Chronology of Noteworthy Events - Part 4 The last nine years of Tweedsmuir's history were chequered with uncertainty for both its administrators and occupants. In an attempt to hasten Tweedsmuir's demise, the War Office elected to close it by the end of 1949. This prompted The Polish Combatants Association to copy a lengthy letter on behalf of the camp's Polish residents to ten different military and civilian authorities, outlining the reasons why the camp should remain open thus delaying its closure for a further ten or so years. (After more than 60 years since Tweedsmuir Camp first housed the PRC, not all related correspondence between the War Office (WO) London and various civilian authorities has survived. The documentation that does exist, however, illustrates the tensions experienced by several interested parties before the camp was eventually closed and dismantled.) 1948 22 January 1948 Responding to a National Assistance Board (NAB) communique Mr Haines (WO) wrote to Mr Scanlan (NAB), stating that no civilian Polish people (ex-PRC personnel) were being housed in Tweedsmuir and that no such cases had been reported to the War Office 'F1' Section. 3 February 1948 Col. Labouchere (Deputy Administrator, Polish Forces, WO) wrote to the NAB, stating that as soon as the WO made a decision about what they proposed to do with Tweedsmuir Camp they would let the NAB know. 15 August 1948 The 501 Basic Unit PRC (who had arrived at the camp on 11 July 1947) were disbanded on this day and required to join the 503 Basic Unit at Institute Camp in Wiltishire. 15 November 1948 Tweedsmuir Camp was redesignated as a families camp. 1949 17 January 1949 Since both the Secretary of State for War and Minister of Labour were displeased with the "... slowness of the run-down of the PRC", Major-General McLeod was required to attend a meeting of the Parliamentary Secretaries "... with the view to deciding what steps could be taken to accelerate ..." the disbandment of the PRC. 27 January 1949 McLeod wrote a letter to the Administration Polish Forces Section at the WO, requesting that the question of "PRC run-down" be answered soonest. 8 February 1949 A hand written memorandum from a Mr Hartland (post of this official unknown) to Mr Walton (NAB) records that at the start of 1949 Tweedsmuir Camp housed "family groups", comprising "72 males and 94 females" and that the NAB Regional Officer, Mr Bourn, was assessing both the collection of maintenance charges and payment of pocket money in respect of these 166 Polish people. 4 March 1949 More than one year on and the WO still had not informed the NAB about a decision regarding the future of Tweedsmuir Camp (see 3 February 1948). Walton (NAB) wrote to Labouchere, demanding a decisive resolution. Meanwhile, the NAB Regional Officer was still collecting maintenance charges and paying out 'pocket money' to Tweedsmuir's occupants. 8 March 1949 In his reply to Walton, Labouchere explained that since the War Department (WD) were acting "as agents" for the NAB, collecting maintenance charges and issuing pocket money based on the assessments made by the Regional Officer (RO), the RO's role in this matter remained small and unchanged. Underneath the letter Walton wrote a note to Mr Jones (NAB), expressing his dissatisfaction with the WO stance. Walton also stated that the camp was in effect a WO housing estate for which the WO should be responsible. He wanted the affair investigated to find how it could be resolved. 13 March 1949 Jones wrote an internal memo (for file), noting that Algonquin Camp had now been closed and all its personnel moved to Tweedsmuir. Addressing his remarks to Mr Scanlan (NAB), Jones informed him that the NAB were endeavouring to "shed Tweedsmuir" but that it was proving difficult because the camp was occupied by civilian Polish people "... in work for employers other than the WD." (Under the 1947 Polish Resettlement Act, the welfare of ex-PRC personnel employed by civilian contractors became the responsibility of the NAB and it was for this reason that Tweedsmuir was difficult to 'shed'.) 17 March 1949 Jones requested that Scanlan should investigate the NAB's financial responsibility regarding Tweedsmuir (as well as other camps in the Witley group). 22 March 1949 Scanlan wrote to Haines (WO), quoting Haines' letter to the NAB dated 22 January 1948. Scanlan wanted to know how the WO viewed the NAB's responsibility regarding the civilian Polish families living in Tweedsmuir, the majority of whom were employed by the WD. In his letter Scanlan referred to Tweedsmuir as a War Office camp. 24 May 1949 British Advisory Staff, Polish Resettlement Corps at the War Office issued a communique that included a record of the number of civilians in Tweedsmuir Camp employed by the WD, charges made for their maintenance and administrative arrangements for collecting the charges. 31 May 1949 Walton (NAB) wrote to Mr Stewart at the Ministry of Labour and National Service (MoL and NS), asking about the possibility of Tweedsmuir being set up as a temporary housing estate. The request was endorsed by the Town Clerk, Godalming. 