AUGUSTA — The Kennebec Historical Society’s November public presentation, “Foe to Friend: German POWs on Lunn Farm in Littleton, Maine,” will begin at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, at the Maine State Library, 230 State St., according to a news release from the society.
Henry “Hank” D. Lunn will give the presentation.
Lunn, a resident of Camden since 1958, has been a student of Maine history since his birth on a potato farm in Aroostook County. He graduated from the University of Maine with a major in history and government and has a Master’s degree in Education in Counseling and School Administration. Lunn retired from public education with more than 40 years of experience as a teacher, counselor and educational consultant in the schools of Maine.
For the past several years, he has been delivering his living history presentations to schools, historical societies, libraries and community organizations.
In 1944, the U.S. Army Air Base in Houlton in Aroostook County became the site of a Prisoner of War internment camp for German soldiers captured in North Africa and France. The POW’s could not be forced to work, but they could volunteer. Those who wanted to work helped the local farmers harvest peas and pick potatoes and cut wood in the forest after harvest time during the winter. In September 1945, Aroostook County farmers decided to take advantage of this opportunity, according to the news release.
“My dad requested some prisoners to help with our potato harvest. When harvest time rolled around, eight young Germans would arrive by truck each morning about 7 o’clock to help us harvest our crop, with one guard. As a 13-year old boy, the arrival of German soldiers, was fearsome. My young mind was not too sure it was a good idea to have the ‘enemy’ right here on our farm,” said Lunn, according to the release.
The free presentation is co-sponsored by the Maine State Library, donations will be accepted.
The presentation will be followed by some light refreshments.
For more information, call the Kennebec Historical Society at 622-7718.
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