Slave Labour Selection
Heroes Remember
Slave Labour Selection
Transcript
Description
Mr Peterson recalls the selection process of the slave Labour drafts.
George N Peterson
Mr. Peterson was born in Winnipeg February 8, 1921. His family moved to Saint Watell, where he now considers home, when he was five years old. His father was a Veteran of the First World War, having served as a sergeant in Artillery. Having participated in Sea Cadets and the Cameron Cadets previously, with written permission from his father, Mr. Peterson joined the Winnipeg Grenadier Militia as a drummer in the bugle band in January 1938, at the age of 16. Mr. Peterson signed on for active service with the Winnipeg Grenadiers on September 6, 1939, - his twin brother also joined the Grenadiers September 7th, and their father joined the Winnipeg Light Infantry September 12th. Soon after signing on, Mr. Peterson was promoted to Lance Corporal and was made a Mark 4 Vickers machine gun instructor. After Basic Training, his unit was shipped to Jamaica as POW camp reinforcements, but returned to Canada soon after On October 27, 1941, his unit boarded the Awatea in Vancouver, bound for Hong Kong. Captured after capitulating to the Japanese, Mr. Peterson was interned in North Point and Shamshuipo POW camps. While at Shamshuipo he was put to work as slave labour at Kai Tac Airport. Eventually he was sent to Japan to work in a coal mine 120 miles north of Tokyo. After three years and eight months of internment, Japan surrendered to the Americans. Mr. Peterson was reunited with his family soon after.
Meta Data
- Medium:
- Video
- Owner:
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Duration:
- 00:59
- Person Interviewed:
- George N Peterson
- War, Conflict or Mission:
- Second World War
- Location/Theatre:
- Asia
- Branch:
- Army
- Units/Ship:
- Winnipeg Grenadiers
- Rank:
- Lance-Corporal
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Mr. Peterson remembers not being able to fathom the destruction done by the atomic bombs dropped on Japan while he was interned.
Japan Capitulates
Mr. Peterson remembers discovering that Japan had surrendered to the Americans.
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