lettow Posted October 8, 2013 Share #1 Posted October 8, 2013 During WWII the US used POWs in camps in the US for labor. The POWs in the camps near where I live in Wisconsin worked picking fruit in orchards. POWs were paid 80 cents per day for their labor. The rate was the equivalent of what a private made in the US military. POWs used the money they earned to buy items in camp canteens. When the war was over the US military paid the POWs the amounts remaining in their accounts by military payment order. This is a military payment order payable to a German POW. The payment orders could only be cashed by finance officers outside the US. This is the type of chit that was used in the canteens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Baker Posted October 8, 2013 Share #2 Posted October 8, 2013 Very interesting items. Thanks for sharing these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRR Posted October 8, 2013 Share #3 Posted October 8, 2013 That is not something I had seen before. I agree, very interesting stuff. Thanks for posting them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capa Posted October 8, 2013 Share #4 Posted October 8, 2013 I had no idea that this was done. That was really nice of the Germans to do the same for our boys. Oh wait...interesting artifacts regardless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozarkian Posted October 8, 2013 Share #5 Posted October 8, 2013 Explains why some P.O.W's stayed in America after the war or came back as immigrants. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrobertscv Posted October 8, 2013 Share #6 Posted October 8, 2013 Cool piece! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettow Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share #7 Posted October 8, 2013 Similar chits were used in US run internment camps. After the Italians surrendered, their personnel were no longer POWs but remained in camps in the US and performed labor in Italian Service Units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siege1863 Posted October 9, 2013 Share #8 Posted October 9, 2013 Lettow--- Any chance you have a canteen coupon from the German POW camp at Clinton, Mississippi? Been looking for one for a LONG time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettow Posted October 10, 2013 Author Share #9 Posted October 10, 2013 Lettow--- Any chance you have a canteen coupon from the German POW camp at Clinton, Mississippi? Been looking for one for a LONG time! Neither Lance Campbell's book on POW money nor Schwan-Boling's WWII Remembered have a listing for canteen coupons from Camp Clinton. Both of these sources are almost 20 years old. David Frank's website on WWII camp money also does not have a listing for a coupon from this camp. Since these sources are based on observed examples, it would appear no one else has found one yet either. Do not despair, however, as new pieces are still being discovered. In the last year chits surfaced from Clarinda, IA and Excursion Inlet, AK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgawne Posted October 10, 2013 Share #10 Posted October 10, 2013 The funds might not be just from camp labor, but from what they were picked up with. As soon as captured, any money found on them (in theory) was confiscated so it could not be used as bribes) and entered into his account. So it could well be he had some of that money in Francs or whatever on him (although I suspect having US dollars on him might not be a good idea). How they managed to figure out what all manner of various money a German solder could have on him is beyond me. This is all very cool stuff. Be interesting to find the dump of a former POW camp and dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azeeze312 Posted October 10, 2013 Share #11 Posted October 10, 2013 Have any info on a pow camp in louisiana? My grandma remembers german prisoners in a makeshift camp in her town? Ive never found any info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettow Posted October 11, 2013 Author Share #12 Posted October 11, 2013 Camp Ruston Louisiana held POWs in WWII and chits from the camp are catalogued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siege1863 Posted October 11, 2013 Share #13 Posted October 11, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siege1863 Posted October 14, 2013 Share #14 Posted October 14, 2013 I have the complete personnel file for one of the German NCOs held at Camp Clinton. Here are a few items related to pay... Another example of a repatriation check... Daily work record... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siege1863 Posted October 14, 2013 Share #15 Posted October 14, 2013 Pay record... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siege1863 Posted October 14, 2013 Share #16 Posted October 14, 2013 Supplemental pay record... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siege1863 Posted October 14, 2013 Share #17 Posted October 14, 2013 Deposit book... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siege1863 Posted October 14, 2013 Share #18 Posted October 14, 2013 Here is the receipt for the money he had on his person when he was captured in North Africa... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pchepurko Posted October 17, 2013 Share #19 Posted October 17, 2013 Amazing! The Germans and Russian's starved and killed their POWs. The Brits treated theirs better but I am sure did not pay them. What does America do? We fed and housed them better than when they were home and also paid them for their work. That speaks to the character of America! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgawne Posted October 18, 2013 Share #20 Posted October 18, 2013 This is why the majority of German POWs returning home went there with a VERY HIGH opinion of American and helped bridge the gap between us and vanquished Germany. While yes we are nice guys,, and we did get something out of it (cheap labor on farms and such), it was a major psychological and political victory for us. Many, Many POWs came back to the states to states to live afterwards, and those that stayed in Germany were quite strongly very pro American. but then, the Geneva convention specifies paying POWs for labor. My mom worked at the PX at Camp Sheridan Ill, and they had a "little old German" POW who did janitorial work there. One day she said hello to him out of politeness and was scolded for talked to him (!) but in other places they were treated quite well. She also recalled that the MPs checked back seats and trunks on cars leaving the post specifically as they had POWs there. What's even more amazing is that every single German POW sent to the US has been accounted for. One got back to Germany via mexico, The last "missing" man finally turned himself in in 1985 (!) living in America Quietly. See book ''Hitler's Last Soldier in America,'' by Gaertner, and the main book on the subject (that got the guy to turn himself in) Nazi Prisoners of War in America by Arnold Krammer then read the book on Allied POWs in German - 'The Last Escape.' Mind you, German logistics had pretty much broken down by then. All three books highly recommended Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stony Posted November 12, 2013 Share #21 Posted November 12, 2013 My mom lived in McAlester, OK while my dad was overseas and she talked about the German POW camp just outside of town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieony Posted November 12, 2013 Share #22 Posted November 12, 2013 You certainly don't see this items everyday! Thanks for posting! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1canpara Posted November 13, 2013 Share #23 Posted November 13, 2013 My Grandfather was too old to fight in WWII but as a road-builder in Manitoba, Canada, he was deemed to be important to the war effort for these skills and therefore built runways for the RCAF flight training schools. When POW's started arriving in Canada, there were several camps set up all through the prairies and some were run as "work" camps. My grandfather was assigned a large number of German POW's to help him build roads through some very tough terrain in northern Manitoba. They were mainly Kriegsmarine officers, and primarily from U-Boats. Although I'm not sure they were paid, I know from my Mom who lived in the staff compound with my grandparents, that the prisoners were very well treated, fed and clothed and very very glad to be out of the war. Many were entrusted to run errands into town and have other responsibilities that you wouldn't normally expect a POW to have. The ranking German officer became very good friends with my grandfather and maintained contact with him after his return to Germany after the war. I have some letters written by him asking my grandparents if they could assist him and his family with some staple items that they just could not get in Germany during the occupation years, simple things like toothpaste, soap, powdered milk etc. Of course my family sent what they could to help out. Reading the letters is very heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time. The end result was that this former U-boat commander eventually emigrated back to Canada in the '50s and became a very successful businessman in Toronto from what I gathered. I understand he may still be alive and I've been trying to track him down since I found these letters at my moms house last year. Anyway, that's my POW story from the Canadian perspective. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now