Brief Description of Content
Aerial Photograph
Copy of an original photograph of Tweedsmuir Camp taken in 1946 by the Royal Air Force. The photograph copyright is owned by English Heritage to whom we are greatly indebted for allowing us to reproduce it.
Chronology of Events
A comprehensive list of events surrounding the history of Tweedsmuir Camp.
Views of Thursley village
As suggested by the title this page carries a number of photographs of Thursley village, which was located in close proximity to Tweedsmuir Camp.
Site before WWII
Four years after the end of the Great War the Ministry of Defence bought the site upon which Tweedsmuir Camp was built. Of course the site looked completely different to its present appearance.
Construction of Tweedsmuir Camp
The construction of Tweedsmuir Camp was commissioned in October 1940 by the War Office, London. The materials were paid for by the British government and diverted from Iceland by the Canadian Army.
Lorne Scots' Arrival in Tweedsmuir Camp
When the construction was complete a detachment of the Lorne Scots Regiment arrived there to administrate it.
Tweedsmuir Camp 1942 - 1947
A fascinating account of events leading up to, during and after the Second World War. It is surprising how central command orders played their part in 1944; even in this small corner of Surrey.
Tweedsmuir Camp 1948 - 1957
Immediately after the cessation of the war, when the camp had supposedly served its purpose and was due for demolition, officials from the War Office decided to keep it open to accommodate personnel who were employed at the PRC Pay and Records Office in Witley Camp. Later, when the PRC was finally wound up in September 1949, around 83 Polish married couples were permitted to temporarily live in Tweedsmuir Camp as they started their lives anew in the UK. Our family was part of that community.
Anxieties of Closure of Tweedsmuir Camp
When the time came to finally close the camp the process took many years, causing anxiety for both the Polish community in Tweedsmuir Camp and British administrators.
A Veteran's Diary
We are very privileged to include on our website photographs and war memoirs belonging to Sgt. (Retired) Bernard Keegan; a Canadian soldier who was detailed to serve in Tweedsmuir Camp during WWII.
Readers' Comments
It has been necessary to make a conscious decision to stop publishing readers' comments on the original website at the end of November 2009. You can find a new 'Readers' Comments' link in the main menu under the website banner above.
External Archives
Many websites have made use of our original work. Some, like The Wey Valley website, have quoted directly from our research at the National Archives, Kew. Others, such as the Canadian Library and Archives, and Surrey County Council in the United Kingdom, recommend our site as a useful historical resource.
