Mona Parsons

Mona Parsons, a member of the Dutch Resistance and the only Canadian woman to be imprisoned by the Germans during the Second World War, is Nova Scotia’s 2018 Heritage Day nominee. This resource page includes links to archival and museum materials for classroom use in discussing her story, and the larger questions around Resistance to Nazi occupation in the Second World War. For the full account of Mona’s activities in the Dutch Resistance, her capture and remarkable escape from prison, see the Veterans Affairs Canada Infosheet (PDF), as well as the Canadian Encyclopedia article and her Heritage Minute.
 

Portrait photograph of Mona Parsons, Randall House Museum

Mona Parsons Heritage Minute

© Historica Canada

 

Mona Parsons Birth Certificate

Nova Scotia Archives

 

 

Interview with Nova Scotian Cora Greenaway about her activities in the Dutch Resistance

Nova Scotia Archives Vb1121/CTV News  

 

Imperial War Museum

Dutch Resistance brassard or armband, used to identify members to Allied soldiers

Credit: © IWM (INS 8077) http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30078933

Scarf of RAF pilot who evaded capture in the Netherlands

Credit:  © IWM (EPH 4565)  http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30084493

A Member of the Dutch Resistance Movement, Holland, 1944

Credit: © IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 4988) http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/26019

Oral history of Jouke Grandia-Smits, discussing the role of women in the Dutch Resistance and its diverse origins.

Credit: © IWM http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80008431

Oral history of Brunita Josepha ‘Jos’ Mulder-Gemmeke, discussing how and why resistance work was easier for women.

 

Objects or archives in Nova Scotia

Portrait photograph of Mona Parsons, Randall House Museum

Online exhibit on Mona Parsons, Randall House Museum  

Mona Parsons files, King’s County Museum

Mona Parsons commemorative statue project, CBC

Mona’s grave in Wolfville, and the certificates awarded to her for her Resistance service by the Allied high commands.

Cora Greenaway fonds description, Nova Scotia Archives

Cora Greenaway fonds content list, Nova Scotia Archives (PDF)

 

Other web links

Canada’s History article by Andria Hill “Remembering Mona Parsons”

Mona Parsons Official Website by Andria Hill-Lehr

Veteran’s Affairs Canada Infosheet (PDF)

Canadian Encyclopedia

Clip from CBC’s The National

Chronicle Herald piece on sculpture

Curio.ca (CBC) Mona Parson’s teacher’s guide (institutional school subscribers only)

Historica Canada’s Mona Parsons teacher’s guide (PDF)

Wikipedia

 

Dutch Resistance  links

Resistance Museum (The Netherlands)

“What do you do? Adapt, Collaborate, Resist” exhibit

Introductory video “The Netherlands in World War 2”

Videos of children’s viewpoints on resistance and collaboration

 

European Resistance museums

Museum of French Resistance and Deportation

Museum of National Resistance (France)

Resistance and Deportation History Centre (France)

Resistance Museum (Norway)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway%27s_Resistance_Museum

http://forsvaretsmuseer.no/

German Resistance Memorial Center