The History of Ships in Bottles in Mississauga

Ship in a bottle made by German POWs, Cooksville Brickyard, 1944-46, traded to Teresa and Joseph Lichteneger, donated by goddaughter Ann Karner

You might wonder how someone could get a ship inside of a bottle, but you might also wonder: what do ships in a bottle have to do with Mississauga?

From 1944 until 1946, more than 200 prisoners of war (POWs) from the Axis powers in the Second World War lived and worked at the Cooksville Brickyard in historic Mississauga.

During the Second World War, Canada operated several internment camps that held POWs who were captured by Allied forces. A range of POWs were kept in these camps, varying from German combatant prisoners and German and Italian Enemy Merchant Seamen, to German, Italian, and Japanese civilians. Most of the POWs who worked at the Cooksville brickyard came to Cooksville from the POW Camp at Monteith, also known as Camp Q or Camp 23.

Cooksville Brickyard, c1925

In May of 1943, the Canadian government allowed the Department of Labour to begin a series of labour projects where POWs could work for a wage. It was a way for the POWs to travel beyond the walls of the internment camps while also helping to alleviate Canada’s labour shortage. The Cooksville brickyard here in historic Mississauga felt the effects of this labour shortage. One of their important brick supply contracts at the time was for the construction of the Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, originally planned as a veteran’s hospital. The brickyard sent a request for labour in July-August of 1944, and POWs began working at the brickyard in September of 1944.

Cooksville Brickyard POWs, 1945, photo courtesy of Heritage Mississauga

Approximately 50 POWs worked at the brickyard at a time, though as many as 125 were there at once. This number was always in flux as new POWs arrived, replacing sick, injured or misbehaving POWs, who in turn were sent back to Camp 23 at Monteith. Most of the POWs who worked at the Brickyard were Enemy Merchant Seamen, however some were also civilians. Most of the POWs were also German, although a few were Italian. From 1944 to 1946, more than 200 POWs came and went from the Cooksville brickyard.

The Cooksville brickyard labour project began shutting down in March of 1946, though there are still records of POWs working in the area into July and August of that year. Camp 23 shut down in November of 1946, so it is likely that the POWs were no longer working at the Brickyard by that time. Most POWs were returned to Europe by 1947, though a handful who escaped from their camps or labour projects remained. Some former POWs, after returning to Europe, immigrated back to Canada, with records of at least one resettling permanently in the Cooksville area of Mississauga.

Prisoners of War at the Cooksville Brickyard, courtesy of Maria Randi. ca 1945

While working at the Cooksville brickyard, the POWs were housed in barracks and lived near other brickyard employees. They worked together daily. Many of the POWs became close with other employees and citizens in the surrounding area, despite laws against fraternization.

Ship in the bottle made by German POWs at the Cooksville Brickyard, 1944-46, given to the family of Angelo Fedrigo, on loan from Yvonne Fegrido Carraro

When they were not working, the POWs had the time to socialize, seek entertainment, and participate in hobbies like sports, education, and crafts – such as making ships in bottles. It is possible that the artist(s) already knew how to create these works of art, although they may have also learned how to create them from other prisoners. Some of the ships in bottles display similar backgrounds, design elements, or special features, such as a tugboat, lighthouse, or multiple ships. Materials, such as bottle type, paints or newspaper clippings, likely varied depending on what was available. Similar patterns in construction may also be an indicator that the artists may have learned techniques from one another.

Ship in the bottle made by German POWs at the Cooksville Brickyard, given to the family of Angelo Fedrigo, on loan from Yvonne Fegrido Carraro

While POWs were allowed to purchase specific items from a brickyard canteen, the ships in bottles could be traded for other goods outside of the work camp, such as cigarettes, snacks, or even contraband such as currency, alcohol, or civilian clothing. The bottles on display at Heritage Mississauga were gifted or traded by German POWs, and for many who received them the bottles became treasured keepsakes. If you look closely, some of the ships even have names – one clearly says “Toronto” (historic Mississauga was formerly called “Toronto Township”), while another says “Fedrigo” (given as a gift to the Fedrigo family at the Brickyard). From the ships in the bottle on display at Heritage Mississauga, there were likely at least three different unknown POWs artists – and possibly more.

Ship in the Bottle made by German POWs at the Cooksville Brickyard, traded to Delmar Barker ov the Erindale General Store, donated in memory of Delamary Barker Wilkinson

We invite you to visit Heritage Mississauga’s office at The Grange (1921 Dundas Street West) to view the exhibit and marvel at these unique works of art, and to help us explore and document the stories of the German Merchant Marine POWs at the Cooksville brickyard – and the Ships in the Bottles that they created. The exhibit will be on display until September.