Setley POW Camp Time-line
1941
Setley Camp is built to house Italians POWs.
1941 saw the first influx of POWs from overseas following the capture of Italians in the Middle East. Prior to this, the majority of prisoners were German Aircrew or naval personnel who had been captured within Britain. These prisoners were sent to other parts of the Empire where they posed less of a security risk (IWM).
1943
Following the Italian surrender in 1943, 100,000 Italians volunteered to work as ‘co-operators’ (IWM).
1944 May
Benedetto Spano (an Italian POW captured in Algeria), arrives at Setley and is soon after moved to a hostel on the Isle of Wight.
1945 October
Records show that there are 297 Italian prisoners held at Setley
1946 March
Records show that there are 424 German Prisoners in the hostels on the Isle of Wight.
1946 April
Benedetto Spano was repatriated and later discharged from the Italian Army.
German POW Max Mueller is transferred from Devizes to Setley to take up role as Camp Leader.
1946 May
Most of the Italian POWs had been repatriated – those that remained were moved to the hostels on the Isle of Wight to make way for German POWs who had been captured since D-Day.
Hans Strehlau is among the 361 German Prisoners who arrived from Belgium. A further 850 German prisoners arrive from America.
1946 October
Setley Camp reaches peak population with 610 Germans interred. When the numbers at the hostels and billets are included, the total number of German POWs at Camp 65 was 1246. 40% are younger than 25.
The peak number of German prisoners in the UK reached 402,200 in September 1946 (IWM).
1947 June
Records show that 170 German POWs had been repatriated since the camp opened.
Hans Strehlau was now billeted at Lepe House where he met his future wife.
Benedetto Spano married his fiancée in Rome in August and they settle on a farm on the Isle of Wight.
1948 January
Of the remaining 479 German prisoners the majority were repatriated with just a few
Max Mueller and Hans Strehlau discharged from the German Army.
25,000 German Prisoners elected to stay (IWM).
Hans Strehlau, and Max Mueller both chose to stay in the New Forest and married local ladies. Benedetto Spano returned to the Isle of Wight with his Italian wife.
1950’s
The Nissen huts are used to accommodate the displaced families of British Servicemen.
1960’s
The camp was completely demolished. All that remains today is a trace of the main central concrete path and a few local memories.
Sources:
- German POW Camp Inspection Documents (held at National Archives, Kew). Courtesy of Phoebe Merrick.
- The Personal letters of Benedetto Spano – courtesy of his daughter Rose.
- Interview with Hans Strehlau (Helen Wallbridge)
- Taylor, Richard Before we go. Brockenhurst memories of peace and war 1995.
- Cockram, John Michael. Brockenhurst and the two world wars 2001
- Roger JC Thomas Prisoner Of War Camps (1939 – 1948) English Heritage 2003
- Imperial War Museum website (IWM)
Further reading relating to Setley Camp that can be found on New Forest Knowledge:
- Follow the Setley Camp time line to see the main events relating to the camp.
- Follow 3D model to see our efforts to reconstruct the camp.
- Follow families to see peoples recollections of living at the camp after the war. if you lived there please add a comment with your recollections.
- Follow Post war civilian occupation to see some photographs of the camp from the late 1940s.
- Listen to extracts of the oral history interview with Hans Strehlau once a German POW at Setley.
- Read more about one of the Italian POWs Benedetto Spano.
- Many item were made by the POWs for local residents, follow chess set to read more.
- A range of documents and artefacts have come to light from the camp, find out more
- Families in Lymington ask to have a German POW for Christmas