WW II German Prisoners of War in Utah

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During WWII, over 15,000 prisoners of war were sent to Utah (Allan Kent Powell, "Splinters of a Nation: German Prisoners of War in Utah"), out of the over 425,000 prisoners of war in the United States. About 7000 of these men were Italians while about 8000 were Germans.

I've been collecting information on the experiences of these prisoners and the community members who came into contact with them. A non-profit organization called "TRACES of 400,000: Museum, Archive, Culture, Conference and Activities Project" has similar goals concerning all of these WWII Prisoners of War in the US. I spoke about World War II Italian Prisoners of War in Utah at the second international TRACES (www.traces.org) conference on May 31, 2003. A copy of that presentation is available through gentrace@gentracer.com.

All of the 33 World War II Prisoners of War who died in Utah are buried at Fort Douglas Military Cemetery in Salt Lake City. A list of the 20 Germans follows, along with some of the other POWs held in Utah. Their death certificates can be obtained through gentrace@gentracer.com.

A PowerPoint Presentation on the Prisoners of War in Utah During World War II, complete with over 70 photos is available on CD through Utah POW CD.

Otto Bross (Uffz. #8WG-46386) was born on 16 November 1919 at Pferzheim, Germany and was single. Died from gunshot wounds on 8 July 1945 at the Prisoner of War Camp at Salina, Sevier County. (UT Death #59) (NARA RG 389, Entry (A1) 467, Box 1513) Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.

Paul Eilert's headstone was paid for and placed there by his fellow POWs with permission by the American Army. It is not "standard issue". Paul Eilert was born on 6 September 1905 at Berlin (based on his birth record, the Americans transposed the numbers on his death record from 9 June), and was single. His rank is not shown on his death record. He died from cancer on 8 June 1944 at Bushnell General Hospital, Brigham City, Box Elder County (UT Death #81 in 1944). The graphic on the stone appears to show that he was awarded the Iron Cross during WWII. A recent article (2019) described the image on this stone as a Kinght's Cross with Oak Leaves, a high honor. It is neither a Knight's Cross, nor does it have Oak Leaves. It is an Iron Cross, an equivalent to today's US Army Bronze Star, awarded for heroism in battle. There are estimates that 4.5 million were awarded during WWII. Every one of them (thoughout that war) was engraved with 1939 and a swastika since that was the design alteration adopted by Hitler in 1939. He was born Paul Eilert, with his birth filed in Berlin which can be found online (Berlin #1818 in 1905) with the date and parents to match his death record in Utah. The ribbon on the headstone is a fantasy and doesn't match any German military ribbons from that era, or any other, certainly not the ribbon awarded with Oak Leaves. Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery. It isn't obvious, since the cemetery is now full, but this section was a distance from any other burials (a far corner) at the time the POWs were assigned this location for burial.

Ernst Fuchs (Uffz. #8WG-59260) was born on 19 January 1921 at Kirchberg-Hunsrueck, Germany and single. Died from gunshot wounds on 8 July 1945 at the Prisoner of War Camp at Salina, Sevier County. (UT Death #58) (NARA RG 389, Entry (A1) 467, Box 1513) Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.

Gottfried Gaag (Uffz. #8WG-32844) was born on 3 June 1916 in Germany and was single. Died from gunshot wounds on 8 July 1945 at the Prisoner of War Camp at Salina, Sevier County. (UT Death #63) (NARA RG 389, Entry (A1) 467, Box 1513) Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.

Hans Gabriel was born on 28 September 1924 at Regensburg, Germany and was single. Died when metal box fell from crane on him, crushing his chest on 13 August 1945 at Utah ASF Depot, Ogden, Weber County. (UT Death #374) (NARA RG 389, Entry (A1) 467, Box 1513) Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.

Paul Heimerdinger was born on 2 February 1915 at an unknown location. Died from bronchial pneumonia on 13 September 1945 at the Station Hospital at Utah ASF Depot at Ogden, Weber County. (UT Death #421) Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.

Karl Heinrich was born at an unknown date in Czechoslovakia and was single. Died from chronic kidney problems on 6 August 1945 at Bushnell General Hospital, Brigham City, Box Elder County. (UT Death #118) Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.

Josef Hladky, an Austrian, was elected by the POWs to be spokesman for the Ogden compound in 1945.

Georg Liske (Wachtmeister, #8WG-45637) was born on 16 August 1913 in Germany and was married to Antomie Liske. Died from gunshot wounds on 8 July 1945 at the Prisoner of War Camp at Salina, Sevier County. (UT Death #56) (NARA RG 389, Entry (A1) 467, Box 1513) Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.

Herman Maas was born on 5 May 1912 at Ilshofen, Schwabia, Germany and was single. Died from bronchopneumonia on 15 July 1945 at Utah ASF Depot, Ogden, Weber County. (UT Death #327) Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.

Alfred Malinowski (soldat, #81G-253485) was born on 12 September 1925 at Danzig-Langfuhr, Germany and was single. Died from work accident with forklift on 27 December 1944 at Utah ASF Depot, Harrisville, Weber County. (UT Death #651) (NARA RG 389, Entry (A1) 467, Box 1513) He was a soldier in the 45 Regiment of the German Army. Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.

Hans Meyer (Uffz., #8WG-47461) was born on 29 August 1920 at Messenthin, Germany and was single. Died from gunshot wounds on 8 July 1945 at the Prisoner of War Camp at Salina, Sevier County. (UT Death #60) (NARA RG 389, Entry (A1) 467, Box 1513) Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.

Johann Mueller died on 1 October 1973. POW in Ogden, Utah.

Adolf Paul (Sgt., #8WG-9969) was born on 5 February 1917 in Germany and was single. Died from gunshot wounds on 8 July 1945 at the Prisoner of War Camp at Salina, Sevier County. (UT Death #62) (NARA RG 389, Entry (A1) 467, Box 1513) Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.

Heinz Rascher was born on 1 April 1920 at Leipzig, Germany and was single. Died from cancer on 20 July 1945 at Bushnell General Hospital, Brigham City, Box Elder County. (UT Death #107) He was a Corporal in the German Army. Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.

Erich Raschke was born on 29 August 1902 at Leipzig, Germany and was married to Maria Raschke. Died from arterio sclerosis on 28 August 1945 at the Station Hospital at Utah ASF Depot at Ogden, Weber County. (UT Death #397) Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.

Friederich Ritter (Sold., #31G-2602763) was born on 13 November 1896 at Frankfort-Main, Germany and was married to Berta Ritter. Died from gunshot wounds on 13 July 1945 at AAF Regional Station Hospital, Kearns, Salt Lake City. He was the last to die of the men shot at Salina on 8 July 1945. (UT Death #1122) (NARA RG 389, Entry (A1) 467, Box 1513) Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.

Karl Schaefer was born on 4 September 1907 at Wiem, Austria and was married to Josephine Schaefer. Died from self-inflicted hanging on 5 May 1945 at Bushnell General Hospital, Brigham City, Box Elder County. (UT Death #57) Buried in the German POW section of the Fort Douglas Military Cemetery.