Camp Waterloo: Jackson County’s World War II POW Camp, 1944–45

Linda Hass

6 days ago

5 min read

It may surprise Jacksonians to know that our county once had a prisoner of war camp; but it’s true. From 1944-45, Camp Waterloo, Waterloo Township, once held hundreds of World War II prisoners.

Jackson wasn’t alone. Throughout World War II, POW camps were located throughout the nation, including elsewhere in our state. Approximately 1,000 POWs were housed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, while 5,000 were housed in the Lower Peninsula.

At the same time that Michigan was receiving an influx of POWs, it also experienced a labor shortage. Able-bodied adult men were in short supply, due to the draft. These two factors combined to form an innovative solution—using POW labor in the agriculture/ forestry fields.

So it was that about 60% of the POWs in Michigan were contracted to work on farms picking fruit and other crops in the Lower Peninsula. POWs also cut pulp wood in the forests of the Upper Peninsula.

Many of the camps were former Civilian Conservation Corps barracks that had been idled since the CCC program disbanded in 1942. One such former CCC camp turned into POW facility was Camp Waterloo. Like other POW camps throughout Michigan, most of the prisoners there were German soldiers captured in North Africa.

According to historical records, prisoners were generally well-behaved. In fact, state wide, very few escape attempts were reported. The American Red Cross inspected the camps to monitor conditions, but there were few complaints since the point of comparison for most German POWs was Russia—a country that was infamous for subjecting prisoners to horrible conditions.

When WWII ended in 1945, POWs were returned to their homeland under the terms of surrender. Between their departure and entry, however, there is an under-represented story that forms an intriguing chapter in our county’s history; one that presents many questions: How many prisoners were held at Camp Waterloo and what kind of work did they do here? How many hours a day did they work and were they paid? Did the camp authorities make any attempts to introduce them to democracy?

Fortunately, the answers to these questions are not only documented, but fleshed out in the below local newspaper clips from 1944-45. When taken together, the below articles paint a picture of county engaged in creative and humane solutions to challenges.

Pix of men lined up in front of the tent: "This picture shows soldiers at a makeshift prisoner-of-war camp at the Owosso Speedway race track during World War II. Courtesy National Archives. — Pix of men lined up in front of the tent: "This picture shows soldiers at a makeshift prisoner-of-war camp at the Owosso Speedway race track during World War II. *Courtesy National Archives.*

4-13-1944 / Flint Journal, pg. 33

“German Prisoners To Aid Muck Growers”

The article reported that the Jackson-Ingham Muck Growers Association signed a contract with military authorities for 300 German prisoners of war to be sent to Camp Waterloo in May 1944 to help cultivate and harvest these crops. Muck soils were used for specialty crops such as carrots, onions, radishes, lettuce, potatoes and mint because the dark-colored soil warmed faster, helping root crops grow and mature faster. The farming contract required muck farmers to pay a stipulated daily wage to the Federal Government for the cost of maintaining the POW camp.

8-29-1944 / Jackson Citizen Patriot, pg. 12

“Discipline Strict at Waterloo Prison Camp But ‘We Get Along Well,’ Says Commandant”

The article reported that more than 200 German soldiers worked at Camp Waterloo. Originally, the location served as a civilian conservation camp. It was converted into the POW camp so it could be used by the prisoners. The POWs, who were described as “quite young,” worked 8 hours a day cultivating and harvesting crops.

This photo, from the Aug. 29, 1944, Jackson Citizen Patriot, shows German POWs harvesting onions in Waterloo. Courtesy of the Jackson Citizen Patriot. — This photo, from the Aug. 29, 1944, Jackson Citizen Patriot, shows German POWs harvesting onions in Waterloo. *Courtesy of the Jackson Citizen Patriot.*

9-14-1945 / Jackson Citizen Patriot, pg. 7

“Change for Better Noticeable in Attitude of German Prisoners of War”

The article described the “democratization” of German soldiers in POW camps. Lt. Colonel Reynolds, the commandant of Camp Waterloo, was quoted as stating that prisoners were given opportunities to attend an educational program that included classes in American history, economics, government, social sciences and English. Based on comments in a POW-produced newsletter, the article stated that prisoners were developing an appreciation for “freedom of thought” and were starting to criticize the Nazi government for misleading them.

10-7-1945 / Jackson Citizen Patriot, pg. 4

“Waterloo POW Camp Ends Oct. 28”

The article commented on a second successful year of using German prisoners of war to cultivate and harvest muck farm vegetables, adding that the camp held an average of 300 “German ex-soldiers” that year. S. J. Culver, the county agricultural agent, said “other labor was just not available, and had it not been for prisoner use, much of the highly productive muck soil would not have been planted.“

12-2-1945 / Jackson Citizen Patriot, pg. 25

“300 Nazis Worked on Farms Here”

The article stated that the Jackson area had an average of 300 German prisoners of war working for six months that year. They provided labor for Jackson and Ingham county muck growers from May 21 to Nov. 20. The POWs worked under military police guard. The article added that Camp Waterloo and several other camps were under the direction of Lt. Col. Edwin C. Reynolds of Jackson.

2-15-1945 / Jackson Citizen Patriot, pg. 4

Headline: “Reynolds Promoted to Lt. Colonel”

This photo shows Major Edwin C. Reynolds receiving his promotion to Lt. Colonel. Reynolds, who resided on 413 Stewart, Jackson, became the commanding officer of Camp Waterloo in 1945.

Another impact of camp life for POWs is that it exposed internal conflicts among the prisoners, including tensions between anti-Nazi or young conscripts and hardcore Nazi ideologues, according to articles from newspapers around the state. It’s doubtful that such open discussions about the fallacies of the Nazi cause would have taken place in Nazi-controlled Germany.

Such camps also prompted many prisoners to form friendly relationships with their Michigan employers. In fact, some even maintained lifelong correspondences with them. Unsurprisingly, about one-third of former Germann prisoners later chose to immigrate and become U.S. citizens, according to news reports.

These facts are part of the surprising legacy of Jackson’s Camp Waterloo, and POW camps throughout Michigan.