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an interesting newsbit with 1st person comments;
Little left of N. Ont. PoW camps | Ontario | News | The Belleville Intelligencer
I know i've read that many pow(s) were humbled by the size of our country and abandoned plans to escape because after a very long train ride they were "in the middle of nowhere."
(no offense to the locals) lol
Jim
When I was a young lad in north-central KS, I remember my family often driving past a concrete-walled prison, just north of Hwy 81, somewhere between Belleville and Concordia KS. My parents would always then reminisce about the German POW's who were brought under armed guard to our farm to work late in the war. My parents always had kind thoughts and words for the POW's. The prison has long been gone from sight but it remains in my memory. Thanks for the memory!
Had a relative from my mom's side of the family who was a "guest" at one of these camps. He was from a submarine sunk off the east coast and went back to Germany after the war.
A good friend of mine worked on the steam tug Whalen during the war and told me they brought prisoners who were Naval Officers to the movies in Thunder Bay, usually on a Friday nite. The men were kept on Pie Island off TB and he told me they were never a problem and overall decent guys. Said he wished he would have bought some of the "model ships" they carved as they were pretty amazing.
We here at Fort Leavenworth have a cemetary for a handful of German POWs that were executed, as the story goes they had killed another POW that was suspected of being an informer
EDIT: here is the story:
German POWs buried at prison / LJWorld.com
I believe only one Luftwaffe POW escaped in Canada and ultimately made his way back to Germany. His name was Von Werra. He was shot down over England early in the war and shipped to Canada. En route from the port to the camp by train he managed to open a sealed window and jumped out. He made his way across the US Canada border at Buffalo if i recall and hooked up with the German Consulate (The germans had not yet declared war against the US). The Consulate smuggled him thru the US to Mexico where he was passed from one office to another until hwe was able to board a ship from South America to Africa. Once he got to a German controlled part of Africa he made his way to Germany and rejooined the Luftwaffe. He was subsequently shot down a second time but was KIA.
The story was documented in a Book entitled "The One That Got Away". I think it was also made into a movie.
Regards,
Jim
I just read the wiki entry on the movie and sounds like one i'd like to see. Think I might check the library for the book as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by JGaynor
I've been thru Smiths Falls, thanks for this interesting story.
Jim
Saw an interesting documentary recently about black U.S. servicemen recently. Those interviewed found it pretty hard to take when German POW'S were allowed to eat in restaurants and go to the movies in the U.S. and they were not permitted to be in the same area due to the colour of their skin. Can't say as I blame them.
Yes, I've seen this one and you should have a look.Quote:
Originally Posted by blazer91
Yes, I saw the movie. Not bad!Quote:
Originally Posted by JGaynor
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gibbs505
This movie will be shown on “TCM” December 7 2012 at 0400 (4 A.M.). It is considered to be a very good movie. I put this on my “Must Watch List” with a reminder, sounds very interesting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JGaynor
It is an Excellent book and film, on a holiday in the Lakes when I was a kid after the first time I,d seen the film my Dad took me out to one of the tracks on the Cumbrian fells Franz Von Werra had navigated on one his escape attempts from Grizedale hall, he was later captured and charged in Ulverston Police station.
Another Excellent read is a book by another Luftwaffe Pilot "Ten minutes to Buffalo" by Ulrich Steinhilper see link below
Ten Minutes to Buffalo: The Story of Germanys Great Escaper: Amazon.co.uk: Ulrich Steinhilper, Peter Osborne, L.F.E. Coombs, Carol Osborne: Books