grandfather was a guard at camp 132. I came across your posts. I am wondering if you might be willing to share some of the letters/scans from your uncle. I am having my students do a research project into the camp in Medicine Hat and I would like them to experience as much as possible the real feelings of the POW's and how life here really affected them. One of my fellow teachers is part German and her husband is from Germany so we can have the letters translated if you are willing to share them. Thank you so much for your consideration in this matter.
ReplyDeleteHeather McCaig
Medicine Hat , AB
heavendawn999@hotmail.com
My name is Heather McCaig, I am a teacher in Medicine Hat and my great grandfather was a guard at camp 132. I came across your posts. I am wondering if you might be willing to share some of the letters/scans from your uncle. I am having my students do a research project into the camp in Medicine Hat and I would like them to experience as much as possible the real feelings of the POW's and how life here really affected them. One of my fellow teachers is part German and her husband is from Germany so we can have the letters translated if you are willing to share them. Thank you so much for your consideration in this matter.
ReplyDeleteHeather McCaig
Medicine Hat , AB
heavendawn999@hotmail.com