Tweedsmuir Military Camp

HelloI came across your site by pure chance! I had a few minutes to spare, typed in Diddington Polish Camp into Google and there was the link to your web site. I notice that you, Zen, were born in Diddington Hospital, as was I. I was wondering whether you have any information about the camp. Looking at the various links about this area in Google, I can't help thinking that there seems to be a lot of interest in the camp Diddington. Thank you for taking the time to write such a comprehensive web site and keep up the good work. Regards Elka S.

Hi, I was astounded and uplifted to view your site via Google. I have an ongoing interest to research as much information as possible to find out more about Tweedsmuir and the life around it. I, together with an older sister, Bozena, was born in the camp in March 1951 (sic), and I still believe I can recollect living there, even though my family moved to London circa 1955. I would be very interested to know if any documents exist that list the names of families living there.   Kind regards,   Richard Kociolkowski

Dear Zen and Wies I am writing to you from Kitimat, which is in the very west of Northern British Columbia, Canada. I decided to email you after reading your website about Tweedsmuir Camp. I am a school teacher and researching a project on Canada's Yukon territory - its geography, history and the like. I found parts of your website appropriate to my lessons and am considering using them.   You may be wondering just how your site links in with the work I am doing with my school children. Well, one aspect of my research has focused on Yukon hut accommodation. Having typed into my search engine 'Yukon huts', your description of the Construction of Tweedsmuir Camp popped up.   The very best to you both. Regards,   Jolanta Waszalewska P.S. Like yours, my life started with my parents fleeing Poland after the Second World War.

Hi Zen and Wies, I like the new website. Congratulations! Chris

Hello Thank you for producing a really good site. I was born in England and lived in Witley, a short distance from Thursley, for fifty years. The remains of Tweedsmuir Camp therefore soon became the local kids' playground. The buildings had gone but the concrete roads were still there.   My wife's father was based at the camp before going overseas. She is the reason I now live in Canada where I have met men who passed through this huge camp.   I would be interested to hear the condition of the camp now. Thank you   Peter Webb

Hello, Great website.  Found it when I was looking for something very different. My grandparents came over in 1945 and lived at Tweedsmuir - Jan & Janina Kot.  They loved Thursley so much they later moved to Homefield Cottages where they stayed for the rest of their lives.   They rest now at St Michaels Church, Thursley. I often heard about the camp when my babcha was making bigos or pierogi for me.  Does anyone remember them?  They had 3 children at the camp, one of whom is my mother.  From a young age I was shown the remaining brick at Tweedsmuir that marks the corner or their home before it was demolished - it's still there to this day and I can find it still, even in the dark! I would love to hear from anyone who remembers them or the rest of my family. Carl

Dear Wies and Zen We have really enjoyed reading your website. We are twin sister and brother who were born in St Lukes hospital Guildford. Our family lived in Bowlhead Green until we reached the age of 8 when our parents decided to emigrate. We now live in Leeston, New Zealand with our own families.   Reading about Tweedsmuir, reminded us of the times we used to visit friends in Thursley on hot summer afternoons after walking from home with mum for what seemed like hours. The photos of Thursley are wonderful - they bring back so many memories!   We hope to visit England this summer and, time permitting, would like to visit the area (including the camp) before we get too old. There's probably not much of it left now. Thank you   Katy and Jon

Dear Zen and Wies, I just don't believe it!! Among some of my parent's old papers, I recently found their marriage certificate. It states that they were married in St Edmunds church in Godalming, England at the end of January 1949. Apparently Father Gajda performed the ceremony. A demob passbook that belonged to my dad shows that he and my mom lived in Tweedsmuir Camp until September 1949 when they emigrated to America. Could it possibly be the same camp you two have written about on the web? I now live in Lancaster, America. My parents, both of whom have passed away, settled near here in 1949. I have my own family now. I must admit to never having thought about Camp Tweedsmuir or England until I pieced together my family history! How small the world has become because of the internet. I would love to come over to the UK and perhaps meet with you. Maybe you could show me around the place?! Regards Stan Mieborski

Firstly, can I say I love the new design...and the additional links. This is the reason I`m in contact again. After seeing the link to Diddington, I telephoned my mother, who grew up in Tweedsmuir. She said that her birth was registered in St Neots...would that have been the case for children born in Diddington??? Many thanks Richard Bond (Grandson of Augustine and Josaphene Chruszcz) (The answer to Richard's question is 'yes'. All births in Diddington Camp/Polish Hospital were registered at the nearest register office, which was in St Neots.)

