ISO books on German POWs 1945-1947

[Peter H.]

I'm looking for reading material in English or German on German POWs in the immediate post-war period, say early 1945 to 1947. My focus is on camps run by the western Allies (i.e. not Soviet POW camps). Personal accounts and memoirs are welcome.

I'm familiar with Paul Carell's Die Gefangenen and with James Bacque's books, Other Losses and Crimes and Mercies.

[Patrick]

You might try "Nazi Prisoners of War in America" by Arnold Krammer and "We Were Each Others Prisoners" by Lewis Carlson. They mostly deal with the imprisonment during the war, but does deal a little with the post-war situation. Otherwise, I can't think of any books besides "Other Losses" that deal specifically with the post-war period.

Have you searched this forum specifically about "Other Losses"? There was a debate about its accuracy in here some time ago.

[Rohrbach]

You might want to check out Thresholds of Peace: German Prisoners and the People of Britain, 1944-1948. The author is Matthew Barry Sullivan.

Rohrbach

[Peter H.]

Have you searched this forum specifically about "Other Losses"? There was a debate about its accuracy in here some time ago.

Thanks, Patrick. I've just read through the whole twelve pages of the thread on Bacque's Other Losses. Pretty intense! I'm glad I just borrowed my copy from the library rather than paying for it. Now I'm looking suspiciously at my copy of the Carell book, which I did pay for. I haven't actually come across anyone else who has read it, so not much chance for discussion.

I'll look round for the Kramer and Carlson books. What I'm interested in is less the sensational cases and more the day to day life of German POWs.

Rohrbach, thanks for your reference.