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German POW

Thanks for the link Ragga some interesting reading to be done:)Mossy
 
Ragga,
After getting past the adverts, I found the site you recommended, but I can't say that I was very impressed. I'm no expert on this subject, but having catalogued some of the archives of one of the German churches in London, I am aware that there were far more PoW camps in the UK than those listed, and they were given official numbers. For example Camp 11 was in Bridgend, 174 in Norton, 186 in Colchester, 661 in Eynsham Park, 693 in Durnells Farm, 1010 at Weedon North. I don't know where most of the others were, but they continued while a tussle went on between the Home Office which wanted to get rid of them, and the old Ministry of Food, which was desperate to keep them as long as possible to help with the harvest and other agricultural work. Most of the prisoners were released after the autumn of 1947, but many had nowhere to go , and settled here. I remember working with one in Brum in the late 1950s, after he had qualified as an architect.
The story of these prisoners' personal experiences is not very well covered or understood in this country.
Incidentally, a theological seminary was set up at Camp 174 Norton in 1946, and several of the prisoners were ordained. Some stayed in Britain, but most returned home.
Apart from my personal memory of a camp off College Road in Perry Barr, I know that there were several other camps in the Birmingham area, and that the altar built by the prisoners at 174 Norton later found its way to the old Meeting House off Albert Street, until the building was replaced in the 1980s. It is now in the German Church in Sydenham, London of which I have been a member for over 40 years.
There are some good references, which I could pass on to anyone interested.
Peter
 
What's going on? In a part of the site dedicated to the First World War we have a thread about Second World War POW's, and a posting about Handbags, is it me, or is there something wrong here.

Barrie.
 
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