Dyffryn Aled, Llansannan: The Colditz of North Wales?

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In some ways it’s the Colditz of North Wales, although “A happy home for Huns” is how one Canadian newspaper described Dyffryn Aled prisoner-of-war camp, a late Georgian country house near Llansannan. Whether that was an appropriate description for this detention centre for German naval officers is debatable! Some of its inmates, unused to the rigours of Welsh country life, took exception to the inadequate plumbing and sanitary facilities! But the camp was deemed by the Red Cross to be well run, and the camp commander praised for treating his charges with respect. The house was demolished in the early 1960s and a modern bungalow built on the site. But in 1915 it briefly came into the spotlight on account of its celebrity prisoner, Wolf von Tirpitz, son of the founder of the German Fleet. Wolf, a personal friend of the Churchills, was allowed to purchase a violin with which to while away the long hours in captivity. Other men chose to amuse themselves playing football in the field (after promising not to attempt to run away!), whilst some occupied themselves with that other classic prison pastime: escaping. The most notorious of these exploits was the daring attempt to break out of camp, and meet with a U-Boat off the Great Orme at Llandudno. It very nearly succeeded, and the camp guard was duly strengthened. Nevertheless, in May 1916 guards stumbled upon a tunnel excavated in the north-west wing of the house and leading almost as far as a laurel plantation just outside the compound. Many local residents wondered why the camp’s inmates should feel the need to escape. As far as they understood, the German prisoners enjoyed far greater comfort and privileges than they did! Small wonder, then, that according to Llansannan resident Berwyn Evans one enterprising lorry driver encouraged some young girls to taunt the prisoners by singing ‘Rule Britannia’ at the tops’ of their voices when passing by – anything to annoy these officers of the Kaiser’s navy! Location: Llansannan: Dyffryn Aled LL16 5LB Contributor: Berwyn Evans Presented by Phil Carradice