Press Release Eden Camp:

History repeats itself!!

It was an eerie, cold, damp and misty morning in 1986 that inspired Stan Johnson, owner of Eden Camp, to develop former Prisoner of War Camp No. 83 into the Worlds First Modern History Theme Museum.

Forty Four years earlier the first group of shabby and pathetic looking Prisoners of War had been marched up from the railway station in nearby Malton and encamped in tents whilst helping to build the huts into which they were interned.

Those first prisoners were Italians but, with Italy agreeing to surrender to the Allies in September of 1943, they were slowly allowed more freedom and were sent out from the Camp to live on the farms where they were employed in food production.

June 1944 would see the first German prisoners marched up through the town. They were more arrogant, more defiant and more hostile to the locals who lined the streets to see 'the enemy' at close hand.

Following on from the success of last year's inaugural re-enactment march, Eden Camp and the streets of Malton will once again resound to the tramp of hob nailed boots as approximately fifty German POW's with British, Canadian and US escort march from the Railway Station in Malton to Eden Camp on Easter Sunday.

The first of the re-enactors will start to arrive on site on Good Friday (April 21st), and will then stay over the weekend in huts which were once occupied by real POW's until Bank Holiday Monday (April 24th.) Each day the 'troops' will be drilled and issued with 'site duties.' The Allied and German groups will alternate in the roles of captors and captives.

The 'March through Malton' re-enactment will take place at approximately 12.00pm Sunday, April 23rd when the entire troop of Germans will form up outside Malton Railway Station and be marched (escorted by Allied guards) the 2.5 miles up through the town to the gates of Eden Camp.

The subject of POW's continues to prove a popular one with public and media alike, this is a unique event in an entirely genuine setting. If you require any more information about the event, please do not hesitate to contact Nick or Steve at the address and telephone number above. Alternatively you can visit our web site and e-mail us at http://www.edencamp.co.uk

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Malton, North Yorkshire
Telephone 01653 697777

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