WWII German POW's in Some Camps Lived Better Than US Citizens

History Channel | 29January, 2002 | History Channel

[Intolerant in NJ]

The History Channel carried an interesting program over the weekend on WWII German POW's who had been held in this country. Apparently the Geneva Conventions require that POW's must be detained under conditions equivalent to those provided the troops of their captors. In Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi, where the Germans were sent in the US, this meant barracks, PX availability, and even their own theatres and bands. POW's received fresh vegetables and meat daily, when US citizens were still under wartime rationing and often couldn't get these items themselves. In one location, prisoners had a daily beer ration, although the camp was actually located in the middle of a "dry" county. When POW's arrived at one camp where their barracks were not yet completed they had to live in tents temporarily; US troops assigned to guard them were required to live in tents themselves until the construction of the POW barracks was finished and the prisoners could move in. One official who had been involved in the program admitted that pehaps it was "naive" in some instances, but the American government had hoped that by treating the German POW's well we would help obtain better treatment for our own troops held by the Germans.

[Intolerant in NJ]

And I thought political correctness was a late twentieth-century invention...it sounds as though the Administration is wise in insisting that the Gitmo Taliban prisoners be classified as "Detainees" instead of "Prisoners of War" - with polls showing that eighty-plus percent of the people believe that the detainees are now being treated appropriately, there would probably be a wave of outrage if those murderous thugs were to end up living in barrracks more comfortable than any home they probably ever inhabited in their lives, and with PX privileges to boot.....

[onedoug]

I recall seeing German POW graves at Ft Gordon GA when I took basic there in 1967.

[Arthur McGowan]

One official who had been involved in the program admitted that pehaps it was "naive" in some instances, but the American government had hoped that by treating the German POW's well we would help obtain better treatment for our own troops held by the Germans.

Please reread this sentence from the news item.

So you are against our government's efforts during WWII to obtain the best treatment possible for American POW's?

[Razz]

What a perfect screenname.

[AppyPappy]

I'm sure the Nazis were REALLY concerned about it.

[Mark17]

WWII German POW's in Some Camps Lived Better Than US Citizens

In a lot of cases, so do inmates in US prisons, like the guy in a California prison, who recently got a heart transplant, courtesy of the California tax payer.

[Sen Jack S. Fogbound]

The regular German Army were fairly decent in treating prisoners. The German SS Army were brutal.

It is interesting to note that some 30% plus prisoners died in Japanese Prison camps whereas only 2% did in Germany. Appparently Germans made a better attempt to follow the Geneva Convention than the Japanese did.

[purereason]

"One official who had been involved in the program admitted that pehaps it was "naive" in some instances, but the American government had hoped that by treating the German POW's well we would help obtain better treatment for our own troops held by the Germans."

Didn't work then, hasn't worked since then, doubtful it will ever work.

[Warren]

Wasn't that a great show!

[Fred Mertz]

When I was stationed in Germany about 20 years ago, I became friends with a German. During Christmas he invited me to share dinner with his family, at his parents' home.

Turns out his father was a POW of the US during WW2. He saved some items from his POW camp as souvenirs (paper script, etc); I believe he was placed somewhere in Pennsylvania. He actually had fond memories of his POW time and America, and was happy to have this young G.I. as a guest in his home. True story.

[geaux]

My great-grandfather had POWs working on his farm, basically as slave labor. They were fed and housed, but my great-grandfather put them to work (side-by-side with his other sons). When the war was over, my grandfather told us that they begged and pleaded not to be sent back.

[dfwgator]

Appparently Germans made a better attempt to follow the Geneva Convention than the Japanese did.

Tell that to the former Polish and Soviet POWs (oh you can't they killed them all).

[AppyPappy]

Of course. THey didn't consider them human.

[Leto]

While it is true that the Germans treated British and Us prisioners better thsn the Russians or Poles. More Russians and Polish prisioners were killed by Stalin after WW2 in the gulag than Hitler killed (just a guess). Go figure.

[wheezer]

It is interesting to note that some 30% plus prisoners died in Japanese Prison camps whereas only 2% did in Germany. Appparently Germans made a better attempt to follow the Geneva Convention than the Japanese did.

Good point.

[vbmoneyspender]

couldn't you say that the Germans treated their Soviet prisoners about the same way the Soviets treated their German prisoners?

[GingisK]

I believe he was placed somewhere in Pennsylvania.

That would be "Indiantown Gap". I did my Advanced ROTC summer camp there in 1971. The POW compounds were still there.

[dfwgator]

couldn't you say that the Germans treated their Soviet prisoners about the same way the Soviets treated their German prisoners?

No argument, there. And as another poster pointed out, Soviet POWs who did manage to survive German POW camps went straight to Stalin's gulags after the war (if they even made it that far).

[xkaydet65]

Actually the German military was very concerned about the treatment given to U.S. and U.K. POWs. They were quite aware that the U.S. alone had 250K German POWs in the U,S, while the Brits had more in Canada.

You might be interested to know that the survival for U.S. and U.K. POWs in Germany was around 99%.Also, little or no effort was made to interrupt the delivery of home packages or Red Cross relief. So little effort, that American and British Intel were able to deliver radio equipment and escape equipment, like maps, papers, cameras with no German resistance.

It's natural to believe that the state that murdered 10 million civilian prisoners would not take care of the POWs in its charge, but the reality is quite different.

[geaux]

So little effort, that American and British Intel were able to deliver radio equipment and escape equipment, like maps, papers, cameras with no German resistance.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. So *that's* how Hogan did it.