Weather Dog Report & More...

by - Sadie Sadie, intern weather pugster

Shhhhhh...... Do NOT tell Duchess! We have been thinking about getting her an "Honorary Phd" (Pugster of history Doctorate) from the OkieLegacy University (OU) for all the hard work she has been coping with from the NW Okie & this Sadie Sadie (intern Weather Pugster). Another Shhhhhhhh... Do NOT tell that NW Okie. We hear that she (NW Okie) will be reaching the magic number of "58" next Saturday, February 25th. Don't tell her this Sadie Pugster told you!

As to Gas Prices & Weather... We understand that Oklahoma's gas prices are quite a bit lower than ours in SW Colorado. Roy in Perry, OK says, "Perry's gasoline prices have continued to bounce up and down. Tuesday they dropped to a low of $2.02.9 and then Wednesday they bounced back up to $2.06.9 which is where they were last time I checked today (Friday, Feb. 17th.). We finally have some cooler weather (33 degrees when I checked around noon today) and they said there might be some snow flurries in the next day or so, but I doubt it. We still need moisture and will take any kind that's possible."

SW Colorado's gas prices have been hanging around $2.32 to $2.35 for the last few weeks around Bayfield & Durango, Colorado area.

As for the Weather... Early in the week from Maine to North Carolina a Winter watch dumped over two feet of snow in some places for those New Englanders. If you live in those areas and have some spare snow, please send us some Winter snow ... snapshots, of course. We haven't seen that much snow since... Well! Can't remember how long! We need moisture, also.

SW Colorado's weather burst in Wednesday as blustery, windy day that began the movement of Winter back on the scene around here. By Friday morning, we wokeup to a cold, cloudy day, but by mid-day the snow started to fall in tiny, miniscule flakes that you needed a microscope to see. By 5:34p.m. MST, Friday the flakes were bigger and sticking to the ground. Saturday morning we had sun again with scant snow down in the valley. Sounds like Oklahoma will get some of this Saturday. Boy howdy!... Did Texas's 80 degree temps fall Thursday night into the 40s on Friday. There will be some head colds out of this. BUT... that sounds like heartland weather to this intern weather Pugster.

NWOSU's Oklahoma Hall Update... We hear that NWOSU's Oklahoma Hall became just another pile of rubble towards the end of this week as the demolition crew finished the smashing job on this women's dormitory. Yep! the old NWOSU women's dormitory, is officially now a pile of rubble. The last standing portion of it was knocked down Friday, 2/17/2006. All that remains now is to remove the debris and see what happens next at that location. Some are hopeful that they will still have access to the parking lot there at least for the remainder of the current semester, though there is no assurance of that. The last word others have heard, as late as Friday morning, is that it will become a "green space" until such time as a decision can be made concerning the use of the location.

Back Bar Nude Scenes... Does anyone know or have any information of any "Back Bars Nude Scenes" that artist, John Noble, painted in Oklahoma and maybe into Kansas? We understand that Noble was famous for painting these "nude scenes" in the bars. One of the Balmer Fund board members is researching this artist. If you know anything about this artist and his back bar nude scenes, please contact: Rosalea Hostetler - EMAIL: wepreserve@balmerfund.org.

Alva, OK - Downtown, 504 Flynn & 430 Flynn... We received an email from an owner of a couple of buildings in downtown Alva, Oklahoma. The buildings are located at 430 Flynn, (formerly Old Surety Life) and 504 Flynn avenue. Is 504 Flynn Ave. that old cigar store that once resided on the NW corner of 5th & Flynn Ave.? Was 506 Flynn Avenue, in Alva, Oklahoma, a grocery store. Guess we need to look back through our thousand of web pages at the OkieLegacy to refresh our memory, huh? If some of this information jogs a few old memory cells out there, jot them down in an email, letter or story with a snapshot or jpg file -- send it our way so we can share some of those memories with our OkieLegacy readers -- AND... you can have your own "by-line" in the OkieLegacy Ezine.

Northwestern (NSTC) Army Air Cadets... In 1944, Tom McCarrick was in Alva with the 92nd training detachment of the Army Air Corp (cadet training) and going to Northwestern (NSTC). He sent us awhile back some photos of the air cadet training corp that can be seen at this Link: Oakie Pics Webshots. Here is a link to Tom McCarrick's story about 1944 and NSTC as seen in one of our the past issues - Vol. III, Iss. 32. How long did the army air cadets training continue at Northwestern (NSTC)? Was it into the mid-1950s?

