Camp Atlanta () was a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

camp for German prisoners of war (POWs) located next to Atlanta, Nebraska. Over three years, it housed nearly 3,000 prisoners. After the war, a number of soldiers and prisoners from the camp returned to live in the area.

Operation

The Atlanta area was the choice of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

for a $2,000,000

prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...

after the outbreak of World War II. As with many such camps, the site was chosen because it was well in the interior of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. When construction began in September 1943, people were told this would be a "Conchie Camp" for American conscientious objectors. By November, however, it became known by locals that it would hold German soldiers. The first 250 German prisoners arrived in December, unannounced to anyone but the officer in command at the camp. On a Saturday morning early in February 1944, 830 more arrived. The camp housed 3,000 German prisoners, most of whom had been captured in the North African Campaign, in three compounds. The guards numbered approximately 275

enlisted men An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or warrant officers, except in United States ...

and 60 officers. The camp had its own train stop across from the prison gates, a chapel, a theater, a hospital, post exchange, a bakery, a laundry, and repair shops for all purposes. A 12-piece drum and bugle corps made up from the military men marched in the Holdrege Memorial Day parade in 1944. A ball club was organized to compete with the nearby Indianola POW camp. Prisoners were hired out to local farms to help retrieve the increased crop production demanded by the war. More than 30 local farmers sought assistance, paying the government for work done by the POWs.

Closing

Soon after the first of the year in 1946, after the war had ended, the government began shipping the prisoners back to their homes in Germany. Later in the year, all the frame buildings, plumbing and every sort of valuable material were stripped and sold at auction. By 1947, only acres of concrete slab, floors of barracks and other camp buildings remained. The only remnants of the camp include the water tower and two chimneys. Some soldiers returned to live in Atlanta, and at least two of the Germans applied for American citizenship.Kanter, B.J. (nd) "Labor, Recreation, and Re-Education: The Fate of German Prisoners of War: Camp Atlanta Nebraska, 1943-1946." Hastings College.

References

External links

The Atlanta, Nebraska German Prisoner of War Camp
- An online portfolio about the history of the camp.
Historical photos of Camp Atlanta
- Nebraska Memories {{Coord, 40, 22, 45, N, 99, 27, 31, W, display=title World War II prisoner-of-war camps in the United States Camp Atlanta Defunct prisons in Nebraska Forts in Nebraska Buildings and structures in Phelps County, Nebraska Military installations in Nebraska 1943 establishments in Nebraska 1946 disestablishments in Nebraska

Operation

Closing

See also

References

External links