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Nazi Influence at the Fort Robinson Prisoner of War Camp During World War II

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Nazi Influence at the Fort Robinson Prisoner of War Camp During World War II Nebraska History posts materials online for your personal use. Please remember that the contents of Nebraska History are copyrighted by the Nebraska State Historical Society (except for materials credited to other institutions). The NSHS retains its copyrights even to materials it posts on the web. For permission to re-use materials or for photo ordering information, please see: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/magazine/permission.htm Nebraska State Historical Society members receive four issues of Nebraska History and four issues of Nebraska History News annually. For membership information, see: http://nebraskahistory.org/admin/members/index.htm Article Title: Nazi Influence at the Fort Robinson Prisoner of War Camp during World War II Full Citation: Thomas R Buecker, “Nazi Influence at the Fort Robinson Prisoner of War Camp during World War II,” Nebraska History 73 (1992): 32-41 URL of article: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/publicat/history/full-text/NH1992NaziInfl.pdf Date: 8/23/2013 Article Summary: Most prisoners of war held at Fort Robinson considered their treatment satisfactory. There was some harassment of non-Nazi prisoners of war by Nazi prisoners. A Special Projects reeducation program successfully modified the political stance of many PWs while they were in the Nebraska camp. Cataloging Information: Prisoners Held at Fort Robinson: Gerhard B Braune, Albrecht Lederer, Ernst Ummack, Otto Ludwig, Harry Huenmoerder, Wolfgang Dorschel Other Names: John Neumaier, Jason Silverman Nebraska Place Names: Crawford Keywords: Geneva Convention, Afrika Korps, Special Projects, John Neumaier, Wolfgang Dorschel, der Ruf (The Call), Neuer Horizont (New Horizon), Harry Huenmoerder, camp spokesman, Nazi salute, Nazi flag, movies, reeducation Photographs / Images: Wolfgang Dorschel’s pencil and ink rendering of the Fort Robinson Prisoner of War camp, October 1945; sign for PW camp on Highway 20 west of Crawford; PW camp compound that housed the original Afrika Korps contingent throughout World War II; Hans Waecker and other members of a variety entertainment group in front of their hall; German PW Wolfgang Dorschel on work detail; PW reunion August 21, 1987 NAZI I FLU NCE ATT FORT OBINSO PRISO ROFWA CAMP DURI GWORLDWA II By Thomas R. Buecker During World War II some 375,000 that construction of a P.W. camp on the General Erwin Rommel's famed Afrika German and 50,000 Italian prisoners of post military reservation was to begin. Korps. These troops were well­ war were brought to internment camps In January 1943 a site one and one-half disciplined, regular ,soldiers, many of in the United States, chiefly at the miles east of the post was prepared, whom were fanatical Nazis. They were request of our European allies. In 1942 and construction started. Initially the more thoroughly indoctrinated in Nazi alone large numbers _ of German camp was planned as a single­ ideology than most later arriving soldiers were captured by the British in compound, 1,000-man camp, with P.W.Sl The Afrika Korps soldiers were North Africa. The thousands of additional facilities for guard and usually the first prisoners to arrive in prisoners of war strained their supplies administrative echelons. The buildings American P.W. camps, and they and manpower, and the British govern­ were all temporary frame structures, became the camp cadre for the later ment pressured the United States to covered with battened tarpaper. arrivals. take charge of the captured men. Almost before construction was com­ Throughout World War II the Prisoners were shipped on empty troop pleted, the army decided to expand the American government strictly com­ transports returning from Europe to camp to hold 3,000 prisoners. With the plied with the Geneva Convention's the United States. The American army addition of two compounds, the camp rules for prisoner of war treatment. was ill prepared to receive and hold contained 160 buildings for prisoners Because of that compliance, the Ger­ large numbers of prisoners of war and American personnel. man P.W.s were able to maintain con­ (P.W.s). Numerous prisoner of war Later that spring, American soldiers tinual contact with their government. camps were quickly built on military arrived to garrison the camp. Two Swiss representatives regularly visited installations, including Fort Robin­ military police escort guard companies, the camps. The German government son, Nebraska. numbering 275 men, arrived to provide sent directives, books, and canteen Although Fort Robinson was located security. The 1765 Service Unit was funds through those representatives. in the northwestern corner of the state, activated for administrative purposes. Initially, Americans had no interest it had excellent railroad connections. Composed of seventy-five men, this in the politics of the German P.W.s. After several weeks of