When I was studying under Dr. Arnold Krammer at A&M, I learned a lot about the German POW camps in America. Texas had the largest number of camps of any state, and the largest one of these was in Hearne, Texas, just West of College Station.
When I later attended a University in Germany, I also attended an exhibit there on these camps. I realized something very interesting there: Because the Geneva Convention rules required POWs to get exactly the same quality of food as the host country's own soldiers. What this meant in America, ironically, is that German and Italian POWs ate better than the American civilians, since our rations for our troops consisted of more calories per day than the civilian rations.
The U.S. was the only country that followed the Geneva Convention to the letter. While the Germans treated U.S. and British prisoners well, they massacred millions of Polish ones and starved many thousands of Russians.
Here in the U.S., the Germans lived the good life. In many cases, they were loaned out to farmers as workers, and could work in the fields with minimal guards. In fact, one guard was reprimanded when he decided to take a nap and gave his gun to one German prisoner to "guard" the others.
Very few German POWs escaped, and all but one were caught. When Dr. Krammer wrote his definitive book on German POWs in America back in the early 80s, he mentioned this man, and named him. Then, one evening, he got a call on the phone - it was the escaped prisoner. He was living in California and making a living as a tennis instructor. The professor and the prisoner met on the set of the Today Show, where the prisoner finally surrendered to U.S. authorities after 40 years on the run. He had forgotten almost all of his German, and when he finally was reunited with his sister, had to speak to her through a translator.
Anyway, it's an amazing era to study. Here's some info on Camp Hearne:
http://nautarch.tamu.edu/anth/waters/
The prisoners (mostly from the Afrika Korps) wore their uniforms. This was a Geneva Convention requirement. In fact, German POWs, who were often given passes to go into town unescorted, were allowed to give the Sieg Heil salute. This caused controversy in a Kansas town, because they did this outside of a movie theater. The U.S. military did not want to ban the "Hitler greeting" because of fear that the Germans would retaliate and require U.S. officers to do the "Sieg Heil" instead of the American salute.
German POWs at Hearne were well treated. They played in an orchestra, and spruced up the camp with artwork:
They got to make model gliders in their spare time.
Hearne was kind of the headquarters camp, and they did things like run the post office for all U.S. POW camps. Here the inmates are sorting mail:
Probably the only time when the "big football game" in Hearne did not mean a trip down the road to Kyle Field.
Though they liked America, many were homesick, as these paintings show:
German canteen engraved by prisoner:
Schauspielern (Actors)
I especially like the "Old West" play, which apparently they wrote and directed by themselves:
Barracks of the American guards:
When I later attended a University in Germany, I also attended an exhibit there on these camps. I realized something very interesting there: Because the Geneva Convention rules required POWs to get exactly the same quality of food as the host country's own soldiers. What this meant in America, ironically, is that German and Italian POWs ate better than the American civilians, since our rations for our troops consisted of more calories per day than the civilian rations.
The U.S. was the only country that followed the Geneva Convention to the letter. While the Germans treated U.S. and British prisoners well, they massacred millions of Polish ones and starved many thousands of Russians.
Here in the U.S., the Germans lived the good life. In many cases, they were loaned out to farmers as workers, and could work in the fields with minimal guards. In fact, one guard was reprimanded when he decided to take a nap and gave his gun to one German prisoner to "guard" the others.
Very few German POWs escaped, and all but one were caught. When Dr. Krammer wrote his definitive book on German POWs in America back in the early 80s, he mentioned this man, and named him. Then, one evening, he got a call on the phone - it was the escaped prisoner. He was living in California and making a living as a tennis instructor. The professor and the prisoner met on the set of the Today Show, where the prisoner finally surrendered to U.S. authorities after 40 years on the run. He had forgotten almost all of his German, and when he finally was reunited with his sister, had to speak to her through a translator.
Anyway, it's an amazing era to study. Here's some info on Camp Hearne:
http://nautarch.tamu.edu/anth/waters/
quote:
During the second world war, large numbers of Axis soldiers were captured by the Allies. The first combatants captured by the American army belonged to Rommel’s Afrika Korps; captured in Tunisia in May 1943. These prisoners were brought across the Atlantic and interred at camps throughout the United States. By June 1945, over 425,000 Axis prisoners of war (ca. 371,000 Germans, 50,000 Italians, and 4000 Japanese) were housed in over 650 POW camps across the United States. While there is literature on the general POW program, most notably that of historian Arnold Krammer, none of these POW camps have ever been intensively investigated. These camps, which are a part of American history, are disappearing along with an entire generation of people who experienced these POW camps firsthand. Over the past several years, my students and I have been investigating Camp Hearne in an attempt to record its history before it is lost forever. We have conducted archaeological excavations at the camp, interviewed former guards and POWs, and searched through archives. Based on this research a comprehensive view of this camp is emerging.
The prisoners (mostly from the Afrika Korps) wore their uniforms. This was a Geneva Convention requirement. In fact, German POWs, who were often given passes to go into town unescorted, were allowed to give the Sieg Heil salute. This caused controversy in a Kansas town, because they did this outside of a movie theater. The U.S. military did not want to ban the "Hitler greeting" because of fear that the Germans would retaliate and require U.S. officers to do the "Sieg Heil" instead of the American salute.
German POWs at Hearne were well treated. They played in an orchestra, and spruced up the camp with artwork:
They got to make model gliders in their spare time.
Hearne was kind of the headquarters camp, and they did things like run the post office for all U.S. POW camps. Here the inmates are sorting mail:
Probably the only time when the "big football game" in Hearne did not mean a trip down the road to Kyle Field.
Though they liked America, many were homesick, as these paintings show:
German canteen engraved by prisoner:
Schauspielern (Actors)
I especially like the "Old West" play, which apparently they wrote and directed by themselves:
Barracks of the American guards: