"For you the war is over". Period photos of German POWs

[Anderson]

re-coloured photo of fj prisoners passing a NZ 4th Armoured Brigade Sherman at Cassino, Italy 1944.

[Anderson]

The misery of defeat on the faces of these young SS men, June 1944. A contrast to the smiles or relief seen in photos of many Heer prisoners at the same time. But then, these guys were the true believers.

[BlackCat1982]

A well known photo above Anderson. These youngsters are displaying the classic demeanour of captive soldiers, shock, fatigue and violent change in circumstance. vets might recognise such feelings. They have gone from being among comrades, operating as a unit and now been brought up suddenly by being captured. The ground has gone from under them and at this moment they are zoned out. Only the soldier on the left seems to betray his apprehension as to his future. Wonder what became of them.

[TabsTabs1964]

I can't think of a better way to start a Sunday morning than to discover this fantastic thread started by Anderson, of photographs of German prisoners.
I've spent almost a couple of hours checking it out whole.
Congratulations to all, I hope to upload some of my photos that I think I have not seen in the thread at the moment.
Apologies in advance in case one appears repeated.

[TabsTabs1964]

From Afrika Korps:

[TabsTabs1964]

From the Eastern Front

[TabsTabs1964]

What does the look of the first prisoner in the column and the young mower mean?



Leaving Kiev way east





The earliers heimkehrer aus russischer kriegsgefangenschaft

[TabsTabs1964]

Western front

[TabsTabs1964]

Some more guys



The man without fear



Three panzermen and only two legs of flesh and blood

[TabsTabs1964]

My German postage stamp commemorating the prisoners of war.



I have a few photographs of the return of prisoners of war to Germany and Austria in the late forties and, especially, in the fifties.
They are part of the documentation I gathered for years about the returnees "Heimkehrer", the Friedland transit camp "Das Tor zur Freiheit" (The Gate to Freedom) and the "Return of the Ten Thousand" (Heimkehr der Zehntausend) that I published in a popular Spanish magazine about Military History of the 20th century and I titled: "Friedland, where World War II ended in 1955"



I suppose that when I can I will have to open a new thread, about the return of the German captives.

Again, I apologize if any photo is repeated and congratulations (again) to Anderson for his great idea of opening this thread.

Best regards.

Santi