Harperley POW Camp. Working Camp 93

A Hidden History

Tucked away behind walls of Laylandii, in the heart of rural Weardale, lies one of the most hidden treasures of the 20th century.

Built by Italian prisoners, to house themselves, the camp which began as tents soon grew into a military style base which became home to over 1600 men.
The huts, which were built in 1943, were made from manufactured slabs of “Nashcrete” and were designed to slot together like a giant Meccano set and offer sound, temporary residences which were only expected to last 5 years. The same idea was used through out the next two decades to create cheap pop-up homes. These prefabricated buildings, or “the prefabs” as they became known were seen across the country and in Ashington where I come from, they were still lived in until the mid-1980s, which, I am sure was reflected countrywide.

I am sure that Mr Nash never dreamed that the simple huts would have withstood the wild county Durham weather and still be proudly standing more than 80 years later.

The huts, housed up to 48 men and were heated by coal powered stoves. One can only imagine the scents and sounds that the huts would have had.

"I visited with my mother when I was a young girl, it [the camp] was immaculate, it was spotlessly clean" Mrs Jean Hirst 2025

Small bed used in the huts, this is more like a hospital bed as the huts would have contained bunk beds

A simple wardrobe for each inmate to store their belongings

The dormitory huts were only a part of the the camp, it hosted a full range of buildings suitable for any community to reside.

There was a hospital, a dentist, full kitchen, shower and wetroom facilities, with flush toilets, dining areas, a chapel and a jail. The camp hosted a thriving vegetable garden and the inmates, desperate for some home comforts, had well tended gardens outside each of the dormitory huts. Despite being at the mercy of the wild Durham weather, the huts all remain today, some of them having fared better than others over time.

The hospital block. Note the tower for heating the water.

The hospital block. Note the tower for heating the water.

English heritage stated that whilst the whole site has listed monument status, there were two particular huts that had special historic interest and were worthy of preservation. These huts were the "Kanteen and the Theatre" alongside the National Lottery, funds were granted and the two buildings were weather proofed to save the interiors from further decline.

Those in charge of the camp believed that the welfare of the prisoners was important, and due to the tender age of most of them, education was also paramount. So, with that in mind, lessons were arranged for those wanting to learn, (reports from the red cross at the time suggest that some prisoners were indeed, reluctant students). There were lessons in Latin, the sciences, practical studies such as carpentry and others thought to be ‘useful’ to a generation who had already missed out on so much due to the war.

Some huts I have not previously mentioned, were the carpenters shop and a jail, yes, even a full camp had it’s own jail for those who were not prepared to tow the line.

The remains of the huts still show evidence of the ‘mod cons’ that were installed, bearing in mind that the housing in the area at the time was generally built with outside sanitation, and no hot running water. (we have all heard the tales of the bath in front of the fire, some of us have experienced them). Many still didn’t have electricity. Yet, such was the hope that ‘our lads’ abroad would be treated fairly if we treated the prisoners here well, that there was every thing to make their stay more welcoming. The prisoners of course enhanced this by transforming the outsides of the dormitory huts into gorgeous flower gardens.

One of the skills honed by the prisoners was carpentry. This was used not only as a practical skill, but to make toys and gifts.

Some of the toys were presented by the prisoners to local children for Christmas following a visit to Durham Cathedral. (notice the famous sanctuary knocker in the background.) There are still some toys in existence today that were made by POWs from the camp.

The inmates also made gifts for each other and for the families of the farms that they worked on, with many close relationships being forged during this time. With lovely stories of washbags, brushes, cuckoo clocks and slippers. A pair of the slippers still exist today, albeit in an exceptionally fragile state, they are an exquisite piece of craftsmanship with no detail spared, although I am not too sure that comfort was the prime consideration, durability most certainly was.

There was also a room for learning, and rest and relaxation. (not that there would have been much time for the latter, between working a full time hard labour job on the land, in mines or quarries) the “Kanteen” provided such a space. The Kanteen at Harperley has some rather unique and understated treasures. Saved from the elements many years ago by Heritage grants, the walls of the hut are home to some wonderful works of art, painted directly onto the walls by the inmates, these intricate and special paintings take you, not only back in time, but to places that were obviously very special to the artist (or artists). I say artists, because when you look at the works closely, those on one side of the hut are painted in a very different style to those on the other. Yet all depict what would be images of ‘home’ to the majority of the prisoners, with some of the scenery having been recognised as the Rhine, the Loralea and possibly the Alps. The boys in Lederhosen are an obvious give away too.

Sadly, the image of the plough horses in the photograph are no longer there, the wall they were on having been demolished decades ago before anyone realised the value of saving such works of art.

Artwork on walls of Kanteen

Entertainment is paramount to raising moral, back to the 1940s when the Entertainments National Services Association, (ENSA) was keeping the troops entertained, to modern day armed services, who are regularly entertained by the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) who provide morale boosting entertainment from live shows to podcasts, radio and streaming services for service personnel and have done so since 1946.

