Publisher's Synopsis
During WWII approximately 1500 camps were built in the UK to hold prisoners of war. Located near Crook, County Durham, Harperley Camp 93 was a purpose built work camp that in 1943 originally housed Italian PoWs. In 1944 the Italian prisoners were moved elsewhere to make room for the 716 low security risk German PoWs being brought in. After its closure in 1948 it became a Displaced Persons Camp, housing former prisoners until they were repatriated back to Germany or integrated into the local communities.
In 2001 James and Lisa McLeod purchased the property for agricultural use. As they began clearing away weeds and undergrowth they made an unexpected and amazing discovery. What they found were 49 remaining huts and buildings, still intact, including the prisoner's canteen with paintings on the walls and the theatre. With 85% of its buildings still protected by original roofs, Harperley is considered a very rare example of a surviving PoW camp that was constructed with purpose built materials. As of 2002 this monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. In 2005 the author conducted a large, multi-team paranormal investigation at Harperley. It was the first official investigation performed at a PoW camp in the UK, as well as the only one ever conducted at Harperley. The event was reported by Mike Hallowell and published in the Jarrow & Hebburn Gazette on October 13th, 2005. This book contains a short history of the camp, the canteen and theatre, a view into the life of prisoners, and an account of the investigation. One chapter introduces you to Peter Hoentsch, a former German PoW who was repatriated to Germany at the end of the war. The author found Peter and what began as interviews via email turned into a personal friendship. Peter provides fascinating personal insights into life at the camp. Interspersed throughout the book are over 130 full color and black and white photos.
