RAF POW camps

**canberra** · 16-05-2010, 18:01

Did the RAF ever run any POW camps or was it an army responsibility?

**the_historian** · 17-05-2010, 21:08

Not actually too sure about this one; there were several camps next to airfields, and I know the War Office was responsible for all PoWs in British custody, so the guards may well have been airmen.
Usually they were Army personnel either recovering from wounds or not fully fit for frontline service, although a good mix of healthy men was used to keep the advantage with the guards and not the prisoners.
Be interesting to hear someone elses view though.

**canberra** · 18-05-2010, 17:27

I must admit I find it odd that there camps next to airfields, there was one in Tentsmuir forest next to Leuchars. Wonder if any of them were tempted to steal an aircraft like Franz von Wera?

**the_historian** · 18-05-2010, 21:29

Hi Canberra,
The Tentsmuir camp was actually Polish, as they fortified that stretch of coast in 1941.
In answer to the second part-yes! I've seen at least one account of Italians from Amisfield camp at Haddington breaking into East Fortune and attempting to steal an aircraft.
There must be others surely?

**Granite** · 19-05-2010, 21:43

A couple of German pow's escaped from the camp at Shap Fells Hotel in the lakes by hiding in a laundry basket and managed to get on a train to Carlisle. Posing as Dutch airmen they successfully stole a plane from Kingstown airfield which was a flying training school.
They ran short of fuel, landed & refuelled and took off again , hit bad weather & ran short of fuel again and crash landed near Great Yarmouth.. Still pretending to be Dutch airmen they were taken to Horsham, St Faith , but the game was up and they were arrested.

**PETERTHEEATER** · 11-06-2010, 10:43

This report has the location of all POW camps 1939 through 1948

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/p...-of-war-camps/

**cwbalmer** · 11-06-2010, 14:47

I am pretty sure RAF Condover in Shropshire had one...

**the_historian** · 05-07-2010, 01:03

Just on the subject of attempting to steal aircraft, in December '44 four Germans escaped from Camp #180, Marbury Hall, Northwich, close to the USAAF base at Warrington. They were actually found inside a B26 Marauder at the base by an MP.
The only reason they hadn't taken off was because there was one control they couldn't figure out!