Local Prisoner of War Camp Provides Workers

 

The Civilian Conservation Camp (on Second Street behind the current Mercy Hospital), shown here in 1938, became the home for mostly German POWs during the Second World War. (Edward Bronson photo)

"GERMAN PRISONERS WORK NEAR BRYAN

Pick Beans at R.T. Lilly Farm from Defiance Camp

German prisoners started work for the first time near Bryan today when the 35 husky veterans of the north Africa campaign began picking beans on the R. T. Lilly farm, guarded by two men from the U.S. Army.

These prisoners who are from the Defiance camp, have been contracted by the Airline Packing Co. of Edgerton, arrangements being made by F. I. Bell, county agent. They will pick beans on other farms which are raising beans for Airline, making about 80 cents a day.

The pay is two cents a pound for picking and about 160 pounds is a day's work, the prisoners receiving about a quarter of the amount paid. They are transported and have to be back in camp after 12 hours, and they take their own lunch. No one is expected to fraternize with them.

Any others who would like to employ German prisoners should contact Mr. Bell to learn the details of how they may be obtained. They must agree to hire at least ten prisoners, although it may be possible to divide these groups and work 5; and they have to furnish transportation. The prisoners may work at any kind of farm jobs, or in industries not directly connected with the war.

The prisoners here are veterans of the African Korps, most of them under 25 years of age, among the finest of the German Army, husky and well-muscled."

(The Bryan Democrat, Aug. 10, 1944, pg. 1)

Lieut. Frank Bodenhorn was the commanding officer of the Defiance German prisoners of war camp, and he noted that one military policeman is assigned to each five prisoners.

The U.S. chose to bring these men to the United States, especially those who were captured in Africa and Italy, as it was difficult there to find housing and food for the prisoners. An underlying thought, too, was that taking these men away would help  to weaken their armies. It was estimated by one source that Ohio had about 8,000 prisoners in 1943, and that number would increase.