| Original caption: “Freed Allied soldiers pose under various signs they have erected at Dulag-Luft.” Dulag Luft Wetzlar – short for Durchgangslager der Luftwaffe Wetzlar (“Luftwaffe Transit Camp Wetzlar”) – was an interrogation and processing camp for Allied airmen who were recently shot down over Europe. Wetzlar mostly processed United States Army Air Force (USAAF) aircrew. On March 24, 1944, Dulag Luft Frankfurt was bombed and destroyed. The Swiss Red Cross delegation had warned on November 15, 1943, that the Frankfurt camp was “so exposed to attacks from the air, which is not in conformity with Article Nine of the [Geneva] Convention.” Dulag Luft Wetzlar was opened in a former Heer anti-aircraft training camp. 1,963 personnel were passed through Dulag Luft Wetzlar in October 1944. 1,312 were American and 651 were British. Because the men stayed in Dulag Luft Wetzlar just while they were questioned and verified, the camp size varied from day to day. Prisoners of War (POWs) stayed an average of 8 days. At 1st, until July 13, 1944, the men lived in tents for months. The newly constructed barracks held 18 to 24 men each. The triple-decker bunks were wood shaving mattresses and a pillow. Each barrack had a washroom with cold water. Lieutenant Colonel Charles W. Stark (May 5, 1912 – October 14, 2006) came to Dulag Luft Wetzlar after he was shot down on May 7, 1944. He enjoyed exceptionally friendly terms with the Nazi Germans and drew many concessions from them. He replaced 1st Lieutenant John G. Winant Junior (February 3, 1922 – October 31, 1993). Kommandant Oberstleutnant Otto Becker (May 11, 1885 – 1955) ran the camp for the Luftwaffe. the majority of the more than 800 Prisoners of War in Dulag Luft were liberated on March 27, 1945, by American units that entered Wetzlar. Treatment was better here than at any other American PW camp in Germany. German & American staffs seemed to cooperate with each other, resulting in favorable living conditions to both parties. The Senior Allied Officer operated Wetzlar as a rest camp where Prisoners of War suffering from the harsh treatment at Oberursel might regain their strength and morale before traveling to permanent camps. As a result neither Germans nor Americans provoked any untoward incidents. There were no food shortages due to Red Cross parcels; the men pooled 90 percent of their packages for the commissary and grew vegetables in the open spaces. The kitchen was staffed by American POWs. The hospital had a German doctor on staff. Compared to Dulag Luft Oberursel, where interrogation was so brutal a trial was held in November 26, 1945, of 4 Nazi German officers due to allegations of ill treatment of British Prisoners of War. 2 were sentenced to 5 years; 4 years; and 1 was acquitted. Prisoners from Oberursel arrived demoralized and physically strained. orale of men leaving Oberursel was usually at its lowest ebb, and it is small wonder after receiving food, clothing and mingling in comparative freedom with their fellow Americans, that their spirits soared back to a level approaching normality. Most of them left Wetzlar prepared to face the difficulties of their new lives as Prisoners of War. The Protecting Power visited Wetzlar in May, July, November 1944 and March 1945 each time forwarding the complaints of the Senior Allied Officer and making a complete report on camp conditions. On March 27, 1945, The Nazi Germans ordered all those who could walk to evacuate. A 143 POWs remained, including Colonel Stark; a 107 men and 34 women of the Luftwaffe staff remained. Those that remained heard heavy fire at 0945 Hours. Colonel Stark had to issue orders to incarcerate 2 Privates on drunkenness charges, and banned alcohol. At 2400 Hours the camp tried to sleep in the shelters. The next day, the camp saw an American armored column. A jeep approached the camp at 1200 Hours. War correspondents arrived at 1830 Hours. On March 29, 1945, An American Piper Cub landed at the camp. The camp dogs were shot at 0945 Hours. Colonel Stark argued to take in 750 released POWs from Limburg. Nazi German soldiers, including paratroopers, came to the camp to surrender. The remaining Luftwaffe staff gave Colonel Stark a list of hard core Nazis that needed to be out of the camp immediately at 1415 Hours. The Limburg POWs started arriving 5 minutes later. On March 30, 1945, medical officers arrived to help with the Limburg POWs. Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) took over administration of the camp. Colonel Stark drove away in a German staff car to fly to Paris, where he arrived on April 3, 1945. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0846.jpg |
| Image Size | 606.13 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2924 x 2365 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Army Signal Corps |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | March 29, 1945 |
| Location | Dulag Luft Wetzlar |
| City | Wetzlar |
| State or Province | Hesse |
| Country | Germany |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NLR-PHOCO-A-6654(42) |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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