rumors, word unit provided the headquarters staff, Camp personnel were unprepared to was received in late December 1942 chauffeurs, mess personnel, clerks, and deal with the ideological distinctions four interpreters. By the summer of found in the camps. Most Americans 1943 the camp was ready for were politically ignorant or naive about operation. Nazism. This naivete is illustrated by a Thomas R. Buecker is curator of the Ne­ braska State Historical Society's Fort Robin­ On November 19, 1943, the first conversation between the Fort Robin­ son Museum. He is a frequent contributor to prisoners arrived at the Fort Robinson son commander, Colonel Arthur historical journals. camp. They were 680 members of Blaine, and his interpreter, John 32 / The pencil and ink rendering ofthe FortRobinson Prisoner ofWar camp was made in October 1945 and donated to the Nebraska State Historical Society by former P.W spokesman Wolfgang Dorschel. The caption reads "View to east on the sand hills (spur ofthe Rocky Mountains)." (NSHS-11 044-3) Sign for P.W camp on Highway 20 west ofCrawford. (NSHS-T467-l) 33 Nebraska History - Spring 1992 Neumaier: "Corporal, I tell you these Bolsheviks in that camp, they really have discipline." "Colonel, sir, these are not Bolsheviks. These are Nazis." "Bolsheviks, Nazis. All the same.'? The stage was setfor internal strife that the American command at first chose to ignore. There were severalfactors thatled to American difficulties with German prisoners. The first was Nazi political influence. Approximately eight to ten percent ofthe German P.W.s were con­ sidered fanatical Nazis, and thirty per­ cent were felt to be sympathetic to Nazism. It can be assumed that these figures, compiled at the end of the war, applied to the Germans in the Fort Robinson camp. Although ardent The P.W camp at Fort Robinson housed in the compound on the right the original Nazis were a minority, they controlled Afrika Korps contingent throughout World War II. [NSHS-T467-2} .... (bottom) Varista the .camps, intimidating others by (variety entertainment) group in front of their hall. Hans Waecker is at right. (NSHS­ threats and violence.' T467-16) A second factor was the failure to segregate anti-Nazis and Nazi prisoners during the initial processing. It was assumed that every German soldier was a Nazi. Those considered rabid Nazis were sent to a special camp at Alva, Oklahoma. But a quota system imposed on each Service Command Area prevented all of the hard-core Nazi P.W.s from being sent there. Third, the average German soldier had strong patriotic and nationalistic feelings. He was doing his duty as a soldier serving his country. A P.W. dis­ play of anti-American expression was not necessarily pro-fascist. The blind obedience characteristic of German soldiers did not indicate Nazi sym­ pathy. The American command con­ fused nationalism with Nazism." Along with ignorance of German political beliefs, American guards generally had no understanding of the German language. Some qualified men were selected as interpreters but never in sufficieritnumbers. At times the Fort Robinson camp was short as many as sixteen interpreters. As former inter­ preter John Neumaier explained, the 34 Prisoner of War Camp German Army was "not just a national of the camp. Typically a June 1944 safety. He had exhibited decided anti­ army but a political army."> The report remarked that the camp was Nazi sentiment. His transfer to Fort Americans' lack of understanding of well-administered, "not to say worthy Devins, Mass., was also made to pre­ political ideology, nationalistic of commendation."!" serve "the efficient operation of the attitudes, language, and rules of com­ The general aim of the American prisoners interned here." pliance with the Geneva Convention command was to maintain tranquility. On July 12 Unteroffizier Ernst led to the drastic increase in Nazi As long as the P.W.s behaved correctly, Ummack was placed in protective cus­ influence inside the compound. they were treated accordingly. Unfor­ tody because his life had been Nazi influence on the German P.W.s tunately some American personnel, threatened. He was accused of being a actually began before they arrived in especially camp guards, were not traitor because he translated war news the camp. Many expected to see New qualified for their assignments. The to other P.W.s, which they did not York in ruins after being bombed by the camps had to operate with an believe. Three days later he was Luftwaffe: unprepared skeleton staff. transferred to Camp Veteran, Sometimes in conversation, they had the impres­ Several months after the P.W.s Wyoming.P sion New York City was completely demolished, arrived at Fort Robinson, conflict be­ On February 18 Camp Spokesman it was destroyed, it was wiped out. We said 'That's not true. Here's a news picture of New tween Nazis and anti-Nazi prisoners Harry Huenmoerder recommended York City,' Propaganda! Propaganda! It was de­ began to surface. To maintain camp transfer for Gefreiter (Corporal) Otto stroyed, that was their attitude." harmony, the groups had to be Ludwig.
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