John Keeney wrote:

I've read of German PWs being dropped off around California
during Orange season to pick the fruit of indivual trees in
peoples' yards. Later in the day, the truck would come back for'm,
no guards, no escapes.
I don't know if such low security was common.

Very common around here (western Massachusetts).

German POWs would be trucked to the tobacco, corn and potato fields
to work. They were paid an hourly rate with some of it going to
Uncle Sam for "security". Friends of mine who worked the fields
with them said often the single guard would just head off to a
shady spot and nap for the day.

Everyone ate at the farmer's family table: family, guard and POWs.

I don't think "just any" German POW was allowed this sort of extra
activity. The hard core Nazi types (SS) were generally separated
out from the others.

My father worked at a POW camp in California for a brief time while
waiting for his B-29 to arrive and head out to the Pacific. He said
the hard core types would slash tires and such on vehicles, and were
a nasty bunch. Lots of others were rather old and were allowed to
work as mechanics in the motor pool, or just tend to a garden around
the camp.

There were occassional reunions of POWs and locals from time to time.
Apparently, locally, the Germans were quite well thought of.


SMH