A collection of loose pages from the newspapers written and circulated by German POWs at Setley POW Camp 65. We would like to thank the Mueller family for granting us access to this material.
If you are able to mach a page to a newspaper do let us know.
Visit the main article about this collection from Setley POW Camp.
The script for a play called BEHIND THE SCENES A vaudeville game drafted by some of the POWs at Setley POW Camp 65. We would like to thank the Mueller family for granting us access to this material.
Visit the main article about this collection from Setley POW Camp.
Another amazing item from the Max Mueller archive. Amongst the documents and artefact from the Mueller family was a small photograph album. In this album are some 20 photographs of the German PoWs, from the Prisoner of War Camp on Setley Plain, in what looks like a or a number of different gardens. We are told that some of the German PoWs were asked to do gardening duties for some of the local houses and we are lucky enough that someone had a camera to record it.
Do you recognise the garden or properties the men are photographed in?
Go to the main Setley Prisoner of War Camp article
Included in the Mueller family collection are these four wood carvings, each about a 12inch tall (30cm). It is unclear where they were placed at the camp. One suggestion is that they adorned the entrance gate to the camp another it that they may have been on top of a pagoda in the officers area built by the German PoWs. They depict two PoWs, the camps Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) and the senior British Officer.
Each was carved on one side of a single plank of wood and painted. On one of the two PoW carvings it is possible to make out the diamond patch, on the right knee, that was a standard emblem to identify the person as a PoW when out of the camp.
The carving of the RSM is the largest of the four and has a striking resemblance to the RSM seen in a rare photo taken in the camp (see the main article for this image). On the left of this photo is Max Mueller, at 6’2” tall you can see that the RSM was a tall chap. The oral history interview with Gordon Forsey (Officer in charge of the Motor Transport section) revealed his name to be Sergeant O’Grady. He went on to tell us about the camp’s commandant, one Colonel Utley.
The final carving is thought to be this British Officer, Colonel Utley, and he was in charge of the camp during the German occupation. He uniform is that of the Guards but it is unclear which regiment. The only name we currently have for the Commanding Officer is a Col. Utley. From Gordon’s memories were understand that he may have been in the Irish Guards before the war (retaining the “regt. drum and their silver”). Volunteers have tried to find out a little more about Col. Utley but so far the name has not been found in any of the Guards historical records.
We would like to thank the Mueller family for granting us access to this material.
Visit the main article about this collection from Setley POW Camp.
Published in the: Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 126, 28 May 1917
SOLDIER’S LETTER.
No.1 GENERAL HOSPITAL. A New Zealand (Auckland) soldier, writing by the last mail from the No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital, Brockenhurst, says: –
“You will have read in the papers that the New Zealanders were in the thick of the fighting on the Somme in the middle of September, and since that time we have been exceedingly busy. Prior to that 36 of our orderlies had been sent over to France; one has since been killed and several wounded. Our admissions have been heavier even than they were in Cairo, and a very large number of the cases were serious. The operating theatre at each section deals with as many as half a dozen —and even more— cases each day. We are badly understaffed in nearly all departments, and patients -when well enough are occasionally attached temporarily. Just now the orderlies we have seem to be quite a good lot of men, and include a few parsons and men who held good positions in civilian life.
“The hospital here is divided into three sections. The first is headquarters, which used to be occupied by the Lady Hardinge Hospital for wounded Indians. Here over 600 patients are accommodated. It is built of hutments, and it is possible to reach all parts without going out of doors. There is additional accommodation for the staff and for stores. This section is known as “Tin Town,” and its occupants as “Tin Hats.”
“The other two sections are hotels, one at either end of the village of Brockenhurst, and on the edge of the New Forest. Each accommodates between 200 and 300 patients. Both are very fine buildings, and are as well equipped in every way as the central section.
“Besides these three, there are five auxiliary hospitals, each taking from 20 to 60 patients. They are sent there as soon as they are well enough to require light dressings. The names of these five are: Morant War Hospital, at Brockenhurst; ‘Home Mead,’ at Lymington; ‘Hill House,’ at Lyndhurst; ‘Thorney Hill,’ at Branagore; and Lady Normanton’s, at Bingwood. “There has recently been added a convalescent home for officers at “Avon Tyrrell,” Lady Manners’ House. At all of these places New Zealanders receive the best of attention, and all those mentioned are within a radius of fifteen mile, from Brockenhurst. New Zealanders receive a warm reception almost anywhere in England, and Scotland is remarkably hospitable. Many of the patients are given furlough before returning to the front.”
The writer states that he has gone into some detail because, judging from the New Zealand papers, the activities of this – easily the largest New Zealand hospital – seems to be known hardly at all.
‘”Of course,” he continues, “the whole of the staff are New Zealanders. Lieut. Colonel Wylie is O.C. there in place of Colonel Parkes, nod D.D.M.S.”
Source – National Library of New Zealand
Fairfax Media is the copyright owner for the Auckland Star
You can find out more about the activities, sites and stories associated with the hospital by clicking here: No.1 New Zealand General Hospital
The facilities that would become the Southern Command Bombing School started in 1915. Covering an area of approximately 190 acres of heath the construction of a Grenade School at White Moor started at the end of 1915 and was ready for use by March 1916. An additional area, approximately 230 acres established in 1917, was used as the Trench Mortar School north west of Matley Wood.
Unlike our modern interpretation of a “Bombing School”, dropping bombs from a plane, this school focused, at first, with the use of grenades. Student sent from across the British Empire would spend a few weeks learning every aspect of grenade use, their mechanisms, tactics, including attacking and clearing trench systems. Students were expected to be familiar with every type of grenade they may encounter including enemy types and be able to use them proficiently. Those who passed were entitled to wear a red grenade badge on their right arm.
