P. O. Box 1142

P.O. Box 1142 was a secret American military intelligence facility that operated during World War II. The American Military Intelligence Service had two special wings whose core duty was to interview the Prisoners of War (POWs), known as MIS -X and MIS -Y. They were known by their codename, the mailing address "P.O. Box 1142." Notable prisoners housed at the facility included rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, spymaster Reinhard Gehlen, and Heinz Schlicke, inventor of infrared detection. German U-Boat commander Werner Henke was also a prisoner.

P.O. Box 1142 was based in Fort Hunt, Virginia, formerly part of George Washington's farmlands. German scientists, submariners and soldiers were questioned. P.O. Box 1142 obtained valuable intelligence from German POWs and also communicated with Allied POWs overseas. The camp was in violation of the Geneva Conventions because the Red Cross was not notified of the transfer or location of the prisoners, but according to the surviving wardens, torture was not used. The work done at Fort Hunt contributed to the Allied victory of World War II. It also led to advances in scientific technology and military intelligence that directly influenced the Cold War. In October 2007, a group of the former intelligence workers gathered for the first time since the war's conclusion, and a flagpole and plaque recognizing their contributions were dedicated on the original grounds.

The camp was started in 1942; the majority of the camp facilities were bulldozed in 1946. The post commanders were: Col Daniel W. Kent (1 July 1942 to 21 October 1942); Col Russell H. Sweet (21 October 1942 to 1 February 1943); Col. John L. Walker (1 February 1943 to 18 July 1945); and Col. Zennas R. Bliss (18 July 1945 to post closure).

Later reception
In 2001, the historian Sönke Neitzel found about 150.000 pages of pick-up protocols made in Trent Park or Fort Hunt. He analysed them together with Harald Welzer, a psychologist. They published several books about their results:
 * Abgehört: Deutsche Generäle in britischer Kriegsgefangenschaft 1942-1945 (English: Tapping Hitler's Generals: Transcripts of Secret Conversations, 1942-1945. (2007, Frontline Books, ISBN 978-1844157051)


 * Soldaten: Protokolle vom Kämpfen, Töten und Sterben (2011, paperback 2012) (English (2012): Soldaten: On Fighting, Killing, and Dying. The secret POW transscripts of German POWs. (Knopf, ISBN 978-0307958129) Foreword: Ian Kershaw


 * »Der Führer war wieder viel zu human, viel zu gefühlvoll«: Der Zweite Weltkrieg aus der Sicht deutscher und italienischer Soldaten (2011) (editors: Neitzel, Welzer and Christian Gudehus)