Delamere Camp near Northwich, Cheshire, England
....Submitted by: Alan
Newark
Delamere Camp was, in the 1940's first of all a British Army
establishment, then a US Army transit camp for D-Day invasion troops. In
post-war years the town council used it as temporary housing for homeless people.
These included relatives of serving Polish soldiers..possibly including families
of 1st Polish Armoured Division personnel, i.e. before the latter's en-masse
1947-48 repatriation to Poland from the British Zone of Occupied Germany.
From a Spanish language site about wartime DPs and slave labourers, compiled
by Julio LICHTING, an Argentinian who seems to have had Polish connections,
I managed to untangle a few gems... One was that in February 1947, Delamere
Camp came under the control of 2nd Corps and was run by a Captain Flowell (ex
- Indian Service soldier - administrator ?) and a Sergeant Major...I THINK
that the camp may also have housed Polish Displaced Persons (?)
Delamere Lodge (now Delamere House), with its 100-acre parkland, was built of Devon granite and became a symbol of the almost baronial power in the district of the Wilbrahams. During almost two centuries, the family owned and controlled thousands of acres of land and farms around Cuddington and neighbouring villages. They also employed a veritable army of staff and built numerous workers' cottages and farmhouses, most of which survive to this day. Delamere House survived until just before the Second World War when the last George Wilbraham built Delamere Manor nearby. Delamere Manor is now currently occupied by the famous pop musician, Gary Barlow.
The Foreign Dispatch
Centre
Rovingham Camp
Bury St. Edmunds
Suffolk
England - UK
This DPs / Refugees movements' centre was in operation as late as October 1948.
Fairford, Gloucestershire, England, 1953, Polish Camp, http://www.polishdiaspora.net/ by Bogusia Wojciechowska, PhD
Foxley Camp, UK http://www.polishdiaspora.net/
Ilford, Devon
Ilford
Park Polish Home photos submitted by Bogusia
For additional information:
veterans agency facts pdf
Veterans Agency
This camp was established in 1948 to house disabled or elderly Polish veterans who could not leave the Polish camps and find work in English towns. Some of the older people living in Fairford with us moved there, including my godfather. They built a new Ilford Park ten years ago - a beautiful facility, but have yet to demolish the old war-time buildings.
Polish honour for home's manager in Devon is being awarded Poland's Golden Insignia of the Order of Merit.
http://news.bbc.co.uk
Northwick Park, Glouchestershire Displaced person's complete story:
http://www.northwickparkpolishdpcamp.co.uk
Decline of the Camp story on: http://www.northwickparkpolishdpcamp.co.uk
Polish youth story on: http://www.northwickparkpolishdpcamp.co.uk
Penley Camp. UK http://www.polishdiaspora.net/