Well I have just got the results and I have passed my Masters Degree in Photography. Thought the course I ran a project trying to locate and photograph the former PoW sites as they are today. I started the project as Banged Up Abroad, but my tutors had me change the name and to play the game i did. My work thus far is to be found on Repatriated Landscape I say thus far as although I have finished the MA I will be carrying on the project. To those on here that have helped me - THANK YOU Martin J Richards MA. BA(Hons). ARPS
Well done. Your noble efforts have begun the process of what I regard as an expansion of the Historic England project by Roger Thomas in 2003. Prisoner of War Camps (1939 - 1948) | Historic England That was a noble effort and has much useful material in it, but I suspect was time and budget bound. Thomas did well in the circumstances but it is up to we who follow to expand the range of references he used to fill in the blanks, and especially concerning hostels, or camps that became hostels. There are also the US and UK forces 'billets' as they termed them, or really POW hostels inside military bases in Britain. The POWs in them helped clean up after the war, demolish parts of them, maintain and work in kitchens. etc. RN FAA stations used them for scrapping planes. I have found camp lists in TNA HO 215/201, Prisoner of war camps in the UK: list of locations and copies of administrative instructions, this is good for accurate lists and changes in camp status1944-45. TNA FO 939/383 Progress Reports: Segregation 1945, is good for hostel formation and has dates. These also help you decided when camps went from Italian to mixed to German camps, Russian, Sudeten German and Volksliste ethnic German Poles. None of us seem to have visited this subject of the other prisoners we held as well as Germans. I hope to see someone I am aware of, begin to open the door ajar on this in due course. I commend Martin's work which has certainly offered me some new lines of inquiry and what is just as helpful, confirmation I was on the right track myself. Thank you. Edit. Spelling.
Yes both, I wish I had taken more photos at the time, I only have a selection and some of those are badly blurred from hurrying to avoid missing the train. That's the problem with photographing material when one is being selective for a small project. It's years later when you realise the gems you left behind in the mother lode.
That would be excellent Martin. I am unable to travel in the present circumstances. HO 215/201 is a big file but is not all camp lists. The first 100 pages or so (memory) seem to be the War office camp operations manual for running a POW camp. I think 1944 and 1945 camp lists are at the back of this file. It is, of course, possible its the other way round. It also contains amendment sheets dated 8 November 1944 which contain useful information on camp dates of significant changes. These may show the clear out of about 14 Italian working camps to house Germans in working camps, among other changes. I have yet to sort out the changes, but I know it happened. Braintree was one camp closed overnight and given to the Germans. The Italian rubbish bonfires were still burning when they arrived. FO 939/383 has up to 155 Progress Reports. I forgot to add that it also helpfully sometimes tells you which camps have closed. Here's a sample of some of my better photos so you can see what's inside . HO 215/201 below 1944 German Working camps, first page Edit. 11 Italian Camps changed to 14.
That is an impressive website.I looked to see if the camp on Peckham Rye Park in London, was listed. It was but no photo. I remember it as a girl. I think all the huts have been demolished now, but I think The Peckham Society know some details and may have photos. My grandfather used to go and talk to the Italians kept there during the war.
Thanks The Research Page has the Google Map with all the place I know of plus a document that lists them In a lot of cases the Main sites the area is known and in quite a lot of cases the actual locations are also known. However, whilst there where around 500 to 600 main sites there where several thousand smaller sub camps generally called Hostels in the official paper work. In may cases all I have is the town or village name.... Research