Camp Ellis
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Camp Ellis located in west central Illinois housed mostly German soldiers and Austrians forced into the German army between 1943-1945 (during World War II).
The Village of Table Grove and the neighboring Village of Ipava along with the unincorporated hamlet of Bernadotte were to be significantly impacted by the national mobilization efforts to wage and win a war. The Lewistown Project, the early code name for Camp Ellis, began with the taking and vacating of 17,800 acres of land stretching eastward and northward of Table Grove to Ipava on the east and Bernadotte on the northeast.
Construction of the camp commenced on September 17, 1942. Thousands of buildings were erected in less than six months. On April 15, 1943, the gates opened to Camp Ellis and it was officially turned over to its first Commanding Officer, Colonel Basil D. Spalding one month ahead of schedule. Camp Ellis was named in honor of Sergeant Michael B. Ellis whose heroics during World War I ranked him as a hero.
The official dedication of Camp Ellis was held on July 14, 1943 with over 50,000 visitors in attendance. Illinois Governor Dwight H. Green delivering the dedicatory address, WMBD Radio of Peoria broadcast the ceremony. The facility was originally designated as the Camp Ellis Interment Camp, but on August 31, 1943, its name was changed to the Camp Ellis, Illinois, Prisoner of War Camp. During the time Camp Ellis operated, 125,000 men were trained, and nearly 5,000 POWs were housed.
Camp Ellis was host to a number of training activities including medical, combat, quartermaster and engineering units. The War Department stated that Camp Ellis was one of the best POW camps in the country.
Camp Ellis went nearly as quickly as it came to the area. In November of 1944, the training unit was officially terminated with remaining training activities being greatly reduced.
The area occupied by Camp Ellis returned to individual ownership in the 1950s and few signs of the Camp's existence remain. Portions of the rifle range, a couple POW barracks, water towers and part of the water processing plant near Bernadotte are all that remain. The impact of the Camp on the community was great. The area east and northeast of Table Grove is still referred to by local residents as "The Camp".
[edit] 130th Engineer Brigade
The 130th Engineer Brigade was originally constituted in the U.S. Army as the 1303rd Engineer General Service Regiment and activated on July 15, 1943 at Camp Ellis, Illinois. The regiment played an important role in World War II with campaign credits for Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe and the Asian-Pacific theatre. The regiment was inactivated on July 8, 1955 and its elements allocated to the regular Army.
It was re-designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 130th Engineer Aviation Brigade in Japan and subsequently inactivated on June 25, 1956.
