Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1942

Date Range To

1946

Materials

WOOL, METAL

No. Pieces

1

Length

46.5

Width

22.0

Description

GREEN WOOL GREAT COAT WITH EPAULETS AND REAR BELT. ROWS OF GOLD METAL BUTTONS ALONG FRONT OF JACKET, EACH BUTTON READS, "CANADA", AND HAS RELIEF IMAGE OF THE CROWN AND MAPLE LEAF. BUTTONS ALSO LOCATED ON SHOULDERS AND ALONG REAR BELT. LABEL ON INSIDE OF JACKET READS, "SIZE 4...COOK CLOTHING CO. LTD. 1943." ADDITIONAL MARKING ON INSIDE OF JACKET READ, "J. W. HURST."

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

THE FOLLOWING IS AN ACCOUNT WRITTEN BY JOSEPH WILLIAM HURST, DONOR AND OWNER OF THE COAT: "I WAS CONSCRIPTED TO JOIN THE ARMED FORCES. THE DREADED LETTER ARRIVED. MY MOTHER, WHO HAD EXPERIENCED THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN ENGLAND, WORRIED FOR MY SAFETY. LUCKILY, THE WAR ENDED BEFORE I WAS SENT TO EUROPE AND THE FRONT LINES. THE MUMPS DELAYED MY ENLISTMENT UNTIL MARCH OF 1945. MAY 18, 1945, I COMPLETED BASIC TRAINING IN WETASKIWIN, ALBERTA; WE WERE IMMEDIATELY SENT TO CAMP SARCEE AT CALGARY FOR ADVANCED TRAINING. MY EMBARKATION PAPERS ARRIVED, HOWEVER, THE SECOND WORLD WAR HAD ENDED. NEXT ASSIGNMENT WAS A TRANSFER TO POW CAMP 133 AT LETHBRIDGE. A 36 HOUR PASS ONCE A MONTH ALLOWED ME TO TRAVEL BY TRAIN TO MY HOME AT HIGH RIVER, ALBERTA. A P.O.W. CAMP 133, I WAS CHARGED WITH GUARDING THE POW’S ALONG SIDE THE VETERAN GUARD FROM THE FIRST WORLD WAR. IT WAS A DAUNTING TASK FOR A 19 YEAR OLD. BEING I WAS A SHY QUIET LAD, I WAS TRULY THANKFUL WHEN VET, GEORGE NEWHAM, BEFRIENDED ME. THE USUAL SHIFT WAS TWO HOURS ON AND FOUR OFF; HOWEVER, ON TRIPS TO THE FARMS WE STAYED WITH THE 20 MEN ASSIGNED TO US FOR THE ENTIRE DAY. I UNDERSTOOD THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 12, 000 POW’S IN THE CAMP LOCATED AT THE NORTH END OF THE CITY, VERY SIMILAR TO THE POPULATION OF LETHBRIDGE AT THAT TIME. THESE MEN WERE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. OUR SLEEPING, EATING AND RECREATION QUARTERS, AS WELL AS, PARADE SQUARE WERE OUTSIDE THE POW COMPOUND. ABLE-BODIED POW’S HELPED THE LOCAL AREA FARMERS IN THE FIELDS. THERE WAS A FARM LABOUR SHORTAGE BECAUSE THE YOUNG MEN WERE AWAY AT WAR. GRAIN AND BEET FARMERS TRULY APPRECIATED THE WORK OF THE POW’S. FARM GIRLS WERE EXPECTED TO WORK IN THE FIELDS, ETC. DUE TO THE LABOUR SHORTAGE. DURING THE SUMMER OF 1945, WE LIVED FOUR MILES OUT OF MAGRATH. THE GUARDS AND POW’S EACH HAD THEIR OWN TENT KITCHENS, SLEEPING QUARTERS, ETC. THE ARMY TRUCK CAME EVERY DAY FROM LETHBRIDGE WITH THE FOOD. THE GUARDS WERE HOUSED IN THE LOCAL COUNTRY SCHOOL HOUSE UNTIL SCHOOL RESUMED, THEN WE LIVED IN TENTS AND SLEPT ON THE GROUND, AS DID THE GERMAN MEN. ON ONE VERY COLD NIGHT IN NOVEMBER, WE SLEPT WITH ALL OUR CLOTHES ON INCLUDING OUR “GREAT COATS” AND STILL FROZE. