Daily Life at the Stewartstown POW Camp

Daily Life at the Stewartstown POW Camp. . , Prisoners in the Stewartstown POW World War II camp lived within a wire fenced area that was set up to meet their day to day needs. The map to the right shows the layout of the camp and the infrastructure created to house prisoners from early summer through the fall harvest season. Prisoners lived in tents located on what is now the adult baseball field. Other tents were set up as mess tents, a canteen, a first aid station, a dental lab, and toilets. The tents surrounded an open lawn area used by the prisoners for recreation. Guard towers were located at the corners of the fenced enclosure., Guards, enlisted men, and officer tents were located outside the fence. The mess hall was the current Boy Scout building. The canteen for army personnel was located at the site of the current concession stand. The Community Building was used as the enlisted men's quarters., Prisoners rose early for breakfast and roll call before leaving the camp to work in the local fields, orchards, and canneries. Money earned from labor could be spent at the prisoner canteen on small items such as candy, cigarettes, soft drinks, tooth brushes, and tooth paste. The prisoners were well fed, eating the same food served to the guards and other soldiers working at the camp. In the evenings, prisoners would sing, play cards or chess, read mail from home, and do chores, such as, mending their POW uniform and laundry. A prisoner's day ended at 10 p.m. with the playing of "Taps", after which they retired to their tents.