Harry Bell was born in May 1925 and grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He graduated high school in May 1943 and by September he was in the Army. Bell had previously tried to join the Navy but he is colorblind so the Navy rejected him. He had chosen the Navy because his father had been in the Navy during World War 1 and he had a brother serving in the Navy during World War 2. Growing up in Hattiesburg was very interesting. He was a member of the YMCA which had a camp set up near Black Creek. The camp was very religious and very regimented. The camp offered a number of projects for the boys to do. One of those jobs was hunting snakes. That was the job Bell chose and he really enjoyed it. Bell went almost directly from high school to the Army. His ACT scores were high enough that after he was drafted he was placed in the Army Specialized Training Program and sent to Auburn University. He was there for about three months before his ASTP class was broken up and he was reassigned to the 106th Infantry Division, then at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. When he arrived at Camp Atterbury he was assigned to the 422nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Company F. Bell took basic field training at Camp Atterbury. It was incredibly hot during that time. After training the men would go to the base canteen for a cold beer. When their training was complete they were put on a troop train which took them to Camp Miles Standish in Boston, Massachusetts. There, they boarded the HMS Aquitania. The bunks on every level of the ship were stacked three high. Bell was assigned to F deck, which was right next to the ship's boilers. It was a miserable trip. Being down in the bilge, Bell was seasick for the entire trip. They were only allowed to go up on deck for an hour per day and that had to be done in shifts. There is no way all of the 10,000 men aboard ship could be up on deck at the same time. The Aquitania was a fast ship and the trip did not last long. About halfway across someone spotted a submarine. The troops aboard were all crowded up on deck.

Harry Bell and the rest of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 422nd Infantry Regiment [Annotator's Note: 106th Infantry Division] went ashore in Glasgow, Scotland. The company was then taken by train to the little village of Kingston, England. In Kingston there was a large manor house that was unoccupied at the time and there were Quonset huts set up in the field next to it. Bell's company remained there training for about a month before they were sent to Southampton where they boarded a small coastal freighter which took them across the English Channel to France. They went ashore in France and set up their tents in a muddy field. Shortly after their arrival they were put on trucks which took them up through France and Belgium to the town of St. Vith. Bell's division was stretched out between the 99th Infantry Division on one side and the 28th Infantry Division on the other. The section of the line they were covering was 12 miles long. There were a lot of gaps. They [Annotator's Note: the Germans] came through the Losheim Gap in the north between the 106th Division and the 99th Division. In the south they broke through between the 106th Division and the 28th Division. They then swung around and surrounded them. At first Bell's unit got orders to hold at all costs. Then they were told to break out and head for St. Vith. They spent the next several days on the move. At one point they were put in a tree line and told to dig in. The ground was so rocky that they were not able to dig foxholes. The next day they continued their move toward St. Vith. As they were moving through a meadow down in a valley, they were approached by a German carrying a white flag. The German told them that they had the choice of being shelled by the German 88mm guns or they could surrender. The officers decided that it was best to surrender. The Germans and their guns were behind Bell's unit. They stripped their guns down and threw the parts in different directions then gave up. They were marched to the town of Bleialf where Bell spent the night in a hog pen. The next day they were marched to the town of Prüm. There they were put in boxcars. The trains moved during the day then stopped in different rail yards at night. At night the British flew their bombing missions and one of the box cars was hit and everyone in it was killed. The trip from Bleialf to the railhead in Prüm was done at night. The prisoners were all exhausted. They had not eaten in days and some of the men fell out. Bell is not sure what happened to them but he did hear rifle shots as they left the area. They were taken to the railhead in Hanau where they transferred into trucks and were taken to the town of Bad Orb.

