POW Christmas

During World War II, POWs taken prisoner by American troops often ended up in the United States, where they were “employed” in camps around the country. The men were often put to work farming and other types of labor that had been done by the soldiers in the past. At the end of the war, many of those prisoners wanted to stay in the states, because they had been treated so well by the Americans. This was in great contrast to the way Allied soldiers were treated in POW camps in Germany and Japan.

It was Christmastime in 1944, and three feet of snow had fallen on a small, isolated prisoner of war timber camp near Dubois, Wyoming. Because of the snow, the prisoners and Army camp staff were snowbound together for several days. If any of the staff had hoped to get home for Christmas with their families, they were quickly losing all hope of that happening. On Christmas Eve, POW Rudolf Ritschel noted, they all “celebrated together quite according to German custom. The men on both sides were deeply impressed by the entertainment presentations.” Sometimes situations, especially in wartime, can bring about a kind of camaraderie that would not have been possible if circumstances had been different.

Lieutenant Harold Harlamert, commander at Camp Dubois, provided details about the Christmas program the POWs put on in their mess hall, a program he said was “exceptionally good.” The prisoners arranged a special table for the American personnel and shared their Christmas treats and food with them. They even handed out typed, printed programs featuring acts and poems that playfully teased both fellow POWs and the US military members. Harlamert recalled a small orchestra playing Christmas music while the prisoners joined in singing German carols, with instruments provided by the YMCA. There was also a special Christmas tree lighting. The US Army camp interpreter, dressed as Santa Claus, pinned large “PW” letters on his back, which amused the prisoners since they were required to wear those letters on their own clothes. Among Santa’s gifts were letters recently arrived from the prisoners’ families in Germany, which brought them great joy. Those letters from home, especially at Christmas are vital to morale. In addition to the wonderful letters in 1944, the men at Camp Dubois, as with most American POW camps, were treated to a nice Christmas party too. It was a good day, in spite of the three feet of snow they had received.