POW Camp 115 was a
prisoner of war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in the locality of
White Cross near
St. Columb in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
. It was built next to the railway track and covered an area of approximately . The site was laid out in ranks of white concrete huts and was dominated by a tall Water tower. Around a thousand prisoners were held there. Originally these were Italians, but later most of them were moved out and it held German PoWs. One of the more notable German prisoners was
Herbert Klein, the future 1952 Olympic bronze medalist and four time world record holder in the breaststroke. During the time he was held prisoner, he trained in a mud pool next to the camp. Upon seeing posters plastered all around Cornwall regarding a swimming race, he petitioned his captors to enter. They finally allowed him to do so and he won his race by a substantial margin in the 1947 Cornwall Swimming Championships held in
Fowey
Fowey ( ; kw, Fowydh, meaning 'Beech Trees') is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local ch ...
Harbour.
The Italians built their own elaborately decorated church with an ornate altar, but the latter was later destroyed by the German PoWs. Besides the church, the inmates were allowed to level ground and construct a football pitch. The prisoners were organised into five teams and ran their own league. According to an Italian PoW, they were well treated and given the same food as the local people.
Current use
Today the site has been turned into a holiday park under the name 'Piran Meadows Resort & Spa'. A few of the huts remain, though the exteriors have been plastered and pebble dashed.
The water tower still stands and is used as a workshop. The church was demolished some time ago to make way for a new building. The football field, indistinguishable from the rest of the camp, provides a level pitch for caravans.
See also
*
List of topics related to Cornwall
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Cornwall:
Cornwall – ceremonial county and unitary authority area of England within the United Kingdom. Cornwall is a peninsula bordered to the north and west by ...
*
List of POW camps in Britain
This is an incomplete list of Prisoner of War (POW) Camps located in the United Kingdom during World War II.
German POWs in England were graded as follows: "Grade A (white) were considered anti-Nazi; Grade B (grey) had less clear feelings and we ...
References
Further reading
*''Cornwall at War 1939-1945'' by Peter Hancock Published in 2002 by Halsgrove. Hardback. Illustrated. .
*''
Cornish Guardian
The ''Cornish Guardian'' (founded 1901) is a weekly newspaper in Cornwall, England, UK, which is part of the Cornwall & Devon Media group. Its head office is in Truro and it is published in seven separate editions:
*Bodmin edition
*Lostwithiel and ...
'' July 17, 2003, page 40-41
* ''A Cornish Rhapsody: From a Penny Halfpenny an Hour to a Fortune''. By Rudi Mock. Mount's Bay Press, Cornwall. This is the true story of a German POW brought to England against his will, but decided to stay when given the opportunity
External links
The Wartime Memories Project - White Cross POW Camp 115
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