|
|
|
Fort Saulsbury During
WW II
In 1939, with the approach of WW II,
FT Saulsbury was quickly
expanded. A
$60,000 contract was let for eight new
wooden buildings.Included were a mess
hall, recreation hall, storehouse, infirmary,
a
administration building and three two-
story barracks, two for the
enlisted men
and one for officers.
On November 25,
1941, Governor Walter
W. Bacon
inspected the Fort and the 200 officers
and enlisted men,
as preparation for
WW II swept Delaware.
|
 |
|
|
Pic curtsy of russpickett.com
|
|
|
Walter W. Bacon
63rd & 64th Governor of Delaware
63rd - January 21,1941 to January 19,1945 -1st
Term
64th - January 19,1945 to January 18,1949 -2ndTerm
|
 |
|
|
pic
curtsy
of www.history.navy.mil
|
|
Pearl
Harbor Sunday December 7, 1941 A
Day That Will Live In Infamy,
less then two weeks after the
governor's inspection, found the
Fort alive. James F. Saulsbury ,
not
related to the political Saulsburys and now
living on
Canterbury Road, Milford tells
of the excitement reaction of
the late Lt. William Craig, just
out of OCS at the University of
Delaware. Craig was sure FT.
Saulsbury
would be next! During
this period Feb.11,1941 five
steel frame towers were erected.
These stood at Tw #9 Broad Kill
Beach Tw #15 Fowlers Beach Tw
#12 Slaughter Beach
Light House Tw #13 Big Stone Beach
Tw #14
South Bowers. From these manned
towers
information on every vessel
entering
the bay was sent to the
plotting room located just
inside the north entrance of
Battery Hall. This information
came via connecting lead
cables under the bay. Only Big
Stone Beach tower is standing
with its cable into the bay
still visible. Sightings also
came into the
plotting room from
the top of the bunker to judge
the accuracy of the firing of
the guns, which word
was given to the gun crews for
their settings.
|
The Coastal Defence Worst
Nightmare |
 |
|
|
pic
curtsy
of www.history.navy.mil
|
|
With the
German's having
a higher hand in
the 1940's in
technology then
most countries
the threat of a
direct a attack
seamed to be
inevitable. With
the German
battle ship the
Bismarck witch
at the time seam
to be
unstoppable the
inadequacy of
FT. Sualsbury
it's self
has become
inevitable. All
of the 261st
were chosen
early in 1942 to
install two of
the gun
emplacements at
Ft Miles the new
headquarters of
the Coastal
Defenses for
Delaware Bay
after the fear
of air attacks
from German
dirigible. The
Bismarck could
fire 21 1/2
miles were Ft
Saulsbury could
only do about 15
miles as
illustrated in
map to your
Wright. There
for making it
necessary to
build FT. Miles
in 1942
|
FT.
Saulsbury As
A Prisoners
Camp
|
 |
|
not
actual photo from Ft Saulsbry just a illastration |
FT. Saulsbury As A Prisoners Camp Removal of the guns in 1942 did not finish the WW II mission for FT. Saulsbury. It was assigned a task to become a Prisoner of War Camp for hundred's of German and lesser number of Italian prisoners. Prisoners were a familiar
sight on Milford streets when they were given passes to come onto town. Many prisoners
worked in area canneries, poultry processing, orchards and in harvesting field crops. Stories abound from area families who were
impressed by their hard work and honesty. Employers could not pay the prisoners, reimbursing the Federal Government for their work, but there were many occasions when giving cigarettes and other friendly gestures occurred. Granville Shockley, whose father's farm was nearby, was impressed that the prisoners had no Army guard there and one of their own men was "boss." Noon meals were brought to them in the fields from the Fort.
stories continue to surface that some of these men returned to this area after the war, having been well-treated and in love with Sussex County. Lt. Col. John J. Harris, who was in charge of the Delaware Prisoner-of-War Unit, reported that this program brought the Federal Government $2,400,000 from the work of
these men in Delaware. Some of the men
told me that coming home from Germany that they had a real hard time coming home and seeing Germans treated so well after have been shot to pieces some of these men have earned the Metal Of Honor. On January 11, 1946 FT Saulsbury was deactivated with the departure of the last of the POW's from Delaware. It had been an active Army fort
for almost 30 years. The Federal Government placed the land and buildings in the surplus category on March 13, 1946 in Mach 1948 the Kendzierski family purchased it all at the Federal Government auction for $12,700 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
Mess Hall
|
|
Recreation
Hall |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Storehouse |
|
Infirmary |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Administration Building |
|
Barracks |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Tw #13 |
|
 |
|
|
map
curtsy of Fort Saulsbury Sussex County Unique Memorial
|
|
|
this illustration may not be 100%
accurate just used to
give you an idea
|
|
|
|
|
| These were also use to house the POW"S |
|
BACK TO TOP
© 2006-2008 FortSaulsbury.org
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole
or in part without permission is prohibited.
|