Keeping up the morale of prisoners was hugely important too, these mostly young gentlemen were miles away from friends and family, kept in situ and had to work, one would suspect initially against their will. So entertainment was a must!

Harperley camp had a purpose built theatre, with tiered seating, an orchestra pit, stage with wings, a prompters box and was specially decorated to resemble the large theatres in the outside world, with comedy and tragedy masks above the stage, complete with golden scrolls, stage curtains and trellis work covered hessian sacking on the walls.

The good news for those visiting today is that the theatre is still very much there. Having been the second hut to receive a grant to allow weather proofing, the hut is very much as it was internally only now, as with the Kanteen, it sports a wooden, weather proof skin.

It is with the theatre that stories of the camp begin to come alive.

A young German composer, Helmut Enz was an inmate and music, musical theatre and the stage were his world.

Helmut wrote plays, musicals and performances for which he recruited other prisoners to act, sing, dance and have a great load of fun. The performances were offered not only to other inmates and officers, but also open to the public. They were widely enjoyed and patronised by all.

With local families attending performances and sales of goods made or grown by the prisoners.

The onstage sets were made by the prisoners, as were the exquisite costumes, with tales that the commandants wife loaned a frock or two to help enhance the performances.

The most well documented of the performances by the prisoners is named “Melody of Love” a copy of the printed scenario remains today.

The advertisement for the production of “Melody of Love” such performances were highly thought of and much enjoyed by locals and inmates alike. I recently chatted with a lovely lady who is now in her 92nd year, yet remembers visiting the prison as a young girl along with her mother.

Jean Hirst, recalls so many tales from her visits to the camp, from her first love to snowdrifts. Here is her story.

“I was very young when I went to Harperley with my Mam. We went to see a show. EEEh it was marvelous! They had a huge theatre with a big stage and so many seats, there were rows and rows of them, LOTs of people went and eeeh it was marvelous!

They had a carousel on the stage like a real fairground ride, I thought it was amazing. I asked my Mam where the ladies came from on the stage, and she laughed at me and told me that they were men dressed up, eeeh, you couldn’t tell, they were very very good.

The place was spotless, so clean the Germans kept the place wonderful my mam talked about how clean it always was with her friends and my Grandma.

We went into another building, with a long table, and it [the table] was filled with all kinds of things that the prisoners had made, there were cuckoo clocks, bags, purses you name it, all hand made and from nothing, because they had nothing.

Then there was Billy, he was young and my friend he was working at Girtie Ashcroft’s farm, and I cried when he had to go home after the war, but he had to go, we were best friends, but he had his Mam and Dad and had to go home. He and most of the other Germans were young, they had been pulled out of school to join the army and told that if they cried for their Mams on a nighttime they would be shot. But they were treated lovely here, the prison was a lovely place, they had school and all sorts there.

Another Billy played the organ in the Essington Cathedral in Germany. There was another called Rudi.

My Mam used to plait my hair up and over my head, and when Billy sent a photo to his mam she asked who the German girl was [laughs].

I remember the prisoners coming to Crook all the time to look around the shops, they were lovely.

There was once, it had been snowing a lot, we used to get a lot of snow in those days, and it was over my head high, I was playing where some had been shovelled away and Billy was there too, he had been shovelling, this other prisoner who was called George came over, lifted me up and chucked me into the deep snow. Billy told him off and said he would kill him if he touched me again. They all thought that George should not really be with them as he was there under false pretences and should have been sent to the other camp with the Nazis as they weren’t at Harperley. I loved Billy.

EEh but the stage was beautiful, I remember it so clearly. as they weren’t at Harperley. I loved Billy.

EEh but the stage was beautiful, I remember it so clearly.”

as told by Jean Hirst 08/04/2025

Prisoners

Stories as told by the families of those who were imprisoned at camp 93

Some of the prisoners who were held in the camp.

Gerhard Heydon

Gerard Heyden former POW Harperley Camp

Gerhard Hand Jergen Heydon.

Training to be a teacher at a college in Techentin, Gerhard left at the age of 19 to join the army. Taking advantage of the fact that the authorities delayed 'call up' by six months if you enlisted of your own accord and finish your schooling. He joined the youth division of the "SS" in what he saw at the time as a well organised regiment with a good reputation. Remaining oblivious to the horror stories that have since been told and are portrait via film and other media. Having zero weapons training, but a fabulous sense of camaraderie, the young German made the most of his time in the army.

