World War Wednesdays: "The Fine Accomplishments Which Have Attended its Growth": Cowal W.I. During WWII

     As a historian of both local history and broader subject matter, I often find myself developing obsessions with certain topics and stories (as evidenced by this blog). One such fascination this summer has been with the community of Cowal, a formerly bustling village between Dutton-Dunwich and Southwold Townships that has been reduced to ghost town status in recent years. I find the Cowal Women's Institute's edition of the Tweedsmuir Histories to be one of the most interesting and exhaustive, and enjoy flipping through and learning about the place it once was. In so doing, I came across an account of the Institute's service during the Second World War, and thought I would share some excerpts in recognition of some outstanding local women.

     "In 1939 War was declared. Many homes were affected and again every woman in the Community did War work of some kind. As well as quilting at the regular Institute meetings, the Community divided into four groups, namely Valley Group, 4th Group, 5th Group, and West Group, and quiltings were held in the homes and Red Cross sewing and knitting done." The Farmers' Club joined with the Institute to sponsor dances, auction sales etc., to raise money for overseas work."

     The Knitting Report for the March Meeting 1940 read that the following articles had been completed: "92 sweaters, 43 scarves, 116 pairs of socks, 43 pairs of 18" socks, 6 pairs of 25" stockings, 35 pairs of mitts, 34 pairs of gloves, 10 washcloths, 4 aero caps, 4 pairs of women's stockings, 2 women's vests, 21 pairs of ankle socks, 15 pairs of women's knickers, 1 helmet, and 1 pneumonia jacket." 
     The Sewing Report from that same meeting accounted for "19 bed gowns, 16 pillow slips, 16 sling bandages, 9 pneumonia jackets, 6 abdominal binders, 5 suits of pyjamas." For May and June: "11 hospital gowns, 2 pairs of pyjamas, 8 pneumonia jackets, 4 pillow cases, and 5 bandages."
     Mrs. Hugh Carroll, the writer of that section, rightly reflects that "The ladies never ceased their sewing and knitting as long as there was a need for it."

     Other volunteer efforts organized by the ladies included selling tickets on quilts, afghans, hope chests, blankets, and other items; salvage drives; door-to-door canvassing; teas at quiltings; and developing "numerous ways to raise money so badly needed to provide the necessities for our boys overseas."

     Mrs. Carroll writes further that "Boxes were sent regularly to our soldiers. 85 boxes were sent overseas in 1943-1944 alone. Total expense was $217.77. We were a very fortunate Community- all our boys returned. In appreciation of their sacrifice, the Institute presented each one with twenty five dollars in cash, or an equivalent gift."

     In addition, "We did not forget the people of Britain who gave so much. Boxes were sent after the war for distribution. In 1940 each member was asked to give 50 cents towards furnishing a Ward in a Canadian hospital in England. In 1941 the Institute was asked to send jam to Britain. It was decided to use the surplus fruit to make jam. A committee of 3 members reported making 96 pounds of jam to be sent overseas through the Red Cross. For several years the Institute sent 100 pounds of honey to England as a food supplement to their tight rationing."

     The last of the account states that "In their busy schedule the Women's Institute still found time once a month for two members to help serve the boys of the Airforce at Hostess House, Fingal Airport... In July 1944 a garden party was held at the Cowal Hall sponsored by the Women's Institute assisted by the Junior Girls and Junior Farmers to raise extra money for the Overseas Bof Fund, and these were continued later as a social event until 1952."

     The incredible contributions made by these women were in not exceptional in relation to those made by Institutes across the province, and they represent just one example of local community organization in support of the war effort. What I find unique is the depth of their records and use of existing social structures to adapt and develop ways of raising funds. 
     Thanks for reading,
Delany

World War Wednesdays: Heroes of North Dunwich

Ten acre maple bush on the Campbell farm, north half lot 19, concession 3, Cowal

     Being home always makes me want to post about the Elgin County area, and this week's search for original content brought me right to my own backyard. I thought it would be nice to pay tribute to my familial home of North Dunwich this week by compiling just a few of its Second World War servicemen and women. With Remembrance Day just around the corner I like to shed some light on individual stories, so this post marks the beginning of that trend for the 2016 edition. 