17 June 1949 Haines (WO) replied to Scanlan's letter of 22 March 1949. In it Haines outlined the financial implications for the NAB, which were summarised by Scanlan in a memo (dated 18 June 1949) to Jones. Haines suggested that monetary arrangements at Tweedsmuir be brought in line with NAB charges and proposed that since the PRC were to be disbanded by 30 September 1949 matters should be left as they were. 18 June 1949 Scanlan wrote a memo to Jones, summarising the NAB's financial position with regard to Tweedsmuir Camp. He explained that the NAB was probably worse off slightly "... in view of the number of children ..." in the camp. 19 June 1949 Mr Bailey (MoL and NS) replied to Walton's letter of 31 May 1949, stating that employment opportunities in the area did not warrant Tweedsmuir Camp being set up as a housing estate. 6 July 1949 NAB agreed with the WO proposal of 17 June 1949 that financial arrangements at Tweedsmuir should not be altered because of the impending disbandment of the PRC. 12 August 1949 Jones penned a memo to Walton, proposing the WO be informed that their agency agreement with the NAB should cease. Jones also suggested that the civilian Polish occupants of Tweedsmuir "... should be left to make their own arrangements if they wished to stay in the camp." Jones understood that the WO was negotiating with the local authority (Hambledon Rural District Council, hereafter referred to as HRDC) to take over the camp as a housing estate. As a consequence, Walton and Jones made the decision to limit the NAB's involvement in Tweedsmuir and agreed to let the WO "... raise the question of disposal of civilian ..." Polish families in the camp. 17 August 1949 Scanlan (NAB) wrote to Haines (WO), explaining that after 30 September 1949 Tweedsmuir would be the only military camp likely to be open for housing civilian Polish people. He anticipated the WO would make their own preparations for housing Tweedsmuir's civilians as from 1 October 1949, when WO agency arrangments with the NAB would cease. 7 September 1949 Haines telephoned Scanlan, saying that the WO was prepared to agree to cease agency arrangements with the NAB, adding that he proposed to charge Tweedsmuir's occupants the same rates as those levied by the NAB in other hostels. 8 September 1949 Scanlan wrote an internal memo to Walton and Mr Ottley (both of the NAB). He made clear the position regarding WO involvement in Tweedsmuir - that after 30 September 1949 the WO agency arrangement with the NAB would cease completely. At the bottom of the memorandum Walton had written, "This is a most satisfactory conclusion." 9 September 1949 Haines replied formally to Scanlan's letter, dated 17 August 1949, making clear that the NAB's involvement in Tweedsmuir would end with effect from Saturday, 17 September 1949. He also stated that proposed WO charges made to Tweedsmuir's occupants would fall in line with NAB charges. 21 September 1949 Haines (WO) wrote to Jones (NAB), declaring that whilst the WO were keeping Tweedsmuir open for PRC personnel employed at the Pay and Records Office Witley, his superiors preferred that the so called "civilianised Poles" (families of, and former, PRC personnel) be moved out of the camp by the NAB. 7 October 1949 Lt. Col. Harbourne, Aftermath Liaison Section PRC/PLF Affairs, London wrote a somewhat churlish letter to Walton (see 'Anxieties Over Closure of Tweedsmuir Camp' section of this website). Referring to the families living in Tweedsmuir, Harbourne affirmed that the Liaison Section were now wanting "to get rid of the bodies employed as seasonal labour as early as possible" and the rest of the camp's occupants by the end of 1949. He requested that Walton help close the camp, writing that the WO were pressing "... hard for the early closing of Tweedsmuir and we (Liaison Section) should be very grateful if you (NAB) could solve the problem for us." (PLF is an abbreviation for Polish Land Forces). 17 October 1949 Ottley (NAB) replied to Harbourne, advising that the NAB could not solve the problem for the Liaison Section because the people in the camp "... were in no different position from any other (Polish person) in any part of the country ..." who had been demobbed from the PRC. In such cases "... the normal machinary of the MoL should operate and, if necessary, the benefits of the various social services applied for." Ottley saw no reason why the NAB should depart from this decision. 14 November 1949 The WO gave notice that they proposed to close Tweedsmuir. All residents were required to vacate their premises by 31 December 1949. 18 November 1949 The Polish Combatants Association distributed a letter on behalf of Tweedsmuir's occupants to various civilian and military authorities, outlining why the camp should not be closed (see the 'Anxieties Over Closure of Tweedsmuir Camp' section of this website). 