Stalag VA (5A)
Ludwigsburg
The prison camp had been constructed on the site of a former German military camp, that had once billeted German cavalry troops and their horses. The red brick stables were converted to barracks to house prisoners when the site was converted to a POW camp in October 1939 when the first inmates were Poles, taken captive during the German invasion of Poland in 1939.
In May 1940, Belgian, Dutch and French prisoners captured during the Battle of France arrive at the camp. British prisoners captured at Dunkirk also arrive in the camp. Additional wooden barrack huts were also constructed on the grounds, to accommodate the camp's growing prisoner population. As the war progressed, prisoners of other nationalities arrived at Stalag V-A. By the time of the camp's evacuation in April 1945, Allied prisoners of every nation at war with Germany were present within the camp. The roofs of the buildings within the camp were marked "KG" for Kriegsgefangenen and large red crosses were also painted on the roofs, to further ensure that Allied planes would not mistakenly target the camp.
The camp is evacuated on the evening of Easter, April 1, 1945 and the PoWs were forced marched across southern Germany.
After the end of the war thousands of Displaced Persons, mostly Poles, were housed in the camp
The following 49Sqn aircrew member was a prisoner here during WW2
Click this link to read more about Stalag 5A (opens in a new window).