Pigeon Point in Beaufort in Beaufort County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
World War II POW Camp
In Oct. 1943, the U.S. Army opened a prisoner-of-war (POW) camp near here on Pigeon Point Road. It was one of more than twenty POW camps built in S.C. during World War II to hold Axis prisoners. Around 250 Italian soldiers arrived here from Camp Wheeler near Macon, Ga., after being captured in North Africa. They were housed in tents and were among the more than 425,000 Axis POWs held in the U.S. during the war.
The Italian soldiers here were employed by Beaufort Co. truck farmers to harvest vegetables, making up for labor shortages that arose as farm workers fought overseas or found better-paying jobs related to the war effort. The camp here opened one month after Italy surrendered to Allied forces. It closed by spring 1944. Axis POWs remained in other camps around s.C. until 1946, when the last prisoners left U.S. soil.
Erected 2020 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History; sponsored by Beaufort County Historical Society. (Marker Number 7-65.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1943.
Location. 32° 26.624′ N, 80° 40.325′ W. Marker is in Beaufort, South Carolina, in Beaufort County
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Regionally, this marker is in the Lowcountry and on the Sea Islands. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Re-interred 19 African-American Civil War Volunteers (approx. 0.4 miles away); Beaufort Colored School (approx. half a mile away); Beaufort College (approx. half a mile away); A National Cemetery System (approx. half a mile away); Beaufort National Cemetery (approx. half a mile away); University of South Carolina Beaufort (approx. half a mile away); Address by President Lincoln (approx. half a mile away); St. Peter Catholic Church (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Beaufort.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
