Camp Papago Park file photo [26951]

Camp Papago Park

Type   184 Prison Camp
Historical Name of Location   Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Coordinates   33.470700000, -111.949180000

Contributor:

ww2dbaseCamp Papago Park was a prisoner of war camp located in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It consisted of five compounds, four of which were for enlisted men and one for officers, most of whom were German submariners. In Dec 1944, 25 prisoners escaped, via a 176-foot tunnel, into the surrounding desert. They would all be returend to the camp, either voluntarily (after experiencing the harsh desert climate) or by force, by the end of Jan 1945. The escapees were punished by being placed on a bread and water diet for the number of days they had been on the run. The land that had held the camp during the war was later divided between the Arizona National Guard (as the Papago Park Military Reservation), a park, and various commercial and residential properties.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Update: Apr 2017



Camp Papago Park Interactive Map

Camp Papago Park Timeline

23 Dec 1944 25 German prisoners of war escaped from Camp Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona, United States.
24 Dec 1944 Guards at the Camp Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona, United States realized that 25 prisoners of war had escaped on the previous day.
1 Jan 1945 A group of German prisoners of war, having escaped from Camp Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, were captured 30 miles north of the US-Mexico border.
28 Jan 1945 Captain Jurgen Wattenberg, a German prisoner of war at Camp Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, was captured in Phoenix.




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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Linda Becker says:
27 Jun 2021 06:47:21 PM

My father was at the Papago Park POW Camp. I've heard many stories about how the American soldiers treated all of the prisoners well.
A chandler farmer sponsored my father to come back after the war and he did to start a new life.

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Modern Day Location
WW2-Era Place Name Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Lat/Long 33.4707, -111.9492
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