Prisoner of war camps in Notts


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This is neither here nor there, but there was a prisoner of war camp at Langar. Our first house was next to a farm there, and opposite the field where the camp had been [foundations still there] The farmer's wife said that the Italian prisoners were allowed to wander the village, and would come to her for fresh eggs. They'd crack them and gulp them down raw, on the doorstep, which she hated to watch and would tell them to go elsewhere to do that.

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Also told (by local residents old enough to remember) there was Italian POW camp at Colwick Woods, alot of italian live around that area. My Dad was working at the gun factory at meadows in the war and after and had a german POW labourer/helper, he used to come to our house, I vaguely recall him

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I was told that the premises that has long been where Podders scrap yard operate from near Dorket Head in Arnold was once a POW camp. Have no proof of this though.

Incidentally perhaps, there is a pillbox in a field the opposite side of the road near the junction with Lime Lane.

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Not Nottingham I know, but we had a German prisoner of war camp up the road from us at High Garrett in Braintree, one of the prisoners was captured as a member of the Hitler Youth serving with the SS at the defence of Normandy. He was captured by the American forces and shipped off to Braintree, as he was only a kid, he had a hard time of it, but I gather he was treated with a lot of respect and help from the guards. After the end of hostilities, his part of Germany was overrun by the Soviets and he wasn't allowed back, sad isn't it. As a consequence, he settled in Braintree, married an Englishwoman and has since lived a quiet life, good for him.

Unfortunately, planning permission has been given to convert the old POW camp into a crematorium, I went past there yesterday and the surviving camp buildings were being bulldozed into oblivion, what can you say, ashes to ashes perhaps.

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no doubt the crematorium like some others in the past being built by poles

Hmmmmm, no answer to that, ironic that it's on a site once occupied by members of the SS though, home from home.

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Re Hitler Youth and SS, I doubt said youth was forced to serve with SS though hitler youth membership was compulsary, It amazes me how the germans managed to conquer all those countries, post war I never heard of one who was a nazi or agree'd with hitler's ideas, (cept a few at nuremburg)

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Re Hitler Youth and SS, I doubt said youth was forced to serve with SS though hitler youth membership was compulsary, It amazes me how the germans managed to conquer all those countries, post war I never heard of one who was a nazi or agree'd with hitler's ideas, (cept a few at nuremburg)

That was Albert Speer, crafty bu99er, sorry, bogger, pleaded guilty and got off with his life, the fact that he was in charge of the slave group, 'Organisation Todt', and he was responsible for thousands of deaths, was apparently considered neither here nor there, as long as his Nuremburg testimony put the finger on Goering.

There were many branches of the SS, the Waffen SS just considered themselves as a fighting corps, though their brutality in the field summed them up, they were, amongst many other things, guilty of executing captured Sherwood Foresters in the field prior to Dunkirk.

There's an interesting story though. One German joined the Waffen SS as a confirmation of his allegiance to Hitler and the Reich and was wounded on the Eastern Front. Following his convalescence he was sent off to be a guard at a concentration camp. He was horrified and refused to have anything to do with it. He was court marshalled but put up the defence that he had signed up as a fighting soldier, not an accomplice to murdering civilians. He got away with it and was sent back to the Russian Front, he survived that as well.

Funny, I went off on a course to Bavaria, home of the Nazis, a couple of years ago, formed some good friendships, but would they talk about the war, no way. Even after a few steins down at the local bar, the most I got out of them was that ones grandfather had been on U Boats, he didn't want to talk about it, even when I pointed out that whatever side he'd been on he must have been a brave man to do that, no go, what guilt, it's ridiculous after all these years, it doesn't do anyone any favours to sweep it under the carpet, unless your'e descended from Himmler of course.

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Same when you meet an Iraqi nowadays, none of them agreed with Saddam!!!

How many do you meet on a day to day basis then, you silly sod, they line up down the road from me everyday trying to sell me an 8F.

Only joking old pal.

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There's actually a pair of them on our High street running a kebab shop !!

Thats alright then, when half of Winsford are poisoned by that rotting crap they may be sent back to use their kebab expertise in making explosives and blowing themselves up.

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I don't know of any one who 'admits' to going in there !! It's a wonder they have stayed in business all this time (2 years)

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  • 2 years later...

Now I've looked at that photo again, I'm even less certain where it is within Wollaton Park. At first I thought it was Wollaton Road running out of view along the left centre, and the Hall itself would be further up on the right (the road in the foreground leading up to the Hall). But In the distance towards the right side there seems to be a bridge of some sort, and that spoils my first idea of the location

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My dad told me that it was between the Lake and the Hall. He gestured with a big sweep of his arm pointing firstly to the bank in front of the hall, arcing to the left across the fenced bit of what is now Deer park, and down to the dyke at the bottom of the hill, (Mind you we're talking 40 years ago at least here!! but that seems to fit the photo.)

Maybe a few trees have gone since the picture was taken,

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The only huts I know of through the gates are or were used as changing rooms for football teams, don't know whether they'd be the ones your on about

Rog

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