PoW camps on Old Dean Common & Cobham Common
As with many of the topics on this web site, this one has grown as more contributions some in. It is now clear that there were several WW2 Prisoner of War camps in the area.
The distinction between Bagshot Heath and Old Dean Common is unclear to
me. A military historian writes: "Old Dean Common was the site of an
instruction camp for the Free French Forces. There was also a WW2 Prisoner
of War Camp for captured Germans. This may have been on the site with the
French camp, replacing it once the training ended. Does anybody have any
recollection of either of their exact locations - does anything remain of
the camps - does anybody have any photos?" 7039.407
In later correspondence the correspondent identifies that the location
given by
English
Heritage for the site is map ref SU 884 617 - now housing - and
my conversations with locals confirms that relics of the camp were finally
razed in the building of the housing estate.
Gordon, now living in Australia, wites : As a young lad I lived in
the WW2 POW army camp about 1948 as sqatters for a few years with my parents
and grandparents . Does anybody else remember anything form this or may be
some photos? 7070.907
However the location Gordon describes is on the edge of Chobham Common
James Legge: There was a prisoner camp on the edge of Chobham Common . My parents lived there until the mid 1950's 7083/1207
I have been able to identify the location given by Gordon and James. It is the edge of Chobham Common, not Old Dean, and was presumably a different facility. Many years ago I used to drive along Chertsey Road to work and I recall that there were some concrete areas leading off the road, but becoming overgrown. I assumed that they were left over from old war-time activities and I did not investigate any further. Much more recently I set out to see if I could find any remains, given that there is now nothing visible from the road. I found places which were concrete roads covered by a few inches of accumulated leaf mould, and the remains of some footings, a water tank and a derelict inspection pit. Now all overgrown, mostly by silver birch trees. I assume that this was the site of the Chobham Common camp.
Of the Chobham Common site Frank writes "My Father was a POW at the camp in Chobham. It was sited off the Windlesham Road just across from the Convent of The Good Shepherd. According to my Dad the POWs used to pinch the Nuns' chickens and eat them in the camp." 8044.708
and Gerry adds "I remember a nissan hut the side of road opposite the entrance to Brick Hill. I had a school friend called Arthur who lived there with his mum. About 100yds towards the roundabout used to be a water tower which I did manage to part climb up as a lad probably 1954-1960" 8016.808
and from Ron Frost "About 1947/8 there was a look-out tower in the heathland opposite where the road from Valley End meets the Chertsey road. It was about 100/120 feet high. As children we would walk from Lightwater to the tower, climb it and throw parachutes or model aeroplanes from the top. Great fun.Maybe that is the concrete foundations someone has mentioned." 612.908
From Janice " When I was a small child, 3 yrs old perhaps and living in the London Road, Camberley (where Georgian Close is now) My mother would take me accross the road and up a hill covered with bracken and pine trees to a PoW camp, somewhere the Old Dean estate is. The PoW's would decorate the trees with silver paper. My mother would throw cigarettes over the high fence to them and in return they made me toys - a rocking horse and dolls pram, I still have the pram!" 8074.908
From Kirko: "As a child toys could be bought at the Widlesham school made by the PoW's at Chobham common. I believe that a lot of the prisoners were tank drivers and operators. Some eventualy married local girls." Aug09
Dave Dench has identified yet another camp, this one up the road from Bagshot near Ascot. "My grandad has lived in Bracknell since the last couple of years of WW2 after moving from Silvertown London, and remembers a PoEcamp at the site of what is now Kings Ride park nr Ascot on the A332. He also remembers the sargent in charge, a Sgt Laws, also known as 'Kitch'." Jun10
Shirley writes "I lived in the army nissan huts
after the war, opposite Brick Hill, off Windlesham Rd. and went to school
at Valley End. I found your website because I am now retired and writing
my life story. I remember the tower on the hill above the camp as we called
it, but I didn't realise it had been a POW camp. It was also on the edge
of Sunningdale golf course, because my mother and myself and brother and
sisters used to walk across the course to Sunningdale to go shopping and
visit family. I would be interested to hear from others who lived there in
late forties. We used to cross the road to go to a little shop in Brick Hill,
which was also a shortcut to Valley End School. Nov10
Please reply to Shirley via the message pad below
Trev writes "I was born in 1955 in one of these nissan huts at "Valley End camp" as it was known (I think it was number 4). My Parents were waiting to move to what was then one of the NEW council houses that were being built at Broadley Green, Windlesham. I also remember a water tower being there at the Camp until I think about mid to late sixties, it was up on an embankment opposite BrickHill, also like James, I too remember seeing concrete areas just off the road. These were along Chertsey Rd between Brick Hill and Windsor Rd at the juntion where the roundabout is now. And I too went to Valley End School." Feb11
Ian has written to tell us about some war-time aerial photographs that identify exactly where various of the PoW camps (and other war-time artifacts) were. Go to GetMapping.com and in the "buy data online" search box in the top right hand corner of the screen enter postcode GU15 4BT (for the Old Dean PoW camp) and click 'search'. You will get a close up modern aerial image. Click on the next-to-smallest scale maker and you get a road layout that you should be able to recognise (if you don't then compare this map from Streetmap.co.uk where the arrow marks the centre of the GetMapping image), and then click on the 1940-1947 tab to to see the war-time layout. Ian adds "If you toggle between the old and the new it is clear where the camp was in relation to todays housing. Now drag the map across towards Sunningdale and then down to Chobham common. You can just catch the top of the camp there, before it runs out of data. If you drag the map up to Ascot racecourse you can find a camp at the east end of the course. Its not on my list of POW Camps so may well be a hospital. Heatherwood hospital can be seen on its present site. Drag the map west along the railway line towards Bracknell and you can find the WINTER QUARTERS POW Camp. I know it was a circus winter camp but have no idea which came first." {Apr 11}
I managed to find a definitive record of the remains of the Chobham Common camp. Go to www.old-maps.co.uk and observe the two boxes into which to enter coordinates. Enter 495974 into the first and 164823 into the second and hit GO. You get a modern map. Scroll down through the list of maps offered on the right to "1961 Post-WWII Surrey 1:10500" and click on 'enlarge map'. Finally click on 'enhanced zoom' and then the + to zoom in to see what remained some 15 years after the end of the war. Alternatively see here
Helen writes: My Nan and Grandad (Ming and Ron Little) squatted in a PoW camp in Windlesham before moving into their first home in Windle Close. I am fascinated to hear more about life on the camp as my nan now has difficulty remembering. I am researching our family tree and more info on this part of her life would be great. [Aug 11]
Frank Scribe : My Dad was in a Panzer regiment and ended up at the Chobham camp by way of repatriation. He was on a train from Liverpool bound for Hull to be put on a ship home. The Russians started doing their thing and the train was diverted to Kempton race course. From there he went to the Chobham camp. Like lots of other POWs (there were Italians as well as Germans) they worked at Hillings along the Bagshot road. [Sep 11]
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