Alien Internment Camp

Lieutenant-Colonel McAulay he came out of the 7th or 11th, we had amalgamated at that time and he became the district recruiting officer. So I took a few holidays and I walked into his headquarters and he said, “I’m just sending for you. There’s a vacancy for a captain on alien internment operations, would you take it? ” I said, “Yes, I will.” I ended up at a prison camp but I remember having to look after these civilian internees in Quebec City and when I got to know these people, I felt sorry for them. I don’t think they were enemies at all but they Germans by birth, mostly Jews, they had fled Hitler and war does strange things.

I didn’t like it. So the Royal Rifles was mobilized just about that time and there was vacancies there so I dropped from captain down to lieutenant and went and spent that next winter in Newfoundland with the Royal Rifles and I eventually came up to quarter master with the Royal Rifles and I carried a captaincy - the pay was better. Lucky I did because when we were locked away in prison for nearly four years there was a lot better pay coming to me when it was over than if I was lieutenant, I needed it, I was a family man.