Camp 30 Bowmanville: A POW's Paradise
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- Опубликовано: 15 авг 2018
- In the middle of the second World War, while massive armies clashed on the Western Front, an overlooked battle took place between Axis and Allied forces… in the most unlikely place imaginable.
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*A VERSION WITH DESCRIBED VIDEO CAN BE FOUND HERE: • Camp 30: A Prisoner's ...
Closed Captioning and Described Video provided by Described Video Canada. www.describedvideocanada.com/
Camp 30 was a prime spot for a POW camp for a few reasons. The land had originally been donated to the government by John H H Jury so they could build a correctional facility for, in his words, ‘unadjusted boys who were not inherently delinquent’. It functioned more like a school than a prison, trying to reform 'unadjusted' youth by teaching valuable skills. But it was still under the auspices of the department of corrections, who also oversaw the POW camps. So when the sudden need arose for more camps, it was trivial for them to just rebrand the school.
This also explains why Camp 30 had some of the most luxurious perks for the prisoners. Things like the indoor pool weren’t built for them, just carried over from the buildings’ past lives. Which is not to say the German experience there was an outlier - sports teams, orchestras and shakespeare troupes were a staple of POW camps across Canada.
The school had also been set up to be totally self-sustaining, making it easier to keep a closed ecosystem with the prisoners - when they weren’t off on day trips.
Despite the posh conditions in the camp, prisoners considered it their duty to escape. They never abused their ‘word of honour’ but there were near-constant attempts and even an ‘escape committee’ set up by the German officers to field and approve plans. Mostly, they dug tunnels, which could become quite elaborate - they patched into the electrical grid to light them and had trolley systems for carting out excavated dirt. The most extraordinary attempt involved a soccer riot, a zipline, a dummy, and a mad dash across three provinces. It’s a story we plan to tell in a future episode.
The escape efforts ended before the war did, though. News reached the camp from Europe that a group of allied POWs had been caught trying to escape - and Hitler had ordered them all executed. Horrified, the German prisoners disavowed him and his actions. They agreed that after the humane treatment they’d received they owed it to not cause any more trouble for their Canadian captors, and resolved to just wait out the rest of the war.
After the war, Camp 30 reverted to being a Boys Training School though the correctional edge soon softened and it became more of a trade school. It lasted until 1979, after which it hosted several more academic institutions. First it became a school for Malaysian students, then the campus of St Stephen’s Catholic School. Finally, an Islamic university took over until 2008, when they moved out rather abruptly, leaving behind furniture and supplies - apparently due to an issue with building codes and sewage treatment.
The buildings were left to the elements and soon became a popular urbex destination, the walls filling up with graffiti, the ground carpeted in broken bottles. They continued to deteriorate as heritage organizations like Clarington Museum & Archives fought to preserve them. In 2013 the camp was placed on Heritage Canada’s ‘top 10 endangered places’ list which expedited the process - later that year, it was declared a National Historic Site.
Kaitlin Group, the current private owners, had intended to demolish the structures and develop the land. They’re now working with heritage organizations to preserve and restore the most historically significant buildings and incorporate them into development plans. The final granting of heritage status to some of the buildings happened only last year.
If you’d like a more in-depth look at the experience of a German POW, the NFB produced a documentary in 2003 called The Enemy Within. Director Eva Colmers tracks her father’s story as he is brought to Alberta as a prisoner of war. You can watch the whole thing here: www.nfb.ca/film/enemy_within/
Disclaimer: Stock footage of the war isn't precise, we are left to pick from what's available to us to use-the footage isn't necessarily accurate to the specific story we are telling, more so representative.
Does anybody else find it hilarious that the German POWs are fighting with hockey sticks??
What a GREAT story. Thank you!
I heard it was the Canadian soldiers from Kingston who were armed with hockey sticks so that they would be "fairly matched" against the German POWs. Now this video seems to turn that slightly on its head since we know the German POWs were playing ice hockey so they had the hockey sticks, too. I'm sure the whole rebellion would have been put down faster if there weren't so many penalties for high-sticking, slashing and spearing.
I was born and raised in Bowmanville. Most of us had swimming lessons in the indoor pool in the 1950s and 1960s via the town recreation department. The German prisoners said that they had never eaten so well in their lives as at Camp 30.
I can verify the rich farmland too.
This has got to be the most Canadian story I've ever heard. And people say we don't have an identity. Great work as always. I don't know who does the video editing, but damn, it's good.
The brawl in the mess hall is probably the most canadian thing Ive ever heard of
My dad knew one German Immigrant who had a brother in that Camp. His view on how he was treated was passed on to his brother and both of them came over. They became proud Canadians and were an asset to this country. ..
No german is an asset to any country.
@@oneofakind5668 Riiight...and what nationalities are an asset ? I eagerly await your theory on this ..
@@marklittle8805 Not germans that's for sure, or anyone else that supports the criminal's NWO agenda.
Did you vote for Trudo?
