Uncle POW

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

His capture was remarkable... his friend ( forgotten the name ) was born in a part of Europe that changed hands between Germany and France post WW1 . This chap was born in that region and became part of the French army 1939.. after capture the Germans said he is really a German , so he became part of the German army.

Mike .
That area would be Alsace-Lorraine..
right along the French German border running down to Switzerland..
A great wine growing area..
Was married not far from there..Lahr..
Changed hands in 1871..and many other times..
Many people immigrated to Canada from that area after 1871..whole towns..and groups..
Many landed in Quebec..kept their French local dialects..and then moved as a group from Quebec to western Canada in 1905..to settle in towns there they built out of the prairie when Alberta and Saskatchewan were formed into provinces in 1905 and the Canadian government were giving 50-100 acres free land to new settlers ..These groups moved ..en mass ..still retaining their French language brought from the A-L area and still speak that dialect of French today..which is a pure French of old Europe..I know..My sister in law is one of them..
Their names were changed from a German name of long unpronounceable version to a shortened version of 5 letters that became a big family name in Quebec ..but is actually German rooted.
Ain't history fun..

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Alex Blair

That area would be Alsace-Lorraine..
right along the French German border running down to Switzerland..

So who owns that Alsace-Lorraine region today .. would be France I think ?

[cletrac (RIP)]

Alex, that was 160 acres of land for the new settlers and it cost $10. My dad homesteaded and said it was '$10 and a lifetime!'

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Haute Alsace, Basse Alsace and Lorraine, de facto annexed by the Third Reich in 1940, were returned to France in 1945.

I was gobsmacked that around 130,000 men were drafted into the Wehrmacht (Heer, Luftwaffe and Kreigsmarine) and SS.

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by cletrac

Alex, that was 160 acres of land for the new settlers and it cost $10. My dad homesteaded and said it was '$10 and a lifetime!'

Of course you are right..a quarter section..I have been in Ottawa too long..

[Mike K]

I forgot the actual main section...