With the mention of WWII & POW camps this week, we have been gathering, organizing all our WWII information -- placing it on The NW OkieLegacy Blog to have it in together in a database for searching. Don't forget to check out the WWII information at this URL - WWII & POW Camp History. View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Threshing & Combining...

by - Charles Cook, Louisiana Bayou

There is an old saying. 'If Mohamed can't come to the mountain, bring the mountain to Mohamed.' Without cartoons, I might add.

Threshing was moving the mountain. The grain stalks were cut and hauled to a stationary machine that separated the grain from the stalk, and deposited the remains into what would more accurately be called a straw pile, which had little value as fodder for animals. Born in 1937, I can remember the straw piles, but the threshing machine was replaced by the combine during the 1930's.

The threshing machine had no power. That was supplied by a long belt that ran from a flywheel on a tractor to the threshing unit. The long belt was so the tractor unit could be placed away from the thresher and its potential powder keg of dry straw and grain dust generated. This reduced the fire hazard. The earliest tractor units were powered by steam, with an actual flame producing the power by generating steam in a boiler, which in turn supplied the pressure to run the steam engine.

By comparison, modern self propelled combines get the job done in an amazingly short time. Instead of having a harvest crew working on the place for a week, the job is often done by custom combiners and if the farm owner is paying attention, they move in and are finished so quickly they might be done before the owner knows they are there. Another amazing thing is that these modern combines cost more than our grandfathers paid for their farms.

I'm submitting two photos of a threshing operation of my great-great grandfather Joseph Barnett in Woods County, Oklahoma, whose log home we have been discussing on this web site. Note the long belt mentioned above. This shows a steam tractor, as compared to the petroleum based fuel engine on the tractor shown in last week's issue. I can't date this, but Joe Barnett died in 1922. I expect that it was at least a decade prior to that.

The third photo is of an early tractor pulled combine owned by my grandfather, Earl Cook. It was taken in about 1941 in front of his farm house in Grant Count, Oklahoma. This is the house that had a cistern, which I wrote about previously. There was still a lot of canvas and wood used in its construction. I am the little boy standing on it. I was about four years old. The two girls were Patsy and Jeanette Wellman, my first cousins. The Wellmans were another old Grant County (Oklahoma) family.

I lived in Louisiana, and they were living in San Diego, California. Harvest was later in the year then. I remember that the metal on the combine was so hot it would blister bare skin. Unlike with today's combines with air conditioned cabs, it was still terrible hot, dirty, sticky work.
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

WWII - Alva POW Camp...

by - Rod Murrow, Freedom, OK

I know there are several folks with an intense interest in the old POW camps that were located in the USA during World War II, one of which was 'Camp Alva' located south of Alva, Oklahoma in the area now occupied by the Woods County Fairgrounds.

I believe it would be a worthwhile project to compile a database and/or photographic file of all of the remaining buildings from that camp, including the ones still on the old site (including the old VFW building and the water tower), but also including the buildings that were sold and moved from the site. (If such a project has ever been undertaken, it is being kept a secret!).

I know of at least three buildings that can be accounted for:

• The home that my grandparents owned in Dacoma (one block south and one block east of Whittet's Cowboy Grill, just across the street west of the baseball diamond) was one of the barracks buildings from the POW camp;
• The Freedom United Methodist Church is actually TWO of the buildings, joined together in a 'T' shape, though another addition was built along the west side of the facility in more recent years.

Alva POW Camp Timeline - Alva, OK...

This is an aerial shot of Alva's WWII POW Camp, located South of Alva, Woods County, Oklahoma. The water tower (painted white) was in the center of the camp. The POW's barrack compounds were on the south half (right side of photo). The administration & army barracks on the north half (left side of photo).

Alva's POW Camp Timeline... December 15, 1942 - An announcement of it's opening was made. By July 31, 1943 the first 19 German POW's arrived by truckload. Later the POW's started arriving by train and they were quietly marched from the railroad station up Seventh Street while guards lined the streets and Alva Citizens stood back behind the guards to get a curious look as these hard-core Nazi POW's marched quietly to the camp south of town. What the Citizen's of Alva only knew that some type of military post was going up. They learned later that they were getting a POW camp to hold the most mad of German POW. They were unaware and kept in the dark until an announcement was made by the camp commander that the POW camp would be opening December, 1942.

