World War II Prisoner of War Camp, Gettysburg Battlefield, Pennsylvania facts for kids

The World War II Prisoner of War camp near the Gettysburg Battlefield was a special place where captured soldiers were held during World War II. It was open from June 29, 1945, until April 1946. This camp was built on the land where the McMillan Woods CCC camp used to be.

What Was a POW Camp?

A Prisoner of War (POW) camp is a place where soldiers captured by the enemy during a war are kept. These camps are usually managed by the military. The Gettysburg camp held German soldiers who were captured during World War II.

How the Camp Started

Before the main camp opened, prisoners were held in two other places nearby. One was the Gettysburg Armory on Seminary Ridge, which held about 100 prisoners. The other was a large fenced area, called a stockade, on the Emmitsburg Road. This stockade was at the old Camp Colt site, which was used during World War I. It held about 350 prisoners.

The new camp on the battlefield brought all these prisoners together. When it first opened in June 1945, there were about 500 German prisoners. By July, this number grew to 932.

Work and Life at the Camp

The prisoners at the Gettysburg camp were not just held there; they also worked. Starting in January 1945, the United States Employment Service arranged for them to help with "pulpwood cutting." This meant they cut down trees to be used for making paper and other wood products. This work was important for the war effort.

The prisoners' work ended on February 23, 1946. After that, the camp began to close down.

Closing of the Camp

By April 13, 1946, most of the prisoners had left the camp. Only the guards remained. At its busiest, the camp had up to 50 guards watching over the prisoners.

The last person in charge of the camp was Captain James W. Copley. Before the camp officially opened, Captain Lawrence Thomas was in charge of both the Gettysburg facilities and another camp called Camp Michaux, which was used for questioning prisoners.