Watching German Prisoners of War

[connie]

Many in the 106th experienced what it was like to BE a prisoner of war. But, others in the division came to experience the responsibility of being in charge of German POW's.

Earlier in the war, POW's were shipped to England and the USA. However, as the war neared its end and then ended, men of the 106th were placed in charge of large and growing numbers of prisoners. I am not certain which units held these responsibilities when. And, I haven't a clue what the details of the work looked like.

I do know that just feeding these men was a massive undertaking. I do know that my father spoke of going to the "POW 'cages'" to get laborers to do work in the camp. I have no mental image of what those "cages" were like or what life was like for those guarding these enclosures or feeding and caring for POW's... And, I don't know the duration of these duties. Dad became part of the Army of Occupation in Germany, and I heard no more mention of POW's. This is not an area I have researched yet. I would be interested in being educated on this subject!

Thanks!
Connie

[floydragsdale]

Hello Connie:

Floyd again.

It was April, 1945. We were as far as the Rhine River, Near Mainz, Germany. German Soldiers were surrendering to the American Army by the thousands. Word got around to them that we treated PW's better than anyone else.

The 106th inherited the job of processing and discharging German PW,s.

We were located on the Rhine River at a town by the name of Heidesheim. The PW camp was located in an orchard near the river. There were 96,000 men in that camp.

It was a nightmare in the beginning as there was no enclosure around that camp. My Company and others of the 2nd Btn. of the 424th Rgt. were guards there. The distance around the compound was seven miles. I know that because we walked around it more than once.

The weather was good for the 1st few weeks; yet after that it turned very cool and wet. There was no shelter for the German PW.s.; all the had was what they brought in with them when they surrendered.

We gave up one meal a day so the prisoners could have something to eat. We got a cup of soup at midday to put something in our stomachs.

In about a week, or so, the compound was enclosed with barbwire.

A US Army truck would go in the camp every morning and pick up those who died the past day. The German Red Creoss set up a tent close to the camp. Between the Red Cross and men in our Btn., a sense of order and humane conditions was acheived as quick as it could be accomplished. If I remember right (after 64 years) a sense order and purpose was acheived in about a week. Of course, acheiving an ideal situation in tne compound was a on going process.

Sanitary conditions had to be taken care of at once. I can almost smell that situation, to this day.

Prisioners were discharged, according to the occupation they had as civilians, first. Men who had been in the building trades were among the first ones to be set free.

A sad thing to witness was at chow time for America Troops. Children from the village came to collect our garbage. What ever we didn't eat they took home to share it with their family.

War is hell. It can be as bad for the civilians as it is for the infantry soldier who has to do the Armys' dirty work on the front lines.

Now you know something, as experienced, from someone who was there and had a part in the action.

Bye now,


Floyd

[Carl W.]

3.
Thanks for your extensive description of the conditions in the PW enclosures Floyd. It must have been an enormous task to guard and feed all those German PW's.

Here is a color still taken at Camp A-5 at Sinzig under the command of the 159th Infantry.

[Carl W.]

4.
Here's an interesting US Army training film showing how the processing of enormous quantities of German POW's is handled.
Just click the link in blue.

Controlling German Prisoners of War 1945

[roger]

5.
My father, Sgt. William Myers, served with the 6951 OH (Prov) Guard Bn, Detachment F. He was the motor pool sergeant. This unit was one of the many that was formed to assist in handling German PoWs. The unit was located at PWTE A-2 at Remagen.

I have the daily journal for this unit which describes virtually all associated unit movements, transfers and aspects of daily life from April into July, 1945 when A-2 was closed. It is quite revealing. It includes a list by name of PoWs who were interrogated for jobs within the camp and their subsequent assignments. I have a phot0 (posted on Carl's website) of my father, 3 American soldiers and 2 PoWs in front of the motor pool office. The names of the PoWs that dad identified also appear in the unit's daily journal....along with a Lt. Woolsey who was the Motor Officer. It is my plan to pass a copy of this very lengthy document on to Jim for his site....however, if there is some way to add it to this discussion board I would be happy to try to accomodate that.

In addition, thanks to David Wiswar (whose father served with the 159th attached to the 106th during the same time period) I acquired a number of maps depicting the locations of all the camps along the Rhine. That information appears on Jim West's website.

I do recall a story (sketchy) told by my father to a friend of the family about his escorting a group of PoWs to some other location. It was very cold and rainy and was going to involve a few days by foot. The prisoners did not have proper clothing for the weather....my father requisitioned clothes and boots for the prisoners. Along the way they billeted with farm families. The PoWs were so appreciative of how my father treated them that they would trade their meals (served by the farm family) with him in the event that the famly might be a "sympathizer" and would try to feed my father poisoned food. He was very moved by the PoWs actions toward him. I have no idea why he was escorting the prisoners or where they were going.

