The German POW camps of Michigan during WWII

It was not until recently that I knew Michigan was home to several German POW camps during World War II. Somehow these camps were left out of every single Michigan history book I read in school and later in life. I feel a bit ignorant not knowing about these POW camps and wonder just how many other Michigan residents are unfamiliar with them as well.

Photo via waymarking.com

I can't remember where exactly I came across this, but somehow I found this documentary, The Enemy In Our Midst. This documentary was produced by Jackie Chandonnet and John Pepin and originally aired back in 2004. The German POW camps in Michigan's Upper Peninsula are the focus of the documentary, but the premise of it intrigued me enough to dig further and see where, and how many, German POW camps were in Michigan during World War II. I was hoping to get a DVD copy of The Enemy In Our Midst, but I emailed John Pepin and he said that there are only VHS copies available. I'm buying the VHS version as I really want to see this film.

Here is a short promotion for the documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlJldp92NP0

I've been unable to get a consistent number, but thanks to a handful of different websites (pimarily this page at www.gentracer.org) I was able to put together a list. One would think that there would be more information available on this subject, but so far I haven't been able to find too many sources. Depending on how you link the camps together (some camps fell under the "umbrella" of other camps) I was able to come up with 31 different camp locations. Now, some of these locations may have been consolidated under another camp name/location and some of them were strictly hospitals so sometimes you see the number of camps in Michigan listed closer to 20.

Around 6,000 German POWs were posted at the various camps across Michigan. About 1,000 of the POWs were at the five camps in the Upper Peninsula with the remainder located in the Lower Peninsula. The Red Cross made periodic inspections of the camps to ensure that the POWs had decent living conditions and were being treated fairly. Escape attempts were few and no German POW from Michigan is known to have made a complete escape from one of the camps.

Photo via Christopher Bills

A lot of the German POW camps in Michigan were formerly CCC camps and filled mainly with Germans that were forced into service in Hitler's army that fought in Africa. Therefore, they were not thought of as too terribly dangerous and were brought here to work at various camps. Of course there were some SS soldiers that were definitely in the Nazi category and locals usually steered clear of them. These camps were not forced labor camps, in fact, the POWs liked being able to go out and do something, plus the ones cutting pulpwood in Michigan's U.P. were paid $.80 per day. The work the German POWs performed was in areas where there were shortages of labor due to the war effort.

After the war ended the German POWs were sent back to Germany. Many of the prisoners would have liked to have remained here, but due to regulations they had to return to their home country. The German POW camps in Michigan were an interesting part of Michigan's history that I am glad to have found. I still can't believe it took me so long to hear about all of these POW camps and how they have been buried in our history books.

Nicely done video by students from Allegan High School about the German POW Camp near Allegan:

More information on The Enemy in our Midst:

Viewer's Guide to the Enemy in Our Midst POW Camps in the U.P.

Books offering more information on German POW Camps in the United States:

We Were Each Others Prisoners Nazi Prisoners of War in America The Barbed-Wire College The Faustball Tunnel: German POWs in America And Their Great Escape Guests Behind the Barbed Wire

List of German POW Camps in Michigan:

• Camp Allegan
• Camp AuTrain
• Barryton, Mecosta County, MI
• Benton Harbor, Berrien County, MI
• Blissfield, Lenawee County, MI
• Caro, Tuscola County, MI
• Coloma, Berrien County, MI
• Croswell, Sanilac County, MI
• Fort Custer, Galesburg, MI
• Dundee, Monroe County, MI
• Camp Evelyn – Alger County, MI
• Freeland, Saginaw County, MI
• Fremont, Newaygo County, MI
• Camp Germfask – Germfask, MI
• Grant, Newaygo County, MI
• Grosse Ile Township, Wayne County, MI
• Hart, Oceana County, MI
• Camp Lake Odessa, Ionia County, MI
• Mattawan, Van Buren County, MI
• Mass, Ontonagon County, MI
• Milan (USFR), Monroe and Washtenaw Counties, MI
• Odessa Lakes, Tuscola County, MI
• Camp Owosso – Shiawassee County
• Camp Pori – Upper Peninsula
• Camp Raco – Upper Peninsula near Sault Ste. Marie
• Romulus Army Air Field, Wayne County, MI
• Shelby, Oceana County, MI
• Camp Sidnaw – Sidnaw, MI
• Sparta, Kent County, MI
• Wayne (Fort), Detroit, Wayne County, MI
• Waterloo, Jackson County, MI
• Wetmore, Alger County, MI

Detroit's role in winning World War II

With the approach of the 65th anniversary of D-Day and the trouble the auto industry has been facing as of late I was interested in learning more about Detroit's role in producing the products of war. This post was also inspired by this snippet in the Detroit Free Press. Quotes about Detroit's WWII role - "The hottest town in America" - 1943 article in Variety "The wonder city of America" - novelist Erskine Caldwell talking about how much Japan and Germany wanted to bomb Detroit. "A miraculous city, a city forging thunderbolts" - New York Times shortly after U.S. entered WWII. "Detroit is winning the war" - Josef Stalin reportedly told this to President Franklin D. Roosevelt about three months before Germany surrendered.

