The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1944-09-30
Negro Soldiers
Guard 'Supermen'
In PW Camps

Headquarters, Advanced Section,
Communications Zone, France -
The myth of the great Nazi "Su-
per" race is taking a beating every
day from a company of Negro SOL
diers, who are guarding German
prisoners of war in an area which
the same Nazis once used as a con-
centration camp. And to make mat
tiers more ironical these soldiers
of color directed these same Nazis
to build their own stockades in the
camp, and clean up the debris left
by their efforts to escape the fly
ing drives of the First and Third
Armies.
This is what a U. S. Army cor
respondent found when he visited
the former German concentration
camp, where members of quarter
master service company, which
landed in England back in 1912,
were walking guard over Nazi
PWs, who total about 1000
All over the we'll built camp
which was built years ago by the
French as a holding place for
''interneesy" could be seen piles
of German material which the
Jerrie had to leave behind in ser
viceable condition in their hasty
exit from the area.
Building of solid construction,
strong points built by the Germans
for their own defense, with the SUI
ual complement of three-foot thick
concrete walls and gun emplace-
ments, were scattered all over the
place, but offered little resistance
to the hard driving forces of the
Allies.
At one place in the camp, Ger
mans were busily engaged in con-
structing high tower, on which
the Negro soldiers were to place
a so calibre machine gun, over
looking theg ates to a stockade The
workers appeared to be satisfied
with their lot.
One prisoner, an infantryman
had been with the Nazi drive which
had carried all the way to the gates
of Moscow before it was hurled
back through the Ukraine. His unit
was subsequently ordered to the
French front. Exactly "a hours af-
ter his unit arrived at its post, the
Allied advance struck and he was
taken prisoner. The infantryman
told U. S. army correspondent
that he was glad to be out of the
war. He said that, when his outfit
was surrounded by U. S. tanks
there was no German armor in
sight, and there was so much Am
erican armor until the fight went
out of company and we quit"
Everywhere could be seen dark
skinned U. S. soldiers, armed with
carbines, maintaining their vigil
over the Nazis. 1t was most ironi-
cal, too, that at one Class l sup
ply area, the Nazis were busy load
ing conveys with rations to be TAX
en- direct to the front, to feed the
very men who were defeating their
comrades. 1t was all part of their
work, and as one U. S. soldier told
the correspondent. $50 far we
haven't had a bit of trouble with
them"
The unit is commanded by First
Lieutenant Joseph Mayors, white
of Narberth, Pa, who said that the
unit was, at times, short of men
and that they often walked the
guard posts from II to 16 hours
during a tour.
Once, when guards were shot
posts were taken over by the first
sergeant, the mess sergeant, the
supply sergeant, and the company
armorer
They were: First Sergeant Lin
coin G. Pope, of Alt West 156th
street, New York City; Staff Ser.
geant James G. Taylor, of SIC
Taylor, of 800 Swami street, NV.
Washington, D. c., Staff Sergeant
Lenoah Belts, of Star Route, boz
"a, Maryville, La. and Techniciar
Fifth Grade Wanda j. Boutee, Sr.
of New Orleans. La Corporal Pau.
L. Diggs, of Norfalk, Virginia, was
the company clerk.
But that "Superman' claim is {
shallow dream of the past, and the
Nazis have to swallow the bitter
pill of serving under the soldiers
whom they tried to belittle to the
citizens of French towns.
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