November 15, 1942 - After the Army took over from the civilian ontractors, the first American troops that arrived were 25 men of the Quartermaster Corps under the command of Lt. Luther Guess and Oscar B. Cruell. Six men of Medical Corps under the command of Lt. Ephraim Lubritz also arrived at that time.

December 15, 1942 - Lt. Col H. R. Roberts was Camp Commander, but there was still NO sign of American guards or German POW's.

January 3, 1943 - Lt. Joseph Moses and Lt. Dwight Slovens arrived from Ft. Bliss, TX with 140 men of the 401st MP Escort Guard Company.

April 18, 1943 - The Second MP Escort Guard (MPEG) Company arrived (391st from Camp McClain, Mississippi under command of Lt's. Ryper Powell, Terry Wise, and Lewis A. Erbs). Still NO German POW's had showed up yet.

May, 1943 - The second opening date was set for May 2, 1943. Lt. Col. Roberts transferred to camp at Ft. Reno, Oklahoma. Col. A. M. Risdon brought in as commander for a short time and then was transferred to a camp at Hereford, TX. Col. Ralph Hall was the 3rd camp commander and during that time a Col. Cecil E. Tolle of Medical Corps arrived to take charge of the hospital.

July 13, 1943 - The first 19 German prisoner's arrived by truck to the camp. When the rest of the POW's started to arrive by train, they had a regular marching path from the railway station, up Seventh Street to the POW camp in the south part of town. Long columns of POW's marched up Seventh Street in complete silence and looking only straight ahead and carrying personal belongings in a small bag. The only sound that was heard was the clop-clop of their boots and commands to turn when a corner was reached. They had not had a bathe and carried the smells of the battlefield and strong odors when they first arrived.

September, 1943 - The capacity of the camp increased by 1000 when 117 new buildings to hold the German Officer's prisoners of war was built east of the three compounds for the non-commissioned and enlisted POW's. POW's arrived slowly, but steadily. The army issued a directive to allow the POW's to be contracted out to work on farms and other jobs away from camp as long as they did not compete with the local labor. This directive did not apply to Alva's POW camp. The only POW's who worked away from the camp were a group of 80 or 100 whom were trucked to Waynoka to ice rail cars. On May, 1945, a small camp was set up in Waynoka, Oklahoma to house them and daily truck movements ceased. The POW's did work outside of camp, but only under guard in camp or at railway stations.

November, 1943 - The third MP Company (650th) arrived and two more 454th and 455th under the command of Capt. Fred Staedler transferred to Alva from Ft. Custer, MI, before the end of the year. The camp was built to house five guard companies. The army acquired the prime farm land for the camp from local farmers in the Alva area. The north 320 Acres was acquired from the Wiebener family and the south 320 Acres from the Peterman family. After the war, neither family was given chance to regain their land. It was given to the City of Alva. The buildings covered less than half of the north Section and were sold and removed after WWII. The land not used for the camp was left under cultivation. The Recreation Hall of the Alva POW camp was moved to Kiowa, Kansas after the war and used by Kiowa American Legion as a meeting hall.

December 12, 1943 - There were 1,035 in camp.

22 January 1945 - The Daily Oklahoman, Letter to the editor concerning the Battle of Alva. The Daily Oklahoman first learned of the Alva disturbance in the letter to the editor. It adds few facts to the Dallas announcement, but we think you will agree it is more graphic.

February 23, 1945 - There were 1,002 officers, 2,477 non-commissioned officers, and 1,478 enlisted men confined at the Alva POW camp. Each compounds were identical and contained 32 one-story wooden barracks; mess halls; other buildings used by the POW's. Each barrack held 50 men and gave camp the original capacity of 4,800. Officers compound contained 100 or more buildings as compared to only 52 in each of other compounds. The POW Officers barracks only had capacity for 1000 officers. The officers had much more room. Space was assigned in accordance of their ranks.

POW's were permitted to retain and wear their own uniforms and insignias. Obsolete and repaired American uniforms were provided for the prisoners to wear, but the POW's at the Alva camp wore their own uniforms and officers wore their high boots. All outside clothing was marked with a "P" or "PW" to denote prisoners.

