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| Tuesday, July 25, 2006 | | UK POW Camps in WW2 by Gordon Wilkie
By Steve White @ 9:09 PM :: 17682 Views :: 48 Comments ::  :: Military Archaeology |  | | Article Pages: | List of POW Camps - Scotland
ABERDEENSHIRE
| No | Name | Location | | 75 | Northern Hill Camp | Laurencekirk | | 76 | Northern Hill Camp | Laurencekirk | | 110 | Stuartfield | Mintlaw | | 111 | Deer Park Farm | Monymusk |
ANGUS
| No | Name | Location | | 66 | Dundee | ------ | | 275 | Friockheim | ------ |
ARGYLL & BUTE
| No | Name | Location | | 6 | Glenbranter Camp | ------ | | 24 | Knapdale | Lochgilphead | | 230 | Stuckenduff Camp | Shandon, Helensburgh | | 582 | Blairvadoch Camp | Rhu |
BORDER
| No | Name | Location | | 120 | Sunnylaws Camp | Kelso | | 236 | Ninewells Camp | Chirnside, Duns |
CITY OF EDINBURGH
| No | Name | Location | | 12 | Donaldson’s School | W. Coates | | 15 | Donaldson’s School | W. Coates | | 105 | Colinton Camp (GPC) | Colinton |
DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY
| No | Name | Location | | 68 | Halmuir Camp | Lockerbie | | 113 | Holm Park Camp | Newton Stewart | | 182 | Barony Camp | ------ | | 293 | Carronbridge Camp | Thornhill | | 298 | Barony Camp | ------ | | 571 | Leffnoll Camp | Cairnryan | | 612 | Honduras Camp | Kirkpatrick Flemming | | 617 | Dryffeholme Camp | Lockerbie | | 640 | St. Andrews' Hall, St. Mary's Isle | Kirkcudbright | | 661 | Stranraer | ------ |
EAST AYRSHIRE
| No | Name | Location | | 22 | Pennylands Camp | Cumnock | | 113 | Kingendench Camp | Mauchline |
EAST LOTHIAN
| No | Name | Location | | 16 | Gosford Camps | Aberlady, Longniddry(i) | | 243 | Amisfield Camp | Haddington |
EAST RENFREWSHIRE
| No | Name | Location | | 16 | Patterton Camp | Thornliebank |
FALKIRK
| No | Name | Location | | 64 | Castlerankine | Denny(ii) |
FIFE
| No | Name | Location | | 77 | Ansmuir Camp | Ladybank |
HIGHLAND
| No | Name | Location | | 109 | Brahan Castle | Dingwall | | 165 | Watten | Wick | | 641 | Earls' Cross Camp | Dornoch |
MIDLOTHIAN
| No | Name | Location | | 2 | WoodhouseLee Camp | Milton Bridge | | 1013 | Dalkeith (PC) | ------ | | 1024 | Deer Park Camp | Dalkeith |
MORAY
| No | Name | Location | | 67 | Sandyhillock Camp | Craigellachie |
ORKNEY
| No | Name | Location | | 165 | Kirkwall(iii) | ------ |
PERTH & KINROSS
| No | Name | Location | | 3 | Balhearty Estate | Alyth | | 21 | Comrie(iv) | ------ | | 63 | Balhearty Estate | Alyth | | 66 | Calvine | Blair Atholl | | 242 | Cowden Camp | Comrie | | 274 | Errol Airfield | ------ |
RENFREWSHIRE
| No | Name | Location | | 188 | Johnstone Castle | Johnstone |
SOUTH AYRSHIRE
| No | Name | Location | | 14 | Bun Camp | Doonfoot | | 112 | Doonfoot | ------ |
SOUTH LANARKSHIRE
| No | Name | Location | | 19 | Happenden Camp | Douglas | | 62 | The Moor Camp | Thankerton | | CHC | Hampden Park Stadium | Mount Florida, Glasgow |
STIRLINGSHIRE
| No | Name | Location | | 559 | Abbeycraig Park | Causewayhead |
WEST LOTHIAN
| No | Name | Location | | 123 | Dalmahoy Camp | Kirknewton |
KEY
PC- Processing Camp
GPC- General Processing Camp
MH-Main Holding Camp
GH-General Holding Camp
CHC- Command Holding Cage
iSome derelict huts may still exist.
iiOne concrete ablutions hut remains at NS79186 81914
iiiA single hut, converted into a chapel and decorated by Italian prisoners, survives.
ivAlso known as Cowden Camp, this site survives as Cultybraggan Training Camp at NN7680 1980.
vHut No. 9 survives as a visitor attraction.
viNone of these camps were established until after the islands were liberated by the British Army in May 1945.
viiPartly survives as a visitor attraction.
viiiSurvives completely intact as a major visitor attraction.
ixExact location uncertain.
