Stalag 13- Maps, stories and pictures from a Trespasser”

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Leon Askin as General Albert Burkhalter in between scenes July 26, 1966.

The Hammelburg Train Station in the TV Show and the train station today. Notice in the show, the prop department misspelled the city of Hammelburg on the set of the 40-acre backlot.

This same bridge was blown up a dozen times on the show, located on the 40-acres backlot in Culver City, and beaneath it, the trespassing picture I took of the bridge in 74.

The bridge can be seen here just left of the picture and Jefferson Blvd, right, just below Baldwin Hills.

The real Stalag 13 in Germany the series copied, the set gives the impression it’s surrounded by rolling hills. We spent a lot of time on those grassy knolls since the views were good and it’s virtually impossible to get caught up here. We strung up hammocks, slept over, and turned on sprinklers on hot, summer days.

This 40-acre backlot road can be seen in many television shows from Hogan’s Heroes, Andy Griffith and Golmer Pyle to name a few.

Just days after Stalag 13 was removed, I snapped these photos. The shed was to remain, the left picture shows a white truck parked alongside- that’s security as people replaced dogs. I know longer had to worry. “Even the Devil can’t fool a dog.” Picture right side has cots from inside the barracks and two rooftops from those barracks complete with “fake snow” painted on their edges.

The back of my “notebook” depicts my life. Culver City Police usually always got involved in chases, especially right after exiting the backlot. Calls for assistance we be broadcasted throughout the city over police radios. You weren’t safe until you were home. We got to know the entire police force. Usually while looking through …Holes in the Fence. They would pull up their Black and Whites, and ask what we’re doing? “Just looking inside officers is all, looks fun in there” I’d respond. Those moments turned into these penned in memories I’d scribble to amuse myself. I think the police force had as much fun as we did. I actually was close to being a Culver City Police officer, it looked like the funnest job in the city. But as fate would have it- the studios would butter my bread for the decades to come. Let me point out something here-I’ve never been arrested. Yet everything I did was seemingly illegal.

This is the most useful picture to get the “exact lay out” of this iconic set.

As you see with your own eyes, the map Klink and Hogan are looking at is much more dense than actually stood at the 40 Acres Backlot. In this picture, filming is taking place at Stalag 13. Gomer Pyle’s camp is located on the left side of this frame- separated by a row of Eucalyptus trees and a chain link gate that is a set itself. This entrance is frequently used in Gomer Pyle but has also been used a gate in Hogan’s Heroes.

Real deal WW2 rocket…Backlot Mock -Up…Notice my– Artist rendering below-while in school…

Map on left side is very accurate and produced long before I ever saw a real map. The red lines indicate chases and escape routes. The yellow in the map indicate hill sides.The Forgotten Film Vaults are lined up along side the La Ballona Creek. Picture in middle was a fun episode with a missile launcher in the camp. Picture right is how the camp looked in my head “day dreaming” at school. I took map making seriously…I got a ” A ” in that class.

Col. Klink checking to see if the MP-40 prop gun is German made, on the 40-acres backlot.

Publicity photo. Notice Sgt. Schultz is smoking on duty.

Now, let’s take a music break, Who knew they could sing?…EPIC – is the word around camp!– Bob had his own label, so he wasn’t on WW 2 sounds, the Colonel pulled rank once again. Music crosses all borders and languages!

My very first entrance into this Culver City Stalag began in the bushes adjacent to the White House in the left corner of this photo. We had to climb not one, but two fences just to get into these bushes. We briefly hid behind a trailer in a person’s backyard. Talk about the reality of sneaking into a Stalag, the Germans we were worried about were dogs-four legged vicious types. Fifty years later-I returned to this corner located at Lucerne and Higuera to retrace that night only to discover the trailer we hid behind was Hollywood’s First Ever -Silent Day origin-Make up Trailer belonging to…Marion Davies. This entire home connected to RKO-Desilu. This trailer was used for make-up in Hogan’s Heroes. The Barracks doors ended up in that backyard home when demolition of camp started. A third guard tower would later be added in the far corner, closest to this backyard.

Another B&W photo taken in 1974 of Col. Klinks Office being reused for a 70’s sexploitation film, Ilsa She Wolf of the SS. Notice the Red Cross painted of the roof.

A map created by my new friend Daniel from Germany similar to the one that hung in Klink’s office.

Day of liberation at the real Stalag 13-C. This original early POW Dog Tag is from the collection of a friend of mine which shows the unabbreviated name of Stalag.

The real Stalag 13 today, located in the city of Hammelburg.

The second of Klink’s secretaries, Sigrid Valdis, would go on and marry Bob Crane in 1970 while filming the final season of the show. They are today, buried next to one another at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetary.

