We asked... (Westover POW Camp)

 

Tell me about the Prisoner of War Camp in Westover, Md.

The Prisoner of War (POW) camp in Westover, Maryland, was known as 

Camp Somerset. It held nearly 1,000 German POWs during World War II and was the largest permanent POW camp on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Today, the site is known as the Westover Labor Camp. 

History of Camp Somerset

• CCC camp: The site was originally built as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp in 1935, which housed 270 men involved in area drainage and ditch projects.
• Army post: During the early years of World War II, it was converted into an army post headquarters, with a total of about 1,000 soldiers stationed there to guard the shoreline.
• POW camp: In 1944, the army soldiers were relocated, and the empty facility was repurposed to house German POWs and American guards.
• Post-war migrant camp: After the German POWs were repatriated in mid-1946, the camp was sold to the University of Maryland and soon became a migrant labor camp, which it remains today. 

Treatment and labor of POWs

• Work details: POWs from Camp Somerset were contracted out to local businesses to work on farms, in sawmills, and at meatpacking and canning plants throughout Somerset County. Some prisoners were also sent to work in neighboring Worcester County and housed in temporary branch camps.
• Fair conditions: According to local accounts and historical records, the prisoners were generally treated well, in accordance with the Geneva Convention. They received three meals a day and were reportedly content to work in America. One notable instance involved German POWs being confused by corn on the cob, as in their home country it was only used as livestock feed.
• Positive interactions: Though fraternization was technically against the rules, some prisoners and their supervisors had friendly relations, and some Germans were seen as model workers. 

Legacy of the camp

• German POWs: Some former German POWs maintained contact with the American families who employed them, with one writing to his former employer for food packets after the war.
• Migrant labor camp: Following the war, Camp Somerset, now known as the Westover Labor Camp, gained notoriety for its harsh and squalid living conditions. Despite recent improvements, it has long been known as one of the largest and most infamous labor camps on the Eastern Shore, attracting migrants from across the Americas.
• Modern development: In 2007, a portion of the former POW camp was demolished to make way for new dormitory-style housing for seasonal workers.