Survival at Stalag IVB: Soldiers and Airmen Remember Germany’s Largest POW Camp of World War II

In addition to concentration camps, World War II Germany was also home to 54 prisoner-of-war camps, the largest of which was Stalag IVB. Throughout the more than five years of its existence, Stalag IVB supported numerous satellite camps, eventually housing thousands of prisoners of many nationalities. Here Poles, French, Belgians, British, Americans, Dutch and Russians fought to survive in a place where life''s most basic needs were barely fulfilled. Interned in the camp for several months from late 1943, Tony Vercoe engaged in a struggle for life, sanity and escape.

This historical chronicle evokes the heartbreaking reality of day-to-day life in Stalag IVB. Rich with firsthand accounts by the author and other veterans of the camp, it provides particulars regarding rations, prisoner-of-war registration, camp hygiene, inmate activities and prisoner morale. Special emphasis is placed on the role of the International Red Cross in prisoner survival and the multinational "melting pot" characteristics of the camp itself. Possibilities of flight and the events that motivated prisoners'' daring escape attempts are discussed, along with the consequences of their frequent failures. Closing chapters detail the camp''s final months and the prisoners'' long awaited deliverance.