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| Comments |  By
richard griffiths @
Tuesday, October 17, 2006 6:18 PM  | |
Nice collection of information - I have a card from an italian POW with camp no 85 on it dated 1944 - any ideas ?
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By
Gordon Wilkie @
Tuesday, October 17, 2006 11:55 PM  |
Richard,
Thanks-glad you liked the article.
From what I can find, your card is from #85 Victoria Camp, Brandon Hall, Mildenhall. It's demolished now, but its site can still be seen at TL73087665.
It was classed as a standard type German working camp, having been previously used for Italians until the 1943 Armistice. Prisoner accommodation was of standard Ministry of War Production huts of pre-cast concrete panels, 18' 6" wide and 65' in length.
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| By
Rob Whitfield @
Wednesday, December 27, 2006 4:43 PM |
Gordon - You seem to know your way around the archive system, I wonder if you could possibly point me in the right direction.
I am trying to trace an Italian POW from a camp in Widnes. Would there be any records of the movement of POW's? Regards Rob
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Friday, December 29, 2006 9:30 PM |
Rob,
Sorry about the delay, I've been away.
Probably the best place to start is at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RDLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=7 . That isn't the end of the story, but it should give you plenty of leads.
You can also try looking for records of the County War Agricultural Committees if you know roughly where your man was, or the records of the Ministry of Labour; although POWs weren't allowed to do "war work", that changed after the Armistice in 1943. Many also joined the British armed forces.
The government tried to bring Italian workers here postwar to replace those former prisoners being repatriated, but many men decided to stay. I don't know much about those particular records though.
As a last resort, you could always contact the Red Cross at www.icrc.org, and see what they can suggest.
Cheers, Gordon
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| By
sylvia kendrick @
Friday, September 14, 2007 5:05 PM |
Rob or Gordon, Trying to find information about an Army/Marines camp in Faringdon, Berkshire circa 1944. The camp was called Buttsclose camp, but I have received a message that it was also a POW camp. I have looked at your list for Berkshire and Oxfordshire as Faringdon is now part of Oxon. but it is not mentioned.
I am trying to establish which Regiment was based at the camp to track down a great uncle who was there in 1944.
regards, SylviaK
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Wednesday, December 19, 2007 1:19 AM |
Sylvia,
Apologies for not seeing this sooner. I'll see what I can turn up, but i might be worthwhile for you to look at the NA website (www.nas.gov.uk) and find a researcher to do a bit of delving for you. What you want to check are the weekly/monthly Returns on the Strength of the British Army 1939-47.
The early war years are kinda messy, but by 1944 there were so many troops in Britain that these returns were published under each individual regiment and show their dispositions worldwide.
You could also try reaching the Defence of Britain Project database through the main webpage.
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| By
sarah kennell @
Sunday, March 23, 2008 7:58 PM |
Hi, I'm trying to find out information on the Proteus Training Camp in Budby and it's uses during world war 2. My late Grandma always talked of my Grandad working there as a storeman in WW2, while it was used as a training camp, although i have heard from some people that it was a POW camp. Can anyone shed any light on this?
Thanks
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| By
Euplio Mastrangelo @
Saturday, April 12, 2008 12:00 AM | |
Hello Gordon. This site was sent to me by a friend who has been helping me find info about my father's pow days. According to info from the red cross he was in camp 90 and camp 701 in the UK. I note that the camp numbers were sometimes changed. I did not see either of these camp numbers on the page I viewed. Can you comment. Thanks. Armando
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Monday, April 14, 2008 4:13 PM |
Sarah,
I can't find much info on Budby at all. It may have been briefly used to hold prisoners 1945-47.
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Monday, April 14, 2008 4:37 PM |
Hi Euplio.
Camp 90 at Friday Bridge is on both the list and the map, so you may just have overlooked it. It is now an agricultural hostel-
www.calor.co.uk/about-calor/press-room/calor-caters-for-camp-international-flavour.htm
As for Camp #701, it seems to have disappeared! I'm in the proces of updating the list as and when I get the time, so it will re-appear soon.
Please keep checking, and let me know how your search goes.
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| By
Euplio Mastrangelo @
Thursday, April 17, 2008 12:23 AM | |
Thanks Gordon. I did overlook camp 90 on your list, but I had found it elsewhere and knew it was at Friday Bridge. I will keep checking your site.
