All this time the 400 or so US Army Air Corps who had shared Belaria with us had been our companions but now the Germans separated us and moved them off in a different direction. During the Second World War, Dresden contained many prisoners of war (POWs) behind German lines under terrible conditions. Prisoner-of-war camps in the United States during World War II.. Most People In Colorado Don’t Know About Our Old German POW Camp For most of our readers, the COVID-19 pandemic and all of the uncertainties surrounding it may go down in history as one of the most trying times in our lives, thanks to not only the health aspect but also the astronomical unemployment rate and being cooped up in our homes for months at a time. This issue was circumnavigated, however, by a decision made in 1943 to declare German soldiers taken prisoner not as POWs, but as Disarmed Enemy Forces (DEF). Indeed, with the German soldiers interacting with American guards and Alabama residents, the presence of Axis POWs brought the war to the Alabama homefront in a unique way. The American Red Cross inspected the camps to monitor conditions, but there were few complaints, as the German POWs had heard rumors of the horrible conditions in Russian POW camps. By Eric Stephenson I came to in a German doctor’s surgery being stitched up with our pilot and bombardier present too. In addition, individual Red Cross parcels provided things like scarves, gloves, woolen hats and underclothing. Impetigo was quite common and usually responded to Gentian Violet Solution. Next day we walked 7km to Spremberg railway junction, by now out of pre-war Poland and in Germany. In the European theater, 93,941 Americans were held as prisoners of war (POWs). Regardless, given the facts, these camps did not hold up to the conditions mandated by the Geneva Convention. Rhinitis was treated with inhalations of menthol.. Sore Throats and Tonsillitis received hot salt-water gargles. When we arrived, the ration was 1 parcel between 2 men per week and in the heyday became 1 per man per week, but this did not last for long and reduced until when we left Belaria in January 1945 ahead of the Russian advance from the East. Since the temperature outside was â10 deg C we appreciated this as well as the borsch they fed us that night and the hot coffee and bread we had next morning. The 16 survivors were picked up by an American destroyer and, like hundreds of thousands of other German soldiers, sailors and fliers, were placed in a stateside POW camp for the duration of the Second World War. Part 1 – Phthisis, consumption and the White Plague. Pot. Hot water was made available twice daily from the camp kitchen in jugs. The Oberst turned up again (with Hauptman Wemer) and he was furious. The first camp for civilians interned during the First World War opened on 18 August 1914. The Oberst just shrugged his shoulders, got into his car and drove off. However, for most, the overriding features of life in a prisoner of war camp were boredom, hunger and dreams of a better life once the war was over. Under the terms of the Geneva Convention prisoners only had to give details of their name, rank and serial number but interrogating officers often tried to trick captured servicemen into giving away more information through clever questioning. Sick parade included many with ‘rheumatism’ for which we only had aspirin and lin. Diarrhoea often with vomiting was treated with a. Fluids only for 12-24 hours; if still present; b. Kaolin mixture sometimes with Tinct Opii.. These are the camps that housed captured members of the enemy armed forces, crews of ships of the merchant marine and the crews of civil aircraft. They were also `armed’ with screwdrivers with a very long blade for poking and probing, looking for any contraband. This article is part of our larger educational resource on World War Two. Review, Definition of Terrorism – Social and Political Effects, The History of Plague – Part 1. Map of prisoner of war camps in world war II Germany World War II - Prisoners of War - Stalag Luft I A collection of stories, photos, art and information on Stalag Luft I . Tin bashers were those who used tins obtained from Red Cross parcels to make trays and dishes for cooking purposes. German prisoner-of-war camps in World War II; This article includes a list of related items that share the same name (or similar names). This was done by having the one carpenter in our midst making seats from Red Cross boxes in which the parcels were brought to the camp. Within the perimeter, a wooden rail was placed about half a metre from the ground and 3 metres from the wire to mark the limits of movement for prisoners. Plaster of Paris was in powder form and used with cotton bandages to make splints and plasters. As would be expected, our clothes consisted of the items we were wearing when we were shot down and these would obviously not last forever. The hospital staff were promised a horse and cart to carry medical supplies and our own belongings. Conditions for workers in Japanese POW camps were extremely bad and many people died as a result of the inhumane treatment. This was when numbers in the camp shot up and Dr. Monteuuis, who was known as ‘Twee’, after find finding out that I had been a medical student, asked me to join the Lazaret staff to help out, about April 1944. 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