大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Clive Bishop of the CSV Action Desk, 大象传媒 Radio Newcastle on behalf of Douglas Parker and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

I lived in a village called Swanwick in Derbyshire and I was a lad of about 11years in 1943. I used to go and help at a farm, as lads do and it was called Palmer Farm on High St. at Swanwick. The farmers name was Sammy Simms.
We used to collect waste (for the pigs) from the army canteens ie. 2 camps in Alfreton, one being in the Drill Hall. We used a horse and float.
On the farm worked a young woman and it was her duty to go to the Prisoner of War Camp at The Hayes, Swanwick and I accompanied her. When we arrived at the gates of the camp she could not go any further, being a female. Consequently I was accompanied to the camp by a soldier with a rifle.
The soldier in the canteen always gave me a hot mug of tea and a slab of fruit cake, which was a luxury being war time.

In the village of Swanwick thirteen bombs were dropped, smashing shop windows; we had a piece of shrapnel come through the wooden frame of the bedroom window.

I can remember German Prisoners of War arriving at Butterley Railway Station and being marched up to Swanwick Traffic lights and turning right for the camp at Swanwick Hayes. Swanwick Hayes was the camp where the film 鈥淭he one that got away鈥� was made

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