The original three compounds were surrounded by two 8-foot high fences that were separated from each other by a single 8-foot fence. Officers compound also surrounded by two 8-foot high fences. There were 13 guard towers arranged along the fences. The compounds extended 700 feet to the west and 1100 feet to the east and 700 feet to the south of the concrete water tower. The hospital stood just north of the prisoner compounds and west of Washington Avenue with service and supply areas between it and the Section Line Road.

Each WWII POW compounds were identical and contained 32 one-story wooden barracks; mess halls; other buildings used by the POW's. Each barrack held 50 men and gave camp the original capacity of 4,800. Officers compound contained 100 or more buildings as compared to only 52 in each of other compounds.

The POW Officers barracks only had capacity for 1000 officers. The officers had much more room. Space was assigned in accordance of their ranks.

What do you think about starting a campaign to get a historical monument placed on the site of the Alva WWII POW camp or some of the old barracks relocated to other communities? Good idea? Bad idea? We need your help to find and discover where all Alva's POW barracks were relocated? We have found a few, but have lots more to go. We need your help!
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

WWII - Alva POW Camp Escapees...

The Geneva Convention on escaping POW's was accepted as the duty of POW's to escape and was not a crime. The only punishment was slight unless some real crime was committed during the escape. Maximum penalty was 30 days in solitary confinement, bread and water, but at Alva it was 8 days. Recaptured POW's were confined in the guard house that stood between the POW compounds and the hospital. For committing a real crime, POW's were sentence to the federal prison. At the end of WWII there were 162 POW's in those establishments. It was unknown if any came from the Alva POW camp. Some crimes warranted execution and some were executed. Mainly those POW's from the Tonkawa Camp.

POW's not recaptured until after the war and other POW repatriated could only look forward to being deported as undocumented aliens. Oklahoma Newspapers accounted for approximately 21 escapes from the Alva Camp and there were probably more. None were free for long. Some got as far as New Mexico, Kansas City and at the US border patrol at the Rio Grande.

The first escape was by Karl Heinz Zigann and Heinz Aulenbacher, April 1944. They were recaptured three days later in Emporia, Kansas. Max Wolff and Franz Holm escaped that Spring and were recaptured in New Mexico. Three more escaped a week later and were caught in Wellington, Kansas. Werner Wolf and Heinz Roth escaped May 20, 1944 and were recaptured in Kansas City.

Five POW's escaped on July 4, 1944. Burgmann von Schwinicher, Heinz Homme, Eberhard Wilms, Karl Heinz Zigann (2nd time), and Max Wolff (2nd time). Escapes by POW's continued later that Summer with Paul Jahn and Heinz Schutz. On January 20, 1945, Georg Hornauf, Otto Kanich, Anton Sheffer, Fritz Pueschel, and Erich Wolf escaped.

Usually, the fence was cut, climbed over, or the POW's just walked away from work detail. A long tunnel that led under the fence was discovered before it was used. The POW's scurried out of it when the tunnel was threatened with flooding by the guards. There were no theatrical type escapes like in the movies at the Alva camp.

Jack Martin is quoted as saying, "A POW dug a hole under the building and equipped it with comforts of home, including a supply of homebrewed applejack. He would mingle with the other POW's during the day and hide in the hole at night. When he missed roll call, a search was made. No sign of him could be found outside of camp. It was decided that he was hiding somewhere in the compound. The guards found a POW who agreed to point him out to them, if he could do it from a guard tower while wearing an America uniform and be transferred away immediately."

The son (Michael Wolf - Email: MichaelWolf5@gmx.de) of Werner Wolf Adds This Message... "I just would like to correct one or two little details. My father Werner Wolf was POW in Camp Alva after having surrendered as officer of the Afrika Korps (10. Panzer division) in Tunesia 1943. Indeed he managed to escape, as is mentioned in your article, but he was not recaptured in Kansas City but in a little town just before he attempted to cross the border towards Mexico (he had the idea to reach Argentine in order to search for a possibility to get back to Germany). My father re-entered the german army in postwar 1955 as Major and ended his military career as Colonel at the NATO Headquarter in Brussels 1971 (where I used to go to school). Werner Wolf died in 1973. I would like to add that as far as I know the POWs of Camp Alva, weren't all Nazi's and hard core sympathizers. Instead, it might be true that the camp exclusively contained officers of the Wehrmacht."

