Camp Barkeley facts for kids
Camp Barkeley was a very large training base for the United States Army during World War II. It was located about 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Abilene, Texas. Today, this area is close to Dyess Air Force Base.
The camp was named after David B. Barkley, a brave soldier who received the Medal of Honor during World War I. The Medal of Honor is the highest award a soldier can get for bravery. There was a small mistake in the spelling of the camp's name, which is why it's "Barkeley" instead of "Barkley." At its busiest time, Camp Barkeley was huge, covering 70,229 acres (284 km²) and having about 50,000 people living and training there.
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Building a Training Hub
Work on Camp Barkeley started in December 1940. It was finished quickly, by July 1941. Even before it was fully built, soldiers began to arrive.
Who Trained There?
Many different army groups trained at Camp Barkeley. One of the first was the 45th Infantry Division, which had 19,000 soldiers. An infantry division is a large group of soldiers who fight on foot.
Other important groups that trained here were the 11th Armored Division and the 12th Armored Division. An armored division uses tanks and other armored vehicles in battle.
Training Future Leaders
In May 1942, a special school called the Medical Administrative Officer Candidate School opened at Camp Barkeley. This school helped train soldiers to become officers, who are leaders in the army.
Nearby Airfield
Also in 1942, a place called Abilene Army Air Field opened nearby. This field was used to train pilots for the war. Later, in 1956, it was renamed Dyess Air Force Base.
Prisoner of War Camp
During World War II, Camp Barkeley also had a special area for prisoners of war. This was called the 1846th Unit POW Camp, and it started on February 1, 1944.
At its busiest in March 1945, this camp held 840 German prisoners. Interestingly, if any prisoners tried to escape, they were usually found sleeping in the bandstand in Abilene's central park! This shows that escapes were not very serious or successful.
Closing Down
After World War II ended, Camp Barkeley was no longer needed. It was officially closed in September 1945. The camp was taken apart, and the land, which the army had leased, was given back to its original owners.
