Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

NAZI, ANTI-PARTISAN BADGE

Date Range From

1939

Date Range To

1945

Materials

LEAD

No. Pieces

1

Height

0.5

Length

5.9

Width

5.0

Description

CAST LEAD BADGE. FEATURES AN OVAL WREATH OF LEAVES. ACROSS VERTICAL CENTRE OF WREATH IS A SWORD WITH A SWASTIKA NEAR THE HANDLE. FOUR SNAKES ARE WRAPPED AROUND THE BLADE OF THE SWORD. OVERLAYING TIP OF SWORD IS A SKULL. FLAWS ARE VISIBLE ON BACK OF BADGE.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

BADGE IS A REPRODUCTION OF AN ORIGINAL GERMAN ISSUE. BADGE WAS MADE BY A P.O.W. AT CAMP 133 IN LETHBRIDGE DURING WORLD WAR II. INTERNEES AT THE CAMP WOULD SELL LEAD COPIES OF THEIR BADGES FOR CANTEEN MONEY. DONOR LIVED ONLY BLOCKS FROM THE CAMP. DONOR VISITED CAMP 133 WHEN THEY WOULD HAVE SALES TO BUY HAND-MADE ITEMS FROM INTERNEES. BADGE CAME TAPED TO A PIECE OF CARD THAT READ "NAZI GERMANY 1933-1945 ANTI PARTISAN WAR BADGE 1944-1945 GRADE TWO"; REMOVED BY CATALOGUER. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS, INCLUDING THOSE DONATED BY MIKE PROKOP. INFORMATION ABOUT THE DONOR WAS RETREIVED FROM HIS FUNERAL PROGRAM: "MIKE PROKOP, BELOVED HUSBAND OF LYDIA PROKOP OF LETHBRIDGE PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY AFTER A LENGTHY ILLNESS ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2004 AT THE AGE OF 71 YEARS... MIKE WORKED MANY YEARS AT LETHBRIDGE BATTERY PRIOR TO OPERATING HIS OWN BUSINESS, GENERAL TOY & HOBBY CRAFT. MIKE WAS A MEMBER OF THE 32ND TECH SQUADRON R.C.E.M.E. AND THE 18TH INDEPENDENT FIELD BATTERY REGIMENT... HE ALSO DEVOTED MANY YEARS TO THE ROYAL CANADIAN SEA CADET CORP AS COMMANDING OFFICER AND BAND INSTRUCTOR. HE WAS A LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION SERVING AS POPPY CHAIRMAN AND FIRST VICE." FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, SEE PERMANENT FILE. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON DEVELOPED THE FOLLOWING BRIEF HISTORY OF PRISONER OF WAR CAMP 133 WITH INFORMATION FROM THE GALT MUSEUM BROCHURE "LETHBRDGE'S INTERNMENT CAMPS" AND THE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA WEBSITE. DURING WORLD WAR II THERE WERE 40 PRISONER OF WAR (P.O.W.) CAMPS CONSTRUCTED ACROSS CANADA TO HOUSE THE LARGE NUMBER OF INCOMING POWS - ENEMY MILITARY PERSONNEL THAT WERE CAPTURED IN COMBAT. CAMPS WERE BUILT IN ONTARIO, QUEBEC, THE MARITIMES AND ALBERTA. THE CAMPS IN LETHBRIDGE AND MEDICINE HAT WERE THE LARGEST, TOGETHER HOUSING 22,000 MEN. THE LETHBRIDGE CAMP, NO. 133, WAS BUILT IN THE SUMMER OF 1942, AND BY NOVEMBER OF THAT YEAR HOUSED 13,341 PRISONERS. THE CAMP WAS DIVIDED INTO SIX SECTIONS, EACH WITH SIX DORMITORIES, MESS HALLS, KITCHENS, AND ENTERTAINMENT FACILITIES. MEALS WERE IN SHIFTS WITH PRISONERS SERVING AS COOKS. TAILOR, BARBER AND SHOE REPAIR SHOPS WERE ALSO STAFFED BY PRISONERS, AND NON-COMBAT POWS PRACTICED THEIR PRE-WAR PROFESSIONS AS MEDICAL DOCTORS AND DENTISTS. HOUSING AND RATIONS WERE THE SAME STANDARD AS FOR THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, WHICH SOMETIMES CAUSED RESENTMENT AMONG LETHBRIDGE CIVILIAN RESIDENTS, WHO WERE UNABLE TO OBTAIN MANY OF THE SAME SUPPLIES ON THEIR STRICT WARTIME RATION ALLOWANCES. WITH MANY YOUNG LOCAL MEN AWAY AT WAR, LOCAL FARMERS BEGAN TO REQUEST LABOUR ASSISTANCE FROM THE CAMP, ESPECIALLY FOR THE SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY. BY 1943 AN AGREEMENT WAS REACHED AND SOME OF THE PRISONERS WORKED ON FARMS THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN ALBERTA. MOST OF THESE PRISONERS WENT FROM THE CAMP TO THE FARMS DAILY, BUT SOME WERE KEPT AT 'LODGES' AT THE MORE DISTANT FARMS FOR DAYS AT A TIME, WITH MINIMAL GUARDING. FOR THEIR LABOUR, THE PRISONERS WERE PAID 50 CENTS PER DAY. WITH WAR'S END, CAMP 133 CLOSED IN DECEMBER 1946 AND ITS PRISONERS WERE SENT BACK TO GERMANY. THE AREA WHERE THE CAMP STOOD EVENTUALLY BECAME AN INDUSTRIAL PARK AND PART OF THE FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTRE.

Catalogue Number

P20000091006

Acquisition Date

2001-07

Collection

Museum

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