European Workers at the Airfield

This letter appeared in the Buckingham Advertiser in 2002.

YOUR Back to the Past, April 1952, took my husband and I right back to the past indeed. For my Polish husband was interpreter for the Buckingham Police for many years.

There are, no doubt, still a few people who remember the influx of European workers employed by the War Department at 31 A.S.D. (locally referred to as Tingewick Camp). Together with the Ordinance Corps and Pioneer Corps they worked at Horwood, Finmere and Hinton-in-the-Hedges depots dealing with obsolete ammunition from the 1939-45 war. The Polish, Czech and Ukranian workers (about 200) were housed in a hutted camp at Finmere depot (W.A.A.F site) and my husband was the Camp Manager and Interpreter.

He was often called out to assist the Police when they had to deal with the foreign workers and he translated for them both at Magistrates’ Court and also for Assize Courts.
We left Buckinghamshire to live here in North Lincolnshire 14 years ago but would like to take this opportunity to send our best wishes to those who may remember us.

We read of all the changes in Buckingham and as there is another family from Wolverton in our village, we usually pass the paper to them so it is well read!

Moira & Rudi Kopel
Chalk Lane,
Withern, Lincs.