Stalag 383 was somewhat unique as a Second World War prisoner of war
camp. Located in a high valley surrounded by dense woodland and hills in
Hofenfels, Bavaria, it began life in 1938 as a training ground for the
German Army. At the outbreak of war it was commandeered by the German
authorities for use as a prisoner of war camp for Allied
non-commissioned officers, and given the name Oflag lllC. It was renamed
Stalag 383 in November 1942.
For most of its existence it comprised of some 400 huts, 30 feet long
and 14 feet wide, with each typically being home to 14 men. Many of the
British service men who found themselves incarcerated at the camp had
been captured during the evacuations at Dunkirk, or when the Greek
island of Crete fell to the Germans on 1 June 1941.
Stalag 383 had somewhat of a holiday camp feel to it for many who found
themselves prisoners there. There were numerous clubs formed by
different regiments, or men from the same town or county. These clubs
catered for interests such as education, sports, theatrical productions
and debates, to name but a few.
This book examines life in the camp, the escapes that were undertaken
from there, and includes a selection of never before published
photographs of the camp and the men who lived there, many for more than
five years.
