Gpss sawtry\ sawtry prisoner of war camp

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Rolfey

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So me and rubex decided to go for a trip out on the saturday, Visiting another place and then this was our final explore of the day!



Sawtry GPSS (Government Pipeline and Storage System) site. The Government Pipeline and Storage System (GPSS) was established to provide a secure oil distribution network for the United Kingdom at the beginning of World War Two in 1939. Over a period of years the pipeline route has been extended and amended, certain sections renewed and relaid or diverted until it now covers approximately 2,500 km of pipe and associated storage depots, pumping stations and other sites.

Going back before the GPSS this was also a Prisoner of war camp!

The Sawtry prisoner of war (POW) camp housed several hundred Italian POWs in concrete prefabricated buildings and nissen hut accommodation. The camp had its own hospital and a chapel. After the war when the camp closed its accommodation was used temporarily to house local families. This is a image of the POW camp lay out.


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here's my report pictures!!!



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Thanks for Looking!!
 
After the Italian surrender; all Italian POW's ceased to be of POW status and were considered displaced persons - they were thus able to be put to work. Under the Geneva Conventions POW's could not be used as slave labour. This is why the POW camps housing the Italians were altered into holding camps and the inmates went out each day to work on the land or in other employment that needed able bodied men. Although all POW camps for the Italians always had 'Church' facilities, when these camps became displaced person's accommodation, Religious accommodations became more formalised and larger; as one would expect. A number of these men also married into the local communities after the War - having nothing left in Italy to return to.
 
I have done the same I thought it was a water treatment place lol I am 10 mins away from this and thought it was in use after all this time it wasn’t ha!
 
I have done the same I thought it was a water treatment place lol I am 10 mins away from this and thought it was in use after all this time it wasn’t ha!

yeah i'm not a million miles away. i thought it was a farm or a shooting range or something lol
 

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