- 263 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
The "fascinating" story of a First World War prisoner of war camp which held captured German personnel in the very heart of the English countryside (
Books Monthly).
Richard Pursehouse first became aware of the existence of a camp while walking over Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, finding sewer covers in what appeared to be uninhabited heathland. Intrigued, the author set out to investigate the mystery and discovered that the sewers were for two Army campsāBrocton and Rugeleyāthat had been constructed for soldiers training during the First World War. What he also found, however, was that the Brocton Camp site also included a segregated autonomous prisoner of war camp.
With the aid of an old postcard, Richard was able to identify the exact location and layout of the long-lost camp. His research continued until he had accumulated an enormous amount of detail about the camp and life for its prisoners. He found a file by the Camp Commandant, Swiss Legation correspondence, stories in newspapers, letters and diaries, and received photographs from interested individuals. Amongst his finds was a box holding scores of fascinating letters sent home by an administration clerk while he was working at the camp.
During his investigations, Richard also learned of attempted murders and escapes (including the only escapee to make it back to Germany), deaths, theftsāand a fatal scandal. The letters, documents and diaries reveal how the prisoners coped with incarceration, as well as their treatment, both in terms of camp conditions and their medical needs.
The result is a unique insight into what life was like inside a British Prisoner of War camp during the First World War.
Richard Pursehouse first became aware of the existence of a camp while walking over Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, finding sewer covers in what appeared to be uninhabited heathland. Intrigued, the author set out to investigate the mystery and discovered that the sewers were for two Army campsāBrocton and Rugeleyāthat had been constructed for soldiers training during the First World War. What he also found, however, was that the Brocton Camp site also included a segregated autonomous prisoner of war camp.
With the aid of an old postcard, Richard was able to identify the exact location and layout of the long-lost camp. His research continued until he had accumulated an enormous amount of detail about the camp and life for its prisoners. He found a file by the Camp Commandant, Swiss Legation correspondence, stories in newspapers, letters and diaries, and received photographs from interested individuals. Amongst his finds was a box holding scores of fascinating letters sent home by an administration clerk while he was working at the camp.
During his investigations, Richard also learned of attempted murders and escapes (including the only escapee to make it back to Germany), deaths, theftsāand a fatal scandal. The letters, documents and diaries reveal how the prisoners coped with incarceration, as well as their treatment, both in terms of camp conditions and their medical needs.
The result is a unique insight into what life was like inside a British Prisoner of War camp during the First World War.
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Yes, you can access Prisoners on Cannock Chase by Richard Pursehouse in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & British History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Introduction
- Maps
- Chapter 1 Background ā Treatment of Prisoners
- Chapter 2 Brocton Prisoner of War Camp
- Chapter 3 The Prisoners and the Guards
- Chapter 4 The Commandant
- Chapter 5 Keeping the Prisoners Busy
- Chapter 6 The Interpreters
- Chapter 7 The Nearby New Zealanders
- Chapter 8 The International Red Cross, the Swiss Legation and Complaints
- Chapter 9 Prisonersā Views on the War
- Chapter 10 Repatriation Boards
- Chapter 11 Discipline in the Camp
- Chapter 12 Maintaining Order, Attempted Escapes and Shootings
- Chapter 13 Food
- Chapter 14 Work Parties
- Chapter 15 Brocton Prisoner of War Hospital
- Chapter 16 The Hospital Structure
- Chapter 17 āBarbed Wire Diseaseā
- Chapter 18 The Influenza Outbreaks in 1918
- Chapter 19 Further Swiss Legation Visits
- Chapter 20 The Armistice is Signed: the Prisoners Prepare to Return Home
- Chapter 21 The End in Sight
- Chapter 22 Brocton Prisoner of War Camp Closes
- Chapter 23 Suggested Uses of Brocton Camp after the War
- Chapter 24 Brocton Prisoner of War Camp Today
- Endnotes