A small cemetery at the camp for the dead POW's was located on the westside of Washington Avenue and south of the last fence of compounds. After the war the dead were permanently buried in the Post Cemetery at Ft. Reno. It holds 66 POW's (German and Italian) as well as two German aliens who died in one of the Oklahoma alien interment camps. Not all buried at Ft. Reno died in Oklahoma camps, but were moved from POW camps in nearby states.

View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Termination of WWII POW Camps...

This is a view of what is left of Alva's camp water tower & VFW Post. This military looking building and the old water tower to the left are the "Old" officers Quarters & Club. AND... is now used as the VFW Post & Mexican Restaurant.

The Quarters of American Personnel and camp administrative buildings were north of the POW's compounds and East of Washington Avenue. All buildings were considered temporary and constructed of wood in those days during WWII. This building that is left was the Officers Club and Quarters and stood across the street and East of the prisoners barracks/compounds.

The POW's were shipped home after VE Day, but 2,192 remained at the Alva POW camp on September 16, 1945. The bulk of them were shipped out October 1, 1945 then there were only 45 remaining. September 20, 1945, Col. H. S. Richardson (camp commander) announced the camp would be closed. On October 15, 1945, all POW's were gone. November 15, 1945, Capt. Pat Arnim (final camp commander) closed camp. A large number of guards at the Alva POW camp have connections with Alva to this day. Some were from Alva before the war and others married women from the Alva area and settled down there after WWII.

The VFW Post purchased the Officers Club in 1946 with four persons (Wm. T. Crenshaw, Wm "Bill" Stites, Charlie Trenfield, and Mr. Ensor) each donating $200 for an $800 downpayment. Legal description of the property sold was the NE/2 NW/4, Section 35-TWP27-Range 14, Woods County (approx. 40 Acres).

Over the years the VFW land diminished to 8-Acres. At different times, there was a Supper Club housed in the VFW building and a Mexican Restaurant at the present time. Now the fairgrounds; a softball field; a weed grown racetrack (used by the fairgrounds and local horse enthusiasts) occupy the grounds with the POW chimney/smokestack (alleged hospital smokestack) and the concrete water tower. Little else remains of the past remembrances of Alva's German Prisoner of War camp era between June 1942 thru November 1945, except this view looking South down Washington Ave.

The Alva POW Camp was built to house five guard companies. The army acquired the prime farm land for the camp from local farmers in the Alva area. The North 320-Acres was acquired from the Wiebener family and the South 320-Acres from the Peterman family. After the war, neither family was given chance to regain their land. At the termination of the war, the POW camp was vacated and the land turned over to the City of Alva for control purposes. The deed transfer specified that the land would be used primarily for an airport. However, none of the land could be sold in as much as it still belonged to the US Government. Buildings were sold and all except one of the houses (VFW Post) were removed.

The Buildings... covered less than half of the north Section and were sold and removed after WWII. The land not used for the camp was left under cultivation.

900 block of Flynn Ave, Alva, OK... Another WWII POW barrack was moved into the middle of the 900 block of W. Flynn Street, in Alva, Oklahoma. It sets as apartments at the present, on the north side of the street, approximately a half block west of the Middle School (where the Old Jr. High School used to be).

11th & Center Alva... OK There was another old POW barracks moved to the northeast corner of Center & Eleventh Street in Alva, Oklahoma, used for small apartments.

Lookout's Pink House Family...

I thought I'd just share this, and maybe you'd like to post it in with the other photos. Trixie Leslie sent this photo to me. THANK YOU, TRIXIE! She tells me it is the family that belongs to the pink house!!! AND... So proud! Also my kinfolks! Trixie tells me from Left to Right the following 'Lookout (Oklahoma)' folks are as follows: Floyd Readman, Dorothy Readman (cousin), 3 neighbor girls, Jerry Beagley, Mable Readman Beagley holding Ellsworth Beagley, George Beagley, her father James Ellsworth Readman and a second cousin Ray Mitchel. James Ellsworth Readman built the house. What a joy !!! Thanks!" -- Nettie King - Email: kingri@earthlink.net

[Editor's Note: Checkout more Lookout, Oklahoma Cemetery photos over at NW OkieLegacy Webshots] View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

News & Eagle -- Historical Area Photos...

