Comments on: The Not-So-Great Escape: German POWs in the U.S. during WWII http://www.historynet.com/the-not-so-great-escape-german-pows-in-the-us-during-wwii.htm?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-not-so-great-escape-german-pows-in-the-us-during-wwii From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:36:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: gene http://www.historynet.com/the-not-so-great-escape-german-pows-in-the-us-during-wwii.htm#comment-786617 gene Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:23:36 +0000 #comment-786617 On the east coast and golf,German subs sunk many ships, One sub surfaced next to a life boat, (after sinking a ship) offered any help they could, and giving the survivors cigarettes and food, disappeared below the surface. Meanwhile, after a japaneese sub on the west coast sunk a ship, they also came up near life boats and proceeded to shoot at the men in those lifeboats... On the east coast and golf,German subs sunk many ships, One
sub surfaced next to a life boat, (after sinking a ship) offered any
help they could, and giving the survivors cigarettes and food,
disappeared below the surface. Meanwhile, after a japaneese
sub on the west coast sunk a ship, they also came up near life boats
and proceeded to shoot at the men in those lifeboats…

]]> By: gene http://www.historynet.com/the-not-so-great-escape-german-pows-in-the-us-during-wwii.htm#comment-786615 gene Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:13:46 +0000 #comment-786615 Usually, officers were not to 'work', but to keep non-officers under 'control'. A lot of German Officers may have been SS, and thus always 'Hilters insiders' to the point of requiring under prisoners to always raise their arms giving the 'hile hilter salute' In south Texas camps, some prisoners were 'murdered' because they refused. From a book by a former German POW, Thrill, that eventually became a professor of German at Grandview College in Des Moines Iowa. Usually, officers were not to 'work', but to keep non-officers under
'control'. A lot of German Officers may have been SS, and thus always
'Hilters insiders' to the point of requiring under prisoners to always raise their arms giving the 'hile hilter salute' In south Texas camps, some
prisoners were 'murdered' because they refused. From a book by
a former German POW, Thrill, that eventually became a professor
of German at Grandview College in Des Moines Iowa.

]]> By: JOHN T. PACUSKA http://www.historynet.com/the-not-so-great-escape-german-pows-in-the-us-during-wwii.htm#comment-784692 JOHN T. PACUSKA Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:13:12 +0000 #comment-784692 WHILE WAITING WEEKS FOR MY NEW SHIP ASSIGNMENT AT THE SHOEMAKER NAVAL BASE. EAST OF OAKLAND, CA IN 1946, WE WOULD BE LINED UP FOR BLOCKS IN THE HOT SUN FOR AN HOUR OR SO, WAITING TO GET INTO THE "CHOW HALL". MARINE GUARDS WOULD MARCH HUNDREDS OF GERMAN PRISONERS RIGHT PAST US INTO THE CHOW HALL.. WE LET THEM KNOW HOW WE FELT ABOUT THAT. ALSO, THERE WERE PRISONERS WORKING THERE AS BARBERS TWENTY CENTS A HAIRCUT. WITH SIGNS ON THE WALLS, "DO NOT TIP THE BARBER".. WHILE ONE BARBER WAS WORKING, TWO OTHERS WERE SITTING IN CHAIRS WITH THEIR FEET UP SMOKING CIGARS AND READING WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE OAKLAND NEWSPAPER.. IS THIS A GREAT COUNTRY OR WHAT?? JOHN WHILE WAITING WEEKS FOR MY NEW SHIP ASSIGNMENT AT THE SHOEMAKER NAVAL BASE. EAST OF OAKLAND, CA IN 1946, WE WOULD BE LINED UP FOR BLOCKS IN THE HOT SUN FOR AN HOUR OR SO, WAITING TO GET INTO THE "CHOW HALL". MARINE GUARDS WOULD MARCH HUNDREDS OF GERMAN PRISONERS RIGHT PAST US INTO THE CHOW HALL.. WE LET THEM KNOW HOW WE FELT ABOUT THAT. ALSO, THERE WERE PRISONERS WORKING THERE AS BARBERS TWENTY CENTS A HAIRCUT. WITH SIGNS ON THE WALLS, "DO NOT TIP THE BARBER".. WHILE ONE BARBER WAS WORKING, TWO OTHERS WERE SITTING IN CHAIRS WITH THEIR FEET UP SMOKING CIGARS AND READING WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE OAKLAND NEWSPAPER.. IS THIS A GREAT COUNTRY OR WHAT?? JOHN

