Crawford, Bellfield, Prisoner Of War Camp

Located near Bellfield Farm was a First World War Prisoner of War working camp. A notice of an auction for the Ministry of Munitions of the camp site was published in 'The Scotsman' newspaper on the 6 March 1920 which describes the location of the camp as 'Bellfield P.O.W. Camp, Crawford (close to the station)'. It would seen likely that the camp was somewhere between Bellfield Farm and Crawford Station, on the E side of the railway.

From the newspaper the camp appears to have comprised:-

Five sectional huts and cookhouses measuring between 19ft x 8ft and up to 50ft x 10ft, built of weather boarding, wood lined and corrugated and ruberoid roofs.

Four non-sectional huts between 45ft or 50ft in length and 20ft wide and 8ft high, built of weather boarding, wood lined and ruberoid roofs. these were probably the accommondation huts.

Four latrines measuring between 15ft and 164.5ft long by 5ft 3ins wide and 7ft high with corrugated and felt roofs.

Ten sentry shelters of 5.5ft x 4.5ft with corrugated roofs.

An ablution hut measuring 24ft x 14ft and 9ft high.

Two wooden water tanks measuring 20.5ft x 10ft x 6ft.

This may be the site of the PoW camp used for the construction of the Camps Reservoir. A PoW camp is recorded at the reservoir (see NS92SE 66) based on the name on a list of camps, however it is probable that Bellfield was the camp site and the PoW were transported by rail or walked to the reservoir.

Information from Martin Briscoe to HES (AKK) 22 September 2021