Hello! Like your other readers I too have been impressed by your website and would like to congratulate you both on a very distinguished piece of work. My parents lived in the camp for a very short length of time, although I'm not too sure of the dates - it was for a few months in 1948 to 1949. My dad never really spoke about his childhood so I know very little about his background, except that he was born in Poland and served in the 1st Polish Corps. He met my mum in Scotland where they married. They didn't stay too long in the UK because they felt they would get a better life abroad and so they emigrated to Australia at the end of the summer in 1949 under the assisted passage scheme. In 1950 my dad found a job as a carpenter, repairing boats in Tazmania where I now live. My parents are both dead now and I live alone in a small house near the coast. I regard the internet as a large electronic window through which I can see the world. I'm so glad I found your website as it has explained many aspects of my father's life. I shall visit your website as often as I can. Thank you so much. Helena

Dear Zen and Wies I am currently completing a Masters degree in Europan history and have recently been set an essay, which I have been researching on the web. Having read the parts of your web site relevant to my assignment, I felt compelled to simply e-mail and congratulate both of you on your endeavour.   A very thorough piece of work if I may say so. Jonathan Urquhart

Hi, Just seen the article and decided that I must comment. I was born there in 1949, my parents lived there until I guess 1951 approx. My father, who died in 2008 aged 93, was with Gen Maczek's 1st Armoured Division.   Best wishes Wieslaw Jasica (Wieslaw e-mailed us about Diddington Camp / Hospital)

Hello, Some great information on your web site. Thought I'd e-mail you to simply let you know that I lived in Diddington Camp with my parents before we shipped out to the States. We moved to Diddington from another camp in the UK - I don't remember its name though. Josef Baniek

A big hello from Doetinchem, Nederland I have had interest in your web site for many weeks because I have been reading it. My father was in Polish parachute brigade. He met my mother during Second World War and came back to Arnhem to marry her when the war ended. I know little about his life, except that he was born in Radzanowo in 1923.   I visited Radzanowo with my family 5 years ago. It is a lovely place.   Best wishes to you both Zosia van Dijk (Piastawa)

Hi folks, I was born at 22 Diddington in 1964 and lived there until 1973/4. I used to play over the camp and can remember the original road system and the ruins of the huts. There was also a concrete lorry service pit near the A1. I also used to play in the grounds of (the demolished) Diddington Hall and remember amongst other things a large ornamental pond that has since been filled in. My grandmother, Irene (Rene) Darnell, used to work at the hall and the hospital and used to wash and iron the nurses and doctors uniforms. Sadly, my grandmother passed away a couple of years ago therefore I cannot provide any further memories from her. There are a couple of pieces of information on your Diddington Camp article that I would like to discuss. Firstly, the article says that the camp was cleared in 1967/68 although I think it might have been a bit later than that as I am sure it was not cleared before I left Diddington in 1973/4. However, childhood memories can be a bit of a blur. Note - I remember Gerald Carpenter and went to school with his daughters. Secondly, the Polish 'monument' that was such a fascinating source of mystery to me as a child has not been demolished and I attach pictures of it that I took last week. I hope these are useful to you. It is located 250m north-east of the church. If you have an email address for Dave Dodman would you please pass this info on? Dave may find it useful to know the monument still exists. Thanks for the great website, and for the pictures of the camp, in particular the aerial shots. I have worked out where I used to play. Kind regards, Richard Andrew (We have amended the article about which Richard has e-mailed. You can read it here.)

Hello again. I have recently re-visited your website and noticed that you are establishing an exhibition about Tweedsmuir camp. Although I know nothing about the camp, I think this will be a valuable addition to our Polish heritage and wish you every success with it.   Regards to you both Josef Baniek

Hi, Really interesting site - I was born and lived at Rushmoor on the other side of Hankley Common. I remember I was friends with a boy from the camp - we would have been about 5-9 years of age in the middle/late 1950s? I attended Tilford Primary School and I presume I might have met him there. I only remember his as Kot. Whether that was his first name or perhaps his family name, I don't know. Having read the message from Carl about the Kot family, it started me thinking. I remember visiting the camp and staying overnight - he also stayed at mine. I vaguely remember that his father might have worked at a canning factory in the London area and that he travelled up at the beginning of the week and then came back at the end of the week. Might have that wrong though!! Would be very interested to know if anyone could enlighten me further. Kind Regards, Mick Tuffs (We have e-mailed the person to whom Mick has referred and are waiting for a reponse.)