@@oneofakind5668 no I didn't. The man is a moron, but that doesn't change my opinion of people coming to Canada to make it better.
You missed the most important detail: in the first attack on the mess hall, the Canadians were met with a hail of bricks from above, and had to retreat - they came back with pillows tied to their heads! And I believe the Canadians were armed with hockey sticks (their weapon of choice, of course). I've often wondered whether the decision not to arm the Canadians with firearms was made simply out of humanity or because they figured the Nazis would retaliate against Canadian POWs if any of the German POWs were badly hurt or killed.
Another point. I believe that Canadian commandos were involved in a 'snatch-and-grab' operation in which a rubber dinghy capsized in rough seas, and a couple of captive German soldiers drowned - with their hands tied, and that this was the reason, or part of the reason, for Hitler's order to bind the Canadian prisoners.
I am a second generation Canadian whos grandfather came to North America as an American P.O.W. He didn't talk about the war much in general, but he never had bad things to say about the camp he was in (maybe in Massachusetts). He got to go to trade school, where he learned to be a tool and die maker, which is what allowed him to provide a comfortable life for his kids. I am forever grateful that he wasn't captured on the eastern front, as we know how this would have turned out...
Man every time you come out with higher and higher quality videos, I don't understand why this isn't any more popular. Is this your main media platform?
Thanks for watching!
It is our main platform, and we do believe RUclips is the best place for it (for a number of reasons), but growing the channel has been a slow process. From what we can gather through other popular channels (about art, science, history, etc.), this is the norm-though, the recent changes in some of the fundamentals of RUclips have made it a lot harder for small channels to grow, much harder than it used to be. We rely on videos being shared with wider audiences, that's all we can hope for. We do wish things were better, we wish it was sustainable, but all we can do now is keep our noses to the grindstone and try to put out the best episodes we can.
A little sidenote if your curious: we did try to pitch the show to multiple different broadcasters for about a year and no one wanted it, so we decided to just take a risk and make it ourselves. We're glad we did. Ultimately, RUclips is the most popular platform on the planet, we just need to try to get some more eyes on the channel.
Thanks!
@@Canadiana Unvarnished history ,not the whole story but it makes the big picture clearer for me ,thanks.
German Propaganda: "Our soldiers were shackled"
Canadians: *retaliate by shackling soldiers*
Canadians are great people. Love from Australia. We are very similar.
Nothing like them.
Not with that accent fam
I see what you did there, you sneak.
Brother, or sister.
I remember reading a Wikipedia article on the treatment of German prisoners in US POW camps. They quoted one German soldier who said he became obese after he got out!
It seems Canadian POW camps were equally hotel-like!
I grew up in Bowmanville! So happy you covered this. It's really an amazing story. I love this channel, keep it up.
Thanks for the kind words, there's a bit of a sneak peak at a future Bowmanville episode in the description below the video too!
Amazing work as always.
-your southern neighbor in NY
Thanks for watching!
I loved the envelope addressed to 16 Duerstein Street in Buffalo. I had a look and the original building still stands there. =)
Another interesting subject would be the WWI internment camp at Amherst, N.S. Its internees included hundreds of sailors who'd survived the sinking of the SS KAISER WILHELM DER GROSSE, and future Soviet leader Leon Trotsky.
So Canadian! This old veteran is going too enjoy this channel! Come to my place in Brandon M.B. And do one on Camp Hughes and Shilo. Thanks for the Japanese addition, grew up on the west coast.
during ww2 Ireland was non aligned bias to allies so every Luftwaffe, RAF, kriegsmarine, Royal Navy personal had to be captured to not anger anyone. Ireland in 1940 didn’t have electricity in large part so building 2 different POW camps was impractical due to low numbers over all I think in 1945, 247 Germans were in Irish prison along with X amount of allies. So how do you keep 2 peoples dead set on killing each other? Day passes to go to the cinema, the pub, fishing etc so in 1943 or 1944 a Canadian bomber crashes in Wicklow (a region in Ireland) due to similar geography they thought it was Scotland and walk to the nearest pub imagine there surprise when they walked in and seen 30 Germans celebrating a birthday. Of the 247 Germans only 1\2 of which were repatriated due to most of them having Irish girlfriends or fear of soviet capture. Some even got jobs in Irish government to help with the temporary
fostering of German orphans.
De Montréal, merci pour votre chaîne!
You know if everyone acting more my Canadians this world would be such a brighter place!
I just gotta say, just found this channel the other day, and it's easily making it into my regular rotation - keep up the spectacular work!
Gotta love how kindness doesnt get far.
One of the best videos from this channel I've seen yet. I love it.
It’s unbelievably incredible how well these fellows were treated, I’ve worked for 35 years throughout our country as a stone mason, mostly self employed and when I broke my back I ended up on ODSP in Ontario, a program I knew nothing of until then. I’m treated like the scourge of society and now live off food banks with food not even fit for the dog I’m no longer able to afford to keep!