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| By
Thomas Pecorino @
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 3:23 AM | |
Hello. I am looking for some help in tracking downinformation about a former German P.O.W, who after the war kept correspondance with my grandfather(a U.S. Army Guard) while he was still in the camp. I have his camp number (259 Weekley Kettering) and his name. and the date he was there. He was first in an American camp then shipped to England. I have no idea where to begin looking. Can someone point me in the right direction please...thanks so much for any help.
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 3:29 PM |
Hi Thomas,
That's quite a task. As you probably know all PoWs were repatriated by 1948, but not all chose to go home. You could try writing to the local newspapers in Northants asking for information-
www2.northantsnews.com/splashpage/
If that doesn't work, this leaflet from the National Archives in London might give you a few pointers-
www.nationlarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=7
There are two WW2 forums you could try posting in too; someone might just know something-
www.ww2f.com
www.ww2talk.com
Let me know how you get on.
Regards,
Gordon
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 3:31 PM |
Sorry, typo-
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=7
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| By
LOUISE MILLER @
Friday, May 09, 2008 6:58 PM |
Hello Gordon: I wonder if you might be able to help with a "missing persons" query. A woman in Poland is trying to find out what happened to her father. The family lost contact with him in 1947. His last known address was "Kiltarlity, Teznaeab Camp, by Beauly, Inverness". Do you have a record of any such camp, and any suggestions about how best to help her?
Thanks,
Louise
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Saturday, May 10, 2008 2:11 AM |
Hi Louise,
It's not a subject I know much about myself, unfortunately, but leave it with me and I'll see what I can find.
The National Archives has a guide to the PRC- www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/familyhistory/guide/migrantancestors/polish.htm
There is also a website run by people whose parents were Polish DPs (Dislaced Persons)-
www.northwickparkpolishpdcamp.co.uk. They might be able to help further.
As I say, leave it with me and I'll post any info I can find here.
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By
ada pluda @
Thursday, June 12, 2008 9:00 AM  |
Hi Gordon,
I hope you, or any body else, can help me to find a description or photos of camp 48 Greenfield farm, Presteigne, where my late father was held from beginning of 1943 to May 1946. I remember my father telling us that they were taken to a forest(?) to cut trees. Was that a real farm? Or just a name for such place? I would be very grateful for any info.
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Thursday, June 12, 2008 10:55 AM |
Hi Ada,
According to the Welsh National Monuments Record camp #48 was built in 1943 on land belonging to Capt Lewis RN of Clatterbrune House, Presteigne. It may have been a farm originally, but the camp has been demolished and the site is now a football ground, the home of Presteigne St. Andrews FC. (Llanandas Park, Llanandas being the Welsh name for Presteigne).
The town is surrounded by woods and forests, so your father could have literally worked anywhere in the area. You could try contacting Presteigne Tourist information office at info@judgeslodging.org.uk, they may be able to help with photos and more information.
Hope this helps.
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| By
ada pluda @
Friday, June 13, 2008 7:14 PM |
Hi Gordon,
Thank you very much. It did help! I will get in touch with the tourist office and see if they know more. My father was held before in camp #8 (from January to April 1943) but there are two camps with that number. Do you have any idea? Just a transit camp?
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Friday, June 13, 2008 11:29 PM |
Hi Ada,
Camp #8 at Mile House, Oswestry was a base camp, or glorified transit camp, meaning they supplied working camps and hostels. The other camp #8 at Shifnal was a working camp. This is closer to Presteigne, but I would put my money on your father being in Oswestry first.
You mght get more info from the Oswestry Tourist Ofice at Mile End, Oswestry, Shropshire SY11 4J.
Please let me know how your research goes.
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Friday, June 13, 2008 11:30 PM | |
Sorry, the full postcode is SY11 4JA.
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| By
ada pluda @
Saturday, June 14, 2008 3:03 PM |
Hi Gordon, thanks a lot for your help. It's just like a jigsaw where you have to find missing pieces....I'll let you know how it goes on.
Don't know if this is the right section but on what concerns Italian pows I would suggest to all those trying to find the camp(s) where their relatives were kept to have a look at http://www.icrc.org/eng/contact-archives
This was how I found all my father's records
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| By
Virginia Kuzmicki @
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 3:14 PM |
To Louise Miller re Polish Camp in Kiltarlity.
I am originally from Kiltarlity and my father Adam Kuzmicki was a Polish DP.