Do you have some old photos that you would like to share? Here is your chance to get them published. The Enid News & Eagle is asking readers to submit historical photos from Enid and northwest Oklahoma for future publications on local history. The newspaper will publish a tabloid section of local historical photographs four times in 2006 and also in 2007. They are doing this in preparation for Oklahoma’s Centennial celebration. They are getting in the spirit for the Centennial coming up. -- Enid News & Eagle -- Looking for Historical Photos View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

1944 - Escaped Nazis Caught Wed. Near Emporia, Kansas...

This 1944, April 7, newsclipping from a NW Oklahoma newspaper was sent in by Ila Wessell, concerning the Alva POW Camp escapees.

Officers Believe Two Make Get Away In Car Stolen at Jet Monday

Two Nazi soldiers who escaped Monday from the Alva prisoner of war camp were captured late Wednesday near Emporia, Kans., as they attempted to escape afoot from an abandoned automobile, Kenneth Logan, special agent in charge of FBI of Oklahoma, announced.

Lyons county Sheriff Ernest T. Owens and Butler county Sheriff Walt Covert caught the Germans in a field where the pair ran after fleeing from a motor car which Logan said had been stolen.

The pair, Karl Heinz Zigann and Teinz Aulenbacher, escaped early Monday after cutting the compound wire at the camp at Alva. They fled in an automobile stolen in Alva, but abandoned it three and a half miles south of Cherokee after they had sideswiped another car. A large detachment of guards from the POW camp spent the day scouring the southwest sector of the county looking for the escapees.

Late Monday night a car belonging to Rupert Jenlink was stolen at Jet (Oklahoma) and later found abandoned at Caldwell (Kansas) where another car had been stolen. It is presumed by some officers the Nazis took the stolen cars to further their escape.

Bill Large, highway patrolman now stationed at Enid, visited Cherokee (Oklahoma) Wednesday and told how he and two dozen members of the State Auxiliary patrol, "stomped out" the country between Enid and Carrier after a farmer had reported seeing two men who fit the description of the two escaped Germans had been seen in that vicinity. "We walked the entire distance and thought once we had them," Large related. "We saw a fire burning on the south side of a high bank along the railroad. I crawled more than 100 yards through freshly burned grass stubble only to find a railroad tie burning brightly." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

1944 - Nazi Escapes Held For Trial...

Here is another 1944, April 21, newsclipping from a NW Oklahoma newspaper sent in by Ila Wessel, concerning Alva POW Camp escapees.

Will be Tried by Military Court at Alva POW Camp

Karl Hein Zigann and Heinz Aulenbacher, former German soldiers who escaped from the Alva Prisoner of War camp April 3 (1944), have been returned and are awaiting trial by military court martial, according to 1st Lt. John Makar, public relations officer of the OW camp who was a Cherokee visitor Thursday.

Makar explained the two Nazi escape artists cannot, under international law, be tried for escaping from the POW camp but they can be tried for any crimes they are alleged to have committed while they were at liberty. Makar said officers of the camp are gathering evidence to support charges of theft of at least three automobiles. If convicted the two will probably be sentenced to long terms in federal prisons.

Lt. Makar was accompanied to Cherokee by Lt. Ronald Howe, canteen officer and Lt. James Carter, post exchange officer of the POW camp. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

1944 - Escaped Nazis Are Caught In Kansas...

Here is another 1944 local NW newspaper article dated 5/2/1944, that Ila Wessell submitted to the OkieLegacy:

Two German prisoners of war who escaped from Camp, Alva, Oklahoma, last week were apprehended by a special officer of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad in the rail yards at Kansas City, Kansas, early Tuesday morning according to Kenneth M. Logan, agent in charge of teh Oklahoma City FBI.

Heinz Rath, 30, was arrested first and Werner Wolg (sp), 30, was taken into custody about three hours later. Both were wearing partial prisoner of war uniforms and said that they were on their way to New York, hoping to leave the country in a neutral ship, Lagan said.

The fugitives, who were officers in the German army, carried cheese and dried fruit but refused to reveal where they had obtained it. They will be returned to Alva.