Detroit was known as the "arsenal of democracy" after this quote below -

Roosevelt referred to Detroit, Michigan as "the great arsenal of democracy" because of the rapid conversion of much of the Detroit-area automotive industry to produce armaments during World War II.

The Big Three Detroit automakers (and other smaller auto companies) GM, Chrysler, and Ford converted their assembly lines to build the tanks, planes, trucks, and weapons necessary for the war. In February of 1942 domestic auto production was halted in order to concentrate on the war effort. Even Michigan's Upper Peninsula got in on the action by harvesting timber for over 4,000 gliders built in Kingsford.

Read all about Detroit's role in producing the weapons and machines necessary for war in this Michigan History Magazine article - "Autos to Armaments."

Remembering the May 18, 1927 Bath School bombing

Media coverage of various school shootings and bombins in recent years would lead one to believe that this is a recent phenomenon. America's first school bombing occurred in the small town of Bath, Michigan at approximately 8:45 a.m. on May 18, 1927. A series of dynamite and pyrotol (military surplus explosive used by farmers for blowing stumps) were wired to a battery and timer which blew away the north wing of the Bath Consolidated School killing thirty-eight children and three adults. The perpetrator was Andrew Kehoe, school board treasurer and local farmer who also worked on various electrical issues and other technical problems at the school from time to time. Shortly after the timed explosion at the school, Andrew Kehoe blew up his farm and burned his wife in the ensuing fire/explosions. He then drove his truck loaded with more explosives to the disaster at the school. For whatever reason, the school superintendent was his nemesis and upon pulling up to the school he called out to the superintendent, Emory Huyck. Huyck went over to Kehoe's truck and Kehoe shot into the load of explosives in his truck instantly killing him and Huyck.

The why of the Bath School Disaster vanished into the ether when Kehoe's truck exploded. No one knows the exact reason for this horrible tragedy. Some say it was for the simple fact that Kehoe didn't like paying higher taxes to support the school. The only person who knew for sure was Andrew Kehoe and the only message he left was a board attached to a fence on his farm. The message on the board read, "Criminals are made, not born." Apparently meaning that someone or something made Kehoe into the type of person who would perpetrate such a cowardly act.

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For More information on the Bath School Disaster:

Books: Bath Massacre: America's First School Bombing Life Is Fragile: One Girls Story of the Bath School Disaster

Websites: http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bauerle/disaster.htm http://daggy.name/tbsd/

New life for the McGulpin Point Lighthouse

A few years back my wife and headed west out of Mackinaw City in search of the McGulpin Point Lighthouse. I had heard from someone that it was located west of town on private property. Being a lighthouse hound (specifically Michigan lighthouses) I went to see what was left of the old light. It wasn't difficult at all to find the lighthouse. You just take Lakeside Drive out west of Mackinaw City and then veer off on Wenniway Drive. The remains of the old lighthouse were north of where Wenniway Drive makes a sharp turn south. It looked more like a house than a lighthouse without the distinguishing turret containing the lantern.

Last July the lighthouse was purchased by Emmett County from the private owner. A new lantern and railing were put on the old lighthouse last week. A special lighting ceremony will take place on May 30th and the lighthouse and grounds will be open to the public this summer.

Get more information on the History of The McGulpin Point Lighthouse.

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Website shows the Michigan Central Depot circa 1973 versus 2008

Onlyndetroit.com has a great (both in sadness and architectural beauty) look at the Michigan Central Depot from the end of it's glory days to the current eyesore it has become. The depot was in the news today as the Detroit City Council passed a resolution for the demolition of the Detroit icon. Another great site that shows more of the iconic buildings of Detroit is The Fabulous Ruins of Detroit. Check out their tour of the Michigan Central Depot.

Monday marks 33rd anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking

Here's a video set to "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot.

More information on the Edmund Fitzgerald