]]> By: Ronald Eichler http://www.historynet.com/the-not-so-great-escape-german-pows-in-the-us-during-wwii.htm#comment-782114 Ronald Eichler Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:54:44 +0000 #comment-782114 @ Paul Baker please take attention to my new e-mail @ Paul Baker

please take attention to my new e-mail

]]> By: Pat Harding http://www.historynet.com/the-not-so-great-escape-german-pows-in-the-us-during-wwii.htm#comment-780304 Pat Harding Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:55:00 +0000 #comment-780304 I had the pleasure of running into Hans Eberhardt, who was one of the escapees, on my last trip to Germany. Hans was the first to tell me of this story. I listened and drank beer with him while sitting in a small bar in Alfeld, (Nuremberg), as he told me the story "auf deutsch". He found me in another bar (go figure) the next day and brought pictures of his days during his relatively short involvement in the war, then the POW camp. He was finally released in 1949, after 7 years as a prisoner. A genuinely nice fellow. I had the pleasure of running into Hans Eberhardt, who was one of the escapees, on my last trip to Germany. Hans was the first to tell me of this story. I listened and drank beer with him while sitting in a small bar in Alfeld, (Nuremberg), as he told me the story "auf deutsch".
He found me in another bar (go figure) the next day and brought pictures of his days during his relatively short involvement in the war, then the POW camp. He was finally released in 1949, after 7 years as a prisoner.
A genuinely nice fellow.

]]> By: Links about POW camps in the US during WWII « stefanie könig http://www.historynet.com/the-not-so-great-escape-german-pows-in-the-us-during-wwii.htm#comment-411873 Links about POW camps in the US during WWII « stefanie könig Fri, 31 Dec 2010 00:31:27 +0000 #comment-411873 [...] http://www.historynet.com/the-not-so-great-escape-german-pows-in-the-us-during-wwii.htm [...] [...] http://www.historynet.com/the-not-so-great-escape-german-pows-in-the-us-during-wwii.htm [...]

]]> By: Ronald Eichler http://www.historynet.com/the-not-so-great-escape-german-pows-in-the-us-during-wwii.htm#comment-232687 Ronald Eichler Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:29:27 +0000 #comment-232687 @ Paul Baker, who posted Nov 5 2008 possibly I have some information for you: My dad was a pow, catched in 1944 near St. Lo in France and brought to the states via Marsaille, Liverpool and New York. He was in camp Defiance / Ohio as pow no. A 818811. Please feel free to contact me, if you think I can help. Sincerely Ronald Eichler ronald_eichler@yahoo.com @ Paul Baker, who posted Nov 5 2008
possibly I have some information for you: My dad was a pow, catched in 1944 near St. Lo in France and brought to the states via Marsaille, Liverpool and New York. He was in camp Defiance / Ohio as pow no. A 818811. Please feel free to contact me, if you think I can help.

Sincerely
Ronald Eichler
ronald_eichler@yahoo.com

]]> By: Socorro http://www.historynet.com/the-not-so-great-escape-german-pows-in-the-us-during-wwii.htm#comment-190915 Socorro Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:40:45 +0000 #comment-190915 I really enjoyed this story. I plan to go home and share it with my son. My mother grew up in a ranch on the outskirts of Phoenix and remembers the German POWs working in the fields on the land that they lived on, she was a little girl. She said they were very friendly and some would give her piggy back rides and candy. I really enjoyed this story. I plan to go home and share it with my son. My mother grew up in a ranch on the outskirts of Phoenix and remembers the German POWs working in the fields on the land that they lived on, she was a little girl. She said they were very friendly and some would give her piggy back rides and candy.

]]> By: Ken Whitehead http://www.historynet.com/the-not-so-great-escape-german-pows-in-the-us-during-wwii.htm#comment-153743 Ken Whitehead Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:37:40 +0000 #comment-153743 I saw a book in the local library about POW's in the USA. I do not remember it's name. It said that a number of German and Italian POW's escaped and moved in with local German-American or Italian-American families; and were never captured. Some married and stayed in the USA, and some went back to their home countries after the war. The book said that not a single Japanese POW made a successful escape, because they could not blend in with the local population. And I would guess that they may have been more closely guarded. I saw a book in the local library about POW's in the USA. I do not remember it's name. It said that a number of German and Italian POW's escaped and moved in with local German-American or Italian-American families; and were never captured. Some married and stayed in the USA, and some went back to their home countries after the war. The book said that not a single Japanese POW made a successful escape, because they could not blend in with the local population. And I would guess that they may have been more closely guarded.

]]> By: Katie http://www.historynet.com/the-not-so-great-escape-german-pows-in-the-us-during-wwii.htm#comment-120854 Katie Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:53:53 +0000 #comment-120854 I just came across this site after reading about Monopoly helping American prisoners in Germany. My genealogy group just addressed this subject in our county, and it is interesting to see any other stories about escape attempts in the U.S. I don't think many people know about the POW camps, or are not interested. I just came across this site after reading about Monopoly helping American prisoners in Germany. My genealogy group just addressed this subject in our county, and it is interesting to see any other stories about escape attempts in the U.S. I don't think many people know about the POW camps, or are not interested.

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