Title:
German P.O.W. Reunion, Fort Robinson, Nebraska (Tape 2)
Record Group Number:
RG0015.MI
Collection:
Chadron State College
Contributing Institution:
History Nebraska; https://history.nebraska.gov/
Date:
1987
Description:
This video contains interviews with 3 of the former German POWs and 1 US Army soldier. The first interview is with Wolfgang Dorschel. He described some of the occurrences in Germany in 1938. He commented that they were always treated well and became friends with many of the Americans. He described one escape attempt that went wrong and also commented on the current east-west tension in the world. His last comment was an invitation to those in the audience to visit Germany. The 2nd POW interviewed was Karl Deyhle. He described his education in Germany and his work with small rockets in a Panzer division. He was captured by the French in Tunisia and arrived at Ft. Robison in March of 1944. He commented on the overwhelming might of the Allies. He wrote to his relatives in Germany that there was no need to send him anything because they had everything they needed. The 3rd interview was with Robert D. Hanson who was an American soldier who was stationed at Fort Robinson. He told of his job there and the close relationship that developed with some of the POWs. The last interview was with Wolfgang Loesche. He described in detail his participation in several of the German army campaigns. He described his capture and journey to Ft. Robinson where he arrived in Nov. of 1943. He said there were never any problems at the camp. When he returned to Germany, he asked that he be released in the American controlled sector rather than his hometown which was controlled by the Russian army.The first portion of this tape is a continuation of the interview with Wolfgang Loesche who gave his views of the current European Community. He also related an incident in the Camp when the guards thought the POWs had weapons in their barracks. The next interview was with Alfred 'Tommy' Thompson. He was a US Army soldier who was a member of a secret intelligence unit sent to Ft. Robinson with a mission to extract information from the POWs. As part of his job, he befriended many of the POWs which caused him to be accused of being a 'Kraut Lover' by the guards. One incident he described was a 'shake down' of an entire POWs barracks with the guards stealing and destroying the POWs personal effects. He was instrumental in keeping the peace. He also felt that the Ft. Robinson camp was the best POW camp in the US. Tommy was also the person who organized the reunion. The last interview was with John Neumeyer (sp?). He was a German born, Jew, who managed to escape Germany and come to the US in 1940. He was then drafted into the US Army and sent to Ft. Robinson primarily as an interpreter. He gave an articulate and wide ranging description of his time at the Camp. The final portion of the video documents the former POWs carrying a wreath to the former camp site with one of them memorializing the eleven German soldiers who died while at the camp. Videotaped by staff of Chadron State College. Tape 2 of 3.
Language:
English; German
Subject (Topics) :
World War, 1939-1945
Subject (Topics) :
Prisoners of war
Subject (Topics) :
Military facilities
Subject (Topics) :
Reunions
Source (Places):
Fort Robinson (Neb.)
Source (Events):
German P.O.W. Reunion, Fort Robinson, Nebraska
Source (Temporal):
1980s
Format-Extent:
02:00:50
Format-Medium:
Videotape
Format-Medium:
Color
Format-Medium:
Sound
Dimensions:
VHS
Type:
Moving Image
Rights:
This work has been identified as being free of known restrictions under U.S. copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights. The organization that has made this item available believes that the item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. (CC Public Domain 1.0 and RightsStatements.org NoC-US 1.0). The original object is available at History Nebraska. For more information contact: [email protected]
