It was a dry, crisp day on Wednesday 11th June when ninety-nine Associates in three coaches set off from their pick-up points to visit Eden Camp.

Its promised sights, sounds and smells were all there and the exhibits were highly informative as well as being showpieces for the various facets that made up the war:

	Hitler’s hostilities which led up to the outbreak of the war
	Neville Chamberlain’s declaration that we were at war with Germany, given added drama coming over an old valve-driven wireless set in a reconstructed home of the time
	Dunkirk and the drama of the little ships
	The Battle of Britain and the bravery of “the few” - young lads who never grew old
	The Blitz
	D-Day and the allied invasion
	The victory celebrations
	Post-war austerity

just to mention a few of the exhibits.


Many of us remembered or knew of rationing, land girls, evacuation and home-made clothes, digging for Britain, the convoys and the U-boat hazard.

We arrived in good time so did not feel at all rushed.  All were able to take in as much or as little as they liked and the excellent food, served in the NAAFI canteen, was taken at a leisurely pace.

The weather remained fine throughout the day so, when going from hut to hut, it was pleasant to halt a while in the sunshine before diving back in to the next dramatic scene, often in dim light with strobes and noise.

The authenticity was enhanced when one startled group just emerged from the blitz hut as two RAF Phantom jets screamed over at a very low altitude - it had them momentarily heading for the air raid shelters!

Many children visiting at the same time as us all seemed to be having a great time albeit without the nostalgic memories which the exhibits held for us.

One of my favourite exhibits was of the miniature heaters (constructed from food tins).  Made to include a belt driven fan, these allowed the boiling of a kettle or cooking of food using very little fuel, utilizing the principle of the blacksmiths forge.  There was a painting showing these in widespread use by the prisoners of war.

This leads me nicely on to the reason the camp was constructed in the first place.

To quote the Eden Camp web site:

	“In early 1942, a small contingent of Army personnel, under the command of a Sergeant, arrived at Malton, midway between York and Scarborough in the North Riding of Yorkshire.
	"Their task was to construct a barbed wire enclosure and erect tents to house the steady flow of enemy prisoners of war captured in North Africa.
	"The site was named 'Eden Camp' and the first inmates were two hundred and fifty Italian prisoners.  These prisoners were put to work constructing a larger permanent camp, consisting of forty five huts.
	"The Italians were at the camp from 1942 to 1944, then the Germans from 1944 to 1948.  While at the camp the prisoners worked on the local farms under the control of the War Agricultural Officer.”

The prisoners were well looked after and many friendships were formed.
Some married local girls and stayed in Britain.

It would make an interesting genealogical study to see just how many families in the area bear evidence of this beginning.

I lost count of the number of people who said they had enjoyed the day, so it merits a big thank you to the organisers for making it possible.

Chris Rickman

(ph  15/07/2008)

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