Eric Brunt's interviews with Second World War veterans now available through the Canadian War Museum

OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 18, 2025 /CNW/ - In 2018, Eric Brunt set out in a van to travel across Canada, with the goal of interviewing and filming as many surviving Second World War veterans as possible. Over the next four years, he recorded hundreds of stories from men and women from all branches of the military.

These invaluable first-hand accounts, produced by MELKI Films, are now preserved as part of the Canadian War Museum oral history collections. Currently, 200 transcripts are freely accessible through the Museum's collections database. The Museum will continue to transcribe and catalogue the interviews until all 483 transcripts are available to the public online.  

"With each passing year, there are fewer and fewer Second World War veterans," said James Whitham, Director General of the Canadian War Museum. "This collection of interviews forms a valuable record of personal experiences, which will further support the research and understanding of the impact of the Second World War long into the future."

A filmmaker who divides his time between his hometown of Victoria and Montréal, Eric Brunt was inspired to document veterans' stories after his grandfather, Clifford Brunt -- a Second World War wireless operator -- passed away. With regret, Eric realized he had no record of his grandfather's wartime experiences, and that made him wonder what other veterans' stories were out there, never recorded and on the verge of being lost forever. As a result of Eric's efforts, there are now 483 recorded interviews with Second World War veterans -- men and women, from all service branches including the Army, Navy, and Air Force -- that document their experiences during the War.

 "It shocked me that many of the men and women I talked to and filmed had never been interviewed on camera before to tell their stories while in the service," said Eric. "I truly believe that continuing to say someone's name will preserve their name in history. If we remember the names of those who fell during the War, we hopefully won't forget their service and ultimate sacrifice."

The Eric Brunt Collection complements the rich collection of oral histories already held by the Museum that have come from many sources over the years. This includes the more than 200 interviews completed as part of the project In Their Own Voices -- an exploration of the effects of military service on veterans and loved ones after the return to civilian life, covering conflicts and service from the Second World War through to the present day.  

Videos from The Eric Brunt Collection were acquired with funds from the donor-supported National Collection Fund. To access the oral history collections at the Museum, visit warmuseum.ca/collections. Direct links to each collection are below. Video files are accessible by request through the Military History Research Centre.

• The Eric Brunt Collection
• In Their Own Voices Collection
• Friends of the Canadian War Museum Collection

About the Canadian War Museum
The Canadian War Museum is Canada's national museum of military history. Its mission is to promote public understanding of Canada's military history in its personal, national and international dimensions.

The MELKI Group of Companies 
The MELKI Group of Companies produced, distributes and owns The Eric Brunt Collection. The Company, encompassing MELKI Films, MELKI Productions, and MELKI Distribution, is a Montréal-based production and distribution house. It currently has a busy slate of documentary and scripted films and curatorial projects focusing on storytelling through the visual arts.

To request videos from The Eric Brunt Collection for broadcast purposes, please contact Viveka Melki at MELKI Distribution: [email protected].

The Eric Brunt Collection trailer: https://youtu.be/IDonqw8gfIo?si=tt95VfSdTBZ1VWfJ 

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SOURCE Canadian War Museum

Media contacts: Avra Gibbs Lamey, Senior Communications and Media Relations Officer, Canadian War Museum, Telephone: [phone], [email protected]; Jeremy Katz, Publicist, Melki Films, Telephone: [phone], [email protected]