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE ARMY TRUCK ARRIVED AND TOOK US BACK TO LETHBRIDGE. I VIVIDLY REMEMBER SOME OF THESE TRIPS TO THE VARIOUS FARMERS. BOTH THE GUARDS AND THE GERMAN MEN WERE LOADED INTO THE BACK OF THE 2-TON TRUCK, UNAWARE OF THEIR DESTINATION UNTIL THEY ARRIVED. ONE SUCH DAY, I WAS GIVEN 20 POW’S AND TAKEN TO A 60 ACRE FIELD TO STOOK THE WHEAT. WITH MY LE-ENFIELD RIFLE AT MY SIDE, I CONTINUALLY COUNTED MY MEN AND TRUSTED THEY WOULD DILIGENTLY WORK. ANOTHER COUNT, AND MY HEART POUNDED AS FEAR GRIPPED ME, ONLY 18 HEADS. HAD TWO OF MY CHARGES ESCAPED? FORTUNATELY FOR ME, TWO GENTLEMEN HAD TIRED OF THEIR JOB AND DECIDED TO SIT DOWN AGAINST A STOOK. THE SUN WAS SHINING BRIGHTLY AND I FOUND THEM SOUND ASLEEP. WHAT A RELIEF! THEN THERE WERE DAYS SPENT IN THE SUGAR BEET FIELDS. AGAIN, WE WOULD BE LOADED BOTH MORNING AND LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE BACK OF A 2-TON ARMY TRUCK FOR THE TRIPS TO AND FROM OUR BARRACKS. I WOULD DRIVE THE TRACTOR AND WAGON ALONG WHILE THE POW’S LOADED THE WAGONS. THE BEETS WERE MECHANICALLY DUG, AND THE MEN PICKED, TOPPED AND LOADED THE WAGONS. WHEN THE WAGON WAS FULL THE FARMER WOULD RETURN IT TO THE FARM YARD. THIS PROCEDURE CONTINUED DURING THE ENTIRE DAY. I CANNOT REMEMBER THE WORK WE DID ON OUR TRIPS TO THE LARGE MACINTYRE RANCH LOCATED ON THE BORDER WITH THE USA. THE FARMERS ALWAYS INVITED US INTO THEIR HOMES FOR DINNER. THESE EUROPEAN WOMEN WERE VERY GOOD COOKS AND PROVIDED FULL COURSE MEALS. MY LE-ENFIELD 303 RIFLE WOULD ACCOMPANY ME INTO THE HOUSE. BEING I HAD FULL TRUST IN MY “CHARGES”, I WOULD REMOVE THE CLIP OF BULLETS FROM THE RIFLE AND PUT IT INTO MY POCKET. THE RIFLE WAS THEN REARED IN THE CORNER UNTIL AFTER MEALTIME. OFTEN TIMES THE FARMERS COULD SPEAK GERMAN SO WERE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE POW’S. FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, THE GERMAN MEN WERE TREATED WITH RESPECT. THEY HAD NOURISHING FOOD, WARM CLOTHING, A SAFE PLACE TO SLEEP, AND WORK TO DO, AS WELL AS, RECREATION AND STIMULATION. THE POW’S WOULD MARCH IN LARGE GROUPS ON THEIR PARADE SQUARE. WITHIN THE COMPOUND WAS A FIELD WITH BLEACHERS WHERE THEY PLAYED SOCCER, AND WE COULD HEAR THE EXCITEMENT OF THE CROWD DURING THESE GAMES. I WAS NEVER INSIDE THE POW COMPOUND. ONE LARGE COMPOUND BUILDING HOUSED METAL WORKING TOOLS (LATHES, ETC.), WOOD WORKING TOOLS, AND OTHER SUPPLIES. CREATIVITY ABOUNDED. MANY OF THE GERMAN MEN WERE SKILLED CRAFTSMEN. THESE PERFECTIONISTS BUILT BEAUTIFUL WARES TO SELL DURING THEIR TRADE SHOWS. I PURCHASED TWO “TREASURES”. ONE IS A SAILING SHIP INSIDE A LISTERINE BOTTLE. THE SHIP IS IN THE FOREFRONT WITH A LIGHTHOUSE TO THE LEFT, ANOTHER SMALL PLEASURE BOAT, A DOCKING AREA, A CHURCH WITH A SPIRE, HOTEL AND THREE HOUSES BEHIND WITH A MOUNTAIN SCENE BACKGROUND. ON THE FRONT SAIL IS AN INSCRIPTION, INT. CP 133. THE OTHER ARTIFACT IS A SMALL VARNISHED WOODEN INLAYED TRINKET BOX (BASE AND LID) RESTING ON FOUR LITTLE FEET AND LINED WITH BLUE VELVET. ANOTHER ITEM ON DISPLAY WAS A MINIATURE PRECISELY-MACHINED MOTOR RUN BY COMPRESSED AIR. MY EYES GOT BIGGER AS I STARED AT THE MOTOR AND LONGED FOR IT TO BE MINE. BUT THERE WAS A BIG “HOWEVER”… IT WAS MARKED AT $100 AND MY MEAGER SALARY OF $25 PER MONTH MEANT I COULD JUST YEARN! I STILL THINK ABOUT THE MOTOR AND WISH IT WAS MINE. AS WITH EVERY GROUP THERE ARE ALWAYS THE OVER-ZEALOUS INDIVIDUALS WHO LIKE TO PLAY TRICKS. OUR GUARD-GROUP WAS NO EXCEPTION. SOMEONE DECIDED IT WOULD BE FUN TO PAINT LARGE RED “X’S” ONTO THE FIRE ESCAPE DOORS. BECAUSE NO ONE CONFESSED TO BEING THE CULPRIT, THE ENTIRE GUARD-GROUP WAS CONFINED TO BARRACKS DURING THEIR FREE TIME. