PRISONERS OF WAR

The Tuskegee Airmen also encountered the Germans, not in the air, but in their camps as prisoners of war. Here are a few of their stories. On August 14, 1944, Lt. Alexander Jefferson's plane was attacked and his plane landed 200 feet from the target. Capt. Robert H. Daniels was also hit and landed in the water. He managed to escape from his plane but was also picked up by the Nazis. They were sent to Frankfurt where they were placed in solitary confinement and interrogated. Ironically, the interrogator knew more about the 332nd then the actual pilots did. They were shown a booklet, which comprised of the names and addresses and much more information of all the men who graduated from Tuskegee. They stayed in Frankfurt for three days and then were moved to Wetzlar where the American Red Cross looked at them. They were also allowed to have "shower baths, given clean bedding and clothing, and given our first hot meal, which consisted of oatmeal, German bread, cocoa, and powdered eggs" (Frances 254). The two men were then transported to Stalag Luft III where they stayed for six weeks. At this camp, ten officers lived in one room about 16x16 feet and they did their own cooking. Altogether there were about 10,000 prisoners at this particular camp. Prisoner's rations were cut towards the end of the year, which hurt them greatly.

On January 29, 1945, the prisoners were then moved quickly because the Russian troops were not far behind. They walked for 85 kilometers and even the German guards were falling over from exhaustion. Ironically, the Red Cross gave the prisoners adequate clothing for the cold weather. They were sent to Stalag 7-A where the conditions were appalling. But there were able to live because of the rations continuously sent by the Red Cross. But their fears grew as Americans marched closer to Berlin. They either feared of being shot or bombed by the Americans. The Third Army liberated the camp on April 29, 1945.

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