There has been a request on our Facebook page for information on the World War II prisoner of war camp at Northhill (Now Northhill Park) which lay between Laurencekirk and Auchenblae and was the only such camp in the area.
The Howe o’ the Mearns Heritage Club are keen to collect information and stories about the camp or about the prisoners who were held there.
Initially it was used for Italian soldiers and later, after Italy capitulated, for Germans.
Both groups included men who were permitted out of the camp to undertake farm work and many of those became friends with local folk.
We would be keen to hear about these encounters and also any post-war activities at the camp. At one time it was used to house borstal boys who came to the area to gather tatties.
Michael
Noticed your website and request for details of Northhill POW Camp.
I think this was POW Camp 75, listed in various sources as Northern Hill, near Laurencekirk. I should know more details as my father had not only Drumtochty Forest, but also Inglismaldie (Now called Inverury!) and Fettereso Forest in his charge about 1955.
Will try to go back through the memory for you.
Regards
John Robbie
Hello
My father, Dennis Ritchie, was from Laurencekirk, was born in 1944 and didn’t know his father, except that he was Italian. He was brought up by his mother’s sister and her husband.
Sadly my father died young, but I would like to find out more about who his father may have been.
I think it’s likely he’d have been from the POW camp you discussed here.
I’m working on a farm near Laurencekirk where German pow’s have left their initials in concrete foundations in 1945
My late grandfather Capt Angus Mackay Sutherland was in charge of the camp , but i know nothing of the prisoners who were there other than my mother telling me that they were friendly and worked in my grandparent’s garden.
Hi there I am doing a feature on Northhill Camp and would be very keen to speak to you about your late grandfather! The story will appear in The Courier and possibly P&J online.
Hi Gayle I have just seen your post and would be glad to talk to you. I can be contacted at doncathro@aol.com
Hi, I am currently writing the story of my wife’s grandfather during the war from some notes he left. After he returned from captivity himself in May 1945 It appears that he was the SNCO in charge of the camp in Laurencekirk from about July1945 until Jan 1946. He left some notes although not much I would be interested in finding out any information.
Hej,
my Father stayed in the Camp from 1944 to 1948 as a POW. I have three picture from this time and my fahter tell me, it was a good time to stay there. All the people are very friendly in this time to the prisoner. He died 1985.
Regards
Robert Nickel
Hi,
My father,Kurt Heinz Frentzel was held pow in the North Hill Camp. He was a technician.I don’t have fotographs. He died in 1984. He had told that the prisoners were even allowed to bake their own bread, because they did not like the bread in the Camp.
Regards,
Nanny Frentzel (vermiljoen1@gmail.com)
Hi there I am doing a feature on Northhill Camp and would be very keen to speak to you about your father! The story will appear in The Courier and possibly P&J online.
Hi everybody,
my grand father Vincenzo Colletta was an italian prisoner of War in the north hill camp Laurencekirk. He fought El Alamein battle (october-november 1942) with the 27 regiment of the Italian forces. His regiment was deployed near Qattar depression. He was taken prisoner by english forces near Tunisi on 9 may 1943 and he stayed in north hill camp till may 1946. I still have his POW identity document. Regarding his imprisonment he always spoke very well of the conditions. he told me that prisoners were allowed to work in the farms. I’d like to know if nowadays there is a sort of evidence of the camp….
Hi Alessandro
I am looking for information on my father’s father who was Italian and so probably from the camp.
My father was born in 1944 but never knew his father.
Good luck with your search.
Salve a tutti.
Mio babbo è stato prigioniero credo li e ha avuto una bella storia con una ragazza del posto dove lui andava a lavorare e lei era operaia li, verniciavano credo pezzi di aeri il suo nome a memoria di mio padre che è ancora vivo era VERONICA Machye?????? purtoppo non ricorda il cognome da questa relazione ha avuto un figlio nato nel 1946 gennaio – giugno non ricorda il mese noi abbiamo provato a cercare il figlio di mio babbo da più di 20 anni ma non siamo riusciti.
Ora mio babbo ha 94 anni e ha il desiderio di trovarlo se qualcuno ci può aiutare?
mio Babbo si Chiama Antonio G. Napoli ma abitava in africa
TRANSLATION OF ABOVE…
Hello everyone.
