How did the armies clear minefields?

Out of the Foxholes Questions
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How did the armies clear minefields? I would love to watch an episode about methods of clearing minefields.

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British version here

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I cant imagine a worse job. Probably the reason they have tried to outlaw them around the world. Well accept I think ? in the US army.

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I still have vague memories of the short introduction to mines and booby traps I got in the Canadian reserves in the mid-70s. Creeped me the hell out and I 100% understood the move to try banning them. Even the best mine-clearing operations might miss a few in a large minefield, and (especially later in the war) German engineers came up with non-magnetic mines that were much more difficult to detect and to safely disarm and lift.

I remember stories about some non-western armies using POWs and convicts to clear minefields, but I have never investigated to find out how accurate those stories were.

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Actually most militaries in WW2 did use POWs to clear minefields this includes the British and Americans although both did it to a lesser degree than the soviets, Germans and Japanese.

Also the Germans were known to use civilians in occupied territories for this as well.

Later in the war a huge advancement was attachments to tanks using a rotating drum with lengths of chain attached called a flail drum and another attachment that used a large weighted drum to be pushed in front of the tank to set off mines both of which were highly effective and are still used today by some militaries.

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There’s a good example of this in the Camp Borden military museum northwest of Toronto:

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I did take a photo of the information plaque, but unfortunately it’s very hard to read:

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Denmark used German POWs to clear German minefields at the North Sea after the war. This movie describes that story: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3841424/

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Funny story I guess.
My friend worked for a relief organisation. He was coming back from a country that had mines in it. He had several souvenirs in his suitcase. A few large spent shells, a military ration and an example of a personal mine. Coming into Canada, he was stopped by customs. He was sent to secondary customs. Something was wrong! The customs officer “Sir you cant bring that into the country.” Takes out the Military Rations, opens it removes a packet of Tomato Sauce throws it in the bin. “You cant bring that food in. Ok your good to go.” Seems Agriculture Canada trumps all else.

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