Wilhelma, Palestine

Wilhelma (Hebrew: וילהלמה), originally Wilhelma-Hamîdije, was German Templer Colony in Palestine, located southwest of al-'Abbasiyyah near Jaffa.

[5] By the 1931 census, there were 319 residents in 65 occupied houses, the population consisted of 231 Christians, 84 Muslims, and 4 Jews.

[6] During World War II, Wilhelma was transformed into an internment camp by the British Mandatory authorities where German settlers from Wilhelma and other localities such as Sarona as well as other enemy aliens (such as Hungarians and Italians) were concentrated and held.

[7][8] In World War II, guarded by Jewish police, the camp was under an early night curfew.

During World War II it served as a major airfield for military air transport and aircraft ferry operations between military bases in Europe, Africa, the Middle East (mainly Iraq and Persia) and South/Southeast Asia.