     For those readers not from the area, or those who are from Elgin but haven't had the pleasure of making an acquaintance with North Dunwich, I'll try and clarify the area in question this week: travelling north from Dutton, towards Glencoe is a network of small rural villages. These include Largie, Campbellton, and Cowal, all of which were once booming agricultural settlements with schools, churches, baseball teams, and annual outdoor concerts, inhabited by closely-knit neighbors of primarily Scottish descent. All of the individuals in this post came from those places, and from what I consider to be unique circumstances for war service. Since food production was a top priority for the Canadian government during the war, our farmers were highly valued as contributors to the war effort, with young men often being exempted from overseas service so that they could remain on the farms. While they could have achieved the same satisfaction of having served their country in the crucial agricultural capacity, the individuals in this post chose to also serve in the Canadian forces. Please join me in recognizing these remarkable individuals and their service:

Duncan Kenneth Campbell

SON of Mr . and Mrs . Alex Campbell, who reside near Cowal. Enlisted in the R. C. A. F. on September 8th, 1942. He was trained at Manning Pool, Toronto, and at No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School, McDonald, Man., where he graduated as an air gunner. He proceeded overseas in October, 1943, and continued his operational training in England near Stratford-on-Avon, eventually joining 408 Squadron (R. C. A. F.), a unit of No. 6 Canadian Heavy Bomber Group. F/Sgt. Campbell completed 38 operational flights including a ten-hour trip to Freidrichshaven in southern Germany, and the 1,000 bomber attacks in support of the Canadian and British forces at Caen in July, 1944. He returned to Canada i n November, 1944, and was discharged in February of 1945, and is now farming in North Dunwich.

Edgar St. Clair Campbell

 BORN in Dunwich Township, September 13th, 1909. He enlisted on August 13th, 1942, i n Toronto, and went overseas on January 30th, 1944.- He served with the Royal Canadian Engineers in England until May, 1945, and in Germany and Holland until September, 1945. He is now back in England.

John Stuart McWilliam

BORN near Campbellton, the son of Mr . and Mrs. A. N . McWilliam , and enlisted in the R. C. A . F. in May, 1944. He trained at Manning Pool in Toronto, and after receiving two months farm leave during the summer of 1944, was discharged as "services no longer required" in November, 1944.

Clarence McPhail Campbell

SON of Mr . and Mrs. A. M . Campbell, Cowal, enlisted for active service June 11th, 1942. After training in Canada at Petawawa and Debert, N.S., he went to the United Kingdom in August, 1943, as a member of the 33rd Anti-Tank Battery, 6th Anti-Tank Regiment. He went to France on D-Day and was then attached to the Elgin Regiment with B Squadron, 25th Canadian Armoured Delivery Regiment and continued with this unit through France, Belgium and Holland, in which country he still is stationed.

Lloyd McCallum

SON of Mrs . J. A. McCallum and the late Mr . McCallum, Cowal. Enlisted i n the R. C. A . F. in August, 1941. He served i n the fire department of the Ai r Force in Canada for over three years, when he was transferred to Newfoundland. L. A. C. MoCallum was discharged on November 17th, 1945.

Andrew St. Clair Duncanson

 SON of Mr . and Mrs . A. G. Duncanson of Largie. He enlisted for active service in October, 1939, with the Canadian Dental Corps. He served i n Canada at London, Stratford, Listowel and Kitchener, then was sent to the United Kingdom. He spent five months on the continent, serving in Normandy, Belgium and Holland. He has returned to Canada and has commenced dental practice in St. Thomas, Ont.

Lloyd George Leitch

SON of Mr . and Mrs. Thomas Leitch, Largie, was born January 14th, 1921. He entered the army Apri l 13th, 1944, and was at training depots in Chatham and London. He was discharged on May 31st, 1944, on medical grounds.

Don Allister Duncanson

SON of Mr . and Mrs. A. G. Duncanson, North Dunwich. was born on November 15th, 1919. He graduated from Dutton High School and attended University of Western Ontario. After enlisting in the R. C. A. F. i n June, 1941, he was trained at Toronto and Oshawa and graduated from Hagersville as a commissioned pilot. S/L Duncanson, after taking a general reconnaissance course at Summerside, P. E. I. , proceeded to the United Kingdom in October, 1942. He received his operational and torpedo training on Beauforts at Dunberry, Scotland, and in Northern Ireland, going to the Middle East and on to India in May of 1943. I n September, 1943, he was returned to the United Kingdom for conversion to Beaulighters and joined 144 R. A. F. Squadron at Wick, Scotland, i n April , 1944. S/L Duncanson completed forty-two operational flights, and was awarded the D. F. C. for securing a torpedo hit on a German merchant ship after being wounded by shrapnel. He returned to Canada in September, 1945, and was discharged on October 24th, 1945.

