German prisoners of war in the United States
Encyclopedia
German prisoners of war in the United States were members of the German military interned in the United States
as prisoners of war during World War I
and World War II
. By the summer of 1945, there were 425,000 German prisoners living in 700 camps throughout the United States.
saw its first action in World War I
and only a relatively small number of German prisoners of war (POWs) reached the U.S. Many prisoners were German sailors caught in port by U.S. forces far away from the European battlefield. The United States Department of War
designated three locations as POW camps during the war: Forts McPherson
and Oglethorpe
in Georgia and Fort Douglas
in Utah. The exact population of German POWs in World War I
is difficult to ascertain because they were housed in the same facilities used to detain civilians of German heritage residing in the United States
, but there were known to be 406 German POWs at Fort Douglas and 1,373 at Fort McPherson. The prisoners built furniture and worked on local roads. The few dozen who died while incarcerated as POWs were buried at Ft. Douglas, Utah, the Chattanooga National Cemetery
, and Fort Lyon
, Colorado.
entered World War II
in 1941, the Government of the United Kingdom
requested American help with housing prisoners of war (POWs) due to a housing shortage in Britain. The U.S. Government was not prepared to accept the prisoners for several reasons stemming from the fact that the United States Armed Forces
had only brief experience with a limited POW population in the last world war. Specifically, the United States
was unprepared for basic logistical considerations such as food, clothing and housing requirements of the prisoners. Almost all German-speaking Americans were engaged overseas directly in combat efforts and the American government feared the presence of Germans on U.S. soil would create a security problem and raise fear among civilians.
sent millions of soldiers overseas, the resulting shortage of labor eventually meant that German POWs worked toward the Allied
war effort by helping out in canneries, mills, farms and other places deemed a minimal security risk. Newspaper coverage of the camps and public knowledge were intentionally limited until the end of the war, in part to comply with the Geneva Convention and in part to avoid the fear of an enemy presence in such large numbers.
, and movies were shown as often as four nights a week. Even so, several escapes were attempted. On December 23, 1944, twenty-five German POWs broke out of Camp Papago Park
in Arizona
, not far from the Mexican border, by crawling along a 178-foot tunnel. By January, the escapees were caught, in part because a river they intended to cross by raft turned out to be a dry river bed.
The camps in the United States
are an "all but forgotten part of history," even though some former inmates went on to become prominent in post-war Germany. About 860 German POWs remain buried in 43 sites across the United States
, with graves often tended by local German Women's Clubs. Even in the communities which formerly hosted POW camps for Germans, local residents often do not know the camps ever existed. Reunions of camp inmates, their captors and local townspeople such as those held in Maine and Georgia have garnered some press coverage and local interest for this unusual and infrequently mentioned aspect of World War II
.
There is at least one recorded attempt by US authorities to extract information from German POWs through torture. The camps for Germans were cited as precedents for various positions or failures of U.S. detainee policy during the debate over detainees at Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp.
Georg Gärtner
escaped from a POW camp in Deming, New Mexico
on September 21, 1944, assumed a new identity, and lived quietly for decades until "surrendering" on the Today Show to Bryant Gumbel
in 1985. Although wanted by the FBI for forty years, he lives in Colorado
under his adopted name Dennis Whiles, and wrote a book about his experiences after escaping, Hitler's Last Soldier in America.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as prisoners of war during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. By the summer of 1945, there were 425,000 German prisoners living in 700 camps throughout the United States.
World War I
Hostilities ended six months after the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
saw its first action in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and only a relatively small number of German prisoners of war (POWs) reached the U.S. Many prisoners were German sailors caught in port by U.S. forces far away from the European battlefield. The United States Department of War
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
designated three locations as POW camps during the war: Forts McPherson
Fort McPherson
Fort McPherson was a U.S. Army military base located in East Point, Georgia, on the southwest edge of the City of Atlanta, Ga. It was the headquarters for the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, Southeast Region; the U.S. Army Forces Command; the U.S. Army Reserve Command; the U.S...
and Oglethorpe
Fort Oglethorpe (Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia)
Fort Oglethorpe was an Army post established in 1902 and opened in 1904. It served largely as a cavalry post for the 6th Cavalry. During World War I Fort Oglethorpe was home to 4,000 German Prisoners of War and civilian detainees. During World War I and World War II, it became a war-time...
in Georgia and Fort Douglas
Fort Douglas, Utah
Camp Douglas was established in October 1862 as a small military garrison about three miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah, for the purpose of protecting the overland mail route and telegraph lines along the Central Overland Route. In 1878, the post was renamed Fort Douglas. The fort was officially...
in Utah. The exact population of German POWs in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
is difficult to ascertain because they were housed in the same facilities used to detain civilians of German heritage residing in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but there were known to be 406 German POWs at Fort Douglas and 1,373 at Fort McPherson. The prisoners built furniture and worked on local roads. The few dozen who died while incarcerated as POWs were buried at Ft. Douglas, Utah, the Chattanooga National Cemetery
Chattanooga National Cemetery
Chattanooga National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located near the center of the city of Chattanooga in Hamilton County, Tennessee...
, and Fort Lyon
Fort Lyon
Fort Lyon, first named Fort Wise, was operated on the Colorado eastern plains until 1867. That year a new fort called Fort Lyon, and later Las Animas, Colorado, U.S. Naval Hospital and 5BN117, was built near the present-day town of Las Animas, Colorado. First named after Virginia governor Henry...
, Colorado.
