your comments
Yvonne Olsen from California, USA
Hi, We have had a photo of my father that has been with us since childhood. He is sitting in an orchard with men in uniforms who were holding what looks like baskets to collect fruit in. It has always been called "Daddy driving the Prisoners of War in Wales". My father spoke fluent Welsh as his father and grandfather were born in Wales. As he and my mum and sister and me lived in Norwich, Norfolk, at the time, we wonder how he came to have this job after the war, of driving the prisoners around in Wales. We do not know how long he stayed there or who he would have been employed by, but think it was in 1946. We wish we knew the name of the camp/farm. Can anyone shed any light on this? We would be so grateful. His name was James Alec Davies.
Tue May 26 08:12:00 2009
Llenia De Stefano from Foggia ( ITALY)
My Grandad Emilio was also an Italian POW at Racecourse camp 74 (Tarporley, Cheshire) and worked on a farm in Crewe, Cheshire, about 1944-46. Perhaps, property owners called themselves "Betty" & "Ted". I would love to know some information about "Ted" & "Betty".
Mon Mar 30 08:53:15 2009
Sian Daniels, Gloucester
I'm trying to find information on my father in law, squadron 501 WW2 era. His name was Roy Daniels (Danny Daniels). If anybody knows anything regarding him, it would be great to hear from you. Thanks.
Mon Feb 9 10:10:17 2009
Lorena, Wrexham
Hi, my grandad's name was Antonio Ippoliti he was in the camp in Ruthin. He worked on local farms. After the war this particular farmer took a liking to him and gave him a job on his farm. I think it was in Bodfari. I wonder if anyone remembers him.
Mon Jan 26 09:02:17 2009
Hywel Clwyd Jones
I was born in Ruthin in 1938 and lived at Pentre Pwllglas. I remember POWs helping my father on the farm and they made slippers out of the string from Hessian sacks and other things for us children. I have a pen and ink picture of Prior Street, Ruthin, done by John R Ecley.
Wed Jan 7 08:41:46 2009
Patricia Mcmahon
Trying to find an Alfred Frontero who was an Italian prisoner of war. He was either at a camp in north Wales or a camp down in south Wales.
Mon Jan 5 09:41:13 2009
Caroline Johnson, Surrey
My dad remembers two Italian POWs who worked on his dad's farm during the war. His younger brother had their address but lost it and dad would love to make contact with them or their families. There names were Ermano and Gino and the farm is in Llansantffraid, Powys (was Montgomeryshire). Any help would be great.
Fri Jan 2 10:46:40 2009
Renee, Chorley, Lancashire.
Hi Val! I remember your father Victor Haase when he was working on the farm at the Grove Hall in Bodfari and I remember him getting married - was it to Blodwyn? I'm not quite sure if I have the correct name. I spent all my childhood holidays with relatives at the Grove Hall. My mother might just have a photo with your father on it. I am well retired now! I did send you an e-mail, but I'm not sure if you received it.
Mon Nov 17 08:46:49 2008
Gordon Riochards, Toronto, Canada
Towards the end of WW2 there was an Italian PoW camp in Bryn-y-Pys park at Overton. I recall the prisoners in their brown uniforms with yellow patches riding bikes through the village (unescorted) to get to their work on local farms. Prior to DDay, the Park housed hundreds of US soldiers before they embarked for France. Many of these, no doubt, returned wounded to ther newly built hospital at nearby Penley which was later used for displaced persons from the Continent - mainly Polish. It is still in use today.
Mon Jul 28 10:10:35 2008
Donna Diparno from Essex
My Grandad was also an Italian POW who was on a farm in North Wales although I am not sure where. His name was Rocco Diparno. If anyone has any information about where he would have been I would love to hear from you.
Fri Jul 11 09:27:27 2008
Carsten Haedrich from Eisenberg/Thuringia (Germany
My grandfather's brother Kurt Kirchner was P.O.W. no. 286518 in camp Ruthin, pool park camp no. 38 in Denbigshire in 1945. Does anybody know him and can give information?
Mon Jun 2 09:32:28 2008
Susan Williams Kent/Rhyl
My Late Mother, Kathleen Lines, often spoke with affection regarding an Italian POW named Enzo, with whom she worked in a plant nursery in the Rhyl/Ruthin area during WW2. Can anyone help or recall these people?
Thu May 22 14:25:27 2008
Paul Bartzsch
Hi, my Dad an EX POW worked on a farm in Ruthin. He married my mum, a local girl from Conwy, they are both alive and well and are looking for another POW, Gunter Mischer, who lived in Rhyl. They lost contact a couple of years ago. My father is Rolf Bartzsch
Mon Jan 28 08:25:11 2008
Anna Zarpioni
Well, this was so nice to find Italian prisoner camps in Britain. My dad Antonio was in one of those camps but I do not know where. Father's story - he was happy to be in Britain, lots of food and music. He would say the British people were always singing. My dad even learned a few words in English. Anyone who has known Antonio Zarpioni? He was a shoemaker - his trade and skill saved his life during his German capture. He ended up in Normandy where he had to repair en route German soldiers' boots, where later he managed to escape and ended up with the Americans who passed him on to the English army in Normandy. He was from Curtarolo, Padova, Italy. I would be grateful if anyone met him and could share stories. My father would have been 88 years old. Unfortunately he passed away in 1993. Thanks, greetings from his daughter, Anna.
