How Nazis who terrorized North Africa ended up as cotton pickers in wartime Mississippi

German POWs at Camp Shelby

During World War II, thousands of German soldiers came to America as prisoners. After the German Afrika Korps gave up in North Africa in 1943, the U.S. sent many captured soldiers to camps across the country.

Camp Shelby near Hattiesburg was one of four main POW camps in Mississippi. German prisoners started arriving in September 1943. Over 5,300 Germans lived at Camp Shelby during the war.

Many worked in cotton fields, filling in for American men who were fighting overseas.

When 150,000 Afrika Korps Soldiers Arrived in America

American and British forces trapped 267,000 German and Italian soldiers in North Africa in May 1943. The famous Afrika Korps, led by Field Marshal Rommel, had to surrender. The U.S. brought 150,000 of these prisoners to America by August 1943.

It was cheaper to keep them here than in North Africa. Prisoners first went to camps in Algeria, then took ships to New York. From there, trains carried them to camps mostly in the southern states. Most prisoners were young men between 18 and 22 years old.

Camp Shelby Establishes Cotton Field Branch Camps

In 1944, Camp Shelby set up smaller branch camps throughout the Mississippi Delta.

Ten camps opened in cotton-growing areas like Greenville, Belzoni, and Clarksdale. These smaller camps held between 250 and 1,000 men each. They had simpler buildings and fewer guards than the main camp.

Many used old Civilian Conservation Corps buildings left from the 1930s. The military built these branch camps close to farms that needed workers. Fences, lights, and guard towers formed the outer edges of each camp.

The Geneva Convention Sets the Rules

The Geneva Convention of 1929 created rules for treating prisoners of war.

These rules said German officers couldn’t be forced to work, but regular soldiers could. Workers couldn’t help the American war effort directly. They received 80 cents per day, about the same as an American private.

Prisoners got the same food quality as American soldiers. They lived in barracks with 250 men per company. Each camp had dining halls, medical buildings, stores, and recreation areas.

Spring Field Work With Heavy Hoes

In spring, German POWs cleared weeds from young cotton plants using long-handled hoes. The hot Mississippi sun felt familiar to men who had fought in North Africa. Work parties left at dawn and came back at dusk.

Most prisoners chose field work instead of sitting in camp all day. Farmers paid the government 45 cents per hour for each worker. The farmers provided lunch for the work crews. Guards watched from the edges but rarely stepped in unless there was trouble.

Fall Cotton Picking They Disliked

Cotton picking in fall was harder than spring weeding. Germans dragged heavy canvas bags through the fields, picking cotton by hand. The bags grew heavier as they filled up. Sharp cotton bolls scratched and cut their hands as they worked.

No cotton picking machines existed yet. Everything had to be picked by hand. The Germans worked slower than local farmers. This work continued through fall 1944 and 1945, helping save the cotton crop when few American workers were available.

POW Wages and Camp Canteens

The 80 cents daily pay went into camp accounts for each prisoner. They couldn’t get cash directly. Camp stores sold cigarettes, soap, writing paper, and snacks. Prisoners used their earnings to buy these items.

Farmers paid the government much more than the prisoners received. POW labor cost about half to three-quarters of what civilian workers earned. Some prisoners sent part of their earnings to family in Germany through the Red Cross.

Camp Life Between Cotton Seasons

Between work periods, prisoners built a community. They grew vegetables outside their barracks and played soccer on Sundays. Some formed bands and gave concerts. They made a newspaper called the “Mississippi Post” with a special Christmas edition in 1945.

Artistic prisoners created a book called “Memories of Mississippi” with drawings of their time in camp. Classes taught English and job skills. Both Protestant and Catholic church services were held for the Germans.

Escape Attempts from Cotton Fields

Some prisoners tried to escape despite being far from Germany. Cotton fields made it easier to slip away than the main camp. Men simply walked away from work groups or hid in nearby woods. But most were caught quickly.

Their German accents, clothes marked with “PW,” and lack of money gave them away. One famous escape involved a German pilot who fell in love with a farm owner’s wife. Police caught them in Nashville as they tried to reach the east coast.

When Nazi Ideology Created Tensions

Not all German POWs supported Hitler. Many had been drafted into the army and weren’t Nazi party members. SS soldiers and strong Nazi supporters were often rejected by other prisoners. This created fights in the camps.

Camp Shelby ran a secret program to teach prisoners about democracy for when they returned to Germany. After one Nazi killed another prisoner for not being loyal to Hitler, officials moved the hardcore Nazis to separate camps.

Most prisoners were ordinary men from farms who just wanted to survive the war.

Working After Germany’s Surrender

Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945. Camp Shelby still held about 3,000 POWs when the war in Europe ended. President Truman kept the prisoners working because America still needed farm workers.

Cotton planting and picking continued through 1945. Some Germans stayed at Camp Shelby almost three years after being captured. Farmers wanted to keep the workers because they had no one else.

The prisoners finally started going home in early 1946. The last Mississippi POW camps closed in spring 1946.

Visiting Mississippi Armed Forces Museum, Camp Shelby

The Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby welcomes visitors Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The museum is located at Building 850, Camp Shelby, Mississippi, 39407. Admission is free.

The museum has 16 galleries with military exhibits from the 1800s to today. The World War II section includes displays about German POWs who worked in cotton fields. Because Camp Shelby is an active military base, all adults need a photo ID to enter.

Read more from this brand:

• The Mississippi Camp That Turned Segregated Japanese Americans Into WWII Heroes
• Uncovering the historic towns along the Mississippi in Iowa
• This black student’s arrival at Ole Miss triggered the largest military deployment since the Civil War