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| STALAG LUFT III POW CAMP ( Diorama ) |
***WARNING***
**CONTAINS GRAPHIC PICTURES**
OF GERMAN BRUTALITY AND DEATH
**THAT MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME**
*******
POW ( Nazi Prisoners Of War )
Written By : Jeffrey R Hilton
The very words to many conjure up images of horror, torture and most certainly, brutal murders committed repeatedly without conscience, inflicted by guards and interrogators alike, picked as the cream of the crop from the worst of evil men with a penchant for violence and intolerance of others. That along with a sense of dedication to Hitler's twisted dehumanizing murderous plans, would be reason enough to go out of your way to avoid capture and possible imprisonment at all costs. Early in the war, the vast number of soldiers that didn't realize just how brutal the Nazis were, ended up in prison camps and that was just the lucky ones. Many more were subjected to seemingly unthinkable horrors and lack of humanity or dignity and died horrible deaths on the spot or in concentration, or extermination camps. Hitler was a man beyond all reason, lacking of morale compassion, and filled with vile thoughts, evil beyond measure. It's only by the grace of God, men filled with righteous cause and valor, and the officers that led them, willing to sacrifice their lives to stop a madman from hell itself, that we enjoy our freedom today. God Bless The Allied Soldiers Everywhere.
POW camps kept more or less to following the rules of war set aside by the provisions of the Geneva Convention. Most captured officers were sent to the Oflags, while both officers and enlisted men were imprisoned in, Stalags. Some camps were ran by the Luftwaffe and originally intended for captured airmen. The Germans captured many allies that parachuted behind enemy lines in advance of other battle groups. The former Luftwaffe is quick to remind that, they, don't like to be lumped in with the SS, Waffen and other such sections known for their violent unforgiving nature and are quick to point out that they treated prisoners with civility under Geneva Convention rules.
As a captured enemy, you were almost always sent to a transient camp,( Dulag ) first, where you would be processed, interrogated, and the fate of your next stop would be decided. More often that not, prisoners were transported on trains, in box cars. In the early days of the war, these journeys could be long depending on where your destination was, and how many times the train had to pull off onto a siding to let another train pass. The train would stop and allow it's captives to leave the train to relieve themselves and have a stretch. This practice didn't last long and would be unheard of later during the war
and the conditions of these cars became filthy and smelled like death as so many people were crammed into a car together bound for extermination camps.
When Germany invaded Russia, in 1941, the Russians were caught off-guard and the vast numbers of Germans overwhelmed whole Russian battle groups along with towns and it's citizens whom were sent to camps. Over 5 million Soviets were captured. Only 1 in 5 would ever come home to Russia. many were sent to labor camps. These prison camps provided only enough to eat to barely sustain life and ravenous hunger was always a problem. The Red Cross played a vital role during these wars and were instrumental in many captured servicemen's escapes from prison camps. They also provided much needed parcels of food items like, vegetables, dried fruit, tinned condensed milk, butter, biscuits and chocolate. These parcels were like gold and anxiously awaited for. They gave a captive a little something to look forward to and improved morale.
If you were captured, it was generally known that you would be imprisoned in a camp and escaping right away was your best chance, when you were still fit and more readily able. All you needed was a chance and the skills of a clever escapee. Most prison camps were laid out the same with few variations. All had guard towers and razor wire and most barracks were single storey wooden structures with double or triple bunks, and a single stove set on bricks. Once you were interned at one of these camps, the most common way of escape would be to tunnel your way out. The Germans knew this and would send so called experts in escape, to infiltrate the camps and try to gain information about escape plots. Some of these infiltrators were English speaking and would sneak under a barracks and eavesdrop on conversations. These were known as weasels and they didn't go unnoticed very often. Captured men were assigned duties by their own captive officers and observation of the gate into the camp was closely scrutinized to see and record who was coming in and going out. Weasels and guards were soon identified and word spread quickly when a weasel appeared in the camp.