When Harry Bell and the other prisoners arrived [Annotator's Note: at Stalag IX-B in Bad Orb, Germany] they were assigned to barracks. The barracks were very uncomfortable. There was only one stove in the center of a barracks housing 200 men. They bunks in the barracks were three high and covered with straw. There were no mattresses but there were lice. There was no way to get rid of the lice. They could not take baths. The only restroom facilities they had was a hole in the floor in a section of the barracks. During the day they were able to use the slit trenches outside. The men all had diarrhea. Each of the prisoners had a can of some sort that their food was placed in. Bell had a rusty bucket. For breakfast they got a cup of ersatz tea which was nothing more than stained water with an artificial sweetener. For lunch they got a soup of boiled sugar beat tops. At night they received a ten inch long loaf of German bread that was shared by eight men. The men were very democratic about the way they divided the bread. They rotated who would cut the bread and that person who did the cutting got the shavings. They did get two Red Cross boxes. The first was shared between four men and the second was shared between eight men. The boxes were meant for one man. Some men got the C ration, some got cigarettes. There was a lot of trading going on. Bell did not smoke so he traded his cigarettes for bread. One man got so desperate that he slipped out one night. He snuck past the guard, got into the mess hall, and loaded up on food to bring back to the barracks. On his way out the guard caught him. The man had a cleaver and he killed the guard. The next morning the Germans found out about it. All 2,000 of the prisoners were lined up on the parade ground. They were ordered to count off and every tenth solder was called out. The Germans demanded that the prisoners produce the man who did it or the Germans would shoot every tenth man. The Germans had machine guns set up in front of the prisoners. Finally, someone was produced. He was taken away and they never heard anything more about him. Some guys were in very bad shape and died. When that happened they could not be buried because the ground was frozen. The corpses would be wrapped in blankets. They hoped to be able to bury them when the ground softened in the spring but that never happened. Eventually, they began to hear the rumble of artillery fire and knew someone was fighting there. As the fighting got closer all of the guards left except one, a 67 year old cripple. Not long after the guards left a tank burst through the gates. The tankers started throwing chocolate bars into the crowds of prisoners. It took about three days for transportation to be arranged for the newly liberated prisoners. They were loaded onto trucks and driven to the Frankfurt Airport where they boarded C-47s [Annotator's Note: Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport aircraft] and flown to Camp Lucky Strike. The staff at Camp Lucky Strike was ready and waiting for them. They were able to eat as much as they wanted, 24 hours a day. They started putting weight back on. Some of them had gone down to 90 pounds. They were deloused and given new uniforms. After two weeks at Camp Lucky Strike they were put on the SS America and shipped back to the United States. It was a very pleasant journey back. They landed in New York and were put directly onto troop trains and sent south to Camp Shelby. Someone had notified Bell's family that his train would be in Hattiesburg at a certain time and they went out to see him. When the train reached Hattiesburg it passed right on through without stopping and went to Camp Shelby. They were processed and sent home. Bell stayed home for a month just enjoying life. When he reported back to camp he was sent to Miami for R and R for a month. From there he was sent to Fort Benning where he finished out the war.

Harry Bell served in Company F, 422nd Infantry Regiment [Annotator's Note: 106th Infantry Division] as a mortar gunner. As such, he carried the plate while the assistant gunner carried the tube. Each of the squad members carried eight rounds for the mortar. Leaving the United States was quite an experience for Bell. He had read about France and Germany and had heard of the Hurtgen Forest but seeing it was different. When they arrived in the Ardennes, they unloaded from the trucks, grabbed their equipment, and relieved the 2nd Infantry Division. The men of the 2nd Division had constructed log bunkers and that is where they spent their nights. During the day they went out patrolling. They had lookouts out in front of the lines watching for the Germans. One night they got a call in the middle of the night from the lookouts notifying them that a German patrol had been spotted and requesting mortar fire. Bell's mortars fired the requested rounds after which they heard nothing more from the Germans, or the outpost. The next day Bell and several others went on a patrol to the area where their lookouts were located and found them all dead. They do not know whether the Germans threw grenades into the position or if one of their own grenades accidentally went off. The first thing Bell knew about the start of the Battle of the Bulge was a massive artillery barrage followed by the sky being lit up by flares. Bell did not know it but the Germans had gone around them. They never hit them from the front but took the road on either side of them. Bell's unit reported enemy tanks moving up and down the line but the reply from higher up said that the noise they were hearing was German trucks with loudspeakers on them. It turned out that Bell's group was pinned between German panzer divisions. When Bell's unit got word to fall back to St. Vith they were hoping that they were heading there to make a stand. They only took their backpacks and clothes with them. They were told that they would be relieved so when they started getting tired some of the men threw away their packs and overcoats. Bell kept his overcoat because he was cold. They had not been issued any heavy clothing. They only had their uniforms, an overcoat, a helmet, and a rifle. Bell carried a .45 [Annotator's Note: M1911 .45 caliber pistol] because he also carried the base plate. The first night they stopped and were told to dig in. Bell found a trench that had been dug by the 2nd Infantry Division and slept in it. Prior to becoming a POW [Annotator's Note: prisoner of war], the only thing Bell saw was incoming artillery fire. He never saw any Germans troops or vehicles.

