World War 1 Prison Camps In County Durham
While we quite rightly remember those who fought and gave their lives to defend our country during the First World War (my grandfather served as a Royal Naval Reserve and his brother lost his life), we have almost forgotten the 116,000 German troops who were imprisoned in this country. Across the UK, there were 563 POW camps, with research revealing four located in County Durham. A labour shortage due to conscription necessitated German POWs being put to work, and the Durham camps were situated in Weardale, a significant source of raw materials such as lead, iron, coal, lime and gannister. Shipley Moss. Situated just over a mile away from Harperley Camp 93, the well-known WW2 POW camp, a WW1 camp was established at Shipley Moss. Like Harperley and other POW camps, the prisoners originally lived in tents while they built the camp. Of the four Durham camps, Shipley Moss appears to be the only one to have standing archaeological remains. A brick-built circular enclosure with a circumf...