Faces of Defeat - German Prisoners-of-War

Evocative film showing German soldiers surrendering to British, American, Soviet and French forces during WWII.

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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.

Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress
Music: 'March of Midnight' & 'I Walk With Ghosts' by Scott Buckley

[MarkFeltonProductions]

With my voice currently affected by the flu, this video doesn't have a VoiceOver. The images tell a thousand stories!

[jerryjeromehawkins]

These faces have been seen throughout the ages... all soldiers from all countries for centuries.
Thank you Dr Felton.

[HarryFenton]

I knew an ex-German POW who lived in Scotland. He was a farmer from south east Germany, who was forced into the army and made to look after horses. He served all over, including the eastern front and was eventually captured in Normandy and sent to Scotland where his farming skills were put to good use. He married the daughter of the farmer he worked for and stayed put. His family had all been killed by 1945. A giant of a man, very gentle and kind and wanted nothing to do with the war. His daughter is a scottish doctor.

[priyadaka]

As a teenager during the war my mum Olivia lived in Norfolk with her family. Nearby was a pow work camp and she befriended a German navy prisoner who was put to work as a farm labourer. They stayed in touch, and he visited us in the 60’s in Norwich. He was deeply grateful for my mum’s kindness and he showed love and generosity to us kids. We then visited his home near Regensburg in Bavaria and I spent my 10th birthday there. Again he and his family were kind, hospitable and generous, we had a great time. A rare connection I imagine.

[aculem]

My grandfather was among those PoW‘s, he must have been captured somewhere in France behind Paris, he and some comrades realised, they were way off the front line, in enemies‘ territory, so they dropped their weapons and marched ahead with raised arms. That‘s how it must have happened, as he almost never spoke about anything. He was in England for four years, didn‘t have it bad over there, but he was an empty soul for the rest of his life, merely existed. I can only imagine what he must have seen and been through, for 8 years, and this truly affected the upbringing of my father and his siblings. Informed myself a lot about transgenerational trauma. It was a closed chapter to me until I realised, how struggles in the now can be traced back to traumatic events in ancestors‘ lives.
May these lost souls, be it of the Germans, English, French, and all war participants and victims find their peace.

[Cookefan]

No voice over needed. That’s a mark of true compassion and empathy. Mark Felton continues to demonstrate exemplary class and leadership as a historian and as a human being.

[katemaloney]

I have seen a TON of your videos, but I have to admit that this was probably your most powerful and poignant one yet.

[charlesentrekin]

this video definitely did not need a voice over, beautifully done.

[byufan]

As a father of two young boys, seeing how young many of the soldiers were when they surrendered was truly heartbreaking. All of the innocence, curiosity and happiness of youth was replaced by horror, desperation and fear of war. War is truly tragic

[rouker]

Very moving, a drop in the ocean to all those people’s lives lost

[yambi]

My dad often spoke with amazement at the ages of the German soldiers who were surrendering at the end of the war. He mentioned it was not unusual to find 12 or 13 year old very terrified boys in the mix.

[thelostone]

Years ago, I worked for a company here in Utah USA whose founder and board member was a young German teenager when he was conscripted into the military at the end of WWII. He shared his story of how we swam across the Rhine to escape allied troops but was captured regardless. He became sick and was sent to England to be taken care of. It was there where he befriended a doctor who helped him come to Utah where he had a very prosperous career. He was a human being, not a character in a movie or video game.
Plus, because this is Utah and it use to be very isolated, there were several concentration camps and it is surreal to visit them while thinking on the human costs of war. Even my own grandfather who served on B17 was broken from his experiences and carried emotional scars up to his death 20 years ago this year.
It is heartbreaking to think that we haven’t learned our lessons as we see the same mistakes and ambition cause great suffering and death.
This brought a tears to my eyes…

[theprof]

My German teacher in high school ran a POW camp in Maine. They weren't happy to be there, but were thankful for the humane treatment they received and being safe from the horrors of the front.

[andrewhulson]

To see the faces of some of the Generals, filled with apprehension and then to see Hermann Going still full of defiance is

[tgmccoy]

My late Father in law took a German Sargent prisoner. He could speak fair English he was a WW1 retread. He was glad to be taken by the allies. Wanted to get back to his farm.

[nnamggiFellauQrD]

Some of these soldiers fought 6 years all over Europe against many different opponents. At this point they were just happy to be alive.

[markadams]

Very poignant, Ty. As a native Texan, I recall my grandparents telling me stories from the WW2 days when German POWs were brought to the Lone Star State to build stuff. For example, German POWs constructed Lake Texoma here on our northern border with Oklahoma. The locals were wary of the Germans, but the soldiers seemed to be happy to be out of the war. Some of those POWs elected to stay at war's end and married into north Texas communities; one former POW even become a hardware store owner in Bonham or Pottsboro (can't remember which). The guards never had a problem with any of them.

[baxriddinbaxriddin]

Diese Filme sollten jetzt in europäischen Städten gezeigt werden, anstatt für Waschmittel zu werben.

[mikehogan]

My father was a Spitfire pilot shot down in the last few weeks of the war. He was in Germany at the surrender. I was fortunate to hear his first hand accounts of what it was like.

[erickirwan]

That was powerful. Their faces, their eyes, told a story that no words ever could.