Tommys Log Links Milag Nord

Milag Nord Prisoner of War Camp

Links and Books

This is a short list of links that may be of interest to those who want to follow up on Merchant Navy topics. Many of these sites (eg. Gordon Mumford's) contain many more related links than I have listed here.

Click on the flag or icon to the right to visit the site. All link sites open in a new window.

Gabe Thomas' site which is still under development.
Canadian Dept. of Veterans Affairs -Merchant Navy
Lots of Merchant Navy detail, interesting guest book and tons of links.
Brian Probetts' site on the British Merchant Navy. Includes a forum, lots of pictures, help in finding old shipmates, etc, etc.
This is a Forum that covers a large number of Merchant Navy topics.
Barbara and Gordon Mumford have put together a nice site with a lot of links to MN topics. .
The Scharnhorst which along with the Gneisenau sank Tommy's ship the Kantara. The picture to the right of the Gneisenau was in Tommy's log.
The Naval Museum of Manitoba. Includes a page with a list of all Canadian Merchant Navy ships lost or damaged in WWII.
Mac Gregory's web log, Naval and Merchant Navy stories and links.
The New Zealand Merchant Navy in WWII
Warsailors, the history of the Norwegian Merchant Navy
Mark Hickman's site about Prisoners of War -lots of stories, camp descriptions etc.
This site by Peter Mulvany is about Irish Seamen during WWII. Includes a section on Irish Pows taken from Milag by the Germans and used as slave labour.
Obtain a copy of the Merchant Seaman Painting/Poem. You can see the full sized version by clicking here.
Stories of some American Merchant Marine POWs. Most of these were handed over to the Japanese and suffered under horrible conditions.
A not-for-profit foundation dedicated to marine conservation research and education.
Maple Leaf Up, not a Merchant Navy site, but lots about the Canadian Army in WWII.
My business web site, web design, hosting, etc.
My personal web site.

Books Most of the books related to Milag are currently out of print however they are available from time to time through Ebay or Amazon. Another great source is your local library. I have also included some books about the Canadian Merchant Navy.
Milag: Captives of the Kreigsmarine Gabe Thomas Milag Prisoner of War Association ISBN: 0 9525498 08	The most authoritative book on Milag gives a very detailed look at life in the camp and major events that affected prisoners. This book is out of print but can occasionally be found on Ebay or Amazon. (UK versions are best.)
Farewell Milag Arthur H. Bird MBE ©1995 British Red Cross ISBN: 0 9513475 1 9	Written by the only successful escapee from Milag, this book contains a lot of detail about Milag. It is quite often available on Ebay and Gabe Thomas has some copies available.
Running the Gauntlet Mike Parker Nimbus Publishing ©1994 Mike Parker ISBN 1-55109-068-6	An Oral History of Canadian Merchant Seamen in WWII. This book contains a chapter on Prisoners of War where some Milag POWs relate their experiences. Available in many Canadian Libraries and at Amazon.com
Atlantic Rendezvous William Murray Nautical Publishing Co. ©1970 W.H. Murray ISBN 245 59894 4	The author of this book never made it to Milag. He made a successful escape from the prison train much like Ernie Shakleton. He gives an excellent in depth description of life on a prison ship. Copies can be found on Amazon.com
Sailors in Cages Roger V. Coward Macdonald & Co Publishers ©1967 Roger V. Coward ISBN not in book	Roger Coward was a Naval Rating on the Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Voltaire. He spent some time at Marlag then was sent to Silesia to a labour battalion much like Fred Hutson. This book is out of print and hard to find, but may be in some libraries.
Prisoner's Progress David James MBE DSC Brown Watson Ltd. ISBN not in book	A Naval Officer whose Motor Launch was sunk off Holland, James managed a successful escape from Marlag. He has a fair bit about Milag in the book. Available through Amazon and sometimes on EBay.
The Unknown Navy Robert G. Halford ©1995 Robert G. Halford Vanwell Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-55125-016-0	A history of Canada's WWII Merchant Navy. At the end of the war, Canada had the third largest Merchant Fleet of the Western Allies. This book tells how it came about. Available on Amazon and at most Canadian Libraries.
In All Respects Ready Cmdr. F. B. Watt RCN(R) ret 'd ©1985 Frederick B. Watt Prentice Hall Canada ISBN 0-13-453630-4	Cmdr. Watt was the RCN boarding officer responsible for ensuring Merchant Vessels were ready to sail from Halifax during the war. He did much to make life in the Merchant Navy a little better. This book is widely available in Canada in both hard and soft cover.
The Arming of Canadian Merchant Ships in the Second World War ©2003 RCNA/DEMS Royal Canadian Naval Association/Defensively Equip ted Merchant Ships Branch ISBN 0-9693580-9-1	Like the RN, the Royal Canadian Navy provided men and equipment to defend the Merchant Navy. This book details the history of this endevour. The book is hard to find although it is sometimes on EBay.