In the winter of 1945, three German soldiers tried to escape from the prisoner of war camp at Spencer Lake, Maine. One of the three made these snowshoes to help escape. The man traveled through the forest wearing these shoes, but was eventually caught and returned to camp.
Camp Spencer Lake held more than 1,100 German soldiers during World War II. A “prisoner of war” is a person held captive by their enemy during an ongoing war and conflict. Unlike other prisons that hold a country’s own citizens, camps like Spencer Lake were meant to keep enemy soldiers from participating in the war.
Pay attention to the type of materials used in these snowshoes. Think about how the prisoners adapted to the environmental conditions of Maine. Notice how crude and rough they look. The prisoners of war spent weeks gathering materials from different places to create these snowshoes.
They stole wood from fencing and farming projects. They took leather from the belts that were a part of their prison uniforms. Even though their escape failed, they were still able to use the snowshoes to travel miles in the snowy forest.
The former POW recalled how prisoners were given “lengths” of potato rows to pick. At the time, prisoners were given coupons equivalent to 80 cents a day, for their work. The coupons could be redeemed at the camp store. His next assignment was at Spencer Lake, where he harvested timber with Canadians and cut ice from December to March. It was then that he and two other POWs planned their great escape.
The trio stockpiled food and Keller said he had to “steal” a magnet to build a compass. They also “borrowed” maps of Maine from Canadians. The prisoners built snowshoes out of barrel staves according to NEWS reports of the trio’s flight.
For four days, the men were the subject of a statewide search, which included the publishing of their prison camp photos in the newspaper. Meanwhile, Keller and his compatriots trudged through snow, mostly at night, the news reports said. “The snowshoes weren’t all that great,” he recalled for his audience.
News reports in 1945 said the prisoners were captured by game wardens near West Forks, about 28 miles from Spencer Lake camp. After being recaptured, Keller was interrogated by the FBI, who asked where the trio was heading. “Away from the camp,” was the escapee’s simple answer.
The federal officials asked the escapees if they were involved in German submarine operations off the Maine coast. Keller said they didn’t know anything about such operations. At the end of the war, Keller was returned to Germany and discharged from the German military in 1946. Eleven years later, equipped with an engineering degree, he emigrated to the United States to help a friend in business.
Source 2 - Document
Source 2 - Document
Franz Keller’s Memories of Houlton
July 30, 1997 Prisoner recalls County camps
By Debra Sund, Bangor Daily News
In this article, we hear about Franz Keller’s experience in World War II. Keller was a German prisoner of war. He was one of about 5,500 Germans who were put in prisoner of war camps in Maine. There were four camps located in Maine. They were in Houlton, Princeton, Seboomook, and Spencer Lake. Keller spent time at a couple of these camps.
Franz was only 17 years old when he was captured. He was injured during a battle in 1944 and taken prisoner. He describes how he was captured, what it was like to work in the prisoner of war camps, and how he tried to escape.
Prisoners of war could not be forced to work. However, many chose to because they could earn a little money. Franz says that he harvested trees, cut ice, and farmed potatoes.
This article was written long after the war when Keller came back to Houlton and gave a talk. The article is a secondary source, though it describes Keller sharing memories of his own life.
Source 3 - Image
Source 3 - Image
Warden Earland Winter Holding Snowshoes
1945
MSM 72.3.2
In this photograph, Earland Winter poses with a snowshoe. He was the warden of a World War II prisoner of war camp at Spencer Lake. The camp held more than 1,100 German soldiers during World War II. A “prisoner of war” is a person held captive by their enemy during an ongoing war.
In the winter of 1945, three German soldiers tried to escape from the camp. They made snowshoes and walked through the forest and along a stream. Because these prisoners were experienced and educated soldiers, they had the skills to hide their travel, move at night, and make shelters from snow and pine trees.
Warden Winter and several American soldiers went into the woods to look for the escaped prisoners. Eventually, they caught up to the unarmed prisoners and forced them to surrender.
You can see Warden Winter holding one of the snowshoes used by the escaped prisoners. Notice his pose and his facial expression. A warden’s job is to supervise a prison, meaning that escaped prisoners were his responsibility.
Source 4 - Image
Source 4 - Image
Painting of Camp Houlton by a POW
1945
Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum (Houlton Museum)
This is a painting made by an unknown prisoner of war at Camp Houlton. Camp Houlton was the biggest prisoner of war camp in the state of Maine and it was active during World War II. The camp was made to hold German prisoners during the war while the main fight happened overseas.
These prisoners of war, unlike prisoners of the Maine State Prison, were not American citizens. They were imprisoned by the military of an enemy country.
This painting shows what a part of the camp might have looked like. It also gives clues about the environment these prisoners lived in. The camps were in a more isolated part of the state, surrounded by the woods.
This painting also gives us a clue about what prisoners of war were able to do in their free time. They had time and materials for recreational activities like painting.
Source 5 - Image
Source 5 - Image
Photograph of Camp Houlton
1945
Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum (Houlton Museum)
This is a photo of Camp Houlton in 1945. Camp Houlton was one of four prisoner of war camps in Maine during World War II. The other three were in Princeton, Seboomook, and Spencer Lake. Camp Houlton was the largest.
Prisoner of war camps are used to hold enemy soldiers to keep them from fighting in an ongoing war or conflict. Camp Houlton was built to hold German soldiers so that they could work for America instead of fight for the German military.
Pay close attention to the tall fencing with barbed wire around the camp. Fences and machine gun posts were used to keep the prisoners from escaping and keep unwanted visitors out of the camp.
While many prisoners did not leave during their time in the camp, others went to local farms to work. They were paid around $1 an hour.
This is a very rare image to have because taking pictures of the camp was not allowed.
Source 6 - Image
Source 6 - Image
Portrait of Gerhard Kleindt
1944
Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum (Houlton Museum)
This is a photograph of Gerhard Kleindt, a German prisoner of war at Camp Houlton in Maine. Camp Houlton was the biggest prisoner of war camp in the state of Maine and it was active during World War II. The camp was made to hold German prisoners during the war while the main fight happened overseas.
Gerhard was a prisoner from July 1944 to March 1946. He was only 18 years old when he was drafted into the German army. He was captured after losing a fight in Normandy, he was sent to Camp Houlton to work.
Notice Gerhard’s expression and the clothes he’s wearing. Like other prisoners, prisoners of war are required to wear a uniform. Notice that the sleeve of this jacket is marked with the letter “P” as a way to identify prisoners.
Source 7 - Image
Source 7 - Image
Camp Houlton Prisoners of War Picking Potatoes
1945
Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum (Houlton Museum)
This is a photograph of a prisoner of war at Camp Houlton in Aroostook County, Maine. He is harvesting potatoes in a field. German prisoners of war were brought to America to keep them out of their country’s army and to provide labor to America during World War II.
With so many people fighting in World War II, America had a labor shortage. There were not enough farmers in America to feed the country. Prisoners of war helped fill that gap.
Aroostook County is known for its potato farming. Potatoes are an excellent crop to provide for the community since they are filling and have many uses. At Camp Houlton, potato farming was the most typical job that a prisoner of war could have.
Thanks to the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war had protected rights. They could not be forced to work. However, many prisoners chose to work because they could earn a little money. The prisoners saved to buy small treats such as chocolate, tobacco, and beer.
The prisoners worked with local farmers and many formed strong, yet unconventional, relationships. Some even returned to visit Maine families after the war.
Freedom & Captivity Primary Source Sets developed in collaboration between the Maine State Archives, Maine State Library, and Maine State Museum.
