Elinor Powell

Elinor Powell (1921–2005) was an African-American nurse in World War II who married a German prisoner of war.

Background Powell was raised in Milton, Massachusetts, where her grandmother moved after she escaped slavery as a teen, travelling north via the Underground Railroad. Powell's father served in World War I, which later inspired her to also join the United States Army as a nurse.

Career and relationship In 1944, Powell joined the army and completed her basic training at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, the largest military installation for black soldiers and nurses. Powell was one of only 300 nurses allowed to join the Army Nurse Corps under strict quotas. This was incredibly risky, as such a relationship could get her court-martialled. Powell met Albert in the mess hall, where he was assigned to work as a cook. Just before Albert was released and deported in April 1946, they conceived a son, enabling Albert to obtain a visa and return the following year to marry in New York. They moved to Boston but experienced discrimination due to being in an interracial marriage, and so moved to Germany. This was no better, so they returned to settle in Connecticut. Frederick died in 2001, followed by Elinor in 2005. They had two sons, Steven and Chris. Chris became a trumpeter with the Duke Ellington Orchestra.