German POW Camp in Wilmington, N.C.

From the April 2, 2018, Wilmington (NC) News-Journal "Rotary learns about local prison camp" by Wilmington Rotary.

Kay Fisher from the Clinton County History Center spoke about the World War II German POW camp in Wilmington.  German prisoners included Nazis and some who opposed the Nazi doctrines.  There were also Italian  and Japanese prisoners.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed 155 prison camps and 511 branch camps across the United States (actually a lot of those were camps previously used by the CCC).  Anywhere between 250 to 750 prisoners were in each camp.

In Wilmington, the POW camp was on the Hubert Barrett property on Doan Street.  It housed 250 prisoners who were guarded by 50 U.S, military personnel.

There was fear that if enemy prisoners were mistreated that would lead to American prisoners receiving the same treatment.  Actually, from what I have read, if you had to be a prisoner in World War II, being held in a prison in the U.S. was not bad at all.  Indeed, many former German prisoners, on release, returned home, settled their affairs and moved to the United States.

German prisoners were first processed in Casablanca.  U.S. POW camps ended October 13, 1945.

--GreGen