#Nazis #Mississippi #history
"How Nazis who terrorized North Africa ended up as cotton pickers in wartime Mississippi
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.
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.
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 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.
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."
https://wheninyourstate.com/mississippi/how-nazis-who-terrorized-north-africa-ended-up-as-cotton-pickers-in-wartime-mississippi/
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