Uploaded July 2018 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Thousands of German prisoners of war (POWs) were held in the rural areas of the West Midlands during the First World War.
Many of them worked on farms and market gardens where they replaced agricultural workers who had joined the British forces. They were remarkably well accepted by local communities. However, towards the end of the war friction grew as food shortages increased and after the Armistice POWs were frustrated by the slow pace of repatriation.
Historian Lisa Davis of the University of Worcester explores the stories of some of the prisoners and the people of the towns and villages where they were held.
Thousands of German prisoners of war (POWs) were held in the rural areas of the West Midlands during the First World War.
Many of them worked on farms and market gardens where they replaced agricultural workers who had joined the British forces. They were remarkably well accepted by local communities. However, towards the end of the war friction grew as food shortages increased and after the Armistice POWs were frustrated by the slow pace of repatriation.
Historian Lisa Davis of the University of Worcester explores the stories of some of the prisoners and the people of the towns and villages where they were held.
