On October 17th, 1943, my father, S/Sgt.William J. Doubledee, USAAF, 8th AF, 351st BG, 511th BS, entered the German prison camp Stalag XVII B, located near Krems, Austria. Eight days earlier, his B-17 "Cue Ball" was shot down over its target of Anklam, Germany. He was captured by German motorcycle troops, taken to a Dulag (Durchgangslager) for two days, then boarded onto a train and into an overcrowded, windowless baggage car with nothing to eat or drink and no toilet facilities. Then he arrived at Stalag XVII B. He was assigned to Barracks 36A and remained there until April, 1945, survived the forced evacuation and death march across Austria just before the war's end, and returned to the United States.

In the summer of 1969 I went to where Stalag XVII B used to be. It had been torn down; only one large pile of rubble overgrown with grass remained. The blue sky and green fields that day showed no signs of what happened there 25 years ago.

My father seldom talked about what happened in the camp and during the trek across Austria. He died unexpectedly in May, 1986. He never told me his story.

I hope the information in this site helps us all better understand what these young men experienced, and what they did not want to talk about after they came home. Over the years I have read a lot of books, visited many websites, and gotten lots of letters and emails from Kriegies and their families. It seems as if each day I learn more about the camp, its history and the prisoners who were held there. This site is always a work in progress. If you have any information, documents, letters or pictures that you'd like to share, I would love to see them. If you have questions, I will try to answer them, or help you find answers.

Please support the Stalag XVIIB-American Ex-Prisoners of War Association. It's dedicated to all the Kriegies and their families. Membership is $20/year. The Association meets annually from April 30 to May 3 - that's when the POWs were liberated by American forces in 1945. Check here later this year for information about the 2011 reunion.

There is also a Stalag XVII B networking site where Kriegies from all nationalities and their families can meet, share and keep in touch. Please visit and join our group.

And please take a moment to register yourself or a loved one at the WWII Memorial website.

UPDATED 19 August 2011

Comments? Questions? Please contact me.