I love this picture! One of my dear followers, Bruce Mayer, reading my first published book. For more backlot adventures, check out my book on Amazon. Phantom of the Backlots Presents: Hole in the Fence https://a.co/d/eYFJDQu

Eating Breakfast at The International House of Pancakes is how we best begin;

Recently, I received a charming request from a fellow in Germany, Daniel Sokolis, wanting to reconstruct this compound for himself and our German Audience. He has a very popular site “Ein Kafig voller Helden” in Germany and he sent me-“America’s Favorite Trespasser” two pictures of a map used in an episode in regards to the Stalag 13 Culver City lay out. Well that triggered a lot of memories and emotions.

Being the request is from Germany, my hair stood ups a bit, no lie. “I wanted in on this.”

To best assist my new friend”s,” I provided an actual aerial photograph that tells a thousand words on the actual layout of this stalag that was built at a location more famously known as “The Tara Plantation.” That was in 1938-but in 1965 a Prison Camp was built to Imprison…”A Cage Full of Heroes.”

Yes- that’s the title in Germany. How cool is that! I’m one of the last talking, breathing, having lived at this place- persons you can turn to on this subject.

Fun facts of which I was not aware of…

Stalag 13 was a film set recreated from a real camp on the outskirts of Hammelburg, 50 miles from Frankfurt. In 1893, the Kaiser created a training camp for German soldiers in a large forested area. Camp Hammelburg was born and still exists-long out living Culver City’s famous short -lived camp that stood proud for 9 years.

During World War 11, this camp was used to house POW officers and called Oflag 13 B. The enlisted prisoners were held in a different camp called Stalag 13-C, also near Hammelberg.

Maps were my thing in school…

This question prompted me since I made maps of this and every studio, I had to because these items didn’t exist in a land before computers and few books regarding this subject. In school I day dreamed on the things I was missing out on sitting in what are usually…boring class rooms.

So I would sit at the very back of the class room and draw maps and images, unbeknownst to the instructor. I’d imagine I was on some set, often King Kong in 1976. I wall barely able to go to school I trespassed so much and somehow I tricked the attendance office into thinking I was older than I was and my “excuses” became permissible. I was always out with something. That ended “abruptly” as you will find out in my next book “The Uninvited Visitor”

I went to school and developed film I shot at the studios in my photography class. My teacher stood behind me as the developing emulsion turned a blank paper into a real life close up of Jessica Lange and Charles Grodin. My teacher couldn’t help but ask “How do I get these incredible pictures ? ‘

“With a camera is how, Mr Zimmerman” was my response.

I was at school physically – but I wasn’t mentally.

I was on a set, whether an active filming location or just some set to escape inside of all day.

We pack to enter a forbidden- Luft Stalag

I have taken you up in a Guard Tower before with old pal Maureen. That’s where I learned how to “get and give-a hickey.” I took you inside the tree stump, that was before I took the stump home with me as the Stalag was being torn down to become another set. The tree stump fit three inside- barely- and connected to one lucky dog house with a tunnel for two underneath that, where a German Shepard sleeps. You all have all been there with me.

I’m not afraid of being chased or even captured, but I am afraid of being mauled by a pack of vicious dogs on a backlot where no one can intervene. Watch what you wish for everybody!

This prison camp was the scariest by far of all my trespasses ever. We were so concerned about …Dogs on Duty.They looked frightening –to say the least.

We snuck to this set at night for the very first time, the cover of darkness was needed. We picked a Sunday Night which usually is the least non-busy evening of the entire week’ We rolled the dice thats tonights the night. A friend of mine carried mace…just in case. For all we know, we may have to fight our way out of here. We ran so hard, from a grassy knoll to the main gate, like our life depended on it. Just to gain the foothold and security a guard tower would offer us, We had to unlatch the wooden handle, at the main gate to enter, quietly we hesitate, just in case we have to slam this just opened fence shut- in case sleeping dogs have awakened…Satisfied we’re safe to enter, next, we pass guard shack. There, a ladder takes us upwards to the safety of a guard tower. After all, dogs can’t climb ladders.

To experience this set, under moonlight with only the sound of crickets surrounding you- was both extremely scary yet extremely satisfying. We were afraid to even talk in this pitch dark landscape. We made it to a place that greets you boldly in the opening credits. A machine gun and a searchlight are usually the props up top here. The only thing missing tonight is the drum beat opening by Jerry Fielding. It’s as if we’re running through the opening credits. Almost identical, the credits never were the same again. We lived them – with all the thrills and chills any P.O.W would experience, either sneaking in or sneaking out. This night was the most bone chilling version of the simple credits I watched open this series for years. Never has this camp greeted such scared to death…visitors.

This opening song also appeared on one of Bob Cranes albums, his drums and orchestra. Another album exists and is for sale at fine record stores near you. Hogan’s Heroes sings The Best of World War -Two, I kid you not.

Back to the maps I made- and as I pull out a few now and examine-they are extremely proficient! Especially the chase map, chases are in red and many more red lines would happen if I updated that map. I too, like my friends in Germany enjoy maps and in my case, they were vital as we prepared to explore places few dare to challenge. Especially since the lot was protected by German…Guard Dogs on Duty

Written and lived by…Donnie Norden.

Written and lived by…Donnie Norden. “Auf Weiderschen, evre bade”