Harry Bell could not believe that they were surrendering. They had not fired a shot since leaving the front lines. The only weapons they had were their personal weapons and the mortars. They were told they were surrendering and were instructed to get rid of their weapons. After they were captured and were being escorted back to the railhead, one of the German guards, a soldier with a bandaged head wound, asked Bell how old he was. When bell replied that he was 18 years old, the German said that America must be giving up since they are sending children over to fight. Bell then asked the German how old he was and the man replied that he was 17. Bell just sighed. When Bell surrendered it was just his platoon and the executive officer of the company [Annotator's Note: Company F, 2nd Battalion, 422nd Infantry Regiment, 106th Infantry Division]. After they surrendered to a lone German soldier they were led to an area where there were many other German troops. They were not mistreated but they were searched. They were not fed or allowed to rest. Bell managed to keep his wrist watch hidden. The prisoners were allowed to keep their helmet liners and caps but not the helmet itself. Bell does not recall much about being loaded onto the train cars at the rail head but does recall being packed in very tightly. The prisoners took turns sitting down and looking out of the window. They were packed in the train cars from the time they were captured on 19 December [Annotator's Note: 19 December 1944] and until they arrive at the prison camp on Christmas Day. At Hanau they were allowed to get off and have a drink of water.

Harry Bell ended up in IX-B [Annotator's Note: Stalag IX-B in Bad Orb, Germany]. In the camp was a man who Bell believes was a German in an American uniform who acted as the go between dealing with the Germans in the camp. The man spoke broken English and claimed that he was from Philadelphia. Although there were a lot of Germans in the Philadelphia area, Bell knew better. The man would give them information but never enough to get their hopes up. They did not know the way things were really going until they heard the artillery fire. They began hearing the artillery fire about two days before they were liberated. Bell had been listed as missing in action as of 1 February [Annotator's Note: Bell had been captured on 19 December 1944 but not officially listed as missing in action until 1 February 1945]. He had written home to tell his family that he was alive but the mail never got through to them. The Red Cross did a good job trying to get things to them but most of the boxes were confiscated. To entertain themselves the prisoners would talk about food and all of the ways it could be prepared. They also talked about their favorite meal. For Bell, it was a stack of pancakes with a hole in the center with a fried egg in it. Another prisoner, a guy from Northern Mississippi, said he would do anything for a roasted possum. They also talked about their homes, and the need for cigarettes, drinks, and food. The only exercise they got was what they took themselves out on the parade grounds. Some of the prisoners saved their watches or money and would trade with the German guards for cigarettes and food. To keep their spirits up, they talked about religion. There was also a Catholic chaplain in the camp and he held mass every day. Bell is a Methodist but still went to the chaplain's services every day. He attended church regularly before the war but his experiences during the war have reinforced his beliefs even more. Bell was sleeping on the floor of his barracks when the tank busted through the gate. He was so weak he could barely go outside to see them.

[Annotator's Note: Harry Bell served in the Army as a mortar gunner in Company F, 2nd Battalion, 422nd Infantry Regiment, 106th Infantry Division. He was captured by German troops on 19 December 1944 and spent the rest of the war as a POW in Stalag IX-B in Bad Orb, Germany.] The day the first Americans showed up at the camp was a huge relief for the prisoners. Shortly after the liberating forces arrived, however, they left. It was about three days before transportation could be arranged to get the newly liberated prisoners to Frankfurt. Knowing he was a free man was indescribable. They all had faith that they would be liberated. When they were they were bubbling over with thanks. Bell does not know what happened to the one German guard who remained after the other guards evacuated the camp. Bell does not see any resemblance between life in Stalag IX-B and the play Stalag 17. The prisoners were all separated by rank. The officers were sent to one camp, the NCOs [Annotator's Note: non-commissioned officers], were sent to another, and the enlisted men to another. Bell was in a camp for enlisted men. The Germans went through the camps and pulled out any prisoner with a Jewish sounding name and sent them to work camps. The healthier of the POWs [Annotator's Note: prisoners of war] were sent to work camps too. One of Bell's friends, Malcolm Borax [Annotator's Note: unsure of spelling] from Boston, was one of those taken by the Germans. Bell does not think he survived the war.

When Harry Bell steamed into New York Harbor one of the first things he saw was the Statue of Liberty. When he saw it he knew he was home. He had seen it when he shipped out and saw it again when he came home. Seeing the statue filled him with elation. Shortly after arriving in New York they were sent back down south. Bell was able to go home to Hattiesburg for a month. While he was on leave he bought a new uniform and stood in a friend's wedding. After the war in Europe ended, Bell was tasked with interviewing men who were about to get out to urge them to stay in. Bell told the guys he interviewed that the Army would be a good life if they stuck with it. Some of the men did and some did not. Bell did not stay. When Bell went to college at Auburn after the war they wanted him to take ROTC [Annotator's Note: Reserve Officer Training Corps]. He refused and is glad that he did. All of his friends who stayed in the Army ended up serving during the Korean War. Going to school at Auburn was a happy time for Bell. When he got out of the service he wanted to stay in Mississippi to go to school but everywhere was so overcrowded. He decided to write to Auburn since he had taken courses there while he was in the Army and he was told that a spot would be made for him. Bell studied electrical engineering in college and that was the career he went into after school. Bell used his GI Bill benefits to go to school. He also had a bad foot and was considered partially disabled. He was completely covered for college and did not have to rely on any money from home. Bell graduated from Auburn as an electrical engineer when he was 24 years old.

