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The first German prisoners of war arrived at Dorchester Camp on 10 August 1914. The camp was set up at the town's empty artillery barracks at Poundbury. At its height, the camp housed 4,500 men - equivalent to almost half of the town's resident population. Civilian internees were the first to arrive, followed by uniformed prisoners that evening. Huge crowds turned out to see them.

By the end of August, the barracks ran out of space, so a wooden hutted camp was built with room for 30 men in each hut. There were also workshops, kitchens, a games room, reading room, theatre and chapels.

A good relationship developed between the people of Dorchester and the German prisoners – they swept the streets and worked in borough gardens. Thomas Hardy even recruited one prisoner to work on his garden at Max Gate.

Forty-four prisoners died at the camp – most of them died of Spanish Flu.

Listen to local historian, Brian Bates, uncover more about the prisoners of war in Dorchester.

Location: Dorchester, West Dorset DT1 1TA
Image shows German prisoners of war in the former Dorchester Camp
Photograph courtesy of Imperial War Museums
Presented by Brian Bates

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