Mon Jan 21 09:26:12 2008
Susan Barker (nee Evans)
For Ellis Williams - are you related to Kay and Clare? I went to Northop Hall School with them. I think they had a brother. Would love to hear from either of them. Sorry I was born in 1958 so I can only remember the barrage balloons out of my bedroom window in Northop Hall.
Mon Jan 7 10:31:43 2008
Annett from Germany
My granddad was a POW and worked on a farm in or near Ruthin. As far as I know he arrived there sometime in 1946/1947 and was able to go back to Germany in 1948. My grandma told me that he only had good things to say about the Welsh who had treated him well. He had thought about staying in Wales and he only returned to Germany because of my grandma. They married shortly after he came home. My granddad stayed in touch with the farmer's family for some years. My granddad died in 1973, and my grandma didn't know the family's name. My granddad's name was Gottfried Moehn.Maybe somebody has information...
Mon Dec 31 08:38:42 2007
David Hughes, Leicester
Since posting my last comments, I have spoken with my mother, my friend Hefyn and his parents, gleaning further information, some of which is too sensitive to be placed on a site such as this. The farm in Rhydymwyn used to be in the family. It was owned and farmed by the person I would know as Aunty France (Frances). There were aproximately 5x Italian POWs and at least two German POWs that worked and lodged on the farm. Hefyn can remember Italian newspapers in the barns when he was younger and there were also prisoners names etched on the walls, with dates as far back as 1940. My mother is going to write down as much as she can remember, but will only allow certain things to be placed on this site. There will still be people we know who will have information about POW's who lodged and worked in and around the Rhydymwyn area. I know that one POW, whose name was etched on the wall of the farm, stayed for a long while after the war. The same person revisited the area recently. I feel certain that some people will wantto trace certain POWs, but I am also just as certain that others will not want to. The more decerning of you will understand my meaning, hence the reason for my being so vague.
Thu Dec 27 08:38:20 2007
David Hughes, Leicester
I remember The Italian Woods in Rhydymwyn. With a good friend of mine, Hefyn Jones, we used to tickle trout in the small stream that runs through the woods. I am too young to remember the war, but remember my mother (Pamela Hughes) and my grandmother (Jesse Parry Hughes, Nee Goodwin) talking about the Italian prisoners of war who used to work in the woods. The woods with its stream, ponds, old wooden dam and open mine shafts were a magical place to me as a child. My mother also played there as a child with her good friend Kath. I was told that many of the prisoners settled in the area and married local girls after the war.
Thu Dec 27 08:12:46 2007
Val Sumpter, Chester
My father was a POW at Pool Park, Ruthin about 1944. I would be very interested if there is anyone who remembers him, and if anyone knows anything about his life before the war, as he would never talk about his past life. His name is Victor Haase, he is 84 years old, and now lives in an old people's home. He married a Welsh girl, and had two children. He can also speak fluent Russian. He worked on a farm in Bodfari. It was called Grove Hall.
Fri Aug 17 09:58:19 2007
Christine Croker from Australia
I would like any information about an Italian POW named Antonio, who worked on a farm in Bettws. My father, who was in the RAF, got to know him well. My dad is now 87 and would love to know what happened to his Italian friend.
Wed Jun 13 08:54:45 2007
Ellis Williams
Just to re-iterate & confirm Reg's last statement about a POW camp along the Connahs Quay to Northop road, it is positioned on land which is part of Cae Llys Farm which is still owned & farmed by my family. Most of the sheds have been pulled down leaving just one shed & concrete bases. The one remaining unit is used by a local welder. I am too young to know much of the camp's history but understand that the camp housed German, Italian & Polish POWs. The POWs worked on the farms in the locality. The camp had a fairly relaxed regime as prisoners were allowed to visit, unsupervised , the local Northop Hall pubs on occasions. After the end of World War 2, many of the POWs stayed in the UK and settled in Northop Hall and other towns & villages in the Flintshire locality. I would be interested in hearing recollections of what life was like as a POW in the camp. I will try to gather further information regarding the Cae Llys POW camp & pass on my findings.
Tue Nov 28 13:58:45 2006
Marco from Germany
I'm working on a story about Richard Tauber, the great tenor. I have some old documents where a POW of Camp Pool Park in Ruthin reported a visit by Richard Tauber in 1947. They met short time before at a railway station and Tauber promised to visit the prisoners. A link to a list of the prisoners would be great to verify if this man stayed there, and to find other prisoners, maybe still alive, to verify that whole story. The name of the prisoner is Bülter.
