Drama Performed by German prisoners of War at Brocton Camp

Description:German Prisoners of War taking part in a theatrical production at Brocton Camp. The play, by a Norwegian author, deals with the impact of the collapse of a business empire in a small town on the Norwegian coast.

While the camp at Brocton was initially designated purely for training allied troops, during the latter part of the war there was an increasing need for space to house German prisoners, so part of Brocton camp was converted to a POW camp, receiving its first prisoners in April 1917. Well over a thousand prisoners were housed at Brocton and were housed in the huts originally used by the allied troops.

In late Autumn of 1918, right at the end of the war, the Spanish Flu epidemic arrived at the camp, tragically over 200 of the German POW's died and their graves are in the Cannock Chase War Cemetery.

During the First World War two military camps were built on the Chase - Brocton Camp, which was located near to Anson's Bank, and Rugeley Camp which extended along Penkridge Bank. The two camps were separated by the Sherbrook Valley.

The alternate view is a digitally colourised version of the image.