| |
On October 17th, 1943, my father, S/Sgt.William J. Doubledee, USAAF, 8th AF, 351st BG, 511th BS, entered the German prison camp Stalag XVII B, located near Krems, Austria. It was just eight days after his B-17 was shot down over its target of Anklam, Germany. He was captured by German motorcycle troops, taken to a Dulag and interrogated for a couple days, then crammed onto an overcrowded, windowless baggage car with almost nothing to eat or drink and no toilet facilities. After a few more days on the train he arrived at Stalag XVII B. He remained in Barracks 36A until April, 1945, and survived the forced evacuation and death march across Austria just before the war's end. In the summer of 1969 I went to where Stalag XVII B used to be. It had been torn down; only one large pile of rubble overgrown with grass remained. The blue sky and green fields that day showed no signs of what happened there 25 years ago. I hope the information in this site helps us all better understand what these young men experienced, and what they did not want to talk about after they came home. Over the years since my father died I have read a lot of books, visited many websites, and gotten lots of letters and emails from Kriegies and their families. It seems like each day I learn still more about the camp, its history and the prisoners who were kept there. This site is always a work in progress; if you have any information, documents, letters or pictures, I would love for you to share them. And if you have questions, I will try to answer them, or help you find answers. Register for the 2010 reunion. 2010 Reunion info Here is the registration form, the Hotel reservation form and form for widows and next of kin. There is also a social networking site where Stalag XVII B Kriegies from all nationalities and their families can meet, share and keep in touch. Please visit and join our group.
UPDATED 3/7/2010
|
