Camp Albuquerque
| Company type | Prisoner-of-war camp |
|---|---|
| Industry | Military/Detention |
| Founded | 1943 |
| Defunct | 1946 |
| Headquarters | Albuquerque , United States |
Camp Albuquerque functioned as a prisoner-of-war facility during World War II located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Italian and German detainees were held between 1943 and 1946. The majority of these prisoners were relocated from Camp Roswell, which served as the principal POW base in New Mexico, with additional support from Camp Lordsburg (NM) and Camp El Paso (TX). The detainees were mainly assigned to agricultural labor throughout the surrounding areas.
History
As part of a comprehensive U.S. system of POW camps, Camp Albuquerque was established to station prisoners nearer to their assigned work locations. The United States detained nearly 426,000 POWs at its wartime zenith: approximately 371,683 Germans, 50,273 Italians, and 3,915 Japanese. The total number of prisoners increased dramatically from 1,881 at the close of 1942 to 172,879 by late 1943, culminating in 425,871 on Victory in Europe Day.
Beginning in October 1943, Italian prisoners were quartered in former Civilian Conservation Corps housing situated at Rio Grande Park adjacent to the Rio Grande Zoo; however, they remained there for only six months. Between July 1944 and March 1946, these same barracks—moved to an eight-acre plot on South 2nd Street—were occupied by German POWs, mostly those captured during the North African campaigns.
To mitigate security threats and hinder escape attempts, prisoner relocations were regularly conducted. Despite these measures, three German inmates managed to escape from Camp Albuquerque; two of them were quickly apprehended. At its highest population in 1945, the camp accommodated 171 German prisoners who contributed labor on farms stretching from Los Lunas to Corrales, particularly aiding with autumn harvest activities.