CCC Sideling Hill POW camp 6 - Sideling Hill, Pennsylvania
N 40° 03.038 W 078° 08.940
17T E 743198 N 4437272
Civilian Conservation Corps Camp S-52, in Buchanan State Forest, was used as a Prisoner of War camp during World War II.
Waymark Code: WM13NQQ
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 01/17/2021
Views: 1
Despite the misgivings of local Forestry staff, the former CCC Camp S-52 was chosen as a location to house Prisoners of War (POW). Sideling Hill became Branch Camp 6 under the Indiantown Gap Base Camp 62. It was felt that the POWs could be put to work for timber cutting as "right now pulpwood and pulp are among the most critical of our needed supplies." The camp opened in May 1945 and housed German POWs that were marched out to cut pulpwood with crosscut saws. They had little to no interaction with Fulton County residents and no photos have been found of the prisoners from this camp. During their off hours, prisoners were restricted to a small portion of the former CCC and CPS camp that was fenced with wire and had guard towers. Prisoners wore work uniforms with large PW letter stenciled on the back of each shirt coat and often on pant legs. They were paid a daily wage, but could not bribe guards or buy civilian clothing. The difference between their pay rate and the rate of the contracts for pulp went back to the federal government for the upkeep of POW camps. The camp closed in March of 1946 and prisoners were sent to Fort Indiantown Gap for processing and return to Germany.
(from informational kiosk on site)
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