In 1935, the game, Monopoly was introduced to the Western world and during the wars, Monopoly games began to be distributed by the Red Cross, to POWS so they could play the game. Unbeknownst to the Germans, The British MI9 who specialized in escape, hid many miniature compasses, maps, and files inside the game boards, that aided captives in their bids for freedom escape. Some prisoners were sent on work details and all were expected to parade at least once a day for roll calls. Officers under Geneva Convention terms were not required to labor. Tools to aid in escape were often cleverly manufactured by inmates from whatever they could get their hands on and sometimes, were acquired by bribing guards. Keys were copied and used. Guards were referred to as Goons. This puzzled many Germans, whom were told that it meant, German Officers or non-coms.
Many tunnels under construction were discovered by the Germans and when discovered they would often say nothing and let the tunnel go to near completion at which time they would bring heavy trucks into the camp to drive back and forth over the tunnels, collapsing them. Most tunnel entrances were cleverly concealed. Servicemen often escaped and made it to safety, only to captured again later. These captives were moved to higher security prisons, where escape was less likely. One of these prisons was Colditz, a converted castle in Saxony. The only high security facility within Germany. Goering himself declared Colditz escape proof, but multiple escapes were made by French, Polish, Canadian, Dutch, Belgian. and British captives. Colditz was the subject of a movie about life there and at one time, prisoners turned the upper floor into a false roof and worked above it building a glider to escape in. The only surviving picture of the glider is posted below along with a picture of Colditz in 1944.
The camp prisoners made their own stoves that were efficient enough to boil one liter of water by burning one page from a book.
Part 2
The Horrors Hitler Created
At the peak of the war, Germany had 130 prison camps. The camp, Bergen Belsen
also in Saxony, was originally purposed to house French and Hungarian prisoners, but later was renamed Stalag 311 and divided into 8 camps. A hospital camp, a star camp for Jews
Two, women's and children camps, a special camp, a neutrals camp, a Hungarian camp and a tent camp. The tent camps were an overflow for women and particularly for the sick and debilitated. It was in this tent camp that Anne Frank lived and died. Late in 1944 and 1945, a serious Typhus outbreak occurred from the poor sanitation and condition of the camp and 35,000 prisoners died. Upon liberation of this camp, another 10,000 died that were in advanced conditions brought on by starvation and exposure. A camp official declared that there was no way to pump water into the camp, but within a few days, Engineers diverted water from a nearby river and piped it into the camp, which hadn't had any running water for days.
As a captured enemy, you were almost always sent to a transient camp,( Dulag ) first, where you would be processed, interrogated, and the fate of your next stop would be decided. More often that not, prisoners were transported on trains, in box cars. In the early days of the war, these journeys could be long depending on where your destination was, and how many times the train had to pull off onto a siding to let another train pass. The train would stop and allow it's captives to leave the train to relieve themselves and have a stretch. This practice didn't last long and would be unheard of later during the war
and the conditions of these cars became filthy and smelled like death as so many people were crammed into a car together bound for extermination camps.
 |
| THE 'WERMACHT' INSPECTING THEIR HANDIWORK |
When Germany invaded Russia, in 1941, the Russians were caught off-guard and the vast numbers of Germans overwhelmed whole Russian battle groups along with towns and it's citizens whom were sent to camps. Over 5 million Soviets were captured. Only 1 in 5 would ever come home to Russia. many were sent to labor camps. These prison camps provided only enough to eat to barely sustain life and ravenous hunger was always a problem. The Red Cross played a vital role during these wars and were instrumental in many captured servicemen's escapes from prison camps. They also provided much needed parcels of food items like, vegetables, dried fruit, tinned condensed milk, butter, biscuits and chocolate. These parcels were like gold and anxiously awaited for. They gave a captive a little something to look forward to and improved morale.
If you were captured, it was generally known that you would be imprisoned in a camp and escaping right away was your best chance, when you were still fit and more readily able. All you needed was a chance and the skills of a clever escapee. Most prison camps were laid out the same with few variations. All had guard towers and razor wire and most barracks were single storey wooden structures with double or triple bunks, and a single stove set on bricks. Once you were interned at one of these camps, the most common way of escape would be to tunnel your way out. The Germans knew this and would send so called experts in escape, to infiltrate the camps and try to gain information about escape plots. Some of these infiltrators were English speaking and would sneak under a barracks and eavesdrop on conversations. These were known as weasels and they didn't go unnoticed very often. Captured men were assigned duties by their own captive officers and observation of the gate into the camp was closely scrutinized to see and record who was coming in and going out. Weasels and guards were soon identified and word spread quickly when a weasel appeared in the camp.