In 1917 with the addition of the Trench Mortar School, its artillery range established between Matley and Decoy Pond, the training programs expanded.
The Trench Mortar School closed during 1918 with the site being taken over by the War Dog Training School.
The red grenade badge on their right arm was a British Proficiency Badge. Army Order 403/1915 refers, “a Skill at Arms badge worn on the upper right arm”.
Those completing their training successfully gained a certificate and their badge. A couple of these certificates can be seen on the website of The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum.
SBYRW : 26393 – A grenade instructor’s certificate obtained at the Southern Command Grenade School, Lyndhurst, by Corporal 8594 Tom Arthur Hicks on the 22nd July 1916.
SBYRW : 26394 – A bombing throwers instructor’s certificate obtained at the Southern Command Grenade School, Lyndhurst by L/Sergeant 8594 Tom Arthur Hicks on the 10th June 1917.
A Bombing Officer’s badge had white flames while the Trench Mortar Gunner’s badge was an all blue grenade. As you may have guest the Trench Mortar Officer’s badge was blue with white flames. The blue cloth grenade was sometimes represented by a blue painted grenade metal collar badge.
As well as the Bombing School Whitemoor was used in 1914 for the assembly and training of the 7th Division and then post bombing for the training of War Dogs.
In addition to the construction of anti-aircraft and searchlight batteries in an attempt to further protect the civilian population against enemy air raids, an elaborate network of deception sites were installed across the New Forest, including the construction of Starfish decoy sites. These sites were designed to simulate a city at night, using strategically placed lights and fires. Further ‘Starfish’ sites for Southampton were located at Beaulieu, Lee, Nutburn, Chilworth, Durley and Botley in order to try and mislead German bombers and cause them to drop their bombs on unoccupied countryside instead of the city. Two such sites, this one, SF17A at Longdown and SF17B at Denny Lodge, were built in January 1941.
Historic Routes and Past Pathway aims to create five new self-guided walking trails in and around the New Forest National Park. This is one of the five suggested trails.
To help select which suggested trails to progress volunteer researchers took a quick look into the history of the areas and produced a Summary of Historical Potential for each trail. This one was researched and drafted by Volunteer Researcher David Butterfield.
The trail starts at Fordingbridge Cemetery, which contains the grave of post-impressionist artist Augustus John OM RA. John moved to Fryern Court, Fordingbridge, in 1927 and lived there until his death in 1961.
After passing behind Fordingbridge Cemetery, the path passes the site of a Bronze Age cemetery. The footpath then joins a wider track and turns left towards the village of Stuckton. This track is very likely to have been used by smugglers bringing contraband ashore at Christchurch Bay and carrying it across the forest to Fordingbridge. The town was a major hub of the free traders (smugglers) in the late 18th Century and was the scene of many a battle between local free traders and customs men.
The trail then joins the road in Stuckton almost opposite the site of the famous Stuckton Iron Works. The Iron Works were started in 1790 by Thomas Sheppard and taken on by his son William in 1804. William developed the business and built a foundry in 1807, which supplied castings for agricultural implements.
A Cornish steam engine was used for power and a 50-foot chimney built, which must have been a local landmark. It is rumoured that the first portable steam traction engines were built here in the early 1800s, but this cannot be verified.
In 1830 the foundry was targeted by Luddite rioters during widespread machine wrecking by agricultural workers. The foundry was only saved from destruction by the timely intervention of the local militia. The works were sold to Armfield Engineering of Ringwood in 1872, and the foundry closed in 1908, although the site continued in use as a supplier of agricultural tools and equipment in the 1950s.
On joining Stuckton Road, the trail turns right towards Frogham. Immediately on the right is Brooklands Farm, where an archeological dig was carried out in 2015. A few pottery shards dating from 11th to18th Century and a possible fragment of Roman greyware were found, however, it was concluded that there was very little sign of population.
The trail turns left onto footpath 735, crosses Ditchend Brook on a narrow footbridge, climbs up alongside Broadhill Wood and joins Broadhill Lane. On the right is a large house called The Merrie Thought. This was built for a Mrs Hulse around 1900 when, because of better roads and railways, wealthy people started to retire to the New Forest.
The trail then turns right along Broadhill Lane, which is a continuation of the old smugglers trail followed earlier. This route could also have been used as a drove track for moving animals from pastures by the River Avon up onto the open forest.
On joining the road, the trail then turns right down the hill. After crossing the ford, we then join the footpath alongside Ditchend Brook along footpath 732. To the right of the footpath are the remains of two watercress beds which are shown on the O.S. map of 1908. Research can find no local knowledge of these and, as watercress prefers to grow in clear chalk streams, they are unlikely to have been successful.
On the left are a row of very old pollarded oak trees which may date from the time when pollarding was used to provide wood for fuel and building, before its later use providing ships’ timbers.
The trail then turns left, passes some very old (possibly 16th Century) thatched cottages and joins the road at the bottom of Frogham Hill.
Here the trail turns right and we re-trace our steps back to the cemetery car park. A lot of the large Victorian houses have quite elaborate iron gates, which were very likely to have been made at the nearby foundry.
Get involved
This route is a preview of one of five new self-guided walks we are developing along existing rights of way in and around the New Forest National Park.
If you’d like to contribute memories or stories to this trail, get in touch with Gareth Owen on 01590 646652 or Gareth.Owen@newforestnpa.gov.uk.