21 November 1949 Jones wrote a memo to Ottley, stating that the NAB were "... resisting individual applications for admission to hostels in the light of Ottley's letter to Harbourne dated 17 October 1949." At the bottom of the memo Jones noted, "I think we should let the next move come from the WO." Ottley agreed. 23 November 1949 Ottley (NAB) wrote to Stewart (MoL and NS). He referred Stewart to Walton's letter dated 31 May 1949, casting doubt as to whether the situation regarding poor employment opportunities still held good and, with reference to setting up Tweedsmuir as a housing estate, wondered whether the MoL and NS "... would look at the matter again." Without "wishing to appear unhelpful", he reiterated the NAB's viewpoint that they did "... not regard the rehousing of these people (Tweedsmuir's occupants) as (the NAB's) job." Since the WO was to close the camp by 31 Decmebr 1949, Ottley regarded "... the problem as a matter of urgency." 1950 25 May 1950 Jones (NAB) wrote a lengthy memo for the file. In it he stated that Maj. Green (WO) telephoned regarding the Witley group of camps, which included Tweedsmuir. Mrs Mackay, Regional Welfare Officer at the MoL, had been asked to find other employment for the men in Tweedsmuir but the difficulty was as usual - the rehousing of families. HRDC took over Tweedsmuir Camp as a housing estate and immediately dismantled all huts not in use. Maj. Green said he had been talking to the contractors responsible for dismantling the camp who stated that huts on the site could not be dismantled for 12 months. No reason(s) given as to why. 1952 21 January 1952 Capt. G Davies, Chairman of HRDC, inspected the huts at Dunsfold Aerodrome where 16 Polish families had lived; 5 families had been there since 1946, 3 since 1947 and 8 since 1948. He reported that conditions for these families were so bad that he recommended they stayed there for no longer than 3 years. The Tenants Selection Committee was requested "... that for every 6 new houses allocated, at least 1 family be taken out of the huts." 8 December 1952 One possibility considered by HRDC for rehousing Polish families was the erection of 'Cornish style houses', which were prefabricted concrete units. After some deliberation, the council rejected these units because "... there was nothing to recommend the erection of these houses in preference to traditionally built houses apart from speed of erection." The council resolved "... that such houses be not built in the Hambledon rural district." (During 1952 HRDC considered other options for rehousing Polish families, which included serving compulsory purchase orders on land where new houses could be built. Two such schemes were located in Elstead, one on what was called the Nursery site and the other on a site called 'Springfield' - so named because in the 1800s, in one corner of a field, a natural spring created a pool where cattle were watered. In 1954 HRDC named the principal road on the Nursery site as 'Broomfield' and the cul-de-sac as 'Hazelwood'.) 1953 9 February 1953 The District Valuer informed the council that the Nursery site at Elstead was "... purchased at a negotiated price ...", negating the necessity "... for a compulsory purchase order." A letter from a Mr JB Proper was received by HRDC in respect of various "... sundry details relating to the development of the Nursery site at Elstead and it was resolved to hand a copy to the council's Engineer and Surveyor for his attention." Agreement was reached that 25% of the Nursery site should be allocated for private building. The remaining 75% of the area was assigned for council accomodation. 9 March 1953 A tentative layout for housing at the Nursery site in Elstead was presented to the council by the Engineer and Surveyor subject to the "... acquisition of further land and to the access road being made under the Private Street Works Act to ensure that half the cost be borne by owners of the private properties benefiting thereby." Circular No. 6/35, raising the question of non-traditional housing was received by the housing committee "... but it was felt that it called for no action." 11 May 1953 Ministry of Housing and Local Government (MoH and LG) informed HRDC by letter "... that no further expenditure would be allowed upon the huts at Dunsfold and the huts at Tweedsmuir Camp." After considerable discussion "... it was resolved to recommend that the occupants of the huts at Dunsfold Camp be rehoused ... and that the huts, as vacated, be demolished and that ... the same policy be applied to Laurentide Camp and Tweedsmuir Camp." In what amounted to a U-turn, it was felt that "... in order to expedite the policy, some sites should be found whereon some non-traditional houses be erected." 