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.

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