When Phase 1 Reports Offer a Glimpse into a Forgotten Past

An important part of a Phase 1 report is the site history – it allows us to find out if historical activities on or near the site could have caused contamination. Most times, this is revealed by historical Ordnance Survey mapping but sometimes we need to look deeper, delving into local history sources – and this can offer a glimpse into a forgotten past.

A recent example was a site near Launceston. The mapping showed a farmyard and fields until WW2 and later development as a school and then an industrial estate, but one map from 1952 showed a Camp (disused). Clearly a wartime feature, this needed further research.

In Cornwall we are lucky to have good local history records available online, often created by amateur historians, and these reveal a fascinating history. The camp housed American soldiers in the run-up to D-Day and was abruptly emptied in June 1944 as the soldiers joined the battle of Normandy. The camp was then repurposed as POW Camp 257 to house German prisoners of war.  The report of a Red Cross inspection in November 1945, when the camp housed 488 German POWs, provides interesting reading:

“The prisoners are mainly in “Tarrant” huts which are in good condition; 120 men are still in tents. The huts are lit by electricity and heated from 5 p.m, but the tents are not heated. Each tent shelters 6 men sleeping in bunk beds, equipped with straw mattress and with three blankets each…”

“The prisoners have a ration of bread (19 oz, 580gm) on four days; for the three other days, the ration of bread is replaced by 12 oz. of biscuits…”

“Floors have been installed in the tents but none are equipped with a double roof. The prisoners are to receive a fifth blanket. No lighting has been installed in the tents. There will be sufficient places available in the heated refectories so that the prisoners in the tents can pass the evening there…”

“Conclusion: This camp is well managed and, apart from the points raised by the camp leader, we had no complaints to record.”

This was the only time we have used a Red Cross report in a Phase 1 study; from a contamination standpoint, it made clear that the camp was used only for accommodation and not for other, potentially contaminative uses.

By 1950 the POWs had been repatriated but the camp was again repurposed as a Harvest Camp for several years (despite being described as Disused on the 1952 mapping), used to house volunteer seasonal workers bringing in the harvest, during a time of continued post-war food shortages and rationing.

Today, nothing remains of the former camp. Most of the site was obliterated by the A30 dual carriageway and the rest has been replaced by an industrial estate. Eighty years on, its past will have slipped from living memory but the detailed research of mostly amateur local historians continues to provide a glimpse into this forgotten past.