German POW's in Daventry area

[snowyw]

Does anyone know where the German POW camp was in the Daventry area of Northants/Warks border?

[JJen]

There was a POW camp at Byfield Camp, Boddington Road, Byfield, Daventry.

A couple of links that could be of interest to you -

http://www.islandfarm.fsnet.co.uk/LIST%20OF%20UK%20POW%20CAMPS1.htm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/nov/08/prisoner-of-war-camps-uk#data (click on get the data)

JJ

[snowyw]

That could be it.  Thanks.
Do you know if there are any records of the POW's held there?
I'm actually looking for a chap who remained here after release.

[JJen]

The Prisoner of War Information Bureau was set up by Britain at the start of the Second World War and held the records on individual POWs held in Britain. The Bureau closed after the last POWs were repatriated in 1948. The Bureau's records in 1960 were issued to the relevant national government. The International Red Cross Committee were also given a copy of the records

The link below explains in paragraph 7 about POW records -

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/pow-displaced-persons.htm

JJ

[fudi50]

I was an evacuee from 1940/44 in Daventry There was as best I recall no German POW however there were Italian and where I lived outside of town they would  have a camp fire and cook food, their pastime included making rings from perspec taking from downed aircraft they would give us kids these rings, very friendly folk.

[Malcolm33]

I was an evacuee from 1940/44 in Daventry There was as best I recall no German POW however there were Italian and where I lived outside of town they would  have a camp fire and cook food, their pastime included making rings from perspec taking from downed aircraft they would give us kids these rings, very friendly folk.

   Welcome to Rootschat, Fudi.      I do know that some camps changed, like the one near us between Rayners Lane and South Harrow.    It was all Italian at one stage, but towards the end of the war it became a Stalag and all German.    I shall always remember cycling from Barry to Ely near Caerdydd one day, with friends,  which must have been in 1945, when I got a puncture.    There was only an open field to the right hand side of the road, and all we could see to the left were a small forest of trees.   But we were spotted and before I had my bike resting on handlebars and saddle a number of men came running through the woods and surrounded us.   They were Italian prisoners and in no time took over and fixed the puncture for me.

     However they were not so nice to my Uncle Dick and his fellow prisoners.   Uncle Dick was in the DLI in North Africa when taken prisoner by Germans but as it was considered by them to be Italian ground he was handed over to the Italians and taken to Italy.   They were badly treated with one soldier having his wedding ring knocked out of his mouth where he was hiding it by an Italian guard.    Some time later Uncle Dick escaped with a small group, but were taken prisoner again by Germans when almost into Switzerland.    He always said how much better they were treated by the Germans.    It was a long time before the family found out that he was in Germany.   I was in Consett at the time when Aunt Mary was worried sick because his letters had stopped for many months.

[seahall]

Hi All.

snowyw there is a person also looking for a german prisoner of war it seems.

It states that he was at the camp Byfield and a German P.O.W.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/017af/ 

Sandy

[snowyw]

Thanks Sandy.
I'm pretty sure that's the place!.