In 1941, 300 Italian prisoners were sent to Royston, to Camp 29.

By the end of 1941, the camp was expanded by 8 huts. By 1944, there were around 20 huts: for living and sleeping in, for washing, for mending uniform, for medical services and for a shop as well as being a larger eating hut with a stage at one end. There was a 12 foot high perimeter barbed-wire fence.

The POWs were mostly used for local farm work, but also for building and road work, as well as snow-clearing and ditch-digging.

The Italians were cleared in 1944 to make way for German prisoners.

This information was taken from “Camp 29 Prisoners of war at Royston” by Mike Lawrence, published by the Friends of Royston and District Museum and Art Gallery.

In 1948, the huts were offered to Royston Urban District Council for housing.

A memory of the camp in video form.