The British Empire Study Group hosted the presentation: – “American Aid for German War Prisoners in Jamaica” with Harold Krische on November 14, 2024 at 6 PM (ET – NY) (11pm GMT)

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
American Aid for German War Prisoners in Jamaica with Harold Krische
The Jamaican experience during World War II is a stark contrast to our image of Jamaica today. Today, Jamaica is a fun, carefree Caribbean paradise, the ideal spot for weddings and holidays. This now popular tourist destination was British territory from 1655, when it was captured from the Spanish Empire, through 1707, when it became a British Colony, until 1962 when Jamaica became independent. Jamaica played a pivotal and complex history in colonial economics. Jamaica was strategically important to the British Navy as a respite for crews and a gathering point for the ships. As Hitler’s tyrannical rhetoric increased, a number of Germans escaped to Jamaica. At the onset of the war, the British interned people of German and Austrian nationality living in Jamaica. Surprisingly, the British ran several internment camps in Jamaica. These camps interned German Evacuees, Refugees, Internees, and Prisoners of War. While the conditions at these camps were likely better than those of their German counterparts, they were still deplorable by normal standards.

Using postal artefacts, our program explores this little-known story of how a Buffalo, New York, group aided these war prisoners of German descent.