View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Training Pilots at Northwestern State College (NWOSU)...

"I'm trying to find info about the training of pilots at NWOSU, but am not having any success with the 'search' feature. Can you please help? My sister, Carol, worked at the college switchboard when she was in college. Rumor had it that Shirley Temple's husband had been training at Northwestern, and that she would call him through the switchboard! And it may have been only a rumor. Carol graduated in 1954 from Northwestern State. Thanks." -- Sandie - Email: sandieo@pldi.net View/Write Comments (count 2)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Mill Owners Eye Timber Sale...

Taken from the Durango Herald, dated January 15, 2006, written by Chuck Slothower, Herald Staff Writer:

"Nearly four years after the Missionary Ridge Fire burned more than 70,000 acres, the trees it killed and left standing are increasingly likely to fall, posing a potential danger to motorists and forest users. The fire left many trees standing with weak root systems, according to Philip Kemp, a forester with Dolores Public Lands. Trees may look OK but have little holding them up. And those at the lowest elevations are most susceptible to falling....." -- http://www.durangoherald.com News - Mill Owners Eye Tree Sale View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Downtown Alva History...

"Just happened on to your site today and was browsing the downtown history. I have owned the Nite Lite Club here in Alva (Oklahoma) for 23 years -- also own some buildings downtown Alva. I was curious if you or anyone knew any history of some of the buildings in downtown Alva, Oklahoma. I have 504 Flynn and 430 Flynn. As far as I can tell 430 Flynn Ave.,(formerly Old Surety Life) was a bakery way back when, possibly Golden Crust Bakery? I had noticed you had said 506 Flynn Ave. was a grocery store, which must be the Old Cigar Store on the corner of 5th & Flynn. Just curious if you knew any tidbits. Thanks!" -- Mark Bellah - Email: support@niteliteparty.com - Website: http://www.niteliteparty.com/ View/Write Comments (count 3)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Johann RAUH Family...

"I am interested in Oklahoma history because of family ties. My brother Charles and I are currently doing research of the Johann RAUH family. They moved from Perry County, Missouri in the late 1800 or early 1900's to the Alva (Oklahoma) area to farm. My grandfather, Charles F. RAUH remained in Missouri. His father Johann and brothers Alvin, Martin, Emanual, and John went to Oklahoma. My generation has lost contact with those 'cousins' and would like to renew some ties." -- Barbara Rauh Powell - Email: barpowell@sbcglobal.net View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

WWII History...

"Very good study material on WWII history in Oklahoma. Thank you." -- Stacy - Email: stacypete2002@yahoo.com View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Warwick, Worricks, Warix & Worix Family...

"My name is Karen Branham Sturgill, I am a descendent of John M. Warwick, Worricks, Warix and also Worix. I really don't know how it is spelled, every census, birth and marriage record has it spelled differently. This is very frustrating, as you can imagine. The earliest I have been able to find of my family is the 1900 census of Letcher Co. KY. I was wondering if your line of Warwick might be related. If you know of anything or anywhere that I could look, please let me know. Thanks so much." -- Karen Email: kandb@ntelos.net View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Basic Layout of WWII POW Camp Facilities...

This is a photo and layout of the Alva POW Camp. The upper part was the prisoner's compounds (non-commissioned officers & enlisted men on the left side; German Officers on the right side). Main Street (or Washington Ave.) separating the two compounds and 3rd street running east and west and on the north side of the prisoner's compounds. The theater, Officers Club & Quarters, and the Hospital sat across the street from the non-commissioned officers & enlisted prisoners compounds. The lone Chimney, the Officers Club and the water tower are only reminders of the camp during WWII. Only memories and artifacts held at the "Cherokee Strip Museum" are what keep the Alva POW Camp fresh in our minds. Chapel - post exchange (100ft. by 20 ft.); Also barber shop and Latrine; Theater - 100 ft. by 20 ft. Production of plays, musicals art exhibits. Seated 250. School - (100 ft by 20 ft.). Three room building for education; Workshop - (100 ft by 20 ft.) Camp maintenance; Gymnasium - (100 ft by 20 ft.); Company dayrooms - 72 ft. by 20 ft. Games, reading, lounging, writing letters; Carpenter Shop - (100 ft. by 20 ft.); Tailor Shop - (20 ft. by 20 ft.); Libraries - 236 Bed Hospital - 4 Orchestras Barracks - 20 ft by 120 ft. and faced with sheet rock and covered with tar paper. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

WII Stories of Guards...

