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| Delaware Military History |
WWII POW Camps in Delaware
This list of Prisoner of War Camps, Italian Service Unit Camps, and Prisoner of War Hospitals is
based on weekly reports located on NARA microfilm #66-538 (population lists June 1942-June
1946). Additional locations based on newspapers, interviews, and other NARA records (at
College Park and Regional Archives).
The POW Camps in Delaware during World War II included:
*Fort DuPont, Delaware City, New Castle County, (base camp) now a health care center, and
state park. Over 1000 German and Italian prisoners in Rommel's Afrika Corps captured in 1943
were sent to the POW camp set up at Fort DuPont. In 1945 there were two waves of German
prisoners who were transferred to Boston from the fort. The first wave consisted of 1,750 while
the second wave which followed shortly was composed of another 2,000. After the successful
transfer of the POW prisoners the fort was decommissioned by the Army and turned over to the
State of Delaware. The temporary wooden barracks that housed the POWs no longer stands,
the last collapsing from age just four years ago.
*Bethany Beach, Sussex County, (branch camp under Ft. DuPont, )
*Bridgeville, Sussex County, (branch camp under Ft. DuPont, )*Georgetown I, Sussex County,
(branch camp under Ft. DuPont, )
*Georgetown II, Sussex County, (branch camp under Ft. DuPont, )
*Harrington, Kent County, (branch camp under Ft. DuPont, )
*Leipsic, Kent County, (branch camp under Ft. DuPont, )
*Lewes, Sussex County, (branch camp under Ft. DuPont, )
*Saulsbury (Fort), Sussex County, (branch camp under Ft. DuPont, )
*Fort Miles, Sussex County, (base camp)
*New Castle, New Castle County, (branch camp under Ft. Miles, )
Fort DuPont had a branch camp in NJ.
April 1, 1932 A Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp opened at Georgetown for mosquito
control. During WW II it was also used as a POW camp
Dover Army Air Field
As late in the war as 1944, Dover Army Air Field was still “scrounging” for needed equipment,
facilities and materiel. There was a shortage of everything from file cabinets to trash cans. Due
to wartime manpower shortages some 145 German Prisoners of War were employed at Dover
Army Air Field beginning in October 1944 under strict rules of employment designed to respect
the Geneva accords and national security. POWs were employed in the mess and in
housekeeping duties. KP duty was unpopular and morale improved when the POWs relieved
the GIs of that duty. Fraternization with prisoners was officially forbidden. The prisoners were
lightly guarded at the direction of the base commander.
For more information about these camps, please see:
www.globalsecurity.org
www.volksbund.de
www.kriegsgefangen.de
www.denkmalprojekt.org
www.weltkriegsopfer.de
