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A huge number of German POW were sent to Canada. The idea being to make it impossible for them them to even think of escaping back to Germany.

IIRC only one actually made it back into action by escaping to the (then Neutral) US & eventually back to Germany.

Franz Xaver https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freiherr" rel="nofollow - Freiherr von Werra (13 July 1914 – 25 October 1941) was a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germany" rel="nofollow - German https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" rel="nofollow - World War II fighter pilot and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_ace" rel="nofollow - flying ace who was shot down over https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain" rel="nofollow - Britain and captured. He was the only https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_powers_of_World_War_II" rel="nofollow - Axis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner_of_war" rel="nofollow - prisoner of war to escape from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada" rel="nofollow - Canadian custody and return to Germany apart from a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-boat" rel="nofollow - U-boat seaman, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walter_Kurt_Reich&action=edit&redlink=1" rel="nofollow - Walter Kurt Reich , said to have jumped from a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_people" rel="nofollow - Polish troopship into the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Lawrence_River" rel="nofollow - St. Lawrence River in July 1940. Werra managed to return to Germany via the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US" rel="nofollow - US , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico" rel="nofollow - Mexico , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_America" rel="nofollow - South America and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain" rel="nofollow - Spain , finally reaching Germany on 18 April 1941. ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_von_Werra#cite_note-3" rel="nofollow - - [3 - ]}

There was a somewhat fictionalized  movie about it. 

"The One That Got Away is a 1957 British https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biographical_film" rel="nofollow - biographical https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_film" rel="nofollow - war film starring https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardy_Kr%C3%BCger" rel="nofollow - Hardy Krüger and featuring https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Goodliffe" rel="nofollow - Michael Goodliffe , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Gwillim" rel="nofollow - Jack Gwillim and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alec_McCowen" rel="nofollow - Alec McCowen . The film was directed by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Ward_Baker" rel="nofollow - Roy Ward Baker with a screenplay written by Howard Clewes, based on the 1956 book of the same name by Kendal Burt and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Leasor" rel="nofollow - James Leasor ."

Yes I worked with an ex Japanese POW. the moment one stepped into the large 4 story building he knew somehow.

"There's a f***ing Jap in the house"!

He was never wrong.

Fast forward to 1998 and I was deployed to the Golan Heights to be a member of UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force) and served alongside the Japanese contingent.  Interestingly the Golan Heights was the only overseas deployment of Japanese defense forces allowed by their government.  I admittedly had a bit of a chip on my shoulder when dealing with them but they were very polite and friendly to the point where they won me over eventually.  I became their sensei giving them English lessons and more importantly to them, helping them understand the bewildering formal mess rules and customs as in which glass to drink what out off, which fork to use, and most importantly, not putting the decanter down when Port was served!  I can only imagine how bewildering British Commonwealth regimental dinners could be to someone from a completely different culture.

The Japanese held a special parade for me at the end of my deployment and literally showered me with gifts and thank you's.  I was very much moved.  So, I've decided to let bygones be bygones and not look at Japanese people with a jaundiced eye any more.