Weixian Internment Camp

Type   170 Prison Camp
Historical Name of Location   Wei, Shandong, China
Coordinates   36.691582000, 119.135381000

Contributor:

ww2dbaseThe Weixian Internment Camp was located in Shandong Province, China, in present day Weifang city. The buildings of the complex were originally built for an American Presbyterian mission. In turning the complex into a prison camp for American, Australian, British, and Canadian civilians, the Japanese installed walls, barbed wires, electrified fences, and guard towers around hte perimeter. Notable internees at the camp included Arthur Hummel, Jr. (who would become the US Ambassador to Communist China in the 1980s), Eric Liddell (1924 Olympic Games Gold Medalist), and Mary Clabaugh Wright (first woman to gain tenure in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Yale University in 1959). Living conditions in Weixian was poor, with little food and medicine. Toward the end of the war, the Japanese threatened reprisals if the camp was attacked. On 17 Aug 1945, six US Office of Strategic Services operatives (Major Stanley Staiger, Ensign James W. Moore, 1st Lieutenant James J. Hannon, Sergeant Tad Nagaki, Sergeant Raymond Hanchulak, and Corporal Peter Orlich) and one interpreter (Chenghan "Eddie" Wang) arrived at the camp by parachute via the B-24 Liberator bomber "The Armored Angel", liberating about 1,400 prisoners.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Update: Oct 2016



Weixian Internment Camp Interactive Map

Weixian Internment Camp Timeline

17 Aug 1945 B-24 bomber "The Armored Angel" took off from Kunming, Yunnan Province, China with six OSS operatives and one Chinese interpretor on board. They were parachuted over the Weixian Internment Camp, Shandong Province, China for the libration of about 1,400 civilian prisoners at the camp.




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds


Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Wayne Cochrane says:
22 Jun 2020 02:59:35 PM

Do you have any location information for the camp - in particular, the latitude/longitude? Thank you.

All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Search WW2DB
Modern Day Location
WW2-Era Place Name Wei, Shandong, China
Lat/Long 36.6916, 119.1354
Famous WW2 Quote
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."

Winston Churchill


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!