Monument record 15859 - Prisoner of War Camp at Toft Hall

<1> The GeoInformation Group, 2005, 1940s RAF Aerial Photographs from Operation Review, 106G UK 645 (11/08/45), CPE UK 2499 (12/03/48), or 106G UK 1280 (24/03/46) (Aerial Photograph). SCH4608.

Aerial photographs depict an extensive camp covering c.8.5 hectares.

To the north-west of the drive are a number of distinct blocks of huts. Two blocks of six, one of eight, and one of eighteen. Notably, in the larger block, the six middle huts have darker roofs. Further huts are aligned along the immediate north-west of the drive, to the west of the hut blocks, and adjacent to Holmes Chapel Road. This area appears to be enclosed on a least three sides by a fence.

To the south-east, there are huts are aligned along the side of the drive. A further log row of huts (c.13) lie to the south. There is no evidence for a fence surrounding this area.

<2> Newsquest (North West), 2010-2012, This is Cheshire, Pow Camps in Cheshire (21/11/2010) (Web Site). SCH9427.

There were about twenty POW camps in Cheshire including in the north. Toft Hall was said to hold thirty-eight nationalities of which the British recognised twenty-six, each segregated. Many POWs there were on a list of probable war criminals.

<3> Huntings Surveys Ltd, 1971-1973, 1971-1973 County Survey, HSL UK 73 61, Run 34, no. 2581, 16/05/1973 (Aerial Photograph). SCH4881.

The area of the camp to the north-west of the drive is now planted with regular rows of trees. No buildings or other structures associated with the camp appears to survive either side of the drive.

<4> Thomas, R.J.C., 2003, Twentieth Century Military Recording Project: Prisoner of War Camps (1939-1948), p.18 (Report). SCH9428.

A Second World War prisoner of war camp located at Toft Hall (SJ 7538 7626). It was officially called camp no. 2 and is classified as a base camp. It was a large camp situated in parkland to the northeast of Toft Hall. There were twenty huts in the guards compound and fifty-eight in the prisoners compound. It was enclosed by a double perimeter fence with guard towers.

<5> Sanders, M, 2019-2022, WW2 P.O.W. Camps in the UK, Camp 2 (& 190) (Web Site). SCH9429.

Toft Hall camp was opened in 1942 and closed in 1948. Initially it contained Italian prisoners and had a capacity of 1500 men. By 1943-44, the camp was being used along with nearby Peover Hall as the headquarters for the US 3rd Army. In 1944 the camp was reopened as a German working POW camp, with Polish guards. However, it would appear that many of prisoners were of non-German nationalities who had volunteered or been conscripted into the German military. It also served as a transit camp for the American forces who kept their prisoners here before they were deported to the United States.

A local website stated that parts of the foundations to POW huts in the woodland were still visible in 2010.