My dad was a prisoner, I believe them and he had a good story with a local girl where he went to work and she was a worker there, painting I think pieces of air his name in memory of my father who is still alive was VERONICA Machye? ????? unfortunately does not remember the surname from this relationship had a son born in 1946 January – June does not remember the month we tried to look for my father’s son for more than 20 years but we have not succeeded.
Now my dad is 94 and has the desire to find him if someone can help us?
my father is called Antonio G. Naples but lived in africa
Thank you Charles.
It may be spelled Veronica mackie or McKay
Good luck xx
thankyou so much. my dad is half Italian. he was called George and his dad an Italian POW ….my gran was a milk girl at farm and had affair…it secret…her mama died so she brought up all her family…my dad’s father Alli know is name nicoli – or similar- my gran Anne Or Annie Paton her dad farm tenant in Scotland – if you can help in anyway – do you have a list of other Italian POWs at camp …anything…I hope you find your step brother ASAP. good luck and best wishes hazel x
Maybe I can help. My mother was called Madeline McKay. I am her son born June 1946.I know I was not the son of her husband because he was still abroad. I have a prisoner of war camp currency voucher from camp 75 which she kept and I found after she died. This is all I have and there are a lot of McKays. She would have been older than your father, in her thirties.
Some Ukrainian POWs who were eventually released as European Voluntary Workers were housed at Northhill Camp. An itinerant Ukrainian Catholic Priest visited the camp in 1949 to collect money from the Ukrainians in order to purchase a church building in Edinburgh. I have a list of the contributing EVWs.
Salve a tutti mio nonno Angelo Marinetto è stato prigioniero in questo campo di laurencekirk e ha sempre raccontato che è stato trattato benessimo dalla famiglia che lo ha ospitato come lavoratore in falegnameria. Io sarò a vedere il sito del campo di prigionia domenica 27 settembre 2017. Grazie Scozia
translation of above
Hi to all my grandfather Angelo Marinetto was a prisoner in this field of laurencekirk and he always said that he was treated very well by the family that hosted him as a carpenter. I will be seeing the site of the prison camp on Sunday 27 September 2017. Thank you Scotland
Roughly, how many prisoners did it total altogether…and
Where are the dead buried?
I shouldn’t think there would be burials, unless any of the prisoners fell ill and died during internment…most of them would have returned home after the war ended.
One POW died in a field, he was transferred to Brookwoood Cemetery near Wooking, then moved to Italy.
November 1944 – An unusual fatal accident was recorded. On 11 November 1944 – “John Lindsay, retired farmer, Nether Wyndings, Fetteresso Parish, Stonehaven, and Enzo Tanzi, prisoner of war, No 41033, Italian Prisoner of War Camp, North Hill, Laurencekirk, both died 11 Nov 1944 as a result of an aeroplane colliding with them when it crashed into the field they were working in.” (Stonehaven Sheriff Court record dated 1 May 1945, held at National Records for Scotland SC5/29/1945/1)
10 May 1946 – another pow, Otto Schmidt was killed by a train near Blackiemuir Bridge when he was making his way back from a sawmill where he was working. He is now buried at the German War Cemetery at Cannock Chase.
My father, Dennis, was born in 1944 in Laurencekirk. His mother was 16 and his father was a POW from North Hill. He was brought up as a Ritchie in Laurencekirk by his mother’s sister and her husband.
I don’t know anything else about his father, other than he may have been Italian, according to my dad’s half-brother.
Can you help?
My dad tells me that when he was a child, there was a bus came round and dropped off 2 Italian prisoners of war on one of the farms at Luthermuir where he grew up. He says that he used to skip school to go and ‘check them out’ and to help on the farm. He said that that the Italians appeared to grow fond of him as he was the only child they really had any contact with. I am guessing that they came from this camp.
