During the Second World War the Canadian government experimented on its own soldiers at a remote base in the Alberta prairies. Had these tests been done on enemy soldiers they would be labeled as war crimes. Secret War is the story of four Canadian soldiers, out of more than two thousand, who between 1941 and 1945 volunteered to be human guinea pigs, testing deadly mustard gas at Suffield, Alberta.
The soldiers tell us in their own words about the tests they underwent in gas chambers and open fields. We hear first hand what it was like to be burned with the gas, receive painful wounds, and undergo the suffering they and others endured so Canada could be prepared to defend itself against a gas attack.
Historian Donald Avery provides a context for these experiments, describing the mood of the country and the attitude of the leaders that led them to make their decisions to participate in chemical warfare preparation. Avery reveals that it was Canada’s first Nobel Laureate Dr. Frederick Banting, the discoverer or Insulin who championed Canadian involvement in wartime chemical and biological research.
Secret War takes us beyond the initial testing and injuries. Most of the men suffered symptoms from mild to severe in the immediate post-war period. But the veterans of our story and many of their comrades had an insurmountable problem: the Canadian government denied the fact that they were even at Suffield. Some were afraid to complain of problems because they might be violating secrecy laws. Others were simply told, “There’s nothing in your medical records.” And not a single Suffield vet, in the 50 years after the war, was followed up for medical care, for research or to receive veterans’ benefits.
The wall of silence and secrecy began to crumble in the early 1990s. Under pressure from the public and some veterans the government began to respond slowly. Some men received pensions and treatment but none got what most of them said they really wanted—recognition for their secret wartime service.
Finally, the Canadian Government recognized the veterans’ wartime contribution with a ceremony at Suffield on May 5, 2000. The Minister of Defense attended, unveiled a plaque and gave the 20 veterans present certificates recognizing their service.
The four veterans in Secret War say they are deeply concerned with how the other 2000 veterans and their families have fared. They want the government to find them and fast track claims if they have them. All of 0the experts interviewed say the burden of proof is on the government, not the veterans.
