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Dug Relics Prove To Be More Than Thought!


siege1863
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A number of years ago I was metal detecting the WWII German POW camp located near me. Among the finds were a spoon and fork. Did not think much of them at the time. They did not look like anything that would have been used in the mess halls and were in all probability civilian. There were a number of homesteads on the property where the camp was constructed and many relics dating as far back as the Civil War were recovered. Also, the fork and spoon did not appear to be of a matching pattern.

 

Well, last night I was sorting through the items I had found at the camp just to see if there was anything I had not already identified as WWII and camp related. When I got to the fork and spoon I almost immediately tossed them back in the box. One thing caught my eye, however. It was something I learned of here on the forum. It is the British broad arrow marking on equipment and clothing. On the back of each, to the right of the makers mark and date is the arrow. This prompted me to make a Google search for British WWII cutlery. Much to my surprise, I learned that I have a matched fork and knife, made by National Silver, and dated 1940. I now realize these two pieces were brought into the camp by an Afrika Korps soldier who likely "liberated" them some time before his capture in 1943. I documented the spot in the prisoner compound where the fork and knife were found and know it was occupied in July and August 1943 by men fresh from North Africa. These two seemingly insignificant pieces have made a world journey, having originated with the Brits, then used by a German soldier, and finally left behind in an American POW camp.

 

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Now that is really cool! I guess I should see if I can do some metal detecting of my own at my local POW camp site.

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Now that is really cool! I guess I should see if I can do some metal detecting of my own at my local POW camp site.

Lots of camps in Texas. Which one is near you?

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Salvage Sailor

My family fought on both sides during the Civil War, and again against our German cousins in WWI and WWII.

 

On the stone gate of a POW camp in Lufkin Texas, one of them etched his name with the date 1944 which is now part of the lore of the long gone POW camp.

POW Camp Lufkin Texas 1944 01.jpg

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Lots of camps in Texas. Which one is near you?

 

The only one closest to me is located outside Hereford. There were both German and Italian POW's held there. The artwork inside the St. Mary's church in nearby Umbarger was painted by some very talented Italian POW's, and is still there. All that's left of the camp now is a chapel built in memory of a small number of Italians who died while in the camp.

 

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ParanormalTrooper

WOW- now THAT is incredibly cool! Great find and way to piece it all together!

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iron bender

 

The only one closest to me is located outside Hereford. There were both German and Italian POW's held there. The artwork inside the St. Mary's church in nearby Umbarger was painted by some very talented Italian POW's, and is still there. All that's left of the camp now is a chapel built in memory of a small number of Italians who died while in the camp.

 

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Interesting. I worked for a farm and ranch outfit in Abernathy for years, and we we're hired by a farm outside of Hereford. I asked one of the hands about the concrete tower sitting on the property (not a silo) and he said it was a guard tower for Nazi prisoners during WW2, and told me about the Nazi church on the land. Sure enough I found it, and it was built by the Italian POW's. I went to, I believe, the county court house and found some info. Evidently the locals weren't fond of the German POW's but got along great with the Italians. Anyhow, here's a pic I took of the chapel, and you can see the guard tower at top left in the fence line way off in the distance. (I tried to scan it but couldn't downsize it enough, so I took a pic of an old pic.)

 

OP, that's some awesome work you did on that spoon and fork. Nice find and thanks for sharing.

 

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TheMariner

Wow great find! Goes to show that you should always check your finds twice! Congrats on these excellent pieces of history!

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Very nice detective work, important story told by these relics. Hotel Hershey, Hershey, Pennsylvania, housed Vishey French POW's during the war, so if you see 1940's Hotel Hershey China or silverware for sale, they probably ate off of it, and thus, a WWII POW collectible.

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  • 1 month later...
USCapturephotos

Loved reading this. Thanks! When I lived in Germany 20 years ago my buddy took me to the birch forest where Stalag IV B was located. I was wishing I had my detector. Even so I found some window glass and a few other odds and ends I kicked out from under the leaves. A few years later I met a US veteran who had indeed been interred at Stalag IV B. I gave him the scraps I had found.

Paul

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