Objects of Concern: Canadian Prisoners of War Through the Twentieth CenturyHockey Magnate Conn Smythe, Trudeau cabinet minister Gilles Lamontagne, and the composer and former conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Sir Ernest MacMillan, share something other than their fame: they all have the dubious distinction of having been captured by the enemy during Canada's wars of the twentieth century. Like some 15,000 other Canadians, Smythe, Lamontagne, and MacMillan experienced the bewilderment that accompanied the moment of capture, the humiliation of being completely in the captor's power, and the sense of stagnating in a backwater while the rest of the world moved forward. From prison camps in Eire, where POWs were allowed to keep pets and to be members of the local tennis clubs, to camps in Japan, where prisoners were often severely beaten, systematically starved, and overworked, Canadian prisoners of war throughout the twentieth century have faced a variety of conditions and experiences. But they did not fight their war alone and isolated. On the home front, many other people attempted to help them. Against the backdrop of the POW experience, Jonathan Vance provides the first comprehensive account of how the Canadian government and non-governmental organizations such as the Red Cross have dealt with the problems of prisoners of war. Beginning in the nineteenth century, Vance traces the growth of Canadian interest in the plight of POWs. He goes on to examine the measures taken to assist Canadian POWs during the two world wars and the Korean war. The book focuses in particular on the campaigns to ship relief supplies to prison camps and on attempts to secure the prisoners' release. POWs have sometimes been seen as forgotten casualties whose privations were misunderstood during war and whose needs were neglected afterwards. This perception developed out of a tradition in POW memoirs which paid little attention to the efforts of politicians, civil servants, and individuals who devoted considerable time and energy to their cause. Vance argues that this impression is wrong and that, in fact, every effort was made to ameliorate conditions for men and women in captivity. In his book, he outlines the difficulties and confusion that arose from jurisdictional squabbling and lack of clear communication. Ironically, Vance concludes, obstacles were more often created by an overabundance of enthusiasm than by a lack of interest in the prisoners' fate. Canada's wartime bureaucracy, often praised by historians, is revealed as needlessly complex and, in many ways, hopelessly inefficient. In Objects of Concern, Jonathan Vance examines Canada's role in the formation of an important aspect of international law, traces the growth and activities of a number of national and local philanthropic agencies, and recounts the efforts of ex-prisoners to secure compensation for the long-term effects of captivity. In doing so, he reminds Canadians of an aspect of war that has often been overlooked in conventional military history. |
Other editions - View all
Objects of Concern: Canadian Prisoners of War Through the Twentieth Century Jonathan Franklin William Vance No preview available - 1994 |
Objects of Concern: Canadian Prisoners of War Through the Twentieth Century Jonathan Franklin William Vance No preview available - 1997 |
Common terms and phrases
Allied POWs American April August Borden Britain British Red Cross Cabinet War Committee Canada Canadian Army Canadian government Canadian officials Canadian POWs Canadian prisoners Canadian Red Cross captivity captured civilian internees Commission to DEA Commonwealth CPOWRA CRCS DEA Records DEA to High December delegates Despite Diary Dieppe DND Records Dominions enemy hands escape evacuation ex-POWs ex-prisoners exchange External Affairs February food parcels Geneva Convention German Hague Hamilton High Commission Hong Kong Ibid ICRC interned interview by author January Japan Japanese July June Korea liberated London maltreatment March memo ment military Militia and Defence National Defence National War Services November October Office OMFC organization Ottawa Papers prison camp Prisoners of War problems RCAF received Red Cross Society reel relief effort repatriation Report Rive Rivers Bulkeley Scott Second World Second World War September series A6 series G1 Stalag tion Toronto treatment United Veterans War Office Winnipeg Grenadier