In the european theater, 93,941 americans were held as prisoners of war pows. Bad orb, germany was the site of pow camp stalag ixb. A history of world war ii prisoners in the heartland marsh, melissa amateis on. Concentration camp info wanted stalag ixbbad orb i want some help finding out information about stalag ixbbad orb. The abandonment of americans in hitlers camps, about a group of american jewish soldiers who were segregated at a pow camp and transported to a concentration camp that had the highest fatality rate of any camp. He was a prisoner of war at stalag 9b bad orb hessennassau, prussia. Pow camp definition and meaning collins english dictionary. The search field can be used to search by name, serial number, camp, and other fields. I have always been so drawn to any thing ww2, especially books on the subject. Fetterly, commanding officer of the liberating force, in contempt for his actions regarding the production of. The records do not include all prisoners of war and contain some errors.
Army to hold captured german soldiers at the close of the second world war. After being captured during the battle of the bulge, acevedo says he was sent to a pow camp near bad orb, germany, where he was held with other american soldiers. The untold stories of the world war ii generation from hometown, usa. Stalag 9b prisoner of war camp in the second world war 1939. As a prisoner of war he was held at either stalag 9a ziegenhain, or stalag 9b, bad orb, germany. Officially named prisoner of war temporary enclosures pwte, they held between one and almost two million surrendered wehrmacht personnel from april until. Recommended books of general interest in the study of the pows. See more ideas about prisoners of war, germany and wwii. It was a prisonerofwar camp but, for 350 of the american prisoners, it was. Parent unit number contains any value 0397 sorted by camp. 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. Stalag ixb project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Of these, over 120,000 lived out part of the war behind barbed wire.
Life in the pow camp was tough, but not in comparison to what was to come after about a month. January received from american prisoners of war detained. I have found plenty of information concerning limburg and giessen his other camp, but there doesnt seem to be much available about orb. Last name first name war city state branch theater service camp member class. The march refers to a series of forced marches during the final stages of the second world war in europe. A history of world war ii prisoners in the heartland. To do this, the germans had separated off some huts to form their admin centre or vorlager and then surrounded the remaining huts with a double row of barbed wire. Jan 21, 2018 this book shares the true account of elmer r. History has recorded it as being the worst of all the nazi pow camps, a virtual concentration camp that held low ranking captives from the u.
It is situated a few miles outside of bad orb amld rural. The following books are recommended as they are based upon valid research, sufficient facts, and dialogue to give an understanding of the pow experience. In addition, we list those books that specifically give an overview of an area, combat zone, or issue of dispute. Display partial records world war ii prisoners of war data file, 12. Each is a significant contribution to understanding the pow and internee experience and each has been read and verified. Stalag ixb also known as bad orb was a german world war ii prisonerofwar camp located southeast of the town of bad orb in hesse, germany. The camp originally was part of a military training area set up before world war i by the prussian army during world war ii, more than 25,000 pows at a time were housed here. Originally stationed at camp blanding, florida, he was eepatriated on the 9th april 1945. I have so much info to share, and would love to send you my info and contact info for the museum in trutzenhain and they are looking to find info of those pow held there. In particular, the page on johann kasten contains several source documents. For example, when the food available for use in camps became incredibly scarce, colonel eduard wagner issued an order to let prisoners starve to death soviets again somehow got the worst out of this deal when german officials barred allied soldiers from sharing their. The pow camp stalag ixb was located near bad orb, germany.
The camps never forgotten the story of the taiwan pow. Stalag ixb ranked as one of the worst german camps. Elmer served in the united states army, 106th infantry division, 423rd regiment, during world war ii. For him, the recollections, the pictures brought back were too much. Stalag 9 b bad orb, germany ground force privates captured in the bulge location. And we saw the american flag, i meanto this day i start to well up when i see the flag. If double forced labour wasnt bad enough, during their time as pows soviet soldiers were among the worst treated in ww2. There were around 1,000 prisonerofwar camps in germany during world war ii. During the battle of the bulge in december 1944, goodman was captured by the german army and, following a fiveday march of considerable mileage, sent to the pow camp stalag ixb at bad orb in germany. Stalag 9a prisoner of war camp in the second world war. Part of lists of prisonerofwar camps section in the prisonerofwar camp article this article is a list of prisonerofwar camps in germany and in german occupied territory during any conflict. It had the reputation of being one of the worst stalags, especially when it was overcrowded in 1945.
The wehrmacht established mannschaftsstammlager ix b on december 1, 1939, in defense district wehrkreis ix and deployed it to wegscheide, near bad orb. In the initial days of the battle of the bulge, two of the divisions three regiments, including the 423rd, were surrounded and forced to surrender to the germans. Stalag ixb was a german world war ii prisonerofwar camp located southeast of the. This pow kept a secret diary that showed daily life in a. In 1942 the japanese began bringing allied pows to taiwan from various parts of southeast asia. Several of these photos of bad orb are included in the book.
