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On 10 April 1917, part of Cannock Chase, near Brocton in Staffordshire, was officially turned into a prisoner of war (PoW) camp.

It was surrounded by barbed wire, with accommodation for more than 6,000 German prisoners.

Some PoWs worked for the Royal Engineers' and were allowed to work outside of the camp. Others, under armed guard, worked on gardens and farms across North Staffordshire, including at Shugborough Hall. Those who worked within the camp did jobs such as tailoring, hairdressing, cobbling and watchmaking. The official report on the camp says "a competent watchmaker looks after the watches of the PoW when required and does much useful work for a local firm."

Five prisoners escaped from the camp in 1918 but they were all recaptured. Two prisoners committed suicide and one died when out with a working party.

The report on the camp says the general health of prisoners was "excellent" at the end of 1918 but many died during the Spanish flu epidemic after the war, with 178 prisoners dying in the camp hospital.

After the war, Lord Lichfield took the site back, sold off the huts and now nothing remains of the camp in Cannock Chase.

Location: Brocton near Cannock Chase, Staffordshire ST17 0TQ
Image shows the inside of a Brocton PoW camp hut
Image courtesy of Phil Mills & The Chase Project

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