Hardesty, John Franklin Papers
John Franklin Hardesty was born in Winfield, Mo. and served as a surgeon with the British Army during World War I. Hardesty was captured by German troops at Amiens in March 1918, and was held at Ratstatt and Villingen prisoner of war camps for eight months.
While at Villengen, Hardesty and several other prisoners developed an elaborate plan that two of their comrades used to escape. Hardesty and the remaining prisoners were released at the end of the war. Hardesty returned home and resumed work in his private medical practice, where he was a specialist in diagnosis and treatment of the eye. His collection consists of a number of photographs, official documents, and newspaper clippings related to his military service and imprisonment.