Hi there. I’m a features writer at DC Thomson. I am writing a piece about the Northhill Camp and would love to use your above memories – and find out a bit more. I’d be grateful if you could get in touch at: gritchie@dctmedia.co.uk
Thanks,
Gayle
Hi, my Dad, who is 88, lived near Marykirk. His Dad had two Italian prisoners of war, and two Germans working for them. I believe they came from the camp at Northhill. The Italians were given their own special brand of coffee which they gave to my Grannie to make for them, also had a pasta dish made every day for their lunch. My Dad, and his family formed very good relationships with the prisoners. Some of them made small toys for the children. One of them baked a birthday cake for my Dad, he remembers them fondly, one or two wrote to my grandparents for a while, on their return home.
Hi there. I’m a features writer at DC Thomson. I am writing a piece about the Northhill Camp and would love to use your above memories – and find out a bit more. I’d be grateful if you could get in touch at: gritchie@dctmedia.co.uk
Thanks,
Gayle
I’m currently working on my second book about ww2 in North East Scotland, one of the things I was looking at was Northill Camp. And any interesting facts abou it or what (if anything) remains
It appears the site has been built on as there are now houses on it, from an old map it was listed as an “agricultural camp” Is see “SCRAN” site has a short video clip of the camp (to buy)
If anybody has any pictures I can use, I can credit the images to whoever along with any facts.
Typically camps were for Italian, then as war progressed Germans, then displaced Eastern Europeans before being sold off to farmers etc
I see there was an Otto Schmidt (age 20) who was killed by a train near Blackiemuir Bridge (fractured skull), his address was listed as “German Working camp Laurencekirk” on May 10th 1946, the death was signed for by Commandant Camp 75 (lt Col Reilly?) It was stated he was making his way back from a Sawmill where he worked.
My friend Gordon leithI think that’s how you spelled it bought the land he turned it into a salvage yard I used to go and buy cars there he stored parts in the huts which were in very good condition bet they could tell some stories,
Do you know where I can source records of pow in Northill Camp around 1945. I have very little information. Yours hopefully …..
Hi Diane,
Have you tried the National Archives in Kew?
I may be able to have a look next time I am there.
I have a zippo lighter that was given to my grandfather by an Italian POW who was working on his farm and I think was based at this Camp. It’s beautifully engraved with flowers/designs, my grandfather’s initials, Laurencekirk, the date 17-7-43 and a number C-75 – would this be his POW number? I’d love to be able to find out who this person was – are there any records of the names of people from the camp?
Found reference to an accident at a farm where a POW was killed by a low flying aircraft that crashed. the POW was from North Hill
Does anybody recall anything?
I have the names, pilots name, aircraft type, date. The farmer’s father was killed (he had 10 Children) so looking to
Alan, I have some photos of my grandad at the camp which I can send you when I look them out. I am staying at Stonehaven caravan park this week so will try to visit the site of the camp.
Don
Hi Don
Could you email me the picture if you don’t mind?
alan@cabroaviation.co.uk
My father in law now deceased Giuseppe Roscilli fro. Monte Cassino in Italy was in the camp but worked on a farm in Glen Eske for the Carmichael family. I have a number of his papers at home if of interest.
Hi Geoff
What sort of papers, I am looking for additional section for another book and would be keen to see what you have and maybe even rite a section about your Father-in Law
alan@cabroaviation.co.uk
Hi Alan, I have only just read your reply, I will photo the documents and forward them to you when I return to the UK from Italy.
My dad L/cpl George Bell was a guard at this camp from 1945/47, I have no other details as he never talked about the war and is now sadly deceased
I believe my uncle Claus Wiemer was at this camp around 1945-1954 (if the camp was closed before then, he presumably stayed in the area). He worked at Wolflaw Farm, and evidently loved the area and the people. We have one photo but are looking for more info, as I imagine many people are… for example, where he might have been captured (and what unit he was with), and also what a number “A807307” might mean (possibly misread, seen as part of his address on a postcard he sent) – a POW number? German Army service number?
A807307 is his prisoner number, A signifies a category of prisoner. e.g. Dxxxx would be basically a member of the SS and classed as hostile, A is classed as no real threat
I have a letter from a Camp 75 POW (in German) and been writing a section up about Northhill for my next book. quote a history up until the 1990s when it was sold off for housing!
Hi my dad is now deceased but would like to find out if he was a POW at this camp I know it was around here as he worked at Findowrie farm. If anyone has any photos from there would love to see them and if he is in any of them. He was a big german guy.