Hi, I too found your site by using google. I had been researching my late fathers ww2 service at nearby RAF Graveley and Diddington came up, though no connection. I also recently read a history of Buckden that gives a connection with the USA forces from Diddington. I've lived in nearby St.Neots for over 60 years and was amazed at the nearby site of a hospital at Diddington. A quick look at the birth registers at St Neots shows a great number of Polish sounding names in 1947. The actress Rula Lenska was born in St.Neots and I wonder if there is a connection with Diddington? Keep up the good work. Paul H. Little Paxton just south of Diddington. (In answer to Paul's question, our information shows that Rula Lenska was indeed born in Diddington Camp.)

Hello, I heard about Tweedsmuir Camp on Google from Hania Czarnecka-Borowska who is living in New Jersey, USA. I am also living in the US for the last 40 years. However, I visit England every year for I miss England very much and on every visit I promise myself that I shall visit Tweedsmuir Camp but to date it has not happened. Nevertheless, I hope to do it this year when I visit my sister who lives, incidently,  in Lambourn, Berks. I am in touch with Elzunia Zimna-Hopkins who, incidently, is a very successful woman. She is the first woman, and also the first Pole and foreigner, to be the Regional Representative for Pharmacists in the UK - one can Google Elisabeth Hopkins PSNC.  Elizabeth is also in touch with Krystyna Obara I do not know her married name but they all live in London.   I have very fond memories of Tweedsmuir Camp. My sister and I attended a school in London but we spent our vacations at the camp. It was an idyllic life - riding bikes to Elstead Lake or pond; getting onto a boat or taking a walk in the woods opposite the camp full of  fern and fir trees. In fact I remember when we cut down a small fir tree for Christmas and we were pulling it across the road to the camp when a policeman came on a motorcycle and stopped us - we were ticked off but we managed to keep the tree.   I also remember the Village Shop in Thursley; the one shop that one could buy Mars bars (most important item at the age of nine) today still one of my favourites.  I remember also the 'swietlica' where we played ping pong or attended the occasional dance for minors.   I would love to know what has happened to the Antoniak family. There were two girls - Zosia who was a friend and she had a younger sister. I believe they moved to Elstead or somewhere close by to the Camp.  If anyone out there is in touch with anyone from the camp I would be delighted to hear from them by e-mail (contactmtemmer@gmail.com).   Krystyna Goryniewska

I really appreciated all the fascinating information and glimpse into Polish culture on your website. I live near Guidford and until coming across your website, had no idea that Tweedsmuir had exsisted. Why does it interest me? Well, I was adopted as a baby to a wonderful British family, but have recently learned that my genetic parents were Polish. Unfortunately I have not been able to trace them (so far) and the closest I feel I can get is finding out about the experiences of Polish people/culture who would have been part of my parents/grandparents generations. It is strange to reach almost half a centuary and realise you know so little of your cultural heritage. Thanks for the insight. Annie

Good morning, Just a brief e-mail to say that I am looking forward to seeing the exhibition about Tweedsmuir Camp. My parents, sister and I lived in a nissen hut at Dunsfold airfield after the war. We had a small community there. I vaguely remember travelling by coach to Tweedsmuir Camp for Corpus Christi processions. I now live just south of Great Bookham with my wife. My sister recently moved to Australia where her husband works in the oil industry. Hope to see you when your exhibition opens.   Kazik Foksowicz

I was born on November 13, 1947 in the hospital in Diddington. My earliest memory is Christmas in what must have been 1950. I got a pop gun as my present. My family moved to America that year and I started school in Ohio not speaking English. Today I'm a retired silicon valley, high tech executive. Thank you England for what you gave to my family in the troubled times after the war. George

Congratulations ! A friend from very long ago told me about your site. I am most impressed by the clarity & content. Keep up this great standard. Frank Stepien (Polish descent)