His experiences in the army were somewhat beyond his initial expectations, with his regiment, the "Panzergrenadiere" having been transferred to France. The task ahead of these young soldiers? To walk ahead of the tanks, men were cheaper to replace than a brand new armoured tank. There was still no fighting to be done only a lot of exercises. Food was scarce and Gerhard and his pals got sentenced to three days in army jail for killing a Turkey to eat. However, his time was never served as the allied invasion had begun and it was all hands to work. The 'D-Day' landings saw Gerhard captured and moved to Scotland for what he felt was a fortnight, then taken by passenger liner to New Amsterdam before going on to America. For all this sounds like a fabulous adventure, and in today's climate I am sure that the same journey would be filled with a host of excited tales to tell, but if one can imagine a ship full of young soldiers, most of whom were reported to suffer sea sickness whilst having to rely on interpreters to make themselves understood. Then it is easy to see what an unpleasant journey this must have been. Gerhard stated that he worked in the Great Lake Sugar Factory, which was situated on a farm in Nebraska. He enjoyed his time there, making the most of spending his small amounts of wages on clothing, and other items from the canteen. This was short lived, because at the end of the war, items in the canteen simply disappeared, and according to Gerhard, there was only "Coca-Cola and soap" left. The stories of the time were that things were only going to get worse when the soldiers who were on the front line came home. However, to the relief of Gerhard and other detainees, the American soldiers had been through a rough time too, and the prisoners were treated well by them.

His journey to England began in 1947 when word went around the camps that the were "going home". Kitted in American uniforms and with a rucksack full of cigarettes, they were once more ocean bound. Rumours were that they were going home to "rebuild Germany". Not so, the prisoners were then made to march for kilometres, carrying their supplies before once again finding themselves in a camp. A place with watch towers and barbed wire somewhere in Belgium and very little else. Their cigarettes quickly became currency and were exchanged at extortionate rates for a simple loaf of bread, and as any personal belongings were removed, the soldiers found themselves only in possession of an American issued sleeping bags which they then had confiscated too. Their uniforms were replaced by English ones, which were adorned with patches on the knees and colour coded triangles. They were clearly noticeable and marked as POWs.

A father and son moment before Gerhard was called to arms

A father and son moment before Gerhard was called to arms

Early Days at Teacher Training College, Techentin

Gerhard and his father proudly sporting their "SS" uniforms

Where next?

The newly attired prisoners found themselves split into groups and sent in various directions. Gerhard was sent to Crook, County Durham prior to being sent to Harperley, Working Camp 93. They war may have been over, but there was a huge labour shortage and the UK government continued to detain those who had been POWs and use them as 'forced labour'. Gerhard worked alongside other detainees at a variety of jobs. They worked on local farms during hay making, diverted streams, laboured in a local quarry and worked at the former Instructional Camp, at Bedburn planting trees, those trees are now what we know as Hamsterley Forest. The 'workers' received between 5 and 9 shillings per week, a meagre amount even by 1940s standards. They were all resourceful and quickly realised that they could supplement their income by making the type of goods that we mentioned earlier. Gerhard made ladies sandals from leather he bought locally from his small wage.

Due to the slackening of restrictions, the prisoners were allowed to socialise locally meaning that friendships and relationships soon developed. One such friendship would lead to a lifetime of love for Gerhard. A short stay at a satellite camp found took him to a place that was situated next door to a Womans Land Army Hostel. Local dances and trips to the pub were a frequent thing, Gerhard spotted his beloved Jean, and in his words, "her other boyfriend didn't stand a chance once Gerhard arrived on the scene!"

Jean with other Woman's Land Army Girls outside their hostel in Durham.

Jean with other Woman's Land Army Girls outside their hostel in Durham.

A whirlwind romance later (4 months to be exact!) and the pair were married. Despite protests from Jean's family at her having a relationship with a German, who they refused to acknowledge for six months, referring to him as Jean's "company". They did relent however, and once meeting they became a solid one, they all "got along famously". As did Gerhard and Jean, who remained happily married for 47 years.

Gerhard and Jean's Wedding 1948

Gerhard and Jean's Wedding 1948

Early days, with two of their dogs

Fast forward, a few decades, still very much in love and still enjoying being surrounded by pets

Gerald, the only son of Gerhard and Jean

Freedom and Family

Jean and Gerhard had a son whom they named Gerald. Due to Jean's ill health following his birth, they never had more children. Gerald was much loved by his family and close friends, but his Germanic roots caused him to be the victim of violent school bullies, a secret he tried to keep to himself until the bruises were spotted by his parents. Once parents and teachers were aware the bullying ceased. But it left scars, mental scars that tore Gerald away from all things German, he would grow to be, in Gerhard's words "110 % English!" Refusing to have anything to do with Germany, or anything associated (his father the exception) even refusing to acknowledge other family members.

It is Gerald's son Scott Heyden that we have to thank for sharing the images and stories about his Grandfather.

Any German who stayed in Britain after the war years, had to carry documentation and identification around with them, and endure regular travels to the local police station to get them signed and stamped. What a relief it must have been to get that last stamp in the book.

Gerhard went on to live a long and happy life, a much loved Husband, Father and Grandfather. He kept his German passport up to date throughout his lifetime and made several return trips to Germany, but always returned to his adopted home. He enjoyed family reunions and entertained his brother when he visited too.

Family and Goodbye

Gerhard and Jean lived many happy years together, enjoying regular outings and family gatherings before being buried together at The Church of St Michael and All Angels at Middleton Tyas.

Church of St Michael and All Angels, Middleton Tyas