Island Farm - POW Camp - Bridgend, Wales. Great Britain.
N 51° 29.676 W 003° 35.125
30U E 459359 N 5704991
Island Farm - A WWII POW camp - Today just one hut remains, as a protected listed building 'Hut 9' where the largest escape from a POW camp in GB occurred. The camp was demolished, now a housing estate stands on the site, in Bridgend, South Wales.
Waymark Code: WMJ6DC
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/01/2013
Views: 3
All that remains of Island Farm Prisoner of War Camp , is a 200 feet long hut (Known as HUT 9) surrounded by a high fence. Towards the end of the War the camp was designated special camp XI and over a 150 Generals, Admirals, and Field Marshalls were held there.
"Situated in a small market town in South Wales, Island Farm Prisoner of War camp had three roles during and after the second world war. Along with two other sites in Bridgend, one in Pencoed and one in Bryntirion, Island Farm off Merthyr Mawr Road was built to house the female workforce from the huge Ordnance factory in Bridgend, as a temporary home for American G.I.s waiting to help liberate the European mainland from occupation, and as a home for 1000's of German prisoners of war, both during the last months of the second world war, and as a home for the highest ranking officers in the German army." Text Source: (
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
"Island Farm was designated as Camp 198 and was to hold almost 2,000 prisoners. The first POWs were a mixed bag of Italian and German troops, but the War Office soon decided that the camp was too comfortable for enlisted men and that German officers should be held there. The first officer prisoners arrived in November 1944.
The POWs soon turned their efforts to escape. Two tunnels were dug in the camp, but the first was discovered in January 1945. The second tunnel escaped detection and on the night of 11 March 1945, 67, 70, or 84 prisoners escaped. All were recaptured; some were found within a few miles of the camp. Others travelled much further, to places like Birmingham and Southampton, over 150 miles (240 km) away.
Only three weeks after the escape, on 31 March 1945, the authorities suddenly transferred all 1,600 officers out of Island Farm Camp. It was then designated Special Camp Eleven and was prepared to receive senior German officers, many of whom had been captured in France and were awaiting trial at Nuremberg. In all there were 160 officers holding the rank of general, admiral, or field marshal, including a number of Hitler's closest advisers:" text source: (
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The following web site's are the definitive sources of photos and information on Island Farm POW camp 198: (
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