Mon Oct 23 08:40:23 2006
Huw Jones Llanddarog
I would like to find out about Umberto Bonn who was a prisoner of war at Llanddarog Camp and worked on our farm everyday when I was a small boy.
Where do I start looking ?
Wed Sep 6 08:17:04 2006
Mark Hughes
re: Woods in Rhydymwyn.
Strange to find this post, when I was about 17 I happened to be going through some woods near Rhydymwyn and did come across a sealed off perimeter. There were sentry boxes and single storey buildings. After climbing the fence and entering the complex the buildings were empty and now plastered in grafitti and sheep muck everywhere. I wondered what the history of the place was as there was a miniature rail next to the camp that still has a steam engine on it, the engine looks about 100 years old and stands about 10ft and approx 15/20ft wide. I took my kids through there about a year ago but obviously didn't scale the fence as it's out of bounds kids being under 10 yrs. Wish I'd taken some photos now. Maybe I'll go back sometime but location is awkward to get to.
Fri Aug 18 14:14:26 2006
Rhian from Betws y Coed
Many POWs came to work on my grandfather's farm from Ruthin. Where would I get a list of POWs at Pool Park, Ruthin, for 1946? The Imperial war museum told me that the list has been sent to Germany some years ago. I don't know if this is correct, as it is of interest to many people in this part of the country. I would love to have a list of names for 1946 of anyone by the name of Clause also the full list.
Fri Nov 11 10:37:06 2005
Jean Mae
I am also looking for local people that can give me any details on what Sandycroft was like before they started building factories, I believe there were fields and animals. Has anybody heard of a young man getting killed by a bull many years ago? If so, what was his name? I really could do with the help!
Thu Oct 13 11:02:00 2005
Jacqui - Flintshire
My grandfather was an Italian POW, at Pwll Parc camp just outside Ruthin on the Clawdd Newydd road(on the right). As Phil from Llay mentions the remains of the buildings are still visible.
Fri Sep 30 08:04:32 2005
JEAN MAE, SANDYCROFT
I am still desperate for any info on Sandycroft. I am also interested on anybody that knows the "caddwalladers" that lived in Sandycroft many years ago. I have had a visit from a lovely lady that now lives in America and her mum lives/lived in Mancot... NOTE TO JEAN FROM WEBTEAM: The rest of your text failed to come through
Fri Sep 23 08:19:25 2005
Ida Hughes from Wrexham
Hello Lorena,
My father was a prisoner of war in Ruthin. He fell in love with my mum and stayed in Wales. My dad also worked on farms. I have often longed to know were, but sadley he passed away many years ago and I never found out exaxctly were. NOTE TO IDA: Please contact the Web Team via email on wales.northeast@bbc.co.uk quoting reference, askalocal wwii12
Fri Sep 2 14:51:17 2005
George Edwards from Winsford
Hi Kevin this may help you, I am a collector of military goodies. I have an aluminium cigarette case, it is hand made. The etching on the back is of 2 nissen huts surrounded by a perimeter fence and pine trees in the background, with a half moon in the distance. Inside the case reads, Cae Llys hostel 1-12-1945, on the front are the letters E A W. The case is very hard and will not flex, these cases were made from scrapped aircraft after crashing, by POWs during WW2.
Mon Aug 8 09:23:48 2005
(Tom) Sean Evans (ex-Gresford)
My Grandparents owned the back-half of Plas Acton (huge house, sadly demolished in early 70s to make way for the bypass) in the Pandy and told me of several POWs, mainly German, who worked on their farm during the war.
Wed Jul 20 09:37:39 2005
Lorena from Wrexham
Hi my grandad was a prisoner of war in the camp in Ruthin, he worked on farms and he also made a beatiful tapestry which I have till this day, it's not finished. He never went back to Italy instead my family all moved here, my grandfather fell in love with Wales and the people.
Thu May 12 11:07:16 2005
Phil from Llay
There was a prisoner of war camp in Ruthin well just outside Ruthin, I think the site is still there, the old buildings can still be seen from the main road.
Thu Mar 31 07:55:42 2005
Peter Williams from Delaware
I remember my grandfather who lived in Brynford talking to a group of men at the Crossroads where I had seen Italian prisoners an hour before. He spoke to them and I wondered how he could speak Italian so well. He told me it was Welsh. The first time I had heard it as I then lived in Flint. There was an Italian POW named Victor who worked at Danny Pierce's farm, Flint, who used to tell us about his home in Italy and how we used to harvest the grapes.
Thu Feb 24 13:17:08 2005
Caroline from Newtown
Hi My grandfather was an Italian prisoner of war but I believe he was based near Newtown in Powys. I would like to learn more myself about them but there seems to be a lack of information. Can you tell me if you have found any relevant sites or groups where I might start looking please?
Thu Feb 17 14:43:25 2005
Reg Hughes from Holywell
There was a POW Camp (Italian) just off the main road between Northop and Connah's Quay. Some of the prisoners worked on local farms. Some of the huts can still be seen from the road.
Fri Oct 1 07:48:48 2004
