World War II Prisoner of War Camp, Gettysburg Battlefield, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
The World War II Prisoner of War camp on the Gettysburg Battlefield
operated from June 29, 1945, through April 1946 at the former site of the McMillan Woods CCC camp.
The camp consolidated prisoners of war
from the Gettysburg Armory
on Seminary Ridge
(100 POWs on September 16, 1944) and those from the 400 by 600 ft (121.9 by 182.9 m) stockade
on the Emmitsburg Road (350 prisoners) at the former WWI Camp Colt
site. On January 22, 1945, the U. S. Employment Service
began using Gettysburg POWs for pulpwood cutting, and in June the camp opened with 500 German POWs (932 by July), POW employment ended February 23, 1946; and by April 13, 1946, only guards remained at the POW Camp (guards had numbered as high as 50.)http://books.google.com/books?id=majmwEcrFPMC&pg=PA117 The last commander was Capt James W Copley, and before the camp was opened, Captain Lawrence Thomas had been the commander of both Gettysburg facilities and the Camp Michaux
interrogation facility near Pine Grove Furnace State Park
.
Gettysburg Battlefield
The Gettysburg Battlefield is the area of the July 1–3, 1863, military engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg within and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locations of military engagements extend from the 4 acre site of the first shot & at on the west of the borough, to East...
operated from June 29, 1945, through April 1946 at the former site of the McMillan Woods CCC camp.
The camp consolidated prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
from the Gettysburg Armory
Gettysburg Armory
The Gettysburg Armory is a former military facility listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 61x96 ft facility was constructed as a $43,331 Works Projects Administration project for the local National Guard unit The Gettysburg Armory is a former military facility listed on the...
on Seminary Ridge
Seminary Ridge
Seminary Ridge is a dendritic ridge which was an area of Battle of Gettysburg engagements during the American Civil War and of military installations during World War II.-Geography:...
(100 POWs on September 16, 1944) and those from the 400 by 600 ft (121.9 by 182.9 m) stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
on the Emmitsburg Road (350 prisoners) at the former WWI Camp Colt
Camp Colt, Pennsylvania
Camp Colt was a military installation near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania used for Tank Corps recruit training prior to deployment in World War I. The camp used the Gettysburg Battlefield site of the previous Great Reunion of 1913 and the preceding 1917 WWI recruit training camp for U. S. troops along...
site. On January 22, 1945, the U. S. Employment Service
United States Employment Service
The ' is an agency of the United States government responsible for "assisting coordination of the State public employment services in providing labor exchange and job finding assistance to job seekers and employers"...
began using Gettysburg POWs for pulpwood cutting, and in June the camp opened with 500 German POWs (932 by July), POW employment ended February 23, 1946; and by April 13, 1946, only guards remained at the POW Camp (guards had numbered as high as 50.)http://books.google.com/books?id=majmwEcrFPMC&pg=PA117 The last commander was Capt James W Copley, and before the camp was opened, Captain Lawrence Thomas had been the commander of both Gettysburg facilities and the Camp Michaux
Camp Michaux
Camp Michaux was a secret World War II camp for interrogating prisoners of war. The camp northwest of the Pine Grove Iron Works was previously used as a CCC Camp that provided labor for state-owned lands and was used as a summer camp. The POW camp commander was Captain Lawrence C...
interrogation facility near Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Pine Grove Furnace State Park is a protected Pennsylvania area that includes Laurel and Fuller lakes in Cooke Township. The park provides various outdoor recreation activities, has the remains of the Pine Grove Iron Works, and was the site of the 1830 Laurel Forge, 1880s Pine Grove Park, and an...
.