After graduating from college, Harry Bell interviewed with a number of business who were then hiring engineers. Bell went to work for the Mississippi Power Company and stayed with them until retiring in 1988. In 1983, Bell's wife started a business that he helped with. He does run into some problems as he was trained as an engineer and he's now doing accounting. When Bell left Camp Lucky Strike in France he was taken to England where he boarded the SS America. The trip home was so pleasant that he does not remember much about it. He does remember eating all the way through France, England, during the voyage home, and after he got to Camp Shelby. He also made his family take him out to eat. He ordered a stack of pancakes with a fried egg in the middle [Annotator's Note: see segment titled Bad Orb Stalag IXb]. Bell was sent around by his company to interview manufacturing organizations that produced electrical equipment. He started in the United States with Westinghouse and GE [Annotator's Note: General Electric]. Their primary focus was large items like generators and turbines, items that could produce electricity that could power large buildings. Then they went to England. In England the electric system is run by the government and there was only one type of machine that they used which was built by C. A. Parsons. Bell's group was to take notes then return to the United States and tell the chief executive whether or not they thought they should buy electrical equipment from foreign businesses. Westinghouse and GE pushed for them to buy American. After leaving England they went to Sweden. The principle thing there was power transformers and the way they built them. During the trip the manufacturers did the best they could to wine and dine Bell and his group so they lived high on the hog. Bell was put up in a fancy guest house. He had a big room big a big wide bed and every morning the maid arrived and brought him breakfast in bed. He really enjoyed that. From Sweden they went to Germany. Like elsewhere in Europe, the people in Germany lived a different kind of life then in America. They went to lunch with representatives from a German firm and Bell was surprised that they were served schnapps with their meal and were drinking in the middle of the day. From Germany they went to France to look at their power transfer and electric air brake switches. Bell was familiar with their processes but they were different. They returned to the United States and filed their reports. Bell's opinion was that the products and methods in Europe were very good but he would not recommend any of them over General Electric or Westinghouse.

After they left France, Harry Bell's wife joined him and they toured Switzerland and Germany. They flew into Frankfurt, rented a car, and drove to Hanau where they spent the night. The next morning they drove to Bad Orb. Bell had to stop and ask a young girl for directions to the former prison camp. The girl referred him to the police. The police officer on duty could not speak English so he called his lieutenant who came down and talked to them in perfect English. The lieutenant offered to bring them to the camp. They walked around the camp. After the war the camp had been turned into a children's school. Bell spoke to the head of the children's school and asked the woman about the bodies of the soldiers that were under the barracks. She told him that the bodies were removed to a cemetery right outside of the camp and buried there. That night, Bell and his wife went to dinner with the police lieutenant. It turned out that he had also been a prisoner of war. He learned to speak English in a POW [Annotator's Note: prisoner of war] camp. The man worked under a supply sergeant selling items on the black market. When they got back to the police station the lieutenant explained that he had gotten his job at the police station because of his experiences in the prisoner of war camp. It was quite an experience for Bell. Seeing the camp again did not bother him. He was interested in seeing if it was still the same as it was when he was there.

After the war, Harry Bell kept up with several guys he served with but those contacts slowly faded away except for his best friend, a guy from Pennsylvania. Bell still corresponds with him. Bell's friend was in the headquarters section of the same company Bell served in [Annotator's Note: Company F, 2nd Battalion, 422nd Infantry Regiment, 106th Infantry Division]. They got separated when they were captured and Bell did not see him again until they got to Camp Lucky Strike after they were liberated. They had been friends since before going overseas. Bell's friend now lives in Indiana and is not in the best of health. Bell is disabled but can get around with the help of a walker. Bell believes that the war narrowed his focus. He started out taking basic courses like chemistry and math. Being in the prison camp changed him. When he got out he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted to be an engineer and he wanted to work in Mississippi. Bell had bad dreams and physical problems with his stomach after the war but he does not like to talk about it. After the war he could not eat greens because it reminded him of the sugar beats they were fed in the POW [Annotator's Note: prisoner of war] camp. After he got home he did not talk about the war. His sole focus was on education. It was not until some people from a junior college contacted him asking if he would allow them to interview him that Bell started to open up about his experiences. It took so long for bell to open up because he did not want to think about it. He still does not know why he agreed to do that interview or why he agreed to do this one. [Annotator's Note: Interview ends with Bell asking the interviewer for a DVD copy of this interview for him to pass along to his children but he does not want them to watch it until after his death.] Bell has four sons, all of who live within two and a half hours of him. They stayed close to home.