Hello!
This new slideshow features one of the many stunning items in the Henderson collection. This piece now belongs to the Royal Alberta Museum.
It’s a larger-than-life painting of a German soldier, with an Everyman look in his eye.
Bob’s story of the painting is intriguing, and we hope you enjoy it.
This is one of our slideshows of items from the Henderson Collection of artifacts and documents about German Prisoners of War in Canada during the Second World War, and the Veterans Guard of Canada who looked after them.
Bob Henderson is still actively collecting! If you want to get in touch with him please do. You can email him at homefront @ sasktel.net. Do not leave any spaces in the address – I just did that to stop robots from spamming Mr. Henderson.
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I hope you like this short video from the Henderson Collection.
If you have information or items related to the German Prisoners of War in Canada or the Veterans Guard of Canada, please do get in touch with Bob.
RObert Henderson’s story of georg Hoegel
Georg Hoegel served in the German Submarine Service as a Radio Operator, and was captured off the U-110 on 9 May 1941. A sample of the Top Secret “Enigma” Coding machine was also removed from the U-boat, so the surviving crew members were held incognito for seven months as part of the amazing capture that would change the course of the war.
Hoegel and his crew mates were transferred from England to Monteith, Ontario, Canada, where he produced a prolific volume of art work of local flora and fauna, other PoW, etc. His art work was so popular, that the Commanding Officer had his St. Bernard dog taken from Port Arthur to Monteith via taxi, so Hoegel could paint a picture of it. The location of this is unknown to the writer.
I first heard of a large painting of a German soldier while talking to a visiting guest speaker after a meeting of the Regina Archeological Association in 1994. After the meeting, a small group of us were discussing our collecting interests, and she commented that she knew of a large PoW painting in Saskatoon owned by a family named Caldwell.
On my next visit to Saskatoon, I inquired through my local friends, and one knew the Caldwell family very well, so I was able to obtain the appropriate address and telephone number to make contact. I drove to the residence, and knocked, introducing myself to Mr. Caldwell, and explaining that I was a collector of PoW memorabilia.
My timing was not good, as Mr. Caldwell had a business engagement pending, but he took the time to tell me about the painting. It had hung in Medicine Hat PoW Camp 132 with another large painting during the time that his father, a Canadian Military Doctor, had served at the PoW Camp. When the war ended, this picture had been sent through the mail to Dr. Caldwell’s home.
The painting was too large to display in Dr. Caldwell’s office or residence, so it had been placed in storage since the war at a separate location. Mr. Caldwell explained that he had offered the item to the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, but they had never replied to his letter.
My time ran out as Mr. Caldwell had to depart, so it was back to Regina with information and hope that something might develop in the form of
a acquisition.
At a later date, I was attending a gun show in Saskatoon, and I telephoned Mr. Caldwell, again explaining who I was, and he recalled my earlier visit. At that time, I made an cash offer for the painting, sight unseen, and to my utter amazement, Mr. Caldwell accepted. He told me the location of the stored painting, and we agreed to meet there at a specified time. Fortunately, my son-in-law was also attending the gun show, and he was driving a large van, capable of taking a very large painting back to Regina.
He and I drove to the address and found a rickety old, unlocked vehicle shed. In the rafters, face up, with lawn chairs thrown over it, was a painting. We pulled it down, disturbing bird nests, but I was amazed to see a solitary soldier with a machine gun slung over one shoulder, on a 4 ft. by 8 ft. painting. We loaded it into the van, at which time Mr. Caldwell arrived. I explained that we had arrived on time, located the painting, had loaded it up, and here was his cash. A handshake followed, and we were on our way. You can’t imagine the ecstasy I was feeling!
On arriving home, I placed the painting on saw horses in the basement, telephoned a Museum Curator friend of mine, and explained the overall condition and filth coating the surface, which included bird droppings. Within a day he gave me a cleaning solution, suggesting I use cotton balls. The result is as you see it – a few minor blemishes that only enhance the overall appearance.
In 1993, I published a book, “German Prisoners Of War In Canada And Their Artifacts”. In 1994, I received a letter from Mr. George Hoegel from Munich, Germany, explaining that he had painted the picture while being a PoW held at Monteith, Ont. Camp 23. It hung in a building along with another of a mother and children, and were marked with a patriotic slogan. Both pieces were later moved with Hoegel to the Medicine Hat PoW Camp 132, where they were again displayed.
In following letters he sent one that he had mailed to his parents from Monteith, explaining that he was gathering material to initiate these painting projects. He also sent a photocopy of another painting showing the two paintings from Monteith hanging in position within the building at Monteith.
We corresponded until failing health precluded him writing further. A final letter to me on 28 December 2013 indicated he was 94 years old.
