German POWs in Northern Ireland

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) and Ulster History Hub welcome you to a talk by Nigel Henderson.

In late 1944, arrangements were initiated for the incarceration of German prisoners in Northern Ireland, with 2,000 men arrived at Belfast on 11th January 1945 and 12,300 prisoners had been allocated to seven camps by 8th February. A German PoW hospital was established at Orangefield in February 1945 and was staffed by six German officers and 66 other ranks. As would be expected, there were attempts to escape captivity, with one man being shot during one such attempt. Ten German prisoners died whilst in captivity in Northern Ireland and they were buried in Belfast City Cemetery, before being transferred to the German Military Cemetery at Cannock Chase in England in July 1962. Small numbers of prisoners were still in Northern Ireland into 1947.

This talk will provide details of the locations of the PoW Camps in Northern Ireland and the number of prisoners held at each camp. It will also cover details of escape attempts and will provide details of the circumstances in which the ten prisoners died and their disinterment and re-interment in England.

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