Monument record MBC43476 - A Second World War military tented camp

A Second World War military tented camp is known from contemporary eyewitness and documentary sources, parts of which are visible on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the North Buckinghamshire Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18304). Located within Liscombe Park and centred at SP 88476 26211, it is unclear when the camp was first constructed, but was likely initially occupied by British troops of the Kings Royal Rifles and then by the Black Watch. The camp comprised both wooden military buildings and tents. Sir Nicholas Bonsor, whose family owns Liscombe House and who lived there as a boy during the war, recalls the site of the tented camp being located on fields to the east of Soulbury Road (which leads to Wing) and north of Wing Lodge, being thus hidden from Liscombe House by the woodland to the north and east of the lodge. By 31st March 1944, the Liscombe Park camp housed US troops of the 41st Signal Construction battalion (B Company). This was a black-American unit that was located there between 6 and 12 months. Following a series of fights in nearby Leighton Buzzard town, these troops were banned from Leighton Buzzard by the civilian authorities and restricted to camp. A local man, the late Mr John Rowe, who was a boy at that time, recalls delivering bread to the camp from the bakery in Soulbury. Mr Rowe states that the site was also used as a military prison. Aerial photographs taken in 1946 show a field of medieval ridge and furrow earthworks within which is a 12x4 metres rectangular building centred at SP 88413 26321 that may be associated with the camp. Centred at SP 88459 26344 is a rectangular Nissen type building about 10x6.5 metres that is not shown on the 1934 edition of the OS map but is visible on aerial photographs taken in 1946. This building remains extant until 1973, after which time it has been demolished. Four possible concrete building plinths as described by Sir Nicholas Bonsor can be identified on aerial photographs taken in 1946, 1947 and 1949, but are no longer visible after 1961. At least some of the military (wooden) buildings were sold to local farmers post-war etc, as Mr Rowe’s father bought two. The rectangular building appears to fall into ruins and disappears between 1961 and 1973. Access to the camp from Soulbury Road may have been by the trackway leading to pre-existing estate buildings on the field boundary just north of the camp. Whether these buildings were used by the military forces is unknown (1-9).