The Baie-des-Chaleurs Military Museum marks 80 years since the liberation of Canadian prisoners
Mary Robertson, LJI Journalist
NEW RICHMOND – The Baie-des-Chaleurs Military Museum in New Richmond hosted an open house on Saturday, August 9, to solemnly mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Canadian prisoners of war during the Second World War.
During the 1930s, Japan was expanding its empire through military conquests across East Asia. In response, Canada, along with other Western nations, imposed economic sanctions. The situation changed abruptly on December 7, 1941, when Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. It was then that Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King and his cabinet declared war on Japan, making Canada the first country to officially do so.
At the time, Canada had already been at war with Germany for more than two years. Just hours after the assault on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese forces struck Allied positions across the Pacific, including the British colony of Hong Kong. Two Canadian regiments, the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers, had been deployed there weeks earlier to help support the colony’s defences. Many of the young men in these regiments had left the safety of their homes in Canada to answer the call of duty during the Second World War. Most of them had never travelled beyond their hometowns, and as they crossed oceans, they could not have imagined the dangers and atrocities that awaited them.
The Japanese invasion of Hong Kong was overwhelming, and after 17 days of intense fighting, the British Colony surrendered to the Japanese on December 25, 1941. Of the 1,975 Canadians who took part in this battle, 557 were killed or died in prison camps in the years that followed.
On August 15, 1945, known as V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day), Japan surrendered, and thousands of Allied prisoners of war, including many Canadians, were liberated after spending years of captivity in harsh conditions, including forced labour, disease and starvation in the prisoner of war camps. Some of the men returned home, but they were forever changed physically and mentally by what they had seen and how they had been treated by the Japanese in the camps for almost four years.
The August 9 event held a special significance for the local Bay of Chaleurs community because many young men from the area had experienced these hardships. Their innocence was their first casualty, but their bravery helped shape the freedom that we take for granted today.
During the open house, the Museum Director, Tom Eden, took guests around the museum on guided tours. He later invited everyone to join him for a tree planting ceremony to honour the local men who had been Prisoners of War.
Nancy Doddridge, daughter of the decorated veteran Phil Doddridge, who had been a prisoner of war for 44 months in the internment camps in Japan, spoke about the importance of the event.
“Today’s tree planting marks 80 years since the liberation of Canadian prisoners of war held in the Pacific during the Second World War. We gather to honour the courage of those who fought in Hong Kong, to remember those who never returned and to stand with the families whose lives were forever changed.” She thanked the many volunteers and supporters of the Military Museum, and she paid tribute to her late father for his determination to build the museum and shape its future.
Tom Eden has always been interested in the military history of the Gaspe Coast because several members of his family had gone to war. Coming from a large family, he grew up listening to stories about how they had bravely fought for their home and country. He joined the army as a young man and later returned to the Coast. Although he was interested in its history, he never expected to be managing a military museum.
Due to his determination and tireless efforts, the new permanent exhibition at the Baie-des-Chaleurs Military Museum presents a captivating tribute to local veterans. It features a large and rare collection of artifacts, including uniforms, medals, military equipment, and even a wedding dress sewn from a World War II parachute. Multimedia displays, historic photographs, and recorded stories bring the past to life, engaging audiences of all ages.
The Museum is both a place of learning and a space of remembrance, honouring the courage and sacrifices of those who served. Its mandate is to preserve an important part of our Gaspesian history and to offer the community and visitors a better understanding of the local men and women who fought for our country.
As the community reflected on the 80 years since Liberation Day, the legacy of our local war heroes who fought to safeguard our future remains within the walls of this heritage site. The museum is a reminder that freedom is hard-won and that it is our responsibility to remember those who secured it. It is also a lesson from our past, so that we as Canadians and Gaspesians never have to face those challenges again.