[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

From Alex Souchen's dissertation "Peace Dividend: The War Assets Corporation and the Disposal of Canada's Munitions and Supplies, 1943-1948":

It is worthwhile to download Souchen's dissertation for a good read on how Canada disposed of its Army's assets.

When I asked Bing Chat: "Is there any mention of dumps in Belgium in Alex Souchen's The War Assets Corporation and the Disposal of Canada's Munitions and Supplies, 1943-1948?" it replied:

"In **Alex Souchen's** dissertation titled **"Peace Dividend: The War Assets Corporation and the Disposal of Canada's Munitions and Supplies, 1943-1948"**, the focus is primarily on how the Canadian government and military handled surplus munitions and supplies after **World War II**. The study explores the disposal program from **1943 to 1948**, emphasizing the political, social, and economic significance of these objects. Here are some key points from the research:

1. **Disposal Program Establishment**:
- In **November 1943**, the Canadian government established the **Crown Assets Allocation Committee (CAAC)** and the **War Assets Corporation (WAC)** to plan, control, and implement the disposal program.
- The objects accumulated during the war persisted long after hostilities ended and required careful procedures for demobilization or destruction.

2. **Critical Themes Explored**:
- The study elaborates on four critical themes:
- The **continuous and evolving nature of public pressure** for government action on disposal.
- The **role of the CAAC and WAC** in controlling disposal operations.
- The **stewardship** required for objects of war as they transitioned from one use to the next.
- The **process of reducing, reusing, recycling, and upcycling** munitions and supplies into new forms and functions.

3. **Postwar Impact**:
- By examining the **extended social lives** of these objects, the study connects material culture with **postwar reconstruction, rehabilitation, and demobilization**.
- Although disposal was not perfect and left behind some **environmental legacies**, the conversion of surplus assets into peacetime purposes helped mitigate their threatening impact on economic stability, political authority, and public safety.

Unfortunately, there is no specific mention of dumps in Belgium in this particular dissertation. However, it provides valuable insights into how Canada managed its surplus assets during the critical postwar period¹.

For further reading, you can explore Alex Souchen's work, which contributes to fields such as **military history, Canadian history, material culture, and disarmament studies**¹².

Source: Conversation with Bing, 12/25/2023
(1) "Peace Dividend: The Disposal of Canada's Munitions and Supplies 1943 .... https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/3638/.
(2) War Junk: Munitions Disposal and Postwar Reconstruction in Canada. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51087852-war-junk.
(3) War Junk by Alex Souchen – Canadian War Museum Boutique. https://www.warmuseum.ca/boutique/pr...-alex-souchen/.
(4) The War Assets Corporation and the Disposal of Canada's Munitions and .... https://docslib.org/doc/1805594/the-...lies-1943-1948.
(5) undefined. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/3638.
(6) "Under Fathoms of Salt Water" Canada's Ammunition Dumping Program, 1944 .... https://www.academia.edu/34899569/_U...gram_1944_1947.
(7) â•œUnder Fathoms of Salt Water:â•š Canadaâ•Žs Ammunition Dumping .... https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/303921595.pdf.
(8) UBC Press. https://www.ubcpress.ca/a-vexatious-...tions-disposal.
(9) undefined. http://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol26/iss2/3."