List of World War II prisoner-of-war camps in the United Kingdom facts for kids
A Prisoner of War (POW) Camp was a special place where soldiers captured during a war were held. During World War II, many of these camps were set up across the United Kingdom. This article will tell you more about these camps and the prisoners who lived in them.
What Were POW Camps?
POW camps were like temporary homes for enemy soldiers who had been captured. They were not prisons in the usual sense, but places where captured soldiers were kept safe until the war ended. The rules for how prisoners should be treated were set by international agreements.
Who Were the Prisoners?
Most of the prisoners in these UK camps were German soldiers. The British kept a close eye on them and even tried to understand their beliefs. They sorted the German POWs into different groups:
- Grade A (white): These prisoners were thought to be against the Nazi party.
- Grade B (grey): Their feelings about the Nazis weren't as clear, so they were considered less reliable.
- Grade C (black): These prisoners likely supported the Nazis.
- Grade C+ (also Black): This group was believed to be very strong supporters of the Nazis.
Some camps were also called General Processing Camps (GPC). These were places where new prisoners were first brought and sorted before being sent to other camps.
Why So Many Camps?
During World War II, the names and numbers of the POW camps changed a lot. Sometimes, a camp would get a new number, or an old number would be used for a different camp. No one knows for sure why this happened. One idea is that it was done to confuse the enemy. If German spies or paratroopers tried to help prisoners escape, changing the camp details would make it harder for them to find the right place.
For example, there were several camps near Purfleet in Essex, all with different numbers:
- No. 286 Purfleet Camp, Beacon Hill, Purfleet, Essex
- No. 654 Purfleet Camp, No.4 Transit Camp, Beacon Hill, Purfleet, Essex
- No. 655 Purfleet Camp, No.1 Transit Camp, Beacon Hill, Purfleet, Essex
A Look at the Camps
The UK had many POW camps spread across the country. They were located in different counties, from Cumbria in the north to Cornwall in the southwest. Some camps were in big cities, while others were in quiet countryside areas. Each camp had a number and a name, and they were often near towns or villages.
Here are a few examples of these camps:
- No. 1 Grizedale Hall in Cumbria
- No. 2 Toft Hall in Cheshire
- No. 4 Windlestone Hall in County Durham
- No. 11a Trent Park Camp in London
- No. 21 Cultybraggan in Perthshire, Scotland
- No. 83 Eden Camp in North Yorkshire, which is now a museum!
- No. 93 Harperley in County Durham
- No. 198/11 Island Farm in Glamorgan, Wales
These camps played an important part in how the UK managed captured soldiers during the war. They show us a different side of wartime history.
