In the last installment, I mentioned that I would cover some Nazi activity at Camp Alva and what I have been able to find out about the “Battle of Alva.” I might mention also that a reader has put me on to a new source that may contain vast information.
Before I’m through with all of this it may take more than the two or three installments I mentioned in the opening treatise concerning the camp.
In my search through the material that Larry Thorne, our excellent city librarian, let me look through I came across a very interesting declassified document from the Library of Congress. It appears to have been written by a very literate German prisoner (or perhaps an interpreter of the German language) after the fact. I did not save the portion of the document that contained the prisoner’s name, but I do not recall that it was ever mentioned.
Anyway, the excerpt I want to present here is as follows: “Shortly after we had come there (Camp Alva), HEIM’s Nazi methods which were already prevailing, made themselves felt across the barbed wire of the neighboring compounds.
Naturally all of this went on secretly and without the permission of the Americans. Very soon the fellow prisoners were divided according to the well known methods into organizations, groups and smaller groups, which poisoned the whole camp and kept it in check. During the night HEIM’s delegates climbed up to us and vice-versa and transmitted orders.
That’s how a GESTAPO group of about thirty men was formed and acted as informers and examined every single person as to his political (i.e. Nazi) reliability. Compulsory political meetings for all camp inmates were held under strict secrecy once a week. “I never found what “Heim’s” first name or his rank was.
Another passage in the document reads: “Every camp inmate had to fill up a FRAGEBOGEN secretly – it said on instruction of the Americans, which was not true – in which Party membership, organizations, etc. were the major features: and soon there were BLOCK and ZELL (cell?) leaders here, and the HITLER youth leaders and SS leaders there. One organization outdid the other; in short there reigned a Party and GESTAPO terror far worse than in Germany.”
I looked up the term “fragebogen” on the internet and found it defined as follows: N. A questionnaire, document containing a list of questions to be answered, the exam paper, sheet of paper on which questions for a final test are written. Parts of this definition would make perfect sense in keeping with the subversive activity that was going on in the camp.
Though there were no officially listed killings of prisoners by other inmates in the camp, there were two unexplained suicides that could be called suspect. Some German prisoners, the author of this quoted document and a “Herr Ruge,” for example, who remained opposed to the Nazi-controlled proceedings. Ruge had a position as a mess orderly and could inform the American camp manager of the conditions. He obtained a promise that he would be safeguarded under all conditions. He once even dared speak out in front of the entire assembly on inmates in ridiculing the Nazi policies within the camp.
I’m sure there is a great deal more to this activity within the camp, but I have found no access to it.
The Battle of Alva
Word first came concerning this conflict when a rather vanilla report from the central controlling department for military POW camps in Dallas issued a statement indicating that an altercation had occurred between prisoners and guards.
The Daily Oklahoman, however, received an anonymous letter (perhaps from one or more of the American guards) concerning the incident. That paper issued the following in its Jan. 22, 1945 issue: “Letter to Editor Tells of Battle of Alva.” The Daily Oklahoman first learned of the Alva disturbance in the following letter to the editor. It adds a few facts to the Dallas announcement, but we think you will agree it is more graphic. This material comes from Linda Wagner’s OkieLegacy website.
January 15, 1945 – (Other records indicate the “battle” occurred on Jan. 11) Yesterday began and ended The Battle of Alva. To our knowledge this was the only engagement between American and German forces on this continent. The fighting was brisk and bloody, but there will be no campaign ribbons issued; no battle stars displayed. Casualties were broken heads and smarting eyes, as 64 American soldiers accosted 1,400 “supermen,” former members of Rommel’s famed Afrika Korps.
Armed solely with riot clubs and weak concentrations of tear gas, into the valley of death marches the fighting 64 to storm the Nazi bastion.
The battle was joined as clubs flew and splintered; gas flowed freely, mingled with Nazi tears and blood dripped from many a lacerated scalp. Gradually began the famous strategic retreat, the oft-heard Teutonic expression for a battle lost.
When the smoke had cleared 1,400 supermen stood with a new respect for these unpredictable American soldiers ground into their grimacing faces and the fighting 64 reformed and marched out. Righteous anger and malice were no more.
If a 2-day restriction and Nazi stubborness can bring such a change to men – most of whom are wounded, overseas veterans and limited service men – how then can we lose?
NOTE: The trouble started when one compound refused to move out for a routine shake-down. They were asked again and again. Finally, as a last measure, they were given the only treatment they can understand. Brute force and bestiality is all the men will ever understand.
I doubt if the American public will ever understand how difficult it is to treat these POW’s with kid gloves, while our boys are treated as war criminals, Geneva convention not withstanding. (Serviceman’s name withheld by request.)
For another slant on this, read the following from a letter that Dr. Miles Kelly wrote to his wife concerning the incident. (Dr. Kelly was an army doctor who worked at the camp during the last year of its existence. This material comes from an account of the Dr.’s experiences written by his son and again comes from Linda Wagner’s OkieLegacy website.”
According to his son, he began by writing that “(t)he following information is confidential and please don’t repeat it.” That portion of the letter dealing with the altercation follows:
“This morning they ordered the Germans in Compound #1 to go to the recreation area in preparation for a “shake down” inspection of their barracks. They (we) had just made a previous inspection about three days ago and the Krauts didn’t like to have it repeated.
In order to get them out the C.O. mobilized the entire guard and gave each man a good supply of tear gas grenades. At about 10:30 this morning we evacuated all the American patients and personnel out of the hospital so (that) if the wind changed they wouldn’t get the effect of the gas. Then the show began and they really turned out in record time. It was fun to see the “square-heads” making for the recreation area. After they cleared the barracks a very thorough inspection was made and I imagine it will take some time to get them back in order. As a result of the events today the “Krauts” agreed to cooperate and they are back on three meals a day. Never a dull moment in a P.O.W. camp.”
More next week.
