American civilian airports at former World War II POW camps

Bradley Field – Source: connecticuthistory.org

I was quite surprised to learn recently how many sites of current civilian airports in the United States once were the location of a World War II prisoner of war camp. It was certainly not an aspect of American history I had ever learned about in school or college.

Camp Freeland – Source: ourmidland.com

Of the six (6) camps listed below, by far the largest in terms of number of prisoners held was Camp Freeland (an odd name for a POW camp, though named for the nearby community), which is now the site of MBS International Airport in the Midland-Bay City-Saginaw Region of Michigan.

• Bradley International Airport, Connecticut – then Bradley Field – housed up to 250 German prisoners.
• Hammond Northshore Regional Airport, Louisiana – German prisoner population of 150 worked at Bogalusa Tung Oil Co. or Gaylord Container.
• MBS International Airport, Michigan – then Camp Freeland – German prisoner population peaked at 1,070 in 1945 at this camp.
• Pine Bluff Regional Airport, Arkansas – then Grider Field
• Tampa International Airport, Florida – then Drew Army Airfield – POW’s worked here, but were housed at Camp Blanding located three miles away.
• Will Rogers World Airport – Oklahoma – then Camp Oklahoma City- prisoner population peaked at 225 in 1945.

Sources:

• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_prisoner-of-war_camps_in_the_United_States
• http://www.ourmidland.com/local_news/father-s-memories-of-pows-spur-teacher-s-research-of/article_69cbc6a7-0b7a-59db-bf4a-f3d309b87808.html
• connecticuthistory.org/bradley-airports-military-origins/
• museumoffloridahistory.com/exhibits/permanent/wwii/sites.cfm?PR_ID=114
• rebelcherokee.labdiva.com/ctypowcamps.html
• http://www.hammondstar.com/few-remember-pow-camp-in-hammond/article_0735d473-0bb7-5889-8b13-00221f5bd5d2.html
• http://www.courant.com/new-haven-living/features/hc-nhl-german-pows-ct-20160422-story.html
• puresaginaw.com/camp-freeland-prisoner-of-war-camp/
• http://www.giftbasketsfrommichigan.com/blog/michigan-history/the-german-pow-camps-of-michigan-during-wwii/