WW2 Era Letter Written by German POW who was in the Fort Jackson POW Camp, South Carolina. 1944

[Heartfeltzero]

C381EF0A-37B3-465A-865E-F2B97A6FAAFE.jpeg

The letter looks to be written by a Wolter Pietsch to a Hertha Pietsch. It was written on December 11th 1944. In the letter he mentions having been in France, so that’s most likely where he was captured.

4906425B-5E97-4C79-9D39-35FC35E7EC91.jpeg

A rough translation of the letter reads:

“To Mrs. Hertha Pietsch
Mucheln, Plön district
Holstein, Germany

11 December 1944

My dear mommy!

Today your daddy is sending you all best wishes. My only desire is to find you in the best of health. Dear Hertha, please write me soon and send a few pictures. Did you receive my picture that I sent you from France back then? I'm fine, you don't need to worry. Sadly you'll have to celebrate Christmas alone this year. Dear Hertha, please don't be sad. I'll be back with you eventually. How much I'd like to see our boy, he must have grown a lot by the time his father returns home. But the most important thing is that I'll see all of you healthy again. Many greetings and kisses, your daddy.”

Regarding the camp-

250 prisoners captured in North Africa were the first held here. Men captured in Italy and France in 1943-44 increased the total to 620 prisoners by January 1945.

German POWS lived in tents with wooden floors, up to five men in each. Their mess hall was a large frame barracks. They worked 8-10 hours a day, harvesting peanuts or peaches, cutting pulpwood or lumber, planting trees, or working in a fertilizer factory. POWs were paid 80 cents a day in credit at the camp store. When not working prisoners often played soccer, put on plays and concerts, and took night classes.

53BADF43-C498-4B70-9EE0-A99581E2DC57.jpeg

[T. A. Gardner]

It would be interesting to compare what this soldier's pay in the Wehrmacht was to the roughly $16 to $18 a month he made working as a POW...