REPORT ON THE SEPTEMBER 2008 MEETING

POW Camps in the UK

The Alston Moor Historical Society followed up a visit to Featherstone Castle last year by inviting Doctor Tony Hellen to address their September meeting on the subject of POW camps in the UK with emphasis on Feathertone and Harperley. Tony has made a study of these camps and is acknowledged as being a leading expert on the subject having delivered almost 200 lectures in the UK and, being fluent in the German language, also many in Germany, including appearances on TV.

Sixty years on we were given a reminder of the huge numbers of prisoners that were confined in Britain. There were 1500 camps and 400,000 Germans prisoners alone. Worldwide 34 million POW's were in detention in WW11. Until 1941 and D-day there were only 18,000 German prisoners in Britain, and even then they were only housed in certain areas, away from the east coast for fear of a successful invasion being reinforced by released prisoners. Until this time the majority of prisoners were sent to Canada and the U.S. However the network of camps then spread rapidly throughout Britain, reaching as far north as the Orkneys. After D-day the threat of invasion was not felt to be as strong and the flow of prisoner was increased.

What is perhaps a little surprising is that, at the end of the war in 1945, prisoners were not returned to their homeland immediately, and it was 1948 before the last prisoners left Britain. It is also significant that 25,000 prisoners chose not to return and opted to settle in Britain. This was undoubtedly influenced by the conditions and lifestyle which the prisoners enjoyed, despite the fact that they were incarcerated. In most cases they were treated with respect and dignity and many voluntarily made contributions to their local community. For example throughout Britain there are many ‘Stations of the Cross' in Roman Catholic churches, built and painted by prisoners as a way of making a contribution to the community. An example can be found in Wolsingham, Co. Durham

By and large the prisoners were not trouble makers and co-existed very amicably with their neighbours, who, in turn, often showed acts of kindness to men who they realised were just ordinary people confined in a foreign land away from family and friends. Many friendships were formed and little gifts of cups of tea, food and, most of all, a welcome to British families and homes. The prisoners often made toys and models for children as a way of showing appreciation. In the Orkneys Italian prisoners built a remarkable ornate church out of a standard corrugated iron hut and materials which they ‘repatriated' from any source they could find. Prisoners were ‘invited' to work in various ways, particularly on farms but they could not be forced to work against their will.

It is widely considered that Germans do not have a sense of humour but a group who were due to leave for home one Autumn, were engaged planting spring bulbs in a flower bed. When the flowers bloomed, and after the prisoners had gone home, there was a very large Swastika in the middle of the bed.

Whilst most of the German prisoners were peaceful and well-behaved there were nevertheless some highly undesirable characters who were identified and kept in high security camps, usually located in some out of the way place. At the other end of the spectrum boys as young as 15 were sent to Britain as prisoners.

Harperley camp remained largely intact and after it was closed it had been bought by a farmer who used it as a plant nursery. A Trust was formed and developed the site as a tourist attraction with a restaurant, farm shop, pet centre and other retail outlets. Sadly, financial constraints have recently forced it to close and it has been sold to a property developer.

The camp at Featherstone, built in the grounds of the Castle, seemed to have attracted a rather elite and well educated group of inmates and became regarded as a centre of excellence and culture. A camp newspaper was published on a regular basis and there was also a theatre group and camp orchestra. The educational facilities were regarded as a flagship model for other camps to follow. When Rugby school was evacuated to the Castle some of the prisoners assisted with teaching the boys, particularly of Latin and Greek. Locals took walks around the footpaths surrounding the camp and struck up friendships with the prisoners. Security was low level, illustrated by the fact on one winter day 6 prisoners broke through the fence with only their bare hands and fled into the river. The water was very cold and one prisoner had a heart attack and died. The remaining 5 hid in a hut on the Alston railway line and were soon recaptured without protest. Despite this, life at Featherstone seemed to have been better than the average camp, which probably explains why the Featherstone Park Group of Brits and Germans was formed after the end of the war and regular reunions were held. During the course of the war, 25,000 prisoners passed through Featherstone.