POW Camp - Hillview, Crofts End, Sherington, Buckinghamshire, UK
Posted by: 
Dragontree
N 52° 06.557 W 000° 41.689
30U E 657855 N 5775699
This site was once home to the local Prisoner of War camp.
Waymark Code: WM6XWW
Location: Southern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/03/2009
Views: 7
Originally this area of the village was known as Calves End but now the name has changed along with the development of the site. Now a cul-de-sac of residences reside here.
In 1943 the POW camp was ordered to be built with the Newport Pagnell District Council to choose the exact location. The Middleweek family of Yew Tree Farm owned the land then.
The camp was built under the control of WAR-AG with the inmates working on the land and for local farmers. They were very low-risk prisoners as they were allowed out and mingled with the villagers. After their release several inmates stayed in the village having formed strong friendships.
The prisoners were paid a small wage and allowed to attend the cinema, village hall dances and other social activities. None of them tried to escape, understandably.
Italian men were housed here to begin with then in 1946 onwards German men too. The prison camp only had one strand of wire around the perimeter and the camp operated a monetary voucher system which worked like a ration book. Their clothing was supplied to make them obvious to all.
Staff Sergeant Wilf Rollinson was in charge and he married Phyllis Middleweek. He was demobbed from the army and became a WAR-AG executive.
The camp number is unknown at present but it came under the control of the Head Camp at Shalstone which was number 55.
This information is available thanks to the formidable research by the Sherington Historical Society, with all credit to them. visit link