Captured Germans. American Baseball , and Camp Ruston Louisiana

I just finished a great book. It is called Playing with the Enemy.(great book web site) This is an amazing bit of American, Louisiana, and World War II history that has been discovered. Baseball fans will love this book

The author makes a wonderful novel about his father all based on true events. One group of American Naval guys and one group of captured German Submariners meet up and make history. By the way the Captured Germans and Guards shared a similar bond. They thought the Louisiana Summers were MISERABLE!!!

This involves the Crew of the famous captured German Submarine the U- 505. Which can be seen at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago The Military not wanting the Germans to know we had captured it basically violated the Geneva Convention and sent the Crew down to Ruston Louisiana where they were segregated from other Prisoner's and kept hidden.

By chance a group of Guards, that have formally been part of the Navy Baseball team , was guarding them. Against all odds and much mutual distrust the Americans taught these Germans to play Baseball. It appears it was event that people would come to watch. IT is a very good book and is just part of story of his dad. Anyway a good read. The above site has more details. They are even going to make a Movie!!!

Here is a review:
From BooklistGene Moore, from tiny Sesser, Illinois, was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers at age 15 in 1940. After Pearl Harbor, the Dodgers arranged for him to be a member of a traveling U.S. Navy baseball team to entertain troops in the European theater. Eventually, the team was assigned stateside to guard a select group of German prisoners in Louisiana. The Germans had been captured when their submarine, the U-505 (now a featured attraction at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry), experienced mechanical problems in the vicinity of Allied warships. The story of the relationship that developed between the prisoners and their guards is a fascinating one. Because the Allies captured key code-breaking information with the sub, the existence of the prisoners was kept secret. Author Moore, son of Gene, also tells the heartbreaking story of how his father tried to recapture his major-league dream after the war but did not succeed. A moving profile of one, nearly unknown member of the Greatest Generation.
More reviews at Amazon

There is not much of Camp Ruston left. I live quite near it. Until a few years ago it was not uncommon for former German Prisoners to show up in Ruston with families in tow looking for the place. Old age of course is making that a rarity nowadays.

Camp Ruston was one of the largest prisoner of war camps in the US during World War II. At its peak the camp held over 4,300 prisoners

Here is an excellent resource on the old camp with tons of rare pictures

Of note is this picture:

This is funeral of a German Prisoner at Camp Ruston. You will there was is German Flag on the Coffin. I wished I could find this photo again but that flag was made by local Ruston Women. It is a stunning photo that I have seen of that of the women making that flag. Somehow they came aware that this "enemy" solider would have no flag to be buried with. So they made him one!!


Anyway good book.

Update Louisiana Tech has a Excellent resource on this camp with quotes and more pictures from old POW's.


This is not the photo I was thinking of but this is one of the Women that sewed the German Flag seen above used in the Funeral

I was reviewing the exhibit list on the Tech Site and here are a few interesting quotes and history

This is a sad tale

WHY WERE THE RUSSIANS AT CAMP RUSTON? 118 Russian soldiers were interned at the camp. They were kept segregated in compound #3These soldiers were anti - communist who had been drafted into the Russian army. After being captured by the Germans they were "tortured, beaten and forced to fight with the Germans in the German Army."

This is questionable however we do know that these anti - communist did find their way into German uniform either voluntarily or not and were captured as German soldiers

After Germany surrendered, these soldiers volunteered to fight for the Americans against the Japanese rather than face certain death upon being returned to Russia.The Americans declined their offer. A number of Russian PW committed suicide just prior to being sent back to Russia.

Another interesting quote

HELP FROM THE LOCALS Unable to meet the daily quota for wood chopping, Rudolf Beyer and his 16 year old PW partner depended on the compassion of local blacks to avoid the stockade. It seems that the blacks would be responsible for counting and hauling the cut logs felt sorry for them and, "often manipulated the count to help us. The black people definitely helped me and that young boy and of course others too. They were the ones who actually realized how hard work it was, they were the ones that normally did it... the wood chopping... in peace time they would have had to do this work. "Rudolf Beyer

On the other Hand the Italians!!!

THE ITALIANS- While the Afrika Korps were the easiest to control, the Italians were the hardest. Their attitude was not malicious, it was simply that, " for them the war was over and they could care less about anything else." The Italians were constantly breaking rules & regulations and getting into mischief, and appeared unconcerned about being punished. After Italy's surrender many Italians considered themselves allies of the Americans and could not understand why they were still being kept in a POW camp.

This is pretty amusing

TRUST When returning from work details or branch camps guards would stop at a local store to purchase the PWs a beer.Since it was against regulations to take his weapon with him in a civilian store, the guard,"would take his pistol and hand it to me to put in the glove box while I sat on the passenger's side of the truck. When he returned with the beer we would just hand it back to him." Former PW Bernard Hoeter