| Where is my Father Buried? What happened to my Son? |
A vast number of German families were never given an answer. The victorious US Army quickly
built a series of Prisoner of War cages in open meadows and enclosed them with concertina wire.
One such notorious field was located at Bad Kreuznach. The German prisoners were rounded and
driven into the open spaces with no toilets, tents or shelters. They had to burrow sleeping spaces into
the ground. In the Bad Kreuznach cage, 560,000 men were interned in a very small, congested area
and denied adequate food and water, surviving on less than 700 calories a day until they became ill.
built a series of Prisoner of War cages in open meadows and enclosed them with concertina wire.
One such notorious field was located at Bad Kreuznach. The German prisoners were rounded and
driven into the open spaces with no toilets, tents or shelters. They had to burrow sleeping spaces into
the ground. In the Bad Kreuznach cage, 560,000 men were interned in a very small, congested area
and denied adequate food and water, surviving on less than 700 calories a day until they became ill.
The fates of thousands of German soldiers surrendered to both the Allies and especially the Soviets
have never accounted for and any attempts to uncover the truth of their disappearance have been
forbidden or halted.
have never accounted for and any attempts to uncover the truth of their disappearance have been
forbidden or halted.
During April and May, 1945, thousands of prisoners under American control died from malnutrition,
disease and exposure. Thousands more German prisoners of war in the Rhine Meadows camps died
from starvation and lack of medical attention. There are 1,000 official graves of these men in Bad
Kreuznach, and some sources claim there are many, many more unofficial mass graves.
disease and exposure. Thousands more German prisoners of war in the Rhine Meadows camps died
from starvation and lack of medical attention. There are 1,000 official graves of these men in Bad
Kreuznach, and some sources claim there are many, many more unofficial mass graves.
By February 28, 1947, it was estimated that 4,160,000 German former prisoners of war, relabeled as
"Disarmed Enemy Forces," possibly in order to negate terms of the Geneva convention, were held
in work camps outside Germany: 750,000 in France, 400,000 in Britain and 10,000 in Belgium. It is
estimated that 700,000 to a million men may have died within the period they spent incarcerated in
American and French camps alone from 1945 to 1948. There are much higher estimates, however,
and attempts to uncover the truth regarding these camps in modern times, as well as excavation of
reported mass grave sites, have been vigilantly thwarted by, among others, the German government.
"Disarmed Enemy Forces," possibly in order to negate terms of the Geneva convention, were held
in work camps outside Germany: 750,000 in France, 400,000 in Britain and 10,000 in Belgium. It is
estimated that 700,000 to a million men may have died within the period they spent incarcerated in
American and French camps alone from 1945 to 1948. There are much higher estimates, however,
and attempts to uncover the truth regarding these camps in modern times, as well as excavation of
reported mass grave sites, have been vigilantly thwarted by, among others, the German government.
In January 26,1910 at the Hague Land Warfare Convention, Article 20 stated: “After the peace
treaty, prisoners of war should be dismissed into their homeland within shortest period.”
However, because there was no "peace treaty" in place at the end of World War Two, and because
the German POWs were conveniently redefined as "disarmed enemy forces," this was purposely
ignored. In fact, in a "Re-education" bulletin distributed by the "Special Service Division, Army
Service Forces" of the U.S.Army in 1945, tacit approval is given for the intentional transfer of
German POWs from Allied hands to the Red Army:
treaty, prisoners of war should be dismissed into their homeland within shortest period.”
However, because there was no "peace treaty" in place at the end of World War Two, and because
the German POWs were conveniently redefined as "disarmed enemy forces," this was purposely
ignored. In fact, in a "Re-education" bulletin distributed by the "Special Service Division, Army
Service Forces" of the U.S.Army in 1945, tacit approval is given for the intentional transfer of
German POWs from Allied hands to the Red Army:
They were not destined for slave labor only in Russia. At one point,
80,000 prisoners of war a month were supposed to have to been returned
from captivity in the USA and 85,000 each month discharged into the
Allied zones of Germany as part of the 1.3 million allotted to France for
"rehabilitation work", but after the International Red Cross reported that
200,000 of the prisoners already in French hands were so undernourished
they were unfit for labor and likely to die over the winter, the USA
stopped all transfers of prisoners to French custody until the French were
able to maintain them in accordance with the Geneva Convention.
80,000 prisoners of war a month were supposed to have to been returned
from captivity in the USA and 85,000 each month discharged into the
Allied zones of Germany as part of the 1.3 million allotted to France for
"rehabilitation work", but after the International Red Cross reported that
200,000 of the prisoners already in French hands were so undernourished
they were unfit for labor and likely to die over the winter, the USA
stopped all transfers of prisoners to French custody until the French were
able to maintain them in accordance with the Geneva Convention.
Surrendered German troops marched through bombed out Aachen on their way to
destinations unknown where, viewed as expendable slaves, many would be either
murdered, starved or worked to death while their own homeland was in ruins.
destinations unknown where, viewed as expendable slaves, many would be either
murdered, starved or worked to death while their own homeland was in ruins.
The conditions that German POWs, many just kids, endured on the Eastern Front were beyond grim
and did not follow any accepted protocol for treatment of captured soldiers. Those that made it alive
to separate camps in Siberia and elsewhere in the western Soviet Union were subjected to violent
"reeducation" to communism, frequent beatings, brutal torture, poisoning and execution.
and did not follow any accepted protocol for treatment of captured soldiers. Those that made it alive
to separate camps in Siberia and elsewhere in the western Soviet Union were subjected to violent
"reeducation" to communism, frequent beatings, brutal torture, poisoning and execution.
Food and water were always scarce, living barely primitive. The result was an unacceptable rate of
death. Out of the 90,000 Germans who marched into Soviet captivity at Stalingrad, only 5,000
ever returned. It can only be assumed that the vast majority were victims of mass murder. While it
is easy to hold the Red Army solely responsible, the Morgenthau Plan and other genocidal
suggestions endorsed by both Churchill and Roosevelt, and whose objectives were quietly embedded
in our post war policies toward a conquered Germany, suggested just such a final solution in which
German men would be removed from Germany as long as possible and German women would be
left vulnerable to foreigners.
death. Out of the 90,000 Germans who marched into Soviet captivity at Stalingrad, only 5,000
ever returned. It can only be assumed that the vast majority were victims of mass murder. While it
is easy to hold the Red Army solely responsible, the Morgenthau Plan and other genocidal
suggestions endorsed by both Churchill and Roosevelt, and whose objectives were quietly embedded
in our post war policies toward a conquered Germany, suggested just such a final solution in which
German men would be removed from Germany as long as possible and German women would be
left vulnerable to foreigners.
“Many German prisoners will remain in Russia after the end
of war, not voluntarily, but because the Russians need them as
workers. That is not only perfectly legal, but also prevents the
danger of the returning prisoners of war becoming the core of
a new national movement. If we ourselves do not want to keep
the German prisoners after the war, we should send them
nonetheless to Russia." German POWs, Berlin, left
of war, not voluntarily, but because the Russians need them as
workers. That is not only perfectly legal, but also prevents the
danger of the returning prisoners of war becoming the core of
a new national movement. If we ourselves do not want to keep
the German prisoners after the war, we should send them
nonetheless to Russia." German POWs, Berlin, left
| Who Put the Bad in Bad Kreuznach? |
| Hundreds of thousands of German POWs were herded into muddy fields, without proper food, water, shelter or sanitary facilities, where they would die like flies of disease and exposure.. Inset shows holes they dug for warmth. |