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE DURATION OF THE CONFINEMENT, HOWEVER, AT THE TIME IT SEEMS AS IF IT WAS FOREVER. FORTUNATELY, I GOT A JOB IN THE BARRACKS CANTEEN WHICH HELPED TO PASS THE TIME. FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A 19 YEAR OLD, I FEEL MY TIME SPENT AT POW CAMP 133 WAS A MEMORABLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE. EVEN THOUGH PART OF MY UNIFORM WAS TO CARRY RIFLE AND BE IN COMMAND, THERE WAS NEVER ANY ANIMOSITY SHOWN. I NEVER FELT INTIMIDATED, HOWEVER, I WISH I WOULD HAVE SPOKEN AND UNDERSTOOD THE GERMAN LANGUAGE. WHEN THE POW’S WERE TOLD THE WAR WAS OVER, SOME REJOICED, WHEREAS OTHER HAD GROWN TO LOVE THE COUNTRY AND WANTED TO STAY." *UPDATE* THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED BY JOSEPH WILLIAM HURST ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2012. “ALBERTA WEATHER IS KNOWN TO CHANGE UNEXPECTEDLY . . . LATE ONE NOVEMBER AFTERNOON THE TEMPERATURE ABRUPTLY FELL WELL BELOW THE FREEZING POINT, A STRONG NORTH WIND CAUSED BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AS THE BLOWING SNOW SWIRLED AROUND OUR TENTS AND VISIBILITY BECAME NON-EXISTENT. BECAUSE OF THE PHYSICAL WORK WE PERFORMED EACH DAY IN THE SUGAR BEET FIELDS, WE WERE ALWAYS TIRED AND ABLE TO SLEEP. THAT NOVEMBER DAY WAS NO EXCEPTION. NOW THE TRICK WAS TO KEEP WARM AFTER GOING TO BED. MY WARDROBE WAS VERY LIMITED . . . MY ARMY UNIFORM AND MY “GREAT COAT". BEING WE LIVED IN CANVAS TENTS WITH DIRT FLOORS AND SLEPT IN CANVAS-COVERED SLEEPING BAGS ON THE GROUND WITH A WATERPROOF SHEET UNDERNEATH, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO STAY AS WARM AS POSSIBLE. THE TENT WAS OUR FIRST DEFENSE AGAINST THE SEVERE ELEMENTS. I CRAWLED INTO MY SLEEPING BAG IN FULL UNIFORM. I MADE SURE MY PANTS WERE TUCKED INTO MY LACED-UP BOOTS, PULLED MY CAP DOWN OVER MY EARS, THEN ADDED THE “GREAT COAT” BUTTONED UP TO THE CHIN, COLLAR UP AND BELT TIGHTLY CINCHED. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS CONTINUED TO BLAST US THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT DEPOSITING A GREAT DEAL OF SNOW ON THE GROUND. THE CAMP WAS DISMANTLED THE FOLLOWING MORNING WHEN 2-TON ARMY TRUCKS WITH CANVAS-COVERS OVER THE BOXES ARRIVED TO TAKE THE PRISONERS AND THEIR GUARDS BACK TO THE LETHBRIDGE POW CAMP. THANK GOODNESS FOR THE WARMTH OF MY HEAVY WOOLEN “GREAT COAT” AND MY WOOLEN ARMY UNIFORM, I SURVIVED THE FREEZING NIGHT. LUCKILY, I SUFFERED NO HEALTH PROBLEMS, AND THE “SHIVERING COLD” ORDEAL BECAME A MEMORY. MY THANKS TO THE “GREAT COAT”!” FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE 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

P20080030000

Acquisition Date

2008-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail