The internment of 1LT Hartman


      My name is Uriah George Hartman. I was a second Lieutenant in the 44th Bomb Group, 506th Squadron during World War II. We were flying B-24s. Our mission was at Friedrickshaven, Germany, right across the lake from Switzerland. We were shot down over the target and managed to nurse our plane into Switzerland, and landed at Dubendorf. We were interned at Adelboden and kept there for 4 months, after which we were transferred to Davos.
      The first place we stayed in Adelboden was a resort hotel. Our food was just adequate, lacking protein and consisting more of greens than anything. We all lost weight. I personally lost 35 pounds. It was cold, and we slept in tents for a while. We borrowed mattresses that weren’t in use and used them as blankets to keep warm at night.
      Davos was in the Canton of Graubunden and we could hear the Allies bombing Austria. Our food there was fair, but no quantity. We all lost weight. There was medical care, but we had to go to them- no house calls. Five of us escaped from Davos but were caught at the border. We were put in Wauwilermoos, a prison camp similar to the camps in Germany. We were given a little pile of straw to put on the floor of the barracks to sleep on, and one blanket. The food was bad and inadequate. Medical attention was available only in town and they had to take us there, so it was pretty much nonexistent.

      Uriah George Hartman

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