Italian POW Camp (WWII) in Lodge Moor

[Cols 10]

Mary

I've pm'd you but if you can't receive them you'll have to post a couple more times.

Whereabouts are you in Canada.

I once spent a couple of weeks in the Jasper/Banff area. What a beautiful part of the world it is.

[Mary 10]

Hello Cols

 

I live in Ontario. In the outskirts of Toronto.

 

We have been to the Banff area. You're right, the scenery is beautiful.

 

I think this is my fourth post.

 

Mary

[Mary 10]

This is Post no. 5.

[buck 11]

During WW2 as a kid, I used to go walking with my parents past the POW camp. It wasn't just used by Italian POWs but by Germans too. Toward the end of the war, they began letting prisoners come into town quite freely, where they would spend whatever money they got from working the fields in the market. My cousin Jean got very friendly with a German prisoner and since I spoke German used to translate their love letters. A lot of fun for a teenage kid!!. The Italians had a small camp just outside Stony Middleton, and we were able to go get them cigarettes and walk into camp with them. They would pay us beforehand and we never cheated on them and always did what they asked. They may have been the enemy,but they fought bravely as our men did, and we always respected that. It's a different world today and not for the better

[buck 11]

By the way, Mary, I lived in Montreal for many years, on the west island. We were great rivals in Hockey with the Maple Leafs. I also spent some time in Newfie, and that is an experience! I finally moved to New England, which to me is the best of the USA.

[Cols 10]

Mary

I have emailed you the picture. Hope it comes out ok. Is your father still alive ?

 

Col

[PAULR 10]

In the late sixties and early seventies the old camp was used as a large lambing enclosure .The problem was finding the new lambs that wandered in to trees which where only 5-6ft tall and close together.They must be well over 20ft tall if they are still there.

 

paulr

[snowboarder 10]

The trees are out of control now. Its a total jungle in the middle.....

[Tony 10]

You're right there. It must be time for the trees to be felled. Mind you, it would probably cause an outcry from those who don't understand that they are there for agriculture, not just the view.

[Highnote 10]

During the war as a child I lived across the valley on Rails Rd,and on Sunday mornings we used to walk across to Lodge Moor and on fine summer mornings stand on the wall and look into the camp where Mass?was being celebrated with the Priests in their white vestments and the rows of POW in drab brown clothes with big red circular patches on their backs and trouser legs

[flyer 10]

Hi mary I'm fm london ontario we was in the fulwood homes during the war and had walk quite often past P.O.W camps, walking toward the lodge moor hospital,all the camps where on the left facing the open moor with their rings of caves,at that time to my young eyes the Italian p.o.w's seemed to come and go quite freely as we saw lots on the road, later on when the Germans moved into the camp next door (Icould wrong about their location) it was a different story I didn't see them untill around 1945.

hope this tad of info helps.

[martss 10]

I have a tin of old German and Italian coins and notes, I'm told my dad used to go up there and sell stuff to the POWs.