Hi Linda
What was your Fathers name?
I have been speaking with Wolfgang Dorow who submitted an article about his Father at Northhill, additional info and research is going into my second book. I have now got a 1946 Aerial photo of the camp at the time Wolfgang’s father was there.
I will look to see if I can put it up here.
I will visit Laurencekirk next week, my father in law was an Italian prisoner there in ww2. He lived most of the time on a farm in Glen Esk working for the Carmichael family. I have his release papers and a letter from the Carmichaels. He returned to Italy to the family home just south of Monte Cassino but returned to live in the uk in 1950, worked on BR all his life at Peterborough and dièed some 10 years ago. His name Giuseppe Roscilli.
My gran-Annie Paton was born in 1926 and sadly passed away in 2022 at 96 years old. Her father was a Farm Tenant called George Paton. Her mother was called Jean I think…she died in 1941 or 42, she slipped down the stairs…my grandad , her dad George Paton was strict. My gran being the eldest was left to bring up all her mum’s children – large family- Tam Paton, Margaret Paton ( youngest) and many sisters and brothers – Wullie Paton, Mary Paton and more…My gran worked as a land girl during the war….an Italian POW and later Germans, camp where the housing estate built – she had an affair with an Italian [POW and there was gossip- I think his name Nicolas or something like that, Nico Nicoli ?? I been told so many lies I don’t know But she had a son to the Italian POW and scared being sent to a reform school it kept a secret…my dad was George Taylor Paton Her eldest son, She had another son Alex. My dad’s birth certificate was illegally tampered with and in records it shows h born George Paton but his certificate said Mcconnachie relating to her new husband a sailor Alex Mcconnachie…think she met him when pregnant with Alex or Alec her younger son and that he too illegitimate but a different dad. Can anyone please help me ?? Anything ? Gossip ? THe name of the farm my gran Anne Paton bravely brought up lots of siblings alone …and moved with new husband Alexander Mcconnachie becoming Anne Mcconnachie at the farm, then to a flat in Arbroath and then settling in Lochgelly Fife by 1950 …her dad George Paton died in Lochgelly in 1960 when my dad George was 16…he went on to marry my beautiful mum in 1965 and moved to Glenrothes Fife…Sadly my dad George died at 55 broken hearted as nobody in family wanted to tell truth-he looked very dark, Italian ?? 02/10/1944 07/10/1999…
My Grandad (Willi Kurt Gerber) was at Northhill camp and I have a copy of the annual farm contract he signed in January 1948 to work as a farm labourer for a year for Edward Ewan and Son at Milton of Ballochy. The certificate is signed by the commander at Northhill but I can’t make out the name.
My late father, William Westwood a sergeant in the Pioneer Corp., was at GWC 75 Northill Laurencekirk in 1946. He enjoyed his stay there and found the POWs good company.
I have a group photograph of him with three other members of the British Army, Bob Street, Hugh Cameron and Charlie Sunkisher.
In a diary of his is a short list of German POWs: Kaster, Bachmann, Hagner, Elbrecht and Bollinger together with their numbers. On another page is: Dany R, Kohl W and Stuerser W.
I’m looking to trace any Italian prisoners of war who stayed at northill who may have worked on my grandparents farms – cairndrum and chapelton of Menmuir. Outside of Edzell .
Does anyone know where I could find a list of names of Italian prisoners who were at Northhill POW camp, Laurencekirk. I am looking for someone of the name Ernie, unfortunately I don’t have a surname. If theres anyone who new of an Ernie around 1942 – 1947 at this camp I’d love to hear from you.
I just wanted to add to my previous comment that Ernie had worked on my Grandparents Farm, Chapelton of Menmuir, By Brechin. If anyone knew of an Ernie who worked here around 1942 – 1947 I’d love to hear from you.
My father, Otto Pfister, was in Camp No 75, North Hill Camp Laurencekirk Kincardineshire, in 1945 at least until Christmas 1946. There is a photo of the interior of a small church from Christmas 1946.
The organ of this church, he told, was repaired by POWs. About 1954 we had a visit from Mary and Jean from Scotland. Unfortunately this nice contact was not kept.
Maybe someone knows something about the church and the organ and other things?