Please let me know how I can help as I may be able to investigate locally.
Virginia Kuzmicki
virginia.kuzmicki@dial.pipex.com
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| By
Virginia Kuzmicki @
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 3:17 PM |
Gordon, you may not have noticed you have a type in your url for the dp camp.
www.northwickparkpolishdpcamp.co.uk
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 6:14 PM |
Thanks Virginia,
I completely missed that typo! Thanks for offering extra sources as well.
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| By
freskin dundemore @
Saturday, September 20, 2008 3:44 PM | |
quite new to this site.Trying to find whether in fact the army camp that 16th Durham Light inf. set up in 1940 in the grounds of Morton Hall , Midlothian was ever used as a POW camp. Many of the concrete hut-bases are still there, although many have been built over. the Klondyke garden centre is built over part of the field, and the access road to Mortonhall Camping and caravan site cuts through part of it. It's only about 5 miles from \edinburgh City centre. Any ideas, anyone,please?
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Monday, September 22, 2008 2:40 AM |
Freskin,
It was indeed a PoW camp, probably after D-Day. Immediately after the war it was also used as a Displaced persons camp.
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Thursday, October 02, 2008 7:03 PM |
To Louise Miller-
I have now had information telling me that Kiltarlity camp was originally used by the Canadian Forestry Corps, then passed to the Polish Resettlement Corps postwar.
It was known as "Paterson's Camp" as it became a sawmill run a Polish gentleman who took his wife's surname. The ruins of the camp still exist.
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| By
George Verhaere @
Saturday, October 04, 2008 12:57 PM | |
I am seeking information regarding my uncle Johannes Willemen, a Dutch Merchant Navy Officer, who acted as an intepreter for the British Prisoner of War Camps at either Thames Ditton or Weston Acres Camp Bandstead, 1943. Mainly used in New Malden Surrey.
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By
Sasha Jones @
Sunday, October 12, 2008 8:34 PM  |
Re: ada pluda
Did you have any luck finding info on Greenfield Farm?
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| By
Daniel Johnson @
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 3:37 PM |
Hi there, I'm wondering if anyone can help me?
I am trying to find any information about a POW camp that was in Creech Wood, Denmead, Hampshire after D-Day. This is near where I live and the remains are still there, yet this camp isn't mentioned on any records that I have found. The only mention of the camp is this from Wikipedia:
"In the run up to D-Day many American and Canadian troops, including U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, camped under the cover of local forests. Nearby Creech Wood also housed a prisoner of war camp, some remains of which can still be found in the undergrowth"
Can anyone help?
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| By
Simon H @
Thursday, October 23, 2008 4:31 PM | |
There were many small camps that aren't listed. I know of two within 5 miles of my front door, one was former site of searchlight battery - then housed Italian PW, the other was a former barracks site taken over to house German PW.
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Thursday, October 23, 2008 5:05 PM |
Simon,
It's a problem I keep coming across myself. If you have a list of camps, send them to me at the_historian@talk21.com, and I'll update the list when I get the chance.
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| By
George Verhaere @
Sunday, October 26, 2008 1:15 PM | |
Gordon, did you get my question regarding Johan Willemen who was an Interpreter in a POW Camp?? I have not seen any reply on your site............George Verhaere
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Sunday, October 26, 2008 3:45 PM |
George,
I've been delving as much as I can, but I can't seem to turn up anything on this particular man.
You might be better reading the guide to PoW records on this site and trying to obtain the camp diaries of the places he was employed. You might have more luck there.
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| By
John Billingham @
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 6:38 PM |
Hi just a quick note for your records. Under Herefordshire POW camps you have Royston Heath Listed this is in fact in Hertfordshire not Herefordshire.
Also the location of the Ledbury POW camp in under the John Masefield School.
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 10:40 PM | |
Thanks for that, John! I'll try and sort the records out when I get the chance.
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Monday, November 17, 2008 2:29 PM
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| By
anna wood @
Friday, December 26, 2008 4:44 AM |
Hello Gordon,just trying to pick your brain,my dad was a German POW,do you have any idea of where I might obtain a list of POW`s names,who were held in Leeds?,
My mum met him in Leeds winter 46/47 digging out the ice from pavements,there were two POW camps in Leeds area,Post Hill,Farnly,I know that area, and Butcher Hill which I have no idea what area of Leeds it was in? unless you can help me with area,my mum and her sister both went out with the POW`s,and they lived in the Bramley area of Leeds,can you please offer me any clues?