9 November 1953 The Clerk reported that a Notice to Treat had been served on Mr Ham of Elstead in respect of land he owned, which was the subject of a compulsory purchase order. The council resolved to accept the advice of Messrs. Smallpiece and Merriman to take no further steps in the matter at that time. The Engineer and Surveyor was asked to report to the next meeting of the General Purpose Committee in order that a date be agreed for taking possession of Mr Ham's land. The Clerk also reported a successful meeting between the Engineer and Surveyor, Mr Gocher, his solicitor and the Clerk upon the acquisition of a piece of land next to Elstead House and that the suggested settlement by the District Valuer was accepted. Owing to his having been misinformed, the Clerk said that "... he mis-stated at the last meeting that Elstead House had been sold." In fact the purchase of Elstead House by HRDC was continuing. Since "... this invloved the purchase of the strip of land owned by Mr Murrell, abutting upon Ham Lane, it was agreed to approach Mr Murrell again with the view to purchase the land by agreement." 1954 10 May 1954 Layout of the Nursery site in Elstead was agreed in principle. The council also viewed plans for a site at Clappers Meadow, Alfold but it is not clear whether or not this site was included in the scheme for rehousing Polish families who lived in military camps at the time. 9 June 1954 A letter from the MoH and LG authorised the demolition of Elstead House and it was reported to the council that "... on receipt of this authority, the work had been commenced." HRDC sought to purchase land in Roke Lane, Witley. As with the site at Clappers Meadow in Alfold, it is not clear whether or not this was part of the scheme for rehousing Polish families. It was on this day that the council resolved "... that the principal road to be constructed on the Nursery site in Elstead be known as 'Broomfield' and that the cul-de-sac be known as 'Hazelwood'." 24 August 1954 In response to a memo from the MoH and LG, which asked for particulars about the number of houses to be erected by HRDC during 1955 for specific purpose of "rehousing hut dwellers" "replacement of category 5 dwellings", the council resolved to inform the ministry that the estimate for these two purposes be 50 and 40. (The term 'hut dwellers' referred to the Polish people living in military camps at the time). 1955 7 March 1955 The Principal Regional Officer of the MoH and LG authorised HRDC to let contracts for 90 houses. Despite this being a provisional figure, HRDC "... resolved to recommend that of the 90 houses, 25 be used for housing 'hut dwellers', 20 be for rehousing occupiers of category 5 houses and 45 be used for ordinary housing applicants." 1956 7 May 1956 It was decided as a matter of policy to start rehousing Laurentide and Tweedsmuir occupants as soon as practicable. Where existing houses were vacated by council tenants who purchased houses or plots at Elstead, such existing houses were to be allocated to Polish families. 1957 26 April 1957 Layout plans for bungalows, which were to be erected on the Springfield site at Elstead, were received by HRDC. 6 May 1957 The Clerk reiterated the policy previously approved by the council, which reaffirmed the provision of houses in various parts of the district for Polish families. HRDC agreed that "... there should be no deviation from 30 September 1957 ..." as the closing date for both Laurentide and Tweedsmuir Camps. Polish families who intended to purchase their own property were to "... be advised, in their own interests, to move out as quickly as possible." Those who remained in the camps were to be reminded that they would have had "... to go to any of the 16 parishes in the rural district if rehoused by the council." Ten houses adjoining the main road at Elstead were to be made available for s ale. 9 May 1957 HRDC received layout plans for 3 pairs of houses, which were to be erected on the Springfield site. 21 June 1957 The layout plans received by HRDC on 26 April 1957 and 9 May 1957 were withdrawn and amended plans submitted. 31 December 1957 Amended plans for Springfield site, submitted on 21 June 1957 were received by the housing committee. 1958 18 January 1958 Layout plans for bungalows, flats and garages, which were to be erected on the Nursery site (Hazelwood) were withdrawn. 26 February 1958 Amended plans for the Nursery site, Elstead were received and "allowed" by the housing committee. The amendment included one additional bungalow. 1959 29 April 1959 An 'Agreement and Conditions of Building Contract' was drawn up between HRDC and Benjamin George Merrison of Churt, Surrey to construct the dwellings on the Nursery site (Hazelwood) in Elstead. (When, between the end of 1959 and start of 1960, the Nursery site houses at Elstead were nearing completion, HRDC offered them for sale to families in the following order. Existing council tenants, Polish families in Tweedsmuir Camp of which there were 5, housing applicants outside Tweedsmuir Camp. This meant that although HRDC resolved to close Tweedsmuir by the official closing date (no later than 30 September 1957) the process of rehousing the camp's occupants took a further 3 years thus extending Tweedsmuir's life span. Any family(ies) remaining in the camp would have been required to move into property in one of the 16 parishes specified by the council.) Copyright © 2006: Zen and Wies Rogalski Last Revised 18 June 2011 End of Chronology