In 1935, the game, Monopoly was introduced to the Western world and during the wars, Monopoly games began to be distributed by the Red Cross, to POWS so they could play the game. Unbeknownst to the Germans, The British MI9 who specialized in escape, hid many miniature compasses, maps, and files inside the game boards, that aided captives in their bids for freedom escape. Some prisoners were sent on work details and all were expected to parade at least once a day for roll calls. Officers under Geneva Convention terms were not required to labor. Tools to aid in escape were often cleverly manufactured by inmates from whatever they could get their hands on and sometimes, were acquired by bribing guards. Keys were copied and used. Guards were referred to as Goons. This puzzled many Germans, whom were told that it meant, German Officers or non-coms.
Many tunnels under construction were discovered by the Germans and when discovered they would often say nothing and let the tunnel go to near completion at which time they would bring heavy trucks into the camp to drive back and forth over the tunnels, collapsing them. Most tunnel entrances were cleverly concealed. Servicemen often escaped and made it to safety, only to captured again later. These captives were moved to higher security prisons, where escape was less likely. One of these prisons was Colditz, a converted castle in Saxony. The only high security facility within Germany. Goering himself declared Colditz escape proof, but multiple escapes were made by French, Polish, Canadian, Dutch, Belgian. and British captives. Colditz was the subject of a movie about life there and at one time, prisoners turned the upper floor into a false roof and worked above it building a glider to escape in. The only surviving picture of the glider is posted below along with a picture of Colditz in 1944.
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| COLDITZ 1940s |
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| Glider built in false attic by inmates using mostly hand made tools |
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| Colditz in 2011 |
While living in England, I had the opportunity to meet at least one WWII Veteran Para who was caught at three different times, the last he was sent to Colditz where he remained until the end of the war. Unfortunately, as in many cases, he didn't like to recall any of those times, so getting information was a challenge. Escapes were perpetuated by using disguises, covering for someone to allow them time to get away when possible and any means that could be thought of. If you managed to escape, you had to know where you were going to reach neutral territory, avoid the local people that might give your presence away, not leave any evidence or trail behind, easily blend in a crowd, and use cunning detection avoidance methods if you were to have any chance.
The camp prisoners made their own stoves that were efficient enough to boil one liter of water by burning one page from a book.
Part 2
The Horrors Hitler Created
At the peak of the war, Germany had 130 prison camps. The camp, Bergen Belsen
also in Saxony, was originally purposed to house French and Hungarian prisoners, but later was renamed Stalag 311 and divided into 8 camps. A hospital camp, a star camp for Jews
Two, women's and children camps, a special camp, a neutrals camp, a Hungarian camp and a tent camp. The tent camps were an overflow for women and particularly for the sick and debilitated. It was in this tent camp that Anne Frank lived and died. Late in 1944 and 1945, a serious Typhus outbreak occurred from the poor sanitation and condition of the camp and 35,000 prisoners died. Upon liberation of this camp, another 10,000 died that were in advanced conditions brought on by starvation and exposure. A camp official declared that there was no way to pump water into the camp, but within a few days, Engineers diverted water from a nearby river and piped it into the camp, which hadn't had any running water for days.
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There are confirmed documented cases of cannibalism among Russian prisoners of war and the dead Germans. Whether in a camp or still fighting, starvation was always present. The lengths one would go to and the chances they took to smuggle or steal any food items were incredible.
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| JEWISH WOMEN ORDERED TO STRIP BEFORE EXTERMINATION |
.jpg) |
| It's no wonder many people will never forget or forgive the Germans for the savagery they reveled in during the wars |
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| Jewish Women And Children Heading For An Extermination Camp |
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Do Have A Good Day And A Long Memory
Jeffrey Robert Hilton
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