About a month later, the camps commander told the prisoners to line up and ordered all of the jewish soldiers to take one step forward. In 1945, more than 4,000 american gis were imprisoned at stalag ixb at bad orb, approximately 30 miles northwest of frankfurtonmain. From a total of 257,000 western allied prisoners of war held in german military prison camps, over 80,000 pows were forced to march westward across poland, czechoslovakia, and germany in extreme winter conditions, over about four months between january and april 1945. Stalag ixb was a german world war ii prisonerofwar camp located southeast of the town of bad orb in hesse. Years later, a package would arrive for sam higgins in the summer of 1955. Lodged deep in the jungle west of da nang, south vietnams second largest city, the prison campor camps, for it was a moveable horrorwas not easily imagined by a generation that had grown up watching world war ii movies. Encyclopedia of jewish and israeli history, politics and culture, with biographies, statistics, articles and documents on topics from antisemitism to zionism. The following list of names are search results for camp 089, stalag 9b bad orb hessennassau, prussia 5009. He was captured at the battle of the bulge, on 16th of december 1944, age 35. One day the commandant had prisoners assembled in a field.
Stalag ixb german prisoner of war camp bad orb, germany history. These american prisoners of war were mostly jews or suspected jews, persons that the germans had decided appeared to be jewish, who had been specially singled out and taken from other prisoner of war camps, such as stalag ixb located at bad orb. Robert coston served in company a, 423rd infantry, 106th division. These kriegies, short for kriegsgefangener german for pow counted the days until liberation and created dream worlds for themselves inside. Pow camp stalag ixb near bad orb with american and.
Pow camp stalag ixb near bad orb, germany april 4, 1945 youtube. The first americans arrived on december 25, 1994 christmas day after being captured in the battle of the bulge. Boston globe, chicago tribune, the daily beast, the miami herald, the minneapolis startribune, newsday, nprs on point, o. Stalag ixb in bad orb, germany wwii german prisoner of. Stalag ixb in bad orb, germany wwii german prisoner of war. Sam lisica, former prisoner of war, wwii the things our fathers saw, vol. In 1997 the first of the taiwan pow memorials was erected on the site of the former kinkaseki camp and since then it has become the official taiwan pow memorial. Germany was a signatory at the third geneva convention, which established the provisions relative to the treatment of prisoners of war. I purchased this scrapbook at an estate sale a few. Holocaust survivors and victims database soldiers and. Prior to being captured, he threw away his metal dog tags, i. Marlag pow camp for seamen oflag offizier lager pow camp for officers only stalag stammlager pow camp for nonofficers.
Stalag 9b was situated in the outskirts of bad orb 500 14 n. Records of world war ii prisoners of war, created 1942 1947. Flint whitlock has published a book on bad orb and other german pow camps. American prisoners of war in germany prepared by military intelligence service war department 1 november 1945.
Liberated or repatriated, germany, stalag 9b bad orb hessen nassau. Flint whitlock has published a book on bad orb and other german pow camps with the title. It held 30004500 american soldiers, most of them captured after the battle of the bulge. Hundreds of american gis held in concentration camp. The british lazaret at bad soden sent over 32 books, the only volumes obtainable. At the end of world war ii over 6,500 pows were eventually rescued and returned to american military control. My grandfather, as a pow, was transferred to orb from limburg, may 1915. Belaria had apparently been a cadet training area for the wehrmacht before it was turned into a prisoner of war camp. German prisoner identification tag worn by norman fellman, a us soldier imprisoned at stalag ixb prisoner of war camp and berga slave labor camp from january to april 1945. The nonjews told their jewish comrades they would stand with them. This thread is dedicated to the unsung heros of wwii the pows. Many of those listed perished from malnutrition, disease and maltreatment. Finally, they arrived at their destination stalag 9b, at bad orb, hessen, germany just northeast of frankfort.
I have been collecting pow material for a long time, and i have always treasured pow id tags worn by americans. American gis in the nazi concentration camp at berga. German prisoner id tag issued to a jewish us soldier and pow. Lindsay, yes i went to ixa in trutzenhain in july ixb in bad orb is no longer existing. His book soldiers and slaves, from which this article is adapted, will. This film taken on april 4 showing unburied bodies and many sick or dying allied soldiers.
It would be sent by a business associate who had recently visited stalag ixb in the mountains near bad orb, germany the place higgins had been taken as a pow in ww ii. Liberated allied prisoners, of bad orb pow camp, cu one with a turban scarf. These pows were captured at the surrender of hong kong, singapore, the philippines and the dutch east indies. The lost soldiers of stalag ixb the new york times. Norman was a scout in company b, 275th regiment, 70th infantry division.