Handmade German P.O.W. Bismarck Model

Brookwood

Brookwood

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Saskatoon
Hello Everyone

I'd like to share a recent find I purchased at a local antique store. The sale tag described it as a 'WW1 Battleship Model'.... I immediately recognized it for what it was and purchased it. It is a WW2 German P.O.W. model of the Bismarck. It came out the estate of a longtime collector of historical artifacts who passed away over 30 years ago. This person was not a ship collector or a modeler, but preferred collecting artifacts with an interesting connection to history. When I got home and took a closer look, I discovered a Canadian Censorship stamp on the bottom and using a blacklight, found a feint trace stamp for Camp 132 (Medicine Hat, Alberta). There is no name on it identifying who made it, but I have found one other mirror duplicate that is currently in a museum that leads me to believe this one was made by the same person. The museum's records authenticate that theirs was produced by a survivor of the Bismarck who was interred at Camp 132.

Based on comparisons to the other documented, identical existing model, the museum's records on theirs, the level of detail only known by someone who was there (details of the exact armament were censored by the Nazi Government at the time) and the two stamps present on this example, I believe this to be an authentic German P.O.W. model, made at Camp 132, by a survivor of the Bismarck.

Edit - Thank you for the PM offers, but I am not interested in selling.

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Here is a view of the underside of the case. Some of the boards show traces of their original use - fruit crates (some of the burnt in lettering is visible). The Canada Censor stamp is visible on the top board, on the right side, to the left and slightly below of the knot in the wood (the semi circular mark). The Camp 132 stamp is visible on the middle board, on the right side, to the left and slightly above the screw head (the dark smudge).





Here is a close up of the Canada Censored stamp (the Camp 132 stamp does not photograph well under normal light but is readily apparent under black light)


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Here's an example for comparison I found online -

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Enjoy, comments welcome.

Brookwood
 
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That is a great piece of history and super interesting, many thanks for posting. This artifact has so many back stories going for it, the story of internment camps, the sailors life behind the wire, Camp 132, the ship, censorship and lastly the fellow using his time to make this model. Good eye and a great save.
 
Great find! Very cool that you were able to find and identify the proof marks that indicate it was a POW produced work. Some very well done research!
 
The frustrating part was that the antique store owner said there were a "few other models of sailing ships in a similar case" that were sold to other people - for less than $100 each.....

In researching this piece, I found out that the same sailor made sailing ships as well as Bismarck models in exchange for extra cash and cigarettes in the camp.....

I'm tempted to run an add in the S'toon paper to acquire them, but I'm sure the collection has been spread far and wide by now. In light of the 'original' owner's attitude to competitiveness, I'm positive he had every example of this sailor's work.

If you recently purchased or received a sailing ship in a crudely made wooden case from a Saskatoon antique store, check the underside for a stamp like the one I posted above, you might have a piece of history sitting on the shelf in your man cave..

Brookwood
 
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Nice find and good eye for knowing what it was, I could have completely walked past that not knowing.

I remember someone telling me that German POW's also made the butts at Connaught Ranges in Ottawa while interned there.

Regards,
-Steve
 
When I was in east Africa the paved roads were in a terrible state of repair. Apparently they had been constructed by Italian POWs during WW2 with no maintenance done after the Brits pulled out. I thought they should have invited the Italians back.
 
RifleDude said:
Keep things in perspective. I'm sure these models were not carved with a pocket knife like the Bismarck model.
Click to expand...

PoWs in the Napoleonic era were often kept on prison hulks moored in harbours; not in sunny country camps where the only thing the Germans could find to complain about was the height of the urinals in the washrooms. (That's not a joke BTW) Making models out of the bones they got either in their rations or elsewhere, was a way of making some extra money to spend on food. And of course helped to keep you from going loopy.

Most people today have no understanding of how high the level of craftsmanship was in previous centuries. Those models were made with the most basic tools: a file perhaps, a knife, a small saw if you could make one, a bow drill if you could make one, that sort of thing.

Before the welfare state, you produced or you starved, in general, which has a wonderful way of focusing the mind on the task at hand.
 
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