Item Description
Original Items: One of a Kind Set. Here we have a fantastic set of U.S. WWII "Home Front" militaria, in the form of items related to the many German P.O.W.'s that ended up being housed in the United States. Great Britain had limited space and resources to deal with the numerous German P.O.W.s that were taken during the war, and requested that the U.S. help by accepting 175,000 prisoners. This number eventually grew to 425,000 by the end of the war, housed in 700 camps scattered throughout the United States.
Unfortunately, the U.S. had only brief experience with a limited POW population in the first world war, and 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 prisoners were usually shipped in Liberty Ships returning home that would otherwise be empty, with as many as 30,000 arriving per month to New York or Virginia, where they were processed for distribution to camps. While they risked being sunk by their own U-boats on the ocean, good treatment began with the substantial meals served aboard. Upon arriving in America, the comfort of the Pullman cars that carried them to their prison camps amazed the Germans, as did the country's large size and undamaged prosperity.
With the large number of camps and how widespread they were geographically, the prisoner experience could vary widely. One thing that was in common though was that the German prisoners would usually be kept in their uniforms or work shirts, which were stripped of insignia and then had P W (Prisoner of War) painted onto the pants and shirts. Usually this would be added on the back of the shirt, and on the arms.
The shirt in this set is a Tropical "Work" shirt, which were made in various colors based on the branch and on the location. The tan color of this example most likely represents a prisoner from the North African and/or Italian campaign, which was virtually the only source of German POWs until the D-Day landings and subsequent liberation of advance across Europe. The shirt is in very good service used condition, showing fading and staining from use, probably from both before and after the owners capture.
Included with the shirt is a very nice PRISONER OF WAR POST CARD, with text in English and German, which shows a picture of German POWs in their work uniforms, which are a mix of tan and darker green. There is another photograph of German POWs inside one of the camp buildings, which apparently is a canteen / mess hall. The back of the photo is dated 21 JUL 1943, and there is also a small article attached to the back, which reads GERMANS PATRONIZE CANTEEN IN PRISON CAMP, CAMP CHAFFEE, ARK. Per the caption, they are purchasing ice cream and other refreshments, using coupon books given to each POW by the U.S. Government.
Also included is a nice newspaper page from the THE EUROPEAN, dated 14 - 17 October 1993, which has part of an article related to Camp Aliceville in Alabama, regarding a 50th anniversary reunion for prisoners in the camp, which brought both former prisoners and guards / workers as well as their descendants to the small town of Aliceville. During their time at Aliceville the German prisoners turned the area almost into a miniature Germany, and many had fond memories of their time there. A museum was founded at the same time to house artifacts from the camp.
In General, while it was the "job" of Prisoners of War to attempt escape, they were relatively rare among the German prisoners in the United States, with only about 2,222 of the 425,000 (0.52%) attempting escape. Still. there were successful escapes, and the last two items in this wonderful set are two early 1946 dated FBI ESCAPED PRISONER OF WAR wanted posters. The first is for ROLF AUGUST LENDLE, who escaped on or about July 23, 1945 from a POW Camp at McCain's Gin near Shreveport, Louisiana. The second is for KURT ROSSMEISL, alias BILL ROSS, who escaped on or about August 4, 1945 from the POW Camp at Camp Butner, North Carolina. Both of these were sent to the Chief of Police in Kent, Ohio.
Definitely a fantastic collector's set for those interested in the experience of German POWs held in the United States. Ready research and display!
- This product is available for international shipping. Shipping not available to: Australia, France, or Germany
- Due to legal restrictions this item cannot be shipped to Australia, France or Germany. This is not a comprehensive list and other countries may be added in the future.
- Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon
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