I am worried that some people are finding this blog (website) to be too slow in loading, or are having trouble leaving comments. I've had some trouble myself and I want to try and get to the bottom of it.
If you wouldn't mind helping with a test, please leave a comment telling me:
1. What browser you are using (Internet Explorer is very common and if you don't know what you have, that's probably the one, if you use Windows as your operating system).
2. Whether you had any trouble leaving a comment, and if so, what happened?
If you find you cannot leave a comment, please email me and tell me what the problem was. Tell me what browser you use and when you were trying to leave the comment (date and time). The email address is powmuseum at gmail dot com.
Thanks very much for this.
Jill
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sculpture Commemorating the Long March (Warning: This is a sad post.)
During the last days of the Second World War, the Allied prisoners held by the Germans in Poland and Germany were marched, sometimes seemingly aimlessly, westward, in an attempt to stay out of the hands of the advancing Russians.
The march experience would have varied depending on the camp and the weather, but men who made the trip speak of the hardship. They had to steal what little food they could find, digging remnants of turnips from the fields they passed, for example.
More than one has spoken of the terrible tragedy of seeing friends falter and die, with no one available to save them.
I feel I should mark posts about these events as being "sad" (which is to put it mildly) as a warning to readers. Some of the former prisoners who have these memories have not spoken of them, ever. Others had to tell white lies sixty-plus years ago, to keep from breaking the hearts of families at home.
One of the poignant tributes to this part of the P.O.W. experience is a commemorative sculpture in bronze, a limited edition paid for by subscription. It shows an Allied soldier pulling a sledge, trying to drag a few belongings and perhaps some food, on the long, cold, journey away from the prison camp toward an uncertain future.
The march experience would have varied depending on the camp and the weather, but men who made the trip speak of the hardship. They had to steal what little food they could find, digging remnants of turnips from the fields they passed, for example.
More than one has spoken of the terrible tragedy of seeing friends falter and die, with no one available to save them.
I feel I should mark posts about these events as being "sad" (which is to put it mildly) as a warning to readers. Some of the former prisoners who have these memories have not spoken of them, ever. Others had to tell white lies sixty-plus years ago, to keep from breaking the hearts of families at home.
One of the poignant tributes to this part of the P.O.W. experience is a commemorative sculpture in bronze, a limited edition paid for by subscription. It shows an Allied soldier pulling a sledge, trying to drag a few belongings and perhaps some food, on the long, cold, journey away from the prison camp toward an uncertain future.
Wooden Carving Dated "Kananaskis 1939 - 1941" by H. POEHLAND
In the exhibit, "For You, The War is Over", there is a carving done by a German prisoner of war named H. POEHLAND. This link should go to a picture of the carving as shown on the website of the Canadian War Museum, where the carving is held. The information provided by the Museum in its online catalogue says that the carving was made in 1941 at the Kananaskis Internment Camp by H. POEHLAND. The dates on the front of the carving are 1939 to 1941.
From those dates, it is possible and seems likely that POEHLAND was a civilian internee at Kananaskis. There were civilians at the camp at the same time as there were prisoners of war.
The carving shows the profile of an Indian man wearing a single feather low in his hair, at about collar height, pointing straight up. The Kananaskis area is the home of the Stoney people, but I do not know if this is meant to be an actual picture of a Stoney man, or more of a symbolic representation of a Native person by someone who had to imagine how the local people looked.
From those dates, it is possible and seems likely that POEHLAND was a civilian internee at Kananaskis. There were civilians at the camp at the same time as there were prisoners of war.
The carving shows the profile of an Indian man wearing a single feather low in his hair, at about collar height, pointing straight up. The Kananaskis area is the home of the Stoney people, but I do not know if this is meant to be an actual picture of a Stoney man, or more of a symbolic representation of a Native person by someone who had to imagine how the local people looked.
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Scrounger from The Great Escape Movie
Of all the films about the Second World War to become popular, The Great Escape (1963), starring Steve McQueen, is probably one of the best-known.
Image: Barry Davidson at the fence, believed to be at Stalag Luft III. Davidson is said to have been the model for "The Scrounger", played by James Garner in The Great Escape movie. Photo courtesy of the Davidson family and the Nanton Lancaster Society Air Museum.
Several men from Alberta were among the prisoners at Stalag Luft III, and there was a strong effort here to create a memorial at the site of the camp.
The Great Escape movie has been criticized for being less than 100% historically accurate. However, for a Hollywood production, many agree that the recreation of the site, and the attention to the details of the camp and the tunnelling, were reasonably good.
"For You, The War is Over" has some drawings showing the tunnelling for the real Great Escape from Stalag Luft III.
Image: Barry Davidson at the fence, believed to be at Stalag Luft III. Davidson is said to have been the model for "The Scrounger", played by James Garner in The Great Escape movie. Photo courtesy of the Davidson family and the Nanton Lancaster Society Air Museum.Several men from Alberta were among the prisoners at Stalag Luft III, and there was a strong effort here to create a memorial at the site of the camp.
The Great Escape movie has been criticized for being less than 100% historically accurate. However, for a Hollywood production, many agree that the recreation of the site, and the attention to the details of the camp and the tunnelling, were reasonably good.
"For You, The War is Over" has some drawings showing the tunnelling for the real Great Escape from Stalag Luft III.
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