Most People In Virginia Don’t Know About Our Old German POW Camp
By Beth|Updated on April 21, 2023(Originally published April 16, 2023)
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Beth
Author
A lifelong Virginia resident, Beth loves exploring different parts of the world and currently resides in Charlottesville. She holds a degree in English Literature and one of her short stories has been featured in the Shenandoah Review. Other interests include hiking, songwriting, and spending time in the mountains.
While Virginia is known for its Revolutionary War and Civil War history, few people associate the state with World War II. And yet, as those who lived through those wartime years remember, the war affected residents of Virginia in very tangible ways. In fact, there are a handful of locations throughout the state that once served as prisoner of war (POW) camps. One of the most prominent was Camp Ashby, located in Princess Anne County near Virginia Beach. Aside from historical markers, very little remains of the actual camp. Yet it’s history is fascinating.
During WWII, Camp Ashby was the largest POW camp in the state of Virginia. The camp housed 6,000 German Troops, many of whom had been captured in North Africa during the final years of the war.
Believe it or not, nearly every state in the country had at least one POW camp during WWII.
A majority of these camps were located in the South due to the fact that heating for barracks was less expensive. Many people don't know about this hidden history in their own home states.
The army used the Tidewater Victory Memorial Hospital as its headquarters for the camp. Previously, the hospital had been used to treat tuberculosis patients.
This was often the case, that hospitals and other institutional buildings were turned into prisons during this period of the war. In some cases it also worked the other way, where prisoners that housed POWs were later repurposed for hospitals and institutions. Not exactly where you'd hope for your family to be treated.
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Although the POWs were indeed prisoners in every sense, their daily schedule offered opportunities for work, recreation, education, and religion.
Because the war caused a shortage in labor throughout the country, POWs worked in farms and plants and were often times paid the same rate as the U.S.-equivalent rank in the army.
Conditions were not always good. But the theory that prisoners would have opportunities to grow and expand themselves and their horizons is a very different goal than the reality of our contemporary prison system.
One of the most significant forms of education was the Intellectual Diversion Program, which was organized to help the prisoners give up their pro-Nazi belief system.
The idea that these POWs could be reformed and turned back into productive citizens was a positive one, though we can't speak to how well the systems worked.
Today, the 21 acres that once made up Camp Ashby are designated by historical markers. The City of Virginia Beach has also made a special effort to remember this important historical moment between 1944 and 1946.
Thanks to the Virginia Beach Historic Preservation Commission, there are 15 historical markers that tell the important story of the German POWs. While little remains of the actual camp, preservation efforts and historic documentation ensure that this moment in Virginia's history will not be forgotten.
Be sure to watch the brief YouTube video below, courtesy of VirginiaBeachTV, to learn more about Camp Ashby:
. If you're lucky enough you can also visit the site and get a sense of the POW experience for yourself.
If you’re curious to visit the site of the former POW camp, it’s located at the Willis Furniture Store Complex. Have you been to this fascinating piece of history before? If so, let us know in the comments below. We love to hear your firsthand accounts of these unique experiences.
