Photos and Links
History
of Camp Barkeley
David
Barkley
Barkley Medal of Honor Citation
Photos Camp Barkeley Structures
Photos Camp Barkeley Activities
11th
Armored Division
12th Armored Division
45th Division Museum
90th Infantry Division Association
Photos G.I.'s
that served at Camp Barkeley
New!
Limited Personnel Rosters
Special Addition
Taylor County Casualties of WWII
Photo acknowledgement: Photos, unless otherwise
indicated, are from WW II era publications of the Camp. No duplication of
photos can be made without permission.
Camp Barkeley
February 15, 1941-March 21, 1945
Text on the Camp Barkeley Historical Marker
Site of main entrance to Camp
Barkeley, one of the nation's largest military camps of World War II. At peak, 60,000 men
were in training here. Named for Private David B. Barkeley of the 89th Division, who died
on a secret scouting expedition behind German lines during the Meuse-Argonne Battle of
World War I. Among famous units trained here were the 45th and 90th Infantry Divisions and
the 11th and 12th Armored. A medical replacement training center, the largest in the
country, was also established here, with 15 battalions. In May, 1942, the Medical
Administrative Corps Officer Candidate School was activated and graduated about 12,500
candidates. Camp Barkeley eventually grew to be a complete city unit twice the size of
Abilene of the 1940s. It had a 2,300-bed hospital, 2 cold storage plants, a bakery, 4
theaters, 2 service clubs for enlisted men, 15 chapels, and 35 post exchange buildings.
The military personnel were housed in hutments, except for some 4,000 in barracks. Part of
the post was also a German prisoner-of-war camp. Once some of the prisoners escaped, to
the alarm of Abilene citizens, and others attempted to tunnel under the fences. Camp
Barkeley was declared surplus in 1945. (1969)
(Camp Barkeley Historical Marker is located on
Highway 277 South and Taylor County Road 257, 11 miles south of Abilene, Texas.
(Photo by Mike Hernandez)
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(Left) Aerial View of Camp
Barkeley. (Right) WWII Era Greeting Post Card from Camp Barkeley
Web site does not represent any organization or group, its sole purpose is to remember
Camp Barkeley and its historical significance during World War II.
Email: mikendez@suddenlink.net