Jump to content

Sheffield POW Camp No. 701


Recommended Posts

In 1945 the International Red Cross listed Lodge Moor as Camp number 17. In the same list they had another camp - 701 - which was later identified as 'Sheffield Camp'.

The Forces Postal History Society have recorded mail from this camp from July 1944 to July 1946 and comment; “There may have been satellite camps around Sheffield using 701 with suffixes A/B/C/D/E/F" (Summer 2014 Vol XXX No 6).

Does anyone know where this 'Sheffield Camp 701' was? (and any of its sub-camps).

Thank you - Keep well.

Malc00

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A report by Historic England is available by this link (though it doesn't answer your question):

Historic England POW Camp Report

Excerpt: 

Each Prisoner of War camp was allocated an official number during World War II within a prescribed numerical sequence, ranging from Camp 1 (Grizedale Hall, Ambleside) through to Camp1026 (Raynes Park, Wimbledon). This numbering sequence has posed problems for the assessment as some sites have different numbers at different dates (Quorn Camp, Leicestershire – Camp 9 and Camp 183), the same camp number can be used for different locations (Camp 17 – Lodge Moor Camp, Sheffield, and 22 Hyde Park Gardens, London) and some sites have a letter suffix rather than a distinctly different number (Camp 139b Coxhoe Hall, County Durham). Without further documentary research it is hard to tell whether the inconsistencies in the numbering system were the result of a deliberate policy, or of the fluidity of the situation. There is certainly documentation held in The National Archives to show that the British were unwilling to release the location of Prisoner of War camps to the Germans due to the fear of possible paratroop raids to release them. The Germans on the other hand indicated that they were seeking the information to ensure that they did not bomb the camps by mistake.

The Sheffield Camps in this report were:

Ref 17 Lodge Moor Camp, Redmires Road, Base Camp Pre-First World War army camp. Capacity substantially increased by the provision of tented accomodation. Guarded by double wire perimeter fences and watch towers. Footings and perimeter wall remain extant

Ref 127 Potter's Hill, High Green,  German Working Camp See Camp no.296

Ref 248 Norton Camp, Cinderhill Lane, Norton,  German Precise location not identified, NGR Sheffield Working Camp given for approx feature centre of Cinderhill lane.

Ref 296 Potter's Hill, High Green,  German Working Camp See Camp no.127

(Ref 296 Ravensfield Park Camp, Rotherham  Farmland)

The journal here: Forces Postal History Journal   states that camp 701 was "non communique".

Multiple 701's here:

2054598721_PostalJournal312.png.8d2e29dad98cfc32878edf6345849907.png

According to an Italian person tracking the movements of POW relative, they were moved from Lodge Moor to camp 701.  So possibly it was a local temporary transit camp, used as a staging point on their way home?

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the '50s I clearly remember the Lodge Moor Camp, as we regularly passed the main entrance on Redmires Road. It was shut up and locked with everything in place as it had been. I saw it later (probably mid '60s) and all the huts had been demolished.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recall as a small boy being told by Mum to ignore and not to talk to a load of men we passed doing some road works. I learned later they were POWs. As this was near New Parson Cross I imagine they came from Potter's Hill Camp, High Green....which I see was a German POW camp. I could swear Mum said they were Italians!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lodge Moor POW Camp was used to house hard line nazis, two of it’s guests were tried and hanged for murdering one of their fellow inmates. My late mother recalled a senior navel officer being allowed to visit the Three Merry Lads wearing full uniform, he was allowed out on his word that he would not use this trust as an excuse to escape.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a letter written from a German prisoner held in prison camp 248 at Norton Sheffield

Sadly I have not been able to translate it though

 

1a.JPG

 

1b.JPG

 

1c.JPG

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have shown this letter to my German friend Holger who is going to try and translate it. He's having a problem with the clarity of the words but is going to use some software to hopefully highlight it all and make it more readable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 23/04/2023 at 21:00, Snozzle said:

I have shown this letter to my German friend Holger who is going to try and translate it. He's having a problem with the clarity of the words but is going to use some software to hopefully highlight it all and make it more readable.

Did your friend Holger manage to translate any of the letter please?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Leadfarmer.  Sorry, he's been off ill for a couple of weeks, but before that he said he could see that he was writing to a friend back home who's family owned a flower shop since 1902, and which he found out has only recently changed hands. He also mentioned that he was emailng it to his parents for their perusal. Hopefully he will get back to me soon with a full translation. I will update once he gets back to me.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Painted by Heinz Georg Lutz whilst he was a Prisoner of War at Prisoner of War Camp 17, Lodge Moor. 1945.

u08766.jpg.5313683494c78caade9efd4eac89fe93.jpgu08766

Herr Lutz was an architect and ex-Wehrmacht Officer who was confined in the Camp, September 1945 - April 1948.

Whilst he was a Prisoner of War he made several linocuts and watercolour sketches of the camp and the area around it.

 

Artists Impression of Fairthorn Green Farm House and Top Dam at Redmires painted from up the rough moorland path looking down. (Information from S Hedges)

u08764.jpg.ed77070d79f5ddd559eaeade6bbc3369.jpgu08764   Herr Heinz Georg 1945. 

 

Rear of The Sportsman Inn, No. 569 Redmires Road, painted by Heinz Georg Lutz whilst a prisoner of war at Prisoner of War Camp 17, Lodge Moor

u08770.jpg.2dfc22eeff673419865e481852bb03fc.jpgu08770

View of the pub, as it was in 1946, painted from within Lodge Moor Prisoner of War Camp. At some point after 1967 the large barn and rear chimney stacks were removed, and a flat roofed single storey extension for toilets added.  Image s21584, taken in 1967, shows the large barn on the left and the tops of both rear chimneys can be seen above the roofline. Past Landlords were Farmers as well.

Information: S Hedges. 

 

Reproduction of lino-cut drawing of Prisoner of War Camp 17. drawn by Heinz Georg Lutz. 

y03904.jpg.1c2ff24e32276719ff4607fadc18ff6a.jpgy03904

To make the lino cuts he used a piece of linoleum picked up probably somewhere in the camp's staff huts and used a razor blade to do the cuts.

y03905.jpg.da7ab93bcfa9e9ea86c24aa95c8788b7.jpgy03905

 

y03906.jpg.08e86512bbc686d1a287c9f7d680dddd.jpgy03906     1946

 

See also: Miscellaneous Papers 6803M (215509365), Sheffield Local Studies Library, Central Library, Surrey Street, this being letter from Herr Lutz about his experiences as a POW at Lodge Moor Camp.

 

Group Photograph taken at Prisoner of War Camp 17 (World War II), Redmires Road by Herr H.G. Lutz who had been imprisoned there from September 1945 to April 1948 and re-visited 1961.

From left to right, Arthur Davies, Mrs Grob, and an unidentified gentleman who happened to be visiting at the same time, Mr Grob and another unidentified lady.t07162.jpg.cd69dc61680990185a8819b47aa07760.jpgt07162 

Ex-Prisoner William Grob at WWII  Prisoner of War Camp 17, Redmires Road. 1961.

t07163.jpg.6239009ffc4876a9e20eed2ccc097e11.jpgt07163. Photographer: H.G. Lutz. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sketch Plan by Mr. D Ludlam of the  Prisoner of World War II Camp 17, Redmires Road. 

y03916.jpg.a3d80b37cecead9e611d702098058d1b.jpgy03916

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Prisoners of War doing snow clearing at Lodge Moor. 1947.

t03510.jpg.81d146f3e1c17d64a3cd97ba86b695db.jpgt03510

Photographer: City Engineers and Surveyors Office. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...