On September 10th, 1939, Canada formally declared war on Nazi Germany, seven days after the United Kingdom. This act was both a major step for Canadian independence, and brought the country into World War II. It is a conflict that Canadians know all too well, and a source of great national pride. Yet, while events like the Dieppe Raid, storming Juno Beach on D Day, and the liberation of the Netherlands, are common knowledge, other aspects, like logistics and what’s happening on the homefront, fall by the wayside. But Canada has plenty of interesting stories to tell from these less mainstream sides of war. Especially when it comes to Prisoners of War.
After France fell to Germany in June 1940, the United Kingdom knew they would face some intense attacks from the German Luftwaffe. However, they had hundreds of German POWs, and there was concern that they could break free during the aerial raids and aid their countrymen behind enemy lines, or rejoin the Third Reich should Britain fall. Thus, it was decided they should be transferred to new, more secure locations. And Canada was the perfect choice, what with the Atlantic Ocean separating the two countries, and the Royal Canadian Navy was patrolling those waters to protect Allied ships.
Canada housed over 3700 POWs from 1940 to 1946. This necessitated several buildings be renovated and turned into POW camps. One of these is Camp 30. It was originally the Bowmanville Boy’s Training School, built during the mid 1920s. In 7 months, it was outfitted with a double barbed wire perimeter with gates and guard towers, sleeping quarters were made from existing residence and additionally constructed barracks, and existing gardens and trees were removed to give the guards better line of sight on the prisoners. Veterans of the first World War served as guards.
The prisoners of Camp 30 were officers from all facets of the German military. This separation of officer and soldier was done to reduce the risks of organized riots and rebellion. Once they arrived, the prisoners were treated in accordance with the 1929 Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War. That is to say, they were given ample accommodations, good food and water, the ability to write letters home, and various amenities. Their care was so good in fact that, at the time, some journalists complained that the prisoners were getting better treatment than local Canadians. Food was the big sticking point, since wartime rations were implemented, limiting what kind of foods Canadians on the homefront could purchase and in what amount.
Camp 30 was emptied of prisoners in 1945, and closed its doors as a boy’s school in 1979. From 1981 to 2008, the facility was used for private and public schools before a spill into Soper Creek from its private sewage treatment plant saw it close for good. It has since fallen into a state of ill-repair, and its many stories have faded from the broader public awareness. Still, Camp 30 remains in Bowmanville, Ontario, a quiet reminder of Canada’s role on the homefront during the Second World War, including one of the only battles fought on Canadian soil. Though time has taken its toll on the site, its historical significance endures, and efforts are now underway to preserve it so that future generations can continue to learn from this overlooked chapter of our past.
Tyler B. Searle