Background
After the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entered World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1941, the Government of the United Kingdom
Government of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Government is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who selects all the remaining Ministers...
requested American help with housing prisoners of war (POWs) due to a housing shortage in Britain. The U.S. Government was not prepared to accept the prisoners for several reasons stemming from the fact that the United States Armed Forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
had only brief experience with a limited POW population in the last world war. Specifically, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was unprepared for basic logistical considerations such as food, clothing and housing requirements of the prisoners. Almost all German-speaking Americans were engaged overseas directly in combat efforts and the American government feared the presence of Germans on U.S. soil would create a security problem and raise fear among civilians.
The camps and the Geneva Convention
Camps holding German POWs were built in forty-six states, although an exhaustive list of POW camps in the United States may not exist because of the small and temporary nature of some camps and the frequent use of satellite or sub-camps administratively part of larger units. U.S. guidelines mandated placing the compounds away from urban, industrial areas for security purposes, in regions with mild climate to minimize construction costs, and at sites where POWs could alleviate an anticipated farm labor shortage. According to the Geneva Convention Prisoners of War could work on farms or elsewhere only if they were also paid for their labor. As the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sent millions of soldiers overseas, the resulting shortage of labor eventually meant that German POWs worked toward the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
war effort by helping out in canneries, mills, farms and other places deemed a minimal security risk. Newspaper coverage of the camps and public knowledge were intentionally limited until the end of the war, in part to comply with the Geneva Convention and in part to avoid the fear of an enemy presence in such large numbers.
Camp life and escape attempts
Life for Germans in American POW camps was "firm but fair" and the likelihood of an escapee returning to German forces overseas was very remote. German prisoners had friendly interaction with local civilians, luxuries such as beer and wine were sometimes available, and hobbies or sports were encouraged. Alex Funke, a former POW at Camp Algona wrote: "We all were positively impressed by the USA....We all had been won over to friendly relations with the USA." Prisoners were provided with writing materials, art supplies, woodworking utensils, and musical instruments and were fed the same rations as U.S. soldiers. German POWs were allowed regular correspondence with family in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and movies were shown as often as four nights a week. Even so, several escapes were attempted. On December 23, 1944, twenty-five German POWs broke out of Camp Papago Park
Camp Papago Park
Camp Papago Park was a prisoner of war facility located in Papago Park in the eastern part of Phoenix, Arizona. It consisted of five compounds, four for enlisted men and one for officers...
in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, not far from the Mexican border, by crawling along a 178-foot tunnel. By January, the escapees were caught, in part because a river they intended to cross by raft turned out to be a dry river bed.
Post-war developments and media coverage
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
are an "all but forgotten part of history," even though some former inmates went on to become prominent in post-war Germany. About 860 German POWs remain buried in 43 sites across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with graves often tended by local German Women's Clubs. Even in the communities which formerly hosted POW camps for Germans, local residents often do not know the camps ever existed. Reunions of camp inmates, their captors and local townspeople such as those held in Maine and Georgia have garnered some press coverage and local interest for this unusual and infrequently mentioned aspect of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
There is at least one recorded attempt by US authorities to extract information from German POWs through torture. The camps for Germans were cited as precedents for various positions or failures of U.S. detainee policy during the debate over detainees at Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp.
Georg Gärtner
Georg Gärtner
Georg Gärtner was a World War II German soldier from Schweidnitz, Lower Silesia.-Biography:While serving with the Afrika Korps, Gärtner was captured by Allied troops in Tunis in 1943 and was brought to America as a prisoner of war. He escaped from his prison camp in Deming, New Mexico, at the...
escaped from a POW camp in Deming, New Mexico
Deming, New Mexico
Deming is a city in Luna County, New Mexico, United States, located 60 miles west of Las Cruces. The population was 14,116 at the 2000 census. Deming is the county seat and principal town of Luna County.-History:...
on September 21, 1944, assumed a new identity, and lived quietly for decades until "surrendering" on the Today Show to Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
in 1985. Although wanted by the FBI for forty years, he lives in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
under his adopted name Dennis Whiles, and wrote a book about his experiences after escaping, Hitler's Last Soldier in America.
See also
- List of POW camps in the United States
- Camp AdairCamp AdairCamp Adair was a United States Army division training facility established north of Corvallis, Oregon, operating from 1942 to 1946. Part of the site is now contained within the E. E...
- German American internmentGerman American internmentGerman American Internment refers to the detention of people of German citizenship in the United States during World War I and World War II.-Civilian internees:...
- World War II related internment and expulsion of Germans in the AmericasWorld War II related internment and expulsion of Germans in the AmericasBy the outbreak of World War II, the Nazi party's foreign countries organization sought to organize German citizens abroad, and managed to enroll between 3% and 9% of the German citizens in the American countries. Though disappointed by low participation, NSDAP/AO by public activities of uniformed...
- United States home front during World War IUnited States home front during World War IThe home front of the United States in World War I saw a systematic mobilization of the entire population and the entire economy to produce the soldiers, food supplies, munitions, and money needed to win the war...
- German prisoners of war in the Soviet UnionGerman prisoners of war in the Soviet UnionApproximately two million German prisoners of war were held in the Soviet Union during World War II and in the years that followed. Most of them were captured during the great advances of the Red Army in the last year of the war. In the first months of the Soviet-German war, only about 26,000...
- Fort Leavenworth Military Prison CemeteryFort Leavenworth Military Prison CemeteryFort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery is a cemetery maintained by the Fort Leavenworth Military Prison...