Some guards experienced unpleasant duties while guarding the POW's. Non-commissioned officers and enlisted men could be pleasant at times, but the German Officers seemed to show the hatred in their eyes and were the threatening ones. A doctor (Dr. Clifford Traverse) was quoted as saying, "The glaring eyes of some German officers were permitted to watch me operate on one of their own. I was warned not to wear a necktie in the camp." It seems that the POW's often stretched trip wires across the nightly path of the guards who made bed checks. Pow's went on hunger strikes that were broken only by throwing tear gas grenades into the barracks. Cries of help could be heard at night by tower guards from the POW's who strayed from the Nazi line. The Wiebener's farm house was turned into a "safe house" to hold POW's who were removed from camp for their own safety and transferred to the other POW's camps. There was no evidence that any POW's were killed by other POW's in the camp, but it did occur at Camp Tonkawa and two unexplained suicides at the Alva camp were suspect.

View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

The NW OkieLegacy Blog...

Don't forget to checkout our newly organized NW OkieLegacy Blog - February 2006 Yep! We have been trying to pull together into the database all the information we have gathered so far concerning WWII and Oklahoma POW camps. You can catch up on that information, post comments and view our photos concerning the WWII Alva POW Camp at The NW OkieLegacy - WWII

View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

WWII POW Deaths - Alva Camp...

The POW's deaths were from natural and other causes. Klaus Eberhard Bork died from peritonitis, August 24, 1944. Enlbert Mayr died of a heart attack, April 23, 1945. Two questionable suicides were Erwin Grams who was found hanged, November 17, 1944 and Erich Schindler who was found in the same condition September 17, 1945 as camp was being closed. Emil Minotti was shot and killed during escape attempt July 6, 1944. He was the only one killed in escape attempt in Oklahoma. The two guards who shot him were tried, acquitted and transferred to another camp.

View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

WWII - Battle of Alva...

January 15, 1945 - Yesterday began and ended with "The Battle of Alva." To our knowledge this was the only engagement fought between American and German forces on this continent. The fighting was brisk and bloody, but there will be no campaign ribbons issued; no battle stars displayed. Casualties were broken heads and smarting eyes, as 64 American soldiers accosted 1,400 "supermen," former members of Rommel's famed Afrika Korps.

Nazi's Retreat As Planned... Armed solely with riot clubs and weak concentrations of tear gas, into the valley of death marches the fighting 64 to storm the Nazi bastion. The battle was joined as clubs flew and splintered; gas flowed freely, mingled with Nazi tears and blood dripped from many a lacerated scalp. Gradually began the famous strategic retreat, the oft-heard Teutonic expression for a battle lost. When the smoke had cleared 1,400 supermen stood with a new respect for these unpredictable American soldiers ground into their grimacing faces and the fighting 64 reformed and marched out. Righteous anger and malice were no more.

Prison Guarding was Hard... If a 2-day restriction and Nazi stubbornness can bring such a change to men -- most of whom are wounded, overseas veterans and limited service men -- how then can we lose?

Note: The trouble started when one compound refused to move out for a routine shake-down. They were asked again and again. Finally, as a last measure, they were given the only treatment they can understand. Brute force and bestiality is all these men will ever understand. I doubt if the American public will ever understand how difficult it is to treat these POW's with kid gloves, while our boys are treated as war criminals, Geneva convention notwithstanding. Serviceman's name withheld by request.

View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Oklahoma Hall & Pile of Rubble...

"Just a note to let everyone know that Oklahoma Hall, the old NWOSU women's dormitory, is officially now a pile of rubble. The last standing portion of it was knocked down today. All that remains now is to remove the debris and see what happens next at that location.

I'm hopeful that we'll have access to the parking lot there at least for the remainder of the current semester, though there is no assurance of that. The last word I heard, as late as this morning, is that it will become a "green space" until such time as a decision can be made concerning the use of the location.

I have no additional pictures, which I regret... just haven't had time to be out 'kodaking' - besides, it's MUCH TOO COLD now to be standing around snapping photos." -- Rod Murrow, NWOSU alumnus (Class of 1971) - Freedom, OK View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe