Question For Rudi And Gerhard And Haen

[John W. Howard]

Hello:
Following WWII my father, who had fought as a US infantryman, guarded German POW's for a brief time. The Germans were assembled in an open field with little or no protection from the elements, but according to my father, adequate food was provided to the POW's. The German troops did not stay in the camp very long, being transferred to other camps overseen by MP's etc.
What disturbed my father the most, was the fact that in the mornings, he and other guards would find Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, and sometimes Waffen SS soldiers lying dead in the compound, apparently murdered by their own countrymen during the night. When US interrogators asked German soldiers about this, they replied that it was the work of fanatics from the SS, getting rid of those they regarded as traitors to the Reich.
These killings continued until a Heer general was appointed to administer the camp; he was allowed to carry a sidearm and organized the camp by branch of service. My father said that after this German general took over, there were no more killings and things improved for all concerned; several German soldiers were arrested by the Germans themselves, and handed over to US soldiers. These men were housed in a building, under constant guard, with other politically suspect Germans, both soldiers and civilians. My father often guarded the men in the building, and was ordered to kill them on sight if they attempted to escape. He was under orders not to fraternize with the Germans in the building, but many spoke very good English, and my father and other guards passed cigarettes to them via metal cups lowered on string through the windows. My father enjoyed his conversations with them.
The camp soon came under control of the military police and the German soldiers were transferred to other camps. My father noticed a harshening of treatment toward the Germans with the arrival of the MP's.
I would like to know from Rudi and Gerhard if they knew of murders in their POW compounds committed against those deemed traitors to the Reich, or if they experienced anything similar to my father's experiences. My father is very curious. Rudi went into captivity in Bavaria, close to where my father served. I would be most grateful for your experiences. Thank you very much.

[Gerhard]

Hi:
I am afraid all I can tell you is that I became a POW on the 8th or 9th of May 1945 and surrendered to Americans who told us after relieving us of our personal property to go home. A little later we were taken by English soldiers and ended up for several Month in a transit camp. I do not know or remember where that transit camp was.
Unlike the camp your father was at, in my camp we had very little to eat and this continued in every other camp till I was shipped to England in 1947.
I saw many who died from neglected wounds, Dysentery, Malnutrition, etc. but never heard of anyone murdered.
As SS men we had a difficult time. Funny as it may sound we were treated as if we had the pox. Where as in Russia my batterie of 88s and at the end in the West, by then a batterie of 15cm Nebel Werfers we were always very welcome. That is by near-by units or when sent in for support. It was strange all of a sudden we were "those SS men" and surrounded by Anti-Nazi's, every bloody one of them.
Stranger still was the fact most if not all of us (SS men) were way too young to ever have voted in a election. So you see the Allies and our own people too blamed us for every wrong committed in Germany and during the war. That most of us were still at school when the war started did not seem to mean much.

The camps I was in including the transit camp I am sure nobody was murdered certainly not by our own people.

When you say "US interrogators asked German soldiers about this, they replied that it was the work of fanatics from the SS, getting rid of those they regarded as traitors to the Reich."
If this happened early in the war - maybe - I have not heard about it but I would rather think it's a bit of the above finding someone to blame.

During a interrogation I, at 6 feet weighing a little over 85 lbs, told the interrogator that as far as I knew the Allied POW camps were no better then the concentration camps and was promptly given a fat lip and classified as a Nazi. Somehow everybody heard about it and I was told to keep my mouth shut and not to make it difficult for others, just like being in the dog house. That I was only 7 when Hitler was elected and 13 when the war broke out did not seem to matter.
If you want to know more about my POW days you can find it in:
http://home.arcor.de/kriegsgefangene/me ... rhard.html
I hope I answered all your questions because I will be off for a bit. The Lord only knows when I will be back on line with my new computer paid partially by Germany.
Gerhard

[John W. Howard]

Hello Gerhard:
I appreciate your candid answers to my questions. I have always enjoyed your posts and perspective. My father fought against SS troops at various times but has never talked to me any differently about them than the Heer or Luftwaffe troops he faced; they were all good soldiers. I am sorry to hear of the conditions in your camps; it troubles my father when I relate the stories you tell. I think combat soldiers actually have more in common with the combat soldiers on the opposing side than they do with their own rear area troops.
I have the feeling that you will overcome the new computer challenge with elan and only a few choice expletives!!!! I am glad to know Germany's money is doing something worthwhile. Please take care and thank you once again for your perspective.

[Bartholomew]

Gerhard, is it easy to talk about your experiences as a World War 2 Vet from an SS division with other Germans? Young versus old? I'd be interested to know how people deal with the past today in Germany.