Thank you so much
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Friday, December 26, 2008 2:19 PM |
Hi Anna,
Your best bet would be to search the National Archives for the County War Agricultural Executive Committee files for Yorkshire.
These would contain details of requests for PoW labour from farmers in the various Ridings, the CWAEC replies & bills, and hopefully details of each individual prisoner sent.
If you can't actually manage to Kew, their site provides links to reputable researchers who will be able to obtain the files for you at reasonable cost.
Let me know how you get on.
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| By
darren minshall @
Sunday, December 28, 2008 9:28 PM | |
does any one have pics or a plan of Flaxley Green pow camp in rugeley? theres a big field there, but often wondered its precise location and set up ect?
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| By
anna wood @
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 5:17 AM | |
Hello Gordon, anna here thank you so much for the advice about Kew,I am planning a trip up there as its only 30 mins by train and I have my discount rail and free bus pass ,I am an OAP and computer illiterate lol,so if I cant find anything I will take your advice and get someone a researcher who knows what they are doing,but thanks for your much appreciated help ,I will let you know if I have any success,thank you
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| By
Amy Murphy @
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 3:22 PM |
Hi Gordon,
I am new to this site, so hope you won't mind me mailing you and asking for any assistance you can offer me.
My father was a German POW during WW2 and was held in 3 camps in the UK (Horncastle in Lincolshire, Scriven Hall, Knaresborough (in the West Riding of Yorkshire), and Ripon in Yorkshire) between 1946 - 1948 when he was released.
I am trying to obtain a list of the POWs held in these camps, to enable me 1) to confirm that my Dad was held there and 2) to identify which of the German Armed Forces he served with.
My Dad passed away in April of this year, and I knew almost nothing of his military service, and what I have discovered since his death, has been through many hours of research, but I now seem to have reached a wall - any info you can help me with would be great and I would be most grateful.
Thanks in advance G
Amy
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Thursday, January 01, 2009 2:21 PM |
Hi Amy,
Can't do much more than reiterate my advice about the CWAEC records for Yorkshire, I'm afraid, although you could also try the local archives service.
You could also try contacting the Deutche Dienstelle (WASt), Postfache 51-06-7, D-13400, Berlin. They might have information on your father's service records.
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| By
Mike Melnyk @
Friday, January 02, 2009 9:26 AM |
Good Morning Gordon,
regarding the site of the POW camp at Mousehold Heath. The map you have is incorrect.
The actual site of the camp backed onto what is now HM Prison Know Road, Norwich.
The original army camp was built here and used to house prisoners in the late 1940'2 including Ukrainians from the 14 Galician Division of the Waffen-SS. As the prison expanded, the outlying existing builds - just outside the prison fence were used by the prison and the local city authority as storage facilities - for example I recall seeing props for the prison xmas production stored there. As a child I used to visit the site with my friends and collect spent bullet casings from the firing range (part of which still exisits). Over the years all by two of the buildings have been demolished. These 2 remaining buildings are visible on the sat pic about a mile away from the suggested site, at the end of Mons Avenue. Information about the site seems to be hard to come by - possibly because it is so close to the HMP site.
best wishes
Mike Melnyk
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Friday, January 02, 2009 7:18 PM |
Thanks for that, Mike.
A lot of the original data was taken from the English Heritage PoW Camps 1939-48 Project, which didn't pretend to be completely comprehensive, so I'm always grateful for people pointing out errors in our lists.
I'm primarily concerned with locating all camps in Scotland, so I'm still way behind in both listing Welsh camps in greater detail, and updating the existing English and NI lists.
At some unspecified point in the future, I also want to do more research on PoW employment.....but that's at the bottom of a VERY long list!
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| By
Adam Talmey @
Monday, January 05, 2009 4:36 PM |
Gordon
I have seen two large concrete blocks (they look as if they indicated a gateway into a field across a small ditch), one has been written in when made.
POW camp 262 1947
After a number of years of walking the dog past this, I have, at last done somthing about it.
I have looked on your listing and this would indicate Langar Barnstone camp 262 I guess.
The thing is these blocks are situated in farmland in Eastwood Nottinghamshire, approx 25miles away from Barnstaone.
Can you shed any light?
I will photograph should you wish for your records
Your work has been very helpful
Kind Regards
Adam Talmey
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| By
Gordon Wilkie @
Monday, January 05, 2009 9:38 PM |
Adam,
I would certainly be interested in photos of the blocks, and in particular the inscriptions.
I can only guess that someone decided to liberate the blocks, either for sentimental reasons or just spur of the moment because they "might come in handy"!
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