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✓' S■i./ -v.;* ./* i-Ji£,*...v.0lt;r. \~•T^WV.1rJ4 4.- *‘4»- ■* A Ar *■,C%tv'.- • * »-A* ., iw* / ,•lt;* *V«•*lt;7V-*~v4 '■***•IVa 4r/' »Joe! Mosier photoIron Cross carved along river bankIron Cross carvedby German POWsBy JOEL MOSIER Record Staff WriterThe next time you cross the Spring River Bridge in the 1000 block of North Pennsylvania Avenue, next to DeBremond Stadium, take a peek to the west.You just might catch a glimpse of a 3-by-5-foot Iron Cross that some German prisoners of war carved in rocks along the river bank during World War II.In a space cleared away by workmen from Smith Machinery Co. Inc.. 512 E. Second St.. the Iron Cross is carved into the stone river bank and in the middle of the cross is the date it was carved — 1943.“In 1943. German prisoners ofwar were used to rook the bank of the Spring River.” former Mayor Jerry N. Smith said. “They were part of Field Marshal Rommel's troops that were captured in Africa.Smith said the POW work detail, which probably was composed of 15-20 men. carved the cross into the river bank without any of their supervisors knowing.However, he said that some Roswell residents learned of the cross and got very irate about it.“Some residents found out about it and got angry because we were fighting Germany in the war and the prisoners made a cross in the river bank.” he said. “So they came and poured cement over it.”
Newspaper Details
Roswell Daily Record
Roswell, New Mexico, US
Tue, Sep 30, 1980
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
Dale E.
USA 19 Mar 2019
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Roswell Daily Record
