Camp 688 - Lulworth Park Camp, Dorset

Discussion in 'UK PoW Camps' started by Pete Wood, Aug 30, 2019.

  1. Pete Wood

    Pete Wood Member

    Situated between West Lulworth and East Lulworth, this was a camp with around 100 huts.

    The 'high' number, of 688, shows this was a late camp - opened, for PoWs, at the end of the war. It housed German PoWs who took over an existing British Army camp.

    It was still in existence in the 1950s, for Displaced Persons.

    Lat/Long: 50°38'15.02"N 2°13'8.25"W

    Camp 688 Lulworth Park Camp.jpg
     
  2. Pete Wood

    Pete Wood Member

    There has been some doubt, about whether Lulworth Park Camp was indeed the site of the PoW Camp.

    This is because the International Red Cross list, of German Camps in the UK, published in the 1960s, the address was listed as "Camp 688 - Lulworth Cove, West Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset." Lulworth Cove is 2 miles from Park Camp.

    The coordinates, given above, and the location in the map, were presented by the English Heritage Report in 2003. This report has been found to be flawed and inaccurate, in numerous cases.

    It will be interesting to see if forum members have an alternative site, for Camp 688.....
     
  3. Pete Wood

    Pete Wood Member

    This is the a photo of the alternative site, at Lulworth Cove. The photo was taken in 1946. Lat/Long 50°37'10.79"N 2°15'12.40"W

    688 oblique.jpg
     
  4. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    If I had to be in a prison camp Lulworth would seem to be not too bad a place. Many pleasant memories of camping near Lulworth Cove as a student in the 60s. Mind you these may be scrumpi flavoured which may not have been available to the POWs
     
    Shiny 9th likes this.
  5. Pete Wood

    Pete Wood Member

    A photo of Lulworth Park Camp, taken in 1953 when, from the military vehicles on display, it is clearly still a working military camp (in good condition). The Castle can just be seen at the bottom of the photo. 688 park camp.jpg
     
  6. Roy Martin

    Roy Martin Senior Member

    Many thanks Pete,
    I can confirm that the site was near the Cove, just to the left of the centre of your picture, behind the group of buildings and where there is a distinct white area (of chalk). During the last Christmas of the war some of the PoWs came round the village with presents for we kids; things they had made from scraps of wood and material - very welcome! They couldn't have been a high security risk, as they were so near the sea.
    Roy
     
  7. Martin Richards

    Martin Richards Well-Known Member

  8. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    The land in the area is nearly all owned by the Weld family. They open the castle to the public and are well known for hosting the Bestival events. They might have more knowledge. Or the Dorset History Centre in Dorchester may have more knowledge.
     
  9. Martin Richards

    Martin Richards Well-Known Member

    the Castle and its grounds are very interesting, I wwas there last year on a Sunday morning.
    On the Saturday the Castle had been used for a wedding and was full of flowers.
    The Castle was built as a "Hunting Lodge" and caught fire a long time ago and the buikding was gutted.
    The National Trust and Englisg Heritage instead or a repair and rebuild did some thing very different.
    A new roof was put on and the inside is empty....
    Image 2018 04 3466.jpg Image 2018 04 3450.jpg
     

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