There were Italian and German prisoners of war located in Chesham and the interview (2mins 37 secs) with Deidre Britten
and Kath Dolling provides some valuable insights into this little-known aspect of Chesham's war-time
history. It would be useful to find out more, so if you have any further information, please contact
the Chesham High history department via the school (use the 'Contact' button on the bar above). We would be particularly interested to know
where the Italian POWs were housed. Rumour has it that it was on the site where Chesham High School
now stands and that the barracks were still being used as classrooms into the 1980s...(the pupils
probably felt at home).
In a brief section (1 min 42 secs), Reggie Gray tells us about the campaign waged by him and his chums to make life for
German POWs as tough as possible, convinced that their British guards were making life too easy for them.
Click on the link, 'Enemy Aliens', to see the fate of one German civilian who fell foul of the
authorities in Chesham in 1940.