Clara Wrightwood

—ENLISTE D in London, Ont., June 10th, 1943. Took her — basic training in Kitchener through July, 1943, then _ took a driver's course i n Kitchener for six weeks, finished the middle of September. She was then sent to St. Anne de Bellevue on September 23rd, 1943. On June 11th, 1944, she was transferred to London, Ont., and September, 1944, worked at C. M . D. on Highbury Ave., until February. Then went to Meredith Bks. until ready for a discharge. She received her discharge from 101 Depot Co. July 6th, 1945. Clara also attended Largie School in Dunwich, where her father has resided since 1927. Her brothers, John Maurice Fox, Joseph Fox and Frank Fox, are also in the service.

     All of the photos in this post come from Elgin County Archives, with the information originating in A Tribute to Valour as compiled by Elgin County Archives. I'm proud to have showcased some relatives and community members this week, and of course recognize that they are a few of many more servicemen and women from the North Dunwich area. Please feel free to pass along the stories of any more individuals I may have missed!
     Thanks for reading,
Delany (@DLeitchHistory on Twitter)

World War Wednesdays: WWII German Prisoners of War... In Elgin County?!

World War Wednesdays: WWII German Prisoners of War... In Elgin County?!

 

 

A soccer team of German POWs in Canada, courtesy of the Canadian War Museum

 

 

     Hold onto your hats! This week's story seems so unbelievable to me. Researching local Second World War history has unearthed some crazy stories, and this is definitely one of them!

     The vast majority of local history pursuits I undertake start from little tidbits I hear amongst people's stories (usually my grandpa), which make me want to run to the archives and get the full scoop! I remember hearing a while ago that  groups of German Prisoners of War (POWs) came to work on local farms, and that a number of these men ultimately decided that they liked it so much in Elgin County that they stayed (of course, it wasn't hard to see what a great place Elgin County is to call home!) When I was at Library and Archives Canada the other day I came across a book written by Winston St Clair which included an interesting section on how the No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School at Fingal was used to house these POWs, and how this affected the surrounding area.

 

 

     In March and April 1945, after the School had been officially shut down following the end of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, the potential of POW labour for Elgin County was raised frequently in the local newspapers. On 10 March, The St. Thomas Times-Journal published a story which stated that the county would be receiving such assistance. Another story in that paper from 6 June announced that POW help would be available after 15 June and that the men would be housed at the Fingal RCAF station.

     The cost to the farmer would be thirty-five cents per hour per man, in minimum groups of five. The farmer could receive the men at Fingal, or they could be delivered to the farm at a cost of forty cents per POW, per day. They would be guarded at all times and both the POWs and guards would bring their own lunches.

 

     Of course, this idea was not entirely welcomed since many people imagined the camp to be filled with hardened Nazis ready to rape and pillage their way through the township. In actuality, the prisoners who were sent for agricultural work were classified into security colours of "white" or "gray". These men were for the most part non-combative with no desire to escape into a strange and hostile land. Given the conditions in Germany at the time it is probable that their only desire was to return to find their loved ones alive. It is also probable that less anxiety would have been related to the topic if the media had used the proper term "POW Hostel" to describe the Fingal facility instead of "POW Camp". The Hostel was intended to host up to 150 POWs.

 

     On 4 July, two Army Officers and thirty-five members of the Veterans Guard reported to Fingal for guard duty, and ten days later a group of 107 prisoners arrived. By the end of the month, fifty more prisoners arrived. The farmers were generally satisfied with their work, and the only complaint was of a bureaucratic nature (the farmers were not completing the necessary paperwork). By mid-August, the guards at Fingal contained some WWII veterans and recently-trained soldiers.

 

     The POWs were supposed to have been returned to their permanent camp at the end of the fall harvest season, but Daily Diary records indicate that this was not entirely the case, as a prisoner was killed by a truck while performing maintenance work on the station in March of 1946. In April, the Elgin County farmers awaited news on the possibility of POW labour before deciding whether or not to plant sugar beets. They considered the POWs to be reliable and experienced workers and the Germans preferred farm work to the industrial labour which would have been required of them in the United Kingdom. In early May, the Department of Labour advertised in the papers that POWs would again be available.

 

     In June, the Army assumed control over the Fingal Hostel. However, before this was made official, the Department of Labour assumed control of the facility. Although the POW agricultural labour project had been successful, the United Kingdom (which actually "owned" the prisoners) requested that they be returned for industrial work. The German POWs then left Fingal in late 1946.

 

 

     To me, this story symbolizes the remarkable idea of looking past political and ideological differences and collaborating in a way that benefits everyone. The farmers received a helping hand when demand was high and help was scarce, and the prisoners were able to experience all the bounty that Elgin County had to offer. I'm sure that a number of families' stories became intertwined with these workers, and their interactions not only influenced perspectives at the time, but even up to the present day.

 

Credit and recognition for the material used in this blog go to Winston St. Clair, "What Place Was This?"

 

Thanks for reading,

      Delany