Yet if you take part in killing 11 million innocent people you get royal treatment o.0 funny that ay
This is great, Adam! One of my favourite episodes so far. Well done, Canadiana team!
_"But in a strange coincidence, the_ [Canadian] _guards "accidentally" dropped the keys to the shackles, everyday... right after row call."_
If that isn't the reveal of a Monty Python-esque skit in the making, I don't know what is. 😅😂🤣😂😅
WOW - amazing. Thanks for posting.
Well done, sir. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every video you’ve posted so far, though I would venture that this one is the best.
That was amazing!! Thank you
Wouldn't it have been better if the program had started AFTER the narrator got dressed???
The sloppy shirt thing is a distraction, which is a shame because these videos are otherwise well conceived and presented.
I had no idea. Mindblowing.
Really quality work!
Awesome video!
I just discovered your channel and I love it. I have a lot of catching up to do. I thought I knew my stuff, but your stories are obscure but shouldn't be. Everything is so important and relevant. Going to make a donation on payday.
Thank you so much! We agree that most of what we cover seems like it should be common knowledge.
How does this not have like a million views. I love this channel.
German prisoners of war engaged their guards with a food fight in the cafeteria using hockey sticks . Should be a Canadian Clue board game solution . Or hockey night in Canada trivia segment.
hows is this not on cbc? man u so damn great
Great video and editing
Such a great video
Amazing history of Canada, wish they showed these in schools.
Given the amount of graffiti and the general air of dilapidation of the Bowmanville campus, Canada must not regard this property as historically significant or meriting preservation.
Amazing...
German POW’s in North America learned a lot from their stays. Mostly things about life
Quite honorable indeed.
this has got to be one of the most Canadian thing I've heard XD
I used to live a couple of minutes away from this and I went inside and it was scary
And this is why I like Canadians
And i thought Canadian History was boring in school!
The prison guard accidentally dropped the keys....every night..
Knowing a lot about these terrible times make me wish they never existed it makes me sad to think about the innocent people forced into this kind of stuff
It would be nice to know more about the old prison in Hull P.Q..
I read the books by eric wilson, proud to be a canadian
Do you mean Eric Walter's Camp X, Camp 30. Because if that's the case, than yea I've read it as'well.
I think if every country act a little bit more like Canada, this earth would be such a nicer place.
Cool 😎
Hi I'm working on a historic project about camp 30 and I was wondering if those pictures, like the hockey one, were actually from camp 30?
Yes, the photos are from Camp 30. If you're referring to the photo in the animation at 2:34 (prisoners in hockey gear), that was sourced from Clarington Archives.
@@Canadiana Alright thanks.
Should do the history of deep river, ontario and canada's atomic projects
I second this motion.
How do they get Camp 30 out of 26 camps ???
Germany Nazi's were socialist not fascist. Great story from a wonderful history of Canada.
Nothing like Canada to be this nice to enemy soldiers 😅
They were guests, not prisoners.
I often think that these little stories could make great movies, but this one has such potential for a ridiculous absurd comedy, especially if you could tie in the juxtaposition to the Canadian Citizens living in the Japanese Camps.
Wait... isnt bowmanville a town now
The great U-Boat commander ace Otto Kretschmer was held there.
Treated the Nazi POW with more respect than we did Japanese Canadians who had nothing to do with Pearl Harbour. Canada just followed US lead like a lapdog. I’d make those soldiers make munitions for the Allied forces just to see their face.
A great deal of the Japanese Canadians problems during WWII was because of the high amount of racism in the BC Government and business community. The Federal Government only moved do something as a result of pressure from the province.
To be fair, I can understand there being some concern about "home country" influence and of course it's easy to say things went to far, with backward looking glasses.
Lets face it there is always someone who doesn't like the status quo and would prefer things to be like they did back home and that is without mentioning agents of influence sent on purpose. It certainly happens today and that is part of the reason we have CSIS.
German prisoners could also apply for parole.
😅
I live in Bowmanville and I've seen the camp today it looks way worse than what he showed in the video there's been a lot more people going to spray painted even after the video
The last vlog on Trump has been delected .Why ??????
A correction needs to be made that will require some editing. It's nothing to do with the story itself-there was no error in the research we did-but the section of footage is integral enough that it requires some more work beyond a verbal correction in the description. Most likely it means more animations, which are time intensive. The next main episode will probably come out before the re-edited short.
Jesus christ i never new the nazis went to canada
A small minority of Germans were nazis.
If your going to talk about Canada. Pronounce Newfoundland correctly
This is fucked up. Took care of them lol wtf
Shirt-tails in, please, before you go on camera. It's a mark of respect to your viewers and to your subject matter to appear professional.
I wish you didnt call nothern Labrador Newfoundland. im from labrador, its a sign of disrespect to call us newfoundland. its Newfoundland AND labrador. not newfoundland.
total bullcrap
cry loser
Are you sugesting the whole thing is a fabrication?
How so? Oh - two years - I guess you're just of BS.