Historic California
Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields
Windsor Prisoner
of War Branch Camp
(Camp Windsor)
US Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento
District History
Windsor Branch Prisoner of War Camp was
located in Sonoma County, California approximately one mile west
of of the city of Windsor and six miles south of the city of
Healdsburg. The camp was a branch camp of the much larger Camp Beale Prisoner of War Camp.
The US Department of Agriculture, War Food Administration leased
this property to the War Department through a Memorandum of Understanding
dated July 31, 1944, in lieu of a formal directive. According
to the Memorandum of Understanding the period of use for the
property, by the War Department, was from August 1, 1944 to December
31, 1944. The Windsor Branch POW Camp is depicted on a Real Estate
Map dated July 15, 1946..
According to the Supplemental Agreement
Terminating Occupancy and Accepting Proposed Restoration of Premises
dated June 1, 1946, this property remained in possession of the
War Department until June 4, 1946. According to Schedule A of
the Supplemental Agreement the property consisted of a canteen,
several sheds, a mess hall, a latrine, an assembly and nursery
building, several utility shacks, laundry facilities, an electric
motor housed in one of the buildings, a farm labor home, and
a gate house and garage. The supplemental agreement also states
that the War Department was to undertake removal of its property
and restore the premises according to Schedule AA of this agreement
. Schedule A lists improvements that were transferred to the
Department of Agriculture which included a double laundry tray
from the farm labor house, shower stall parts, double sink in
kitchen of assembly building, trap and faucet, partitions, and
an electric motor. It also provides for restoration of building
sites, removal of debris and general cleanup.
An additional Supplemental Agreement dated April 7, 1947, states
that the War Department's obligation for removal of their property
and restoration of premises terminated on April 8, 1947. On June
4, 1946, the property was retransfered to the Department of Agriculture,
War Food Administration and custody was assigned on April 8,
1947
250-man Portable Prisoner of War Branch
Camps
When the need for a branch camp was identified
and certified as valid to the Army, it sent a team to select a
site for the camp to fulfill the contractor’s requirements
while still ensuring that the prisoners would be properly housed
and secured. In many cases, few or no adequate buildings were
available for prisoner relocation, so the Army developed a “mobile
unit” package that could be set up quickly to temporarily
house 250 POWs. It consisted of 42 tents, sized 16’ by 16’,
allowing 6 or 7 men per tent. Seven additional tents of the same
size were used as office and storage buildings. Four larger tents
were used, one each, for mess hall, shower, latrine, and chapel/recreation
purposes. This entire layout was set up in a compound bordered
by a single wire fence that measured 282 by 550 feet (155,100
square feet). Portable guard towers, with searchlights, were placed
at opposite corners of the compound to permit clear observation
in the camp. Light poles were erected at intervals both inside
and outside the camp. Each tent would have one or more light bulbs
for night use.
The guard force for a branch camp of 250
POWs consisted of approximately 160 officers and men. It was composed
as follows: 30 camp guards; 70 “prisoner chasers” who
were the guards accompanying the POWs to and from work sites and
monitoring them during work hours; 15 NCOs to oversee the guard
force; seven support staff such as cooks and clerks; 33 drivers
and mechanics; and five medics. Usually five officers were assigned
including the camp commander, three camp officers, one supply
and mess officer, one POW company commander, and one medical officer
(if available).
Typical layout of
a 250 man portable Prisoner of War Branch Camp.
Historical Data Card - Post, Camps,
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