Material Type

Mixed Media

Date Range

1945-2008

Physical Description

7 items

Physical Condition

Excellent

History Biographical

Joseph William (Bill) Hurst was conscripted into the army in March 1945, near the end of World War 2. He was 19 years old. He completed basic training at Wetaskiwin, Alberta on 18 May 1945 and was posted to Sarcee Camp at Calgary for advanced training. Before Mr. Hurst reported to Sarcee, WW2 ended and he was instead posted to Prisoner of War (POW) Camp 133 at Lethbridge. Mr. Hurst was assigned as a guard at the camp. He worked with members of the Veterans Guard of Canada, men who had served in World War 1 and were now serving on the home front during World War 2. The usual shift for guards was two hours on duty and four off duty, but when POWs were paroled to local farms to work, the same guards stayed with them for the whole day. Normally, the POWs worked on the farms in groups of 20 watched by one guard. During the summer of 1945, Mr. Hurst and his comrades lived at Magrath, Alberta with a group of POWs from Camp 133. The guards and prisoners each had their own tents and field kitchens. Trucks from the camp in Lethbridge delivered food every day. While school was out for the summer, the guards were housed in the school building but when classes resumed in September, they lived in tents. The paroled POWs and their guards did not return to Camp 133 until November 1945. The POWs worked on a number of farms and ranches in the district. They stooked wheat and harvested sugar beets, among other jobs. Many times the POWs and their guards were invited to share meals with the farmers and their families. At these meals, Mr. Hurst would remove the ammunition clip from his Lee Enfield rifle and stand the rifle in a corner of the kitchen. Many of the local farmers spoke German as their first language, and so could converse with the POWS. Mr. Hurst continued at Camp 133 until his discharge from the army on 4 April 1946. [source: autobiographical note written by Mr. Hurst, attached to the paper copy of this file.]

Language

English

Acquisition Source

Hurst, Joesph William PO Box 5662 High River, Alberta T1V 1M7

Scope and Content

The fonds consists of digital copies of a Christmas card menu for Christmas dinner, letter, poem and three photographs all relating to Mr. Hurst's service with the Veterans Guard of Canada at Prisoner of War Camp 133.

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

20081068000

Collection

Archive

Less detail