Julie w Posted 9 February , 2009 Share Posted 9 February , 2009 Hi whilst, researching rhostyllen and bersham men who fell,i was talking to some locals and they said the step waterfall was built by russian pow's,it is known locally as the russian steps but i cannot find anything about pow camps near to wrexham.can anyone offer any info?cheers julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 9 February , 2009 Share Posted 9 February , 2009 Julie Russians wouldnt be PoWs - they were on our side. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie w Posted 9 February , 2009 Author Share Posted 9 February , 2009 thats whats confusing,it can't be ww1,must have just been russian workers cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 9 February , 2009 Share Posted 9 February , 2009 It may, of course, just be a local play of words. Russian steps - Russian Steppes. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 9 February , 2009 Share Posted 9 February , 2009 Julie, do you mean Caeau Weir? If so, this predates the war by several centuries - it's medieval and used to be part of the system which generated power for the ironworks. The steps themselves are shown on photos which pre-date the First World War - I checked on Wrecsam gov.uk's website and this says that the photos are pre-1911. You're assuming that any Russian prisoners near Wrecsam were taken during the First World War... Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie w Posted 9 February , 2009 Author Share Posted 9 February , 2009 thanks john and dragon,locals say it was built by russians,so its medieval .there must have been russians there at some time cos my gt grandfather got into a fight and a russian pulled a knife on him,but only managed to cut his little finger off. will check out wrexham.gov website cheers julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 9 February , 2009 Share Posted 9 February , 2009 I meant that you might need to look back at the Crimean War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie w Posted 9 February , 2009 Author Share Posted 9 February , 2009 Thats what i have just been thinking,but did they bring pows back to britain,off to google right away thanks dragon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraint Posted 9 February , 2009 Share Posted 9 February , 2009 thanks john and dragon,locals say it was built by russians,so its medieval .there must have been russians there at some time cos my gt grandfather got into a fight and a russian pulled a knife on him,but only managed to cut his little finger off. will check out wrexham.gov website cheers julie Hmmmm! Quite a story! You're not going to get much out of that site - it's the Local gov site! "Great Grandf.s" time - give us a date -Second WW? A massive Polish evacuation came into Wrexham in 1937-9, and were confusingly called 'Russians' by the locals. In medieval times, Wrexham was a one horse village of serfs. The local power points would have been Hope Castle, and a few other houses. I dont know of any pow camps in Wrexham 14-18, though there probably were a few small labour camps. Step Waterfall! Is that near the King's Mill? Which is on the Bangor on Dee /Wrtyn road area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 9 February , 2009 Share Posted 9 February , 2009 I used the wrecsam.gov.uk site as a portal to the various musuems and heritage sites, because the Caeau Weir is a Listed Grade 2 site. I didn't want to spend time googling. Somewhere on or from there I found a reference to photos which showed that the steps pre-date 1911, so if they were built by Russian prisoners they weren't prisoners from either of the World Wars. I haven't a clue about their history - just thinking laterally and probably way off track. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madtaffy Posted 4 April , 2009 Share Posted 4 April , 2009 Hi All there was a WW2 POW camp in Hope a few miles outside Wrexham, the school is now built on the site Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie w Posted 4 April , 2009 Author Share Posted 4 April , 2009 Hi All,not found out anymore info other than labour camps near rhostyllen in ww2. my gt grandfather was born 1863 died 1949,all we know is that he lost his little finger when a russian pulled a knife on him in esclusham below now rhostyllen the stepped waterfall/weir are near bersham ironworks opposite fitzhugh's church julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraint Posted 22 April , 2009 Share Posted 22 April , 2009 Found out anything else on this topic Julie? I used this as an excuse to stop at the Welsh Fusilier, where a few old blokes were sipping their half a mild. None had any info on Russian prisoners, but had heard of the Russian Steps. I'm sure I've seen a fairly comprehensive list of POW camps in Britain, listing their associate sub-camps and labour stations. it's not complete - a few local sub-camps in Denbighshire of which I know are not listed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraint Posted 22 April , 2009 Share Posted 22 April , 2009 Just done a bit of searching. Contact member Moonraker - in another thread he mentiones Graham Mark's book 'Prisoners of War in British Hands During WW1', and mentiones that it contains the most authoratative list of sights in Britain. Wrexham being a premier garrison town would undoubtedly be mentioned if such camps were there. Regards G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie w Posted 22 April , 2009 Author Share Posted 22 April , 2009 Thanks Geraint,the welsh fusilier in wrexham was where one of my aunties worked behind the bar for many a year in the 50's i havn't found out anything else,only ww2 camps i shall contact moonraker and see if he can find anything thanks for your interest see you at north west meet up,if we have one! regards julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 23 April , 2009 Share Posted 23 April , 2009 Sorry, Julie. Just to confirm what I said in my PM to you: The book by Graham Mark has a slightly crude map that shows major POW camps at Dyffryn Aled, Frongroch and Oswestry. There's a long list of minor work camps, but a scrutiny doesn't reveal any close to Wrexham - though I may be hampered a little by my lack of local geography. The three camps that I mention all appear to have held only PoWs; had they at any time housed civilian alien internees there might have been a chance that these included Russian types. Yes, I realise Russia was one of the Allies for much of the war, but there were suspicions about the loyalties of some Russians in this country, especially after the Revolution, when support for the Allies from parts of the Russian community in the UK declined. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie w Posted 23 April , 2009 Author Share Posted 23 April , 2009 Thanks for looking anyway cheers julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraint Posted 25 April , 2009 Share Posted 25 April , 2009 Julie We've got to pester him for this meeting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Birch Posted 12 February , 2010 Share Posted 12 February , 2010 There is an ex-PoW camp still in existance at St Marins.Plenty of the buildings are still used. It is on the road to Chirck. I have no knowledge of the vintage however. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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