[roger]

6.
A couple years ago I was searching the web for information about the many Prisoner of War Temporary Enclosures in which the German PoWs were held. I stumbled across an advertisement for a book entitled Diary of a Captivity. This book was written by Heinz B. Heidt about his time as a prisoner at Remagen (Camp A 2). The book was in German (a realy problem for me, obviously) so I attempted to contact the author.

I received a very nice letter from him. He served with the 116th Armoured Division known as the Greyhound Division. In his letter he stated:
"In the PWTE at Remagen I was for six weeks only (April, 24th - June, 6th 1945). I lived in several cages, always surrounded by comrades of the "Greayhound-Divison" (116th armoured division). But we were separated sgrictly from all American personnel and just so it was impossible to find out anything about how the camp was organized.

Later on I have a very good time in Camp Philip Morris near Le Havre, France. There we must assit the US-engineers managing the gigantic embarkation camp for GIs waiting for their turning home. In this camp we were in a good position to talk with a great number of US-soldiers every day."

Herr Heidt also included in his letter a copy of a memorandum with a banner identifying the Headquarters and Service Company, 298th Engineer Combat Bn, AP) 562. The memo was dated 17 August 1945 and signed by Desxter M. Sweet, 1st Lt., Commanding. the memo was entitled POW Labor and it identified several prisoners (including Heinz Heidt) who were to report for work each day at company headquarters.

[Carl W.]

7.
Thanks for sharing this very interesting information Roger. I have ordered a copy of Mr Heidt's book. The PW handling period is a fascinating part of the 106th's history. For others of you who are interested here's a link:
www.rheinwiesenlager.de/heidt-buch.htm

The diary of the 6951st OHG Bn also sounds to be an interesting read. i will be looking around for it. In suspect the file size of the document to be a bit to large to attach here, unless you can upload it on an external large file upload website and post the link.

Rgds,
Carl

[roger]

8.
Carl

The diary is actually not published....I got it from NARA. It is well over a hundred pages. I don't have the expertise to put it on an external file but was thinking of mailing it to Jim or Connie....maybe they could do something with it...what do you think?

I do know that the PoW handling is very controversial. I have read some stuff that was not very complimentary of the US!

I am sure you would have no language problem with Mr. Heidt's book....he said it had not been and probably would never be translated.

Roger

[connie]

9.
Roger,

Thanks. This is interesting stuff. Carl and Jim are definitely those with the most technical expertise when it comes to postings. I'm sure that the assessment that this site is not capable of handling a large document is accurate. Jim's Indiana Military site is the place for this. If Jim can do it, we could post the link to the location within his site right here.

I'm guessing that Jim will be holding off on further postings on his site until the dust settles and he has a final answer on who will be hosting that site. That announcement can be posted on the News on this site.

Connie

[floydragsdale]

10.

Hello Carl:

Just saw your reply to my message about crossing the English Channel. Than was interesting. The 106th must have departed England at intervals and at different places.

My Btn. (2nd) of the 424th Regiment embarked at Soluth Hampton late Nov. 44. The channel was so rough that the ship sat out there for five days before we disimbarked into the LST Landing craft. We were probably the most seasick outfit to land on the beaches of France.

I sure remember that day because I had a bad bruise in my leg & had to use it to push myself away from the ship; so I could drop down into the landing craft. If a man fell inbetween ships, he was dead. They couldn't help you. Am Officer told us that when we began to go over the side of our ship.

Crossing the Channel, I remember seeing the "White Cliffs of Dover". We didn't get a Thanksgiving Dinner that Month because we were on or way to France at the trime.

We landed at Omaha Beach & hiked to near LaHarve where everyone waited for a Truck Convoy to take us to Belgium. GI's joked about the weather as it wasn't the sunny France we had heard about. It was rainey & misty stuff.

Thanks for your message; it makes sense. It would have been an impossible job to move the entire Division in one operation.

Floyd

NOTE: (from Connie) For more CHANNEL CROSSING notes on this board, click on this link: 106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=dates&thread=198&page=1
(it will take you to Channel Crossing/ Landings in France listing under "Dates and Places in Division History")

[connie]

11.

Hi,

Floyd posted more detail on German POW's in American Hands under the "POW Experience" heading:
106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=pow&action=display&thread=359

Once again we owe Floyd thanks for a first hand account.

Connie