It must have been an amazing sight to behold on the day during World War II when columns of German soldiers — including members of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s famed Africa Corps — marched through Aliceville, Alabama. The soldiers were prisoners of war captured in North Africa and were to be held at Camp Aliceville, one of the largest POW camps in the United States during World War II.
Construction of Camp Aliceville began in October 1942, under the direction of the Mobile District of the U S Army Corps of Engineers, and was completed in January 1943. One of eight prime contractors was the Stewart C. Irby Company of Jackson, Mississippi. At completion, the camp consisted of 329 wood-frame buildings including 120 fifty-man barracks. Each barracks was 20 feet by 100 feet and cost $2,755 to build.
The first prisoners of war arrived in June 1943. They had been captured in North Africa where they had been members of “Heeresgruppe Afrika”. That was the German “Army Group Africa” of which, by 1943, the Africa Corps was only a part. Camp Aliceville’s stated maximum strength was given as 6,150. It was at one time the largest POW camp in the U S.
Camp Aliceville grew to contain more than 400 buildings. It also employed more than 1,000 military and civilian guards and personnel. The camp was a barbed-wire compound complete with machine gun-equipped guard towers. Across its 823 acres were barracks, bakeries, chapels, theaters, a hospital and assorted other buildings. There were sports fields, gardens and even an amphitheater.
At first the camp held German enlisted men (American rank of private) and non-commissioned officers (the American rank of sergeant). Under the Geneva Convention, enlisted men could be required to work at non war related jobs but NCOs could not be compelled to work except in limited occasions as a supervisor. At one time, Aliceville POWs were even bused to some jobs in Columbus. Hard-core Nazis were sent to special camps and not kept at Aliceville.
Camp Aliceville had a reputation for humane POW treatment. That caused resentment among some local residents. At a time when Americans were experiencing the rationing of food and other items, the Germans at Camp Aliceville were receiving ample meals with fresh meat and vegetables — the same rations as U.S. servicemen. The camp also had an orchestra, theater productions, and the prisoners played soccer.
The camp was subject to inspection by international humanitarian organizations, such as the Red Cross. Marietta McCarter, of Columbus, worked for the Red Cross at its Columbus Army Air Field office during World War II.
One of her duties for the Red Cross was to inspect the Aliceville POW camp.
Camp Aliceville closed on Sept. 30, 1945, and little remains at its former site, which now is next to an industrial park. However, the camp lives on at the Aliceville Museum. The museum has one of, if not the largest, German World War II POW exhibit outside of Germany.
In recent years the memory of the good treatment the German prisoners received has paid remarkable dividends. After learning of the creation of the Aliceville Museum, former German prisoners of war and their families have donated sketches, paintings, wood carvings, uniforms and other memorabilia from the camp to the museum. Local residents have also donated furniture, art work and other items from the camp.
With spring break next week, a day trip to Aliceville would be a most interesting and enjoyable activity. In going to Aliceville you can pass through the old river town of Pickensville that I wrote about a couple of weeks ago and you are only a few miles from the famous ghost of the “face in the window” of the courthouse at Carrollton.
The Aliceville Museum is located at 104 Broad St. NE in downtown Aliceville and is only about a 30-minute drive from Columbus. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. For information call 205-373-2363. There is an admission fee.
Rufus Ward is a local historian. Email your questions about local history to him at [email protected].
Rufus Ward is a Columbus native a local historian. E-mail your questions about local history to Rufus at [email protected].
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