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Prisoners of War
at Lotherton Park Farm in WWII

Barwicker No. 119
September 2015


Mr Mills of Lotherton Park Farm had eight Italians working for him during WWII. These men who had been classed as Prisoners of War had each made a declaration that they would help our country in all ways until Germany was defeated. They were thus known as 'Co- operators' and the term POW was discarded in their case. The men had virtually complete freedom of the surrounding area except that they were not allowed to enter a public house. Mr Mills started to house the men during late September 1944 but from the contents of the documents it would appear that they had been working for him for some time and had been housed elsewhere.

The authorities paid them 4 shillings a week and 34 cigarettes, although if they worked hard Mr Mills would supplement their cigarette allowance where possible. He seemed to have a good working relationship with the men.

One of the men cooked for them on an ordinary kitchen range in an outbuilding. This range was correctly fixed and the room was lit by a portable paraffin lamp which stood on the top of the range. They slept in another outbuilding on the upper floor which was entered using a ladder from the yard and that was also lit by a stable paraffin lamp which hung using an S hook on a 2ft chain. Fire insurance regulations stated that this paraffin lamp had to be installed in a fixed position not in proximity 10 woodwork or other combustible material. This lamp was usually lit in another building and carried to their sleeping quarters when they were ready for bed. Once the lamp had been extinguished it was not to be re-lit during the night. A torch was provided if a light was required any time before the morning, When the lamp required trimming and filling Mr Mills would do the job himself.

Smoking was restricted to a specific building and the men never deviated from the instructions they were given. The room where smoking was allowed had a concrete floor and only contained two wooden benches and a wooden table.

Mr Mills was happy to continue with this method as he felt that if the men were ordered not to smoke anywhere on the farm the present friendly relations between them all would deteriorate. By restricting smoking to one particular place it meant that really dangerous places such as the farm yard or stack yard and other barns where hay. was stored were safe from a 'tab' end being inadvertently discarded prior to being fully extinguished which could cause a tremendous fire hazard.

In order to convey the strict instructions re the no smoking rules a request for an interpreter had been issued and in late September 1944 the local Commandant had not responded to such. However a letter from presumably the Royal Exchange Insurance Company (no Company heading on letter dated 22 September 1944) stated that 'the danger from this practice (i.e. smoking around a farm) is so great that it cannot be over emphasised. . NB Barwicker No. 33 contains an article by Franz Kamp entitled "A P.O.W's life in Scholes."

Some of the Italian POW's at Lotherton Park Farm in WWII

PAULlNE ROBSON


Sources:

Copy of letter dated 16th September 1944 from Mr Curteis (Estate Manager at Lotherton) to Royal Exchange Insurance Company.
Notes re, Italian Workers from a W Kershaw dated 17 October 1944.

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