England: A loaded German pistol of WW2 was found in Prisoners of War Camp near Oswestry's Mile End!

An exciting historical discovery has been made at the site of a new road layout in Oswestry.

Archaeologists excavated the site of the new dual roundabout at Mile End have found evidence of a Prisoner of War (POW) camp which used to house around 2,000 German prisoners during and after the Second World War.

The finds, which include a loaded German pistol and a lead toy camel, have shed light on the “comfortable” conditions at the camp and offer glimpses into the day-to-day lives of its inmates.

The team from Wessex Archaeology, working on behalf of Shropshire Council and WSP, uncovered a variety of structural evidence, which revealed a spacious camp made up of scattered barracks on a vast sports field surrounded by agricultural land.

Dating of the associated artefacts and documentary evidence suggests that the camp was in use between 1940 until 1948 – several years after the cessation of hostilities in 1945.

John Winfer, project manager at Wessex Archaeology who oversaw excavations, said: “The study of these remains helps us to understand what life would have been like for those imprisoned in and overseeing the camp, both during the war and in the immediate aftermath. What we have revealed is surprising evidence of some (relatively speaking) comfortable conditions for the inmates.

A spent .303 cartridge reveals that a rifle was discharged at some point in the camp’s life. The presence of a loaded German pistol – thought to be a Sauer 38H pistol, a German Second World War pistol commonly issued within the Wehrmacht – found close to one of the buildings adds further intrigue.

Artefacts have also offered more personal insights into the lives and stories of those living at the camp. A lead alloy toy camel and a make-up tin reveal a glimpse of domestic life, while containers recovered such as Brylcreem and San Izal disinfectant evidence self-care and cleanliness in the camp.

One item in particular – an aluminium metal identification tag from a German soldier – has excited archaeologists, who hope to use its serial number to trace the individual and their story.