New London Olympic site was once a POW camp for Germans
June 20th, 2010 - 7:00 pm ICT by ANILondon, June 20 (ANI): Britain’s new Olympic site was once a prisoner of war camp for captured Germans including members of the SS and Nazi U-Boat crews.
A Sunday Express report revealed that hundreds of German PoWs were held at the east London site during and after the Second World War.
It quotes National Archive documents as saying that they were detained in huts in Carpenters Road, Stratford, just a few hundred yards from where competitors will bed down in the Athletes’ Village in two years’ time.
It was known as Camp 30 and was operational until 1948, when most German prisoners were deemed safe to return home.
The file details a series of inspection reports carried out by Foreign Office officials from 1945-48.
The inspectors had been ordered to assess the mood, morale and the “re-education” of the Nazi captives before deciding whether they could be repatriated back to their homeland.
The documents show that despite being held in the heart of the Blitz-ravaged East End, the prisoners were warmly welcomed by local civilians.
Their orchestra was invited to play in nearby Leyton public gardens, they played football against local club sides and were welcomed at council meetings in nearby Chingford.
During December 1947, many were even drafted in to work at local post offices to help with the Christmas rush.
The camp was one of more than 600 in Britain. (ANI)
- Ex-Nazi camp guard, 90, found living in Britain - Jun 12, 2011
- '18 Pakistani PoWs still awaiting release after 39 years' - Dec 16, 2010
- Nazi bomb under Britain's Olympic stadium? - Oct 10, 2010
- Book uncovers secret surrender of 33 Nazi U-Boats in sea loch - Mar 21, 2010
- Book reveals how German POW escaped from UK to Germany during First World War - Feb 11, 2011
- Nazi camp atrocities on display in Shanghai - Apr 19, 2012
- Poles outraged over demand for Nazi memorial at UK soldiers' gravesite - Apr 20, 2011
- Nazi medical tools to be auctioned - Feb 08, 2012
- 'Even German civilians took part in killing concentration camp survivors' - Jan 18, 2011
- Remains of Hitler's deputy to be destroyed - Jul 21, 2011
- Amorous Brit officer sent coded 'love letters' from Colditz - Oct 24, 2010
- Hitler 'planned world's largest holiday resort inspired by Butlins' - Apr 28, 2011
- Nazi surgical set withdrawn from auction - Feb 11, 2012
- Nazi U-boats landed eight saboteurs on US coast in 1942 in 'Hitler's 9/11' plot - Sep 10, 2010
- Indian spy who was Zardari's jail mate wants to meet him - Apr 08, 2012
Tags: archive documents, athletes village, boat crews, chingford, christmas rush, council meetings, east london, german pows, german prisoners, local club, local post offices, national archive, new london, office officials, pow camp, prisoner of war camp, public gardens, second world war, sunday express, u boat