The 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade
(1 Samodzielna Brygada Spadochronowa)
Auchtertool Distribution Camp
Present Day
Rather than read about Auchtertool Distribution Camp (Obóz Rozdzielczy W Auchtertool) sitting at home, nothing beats "getting down at ground level" and visiting a historical site to live and breath the history.
With that in mind I got in touch with the land owner, Tom Mitchell, who very kindly met me on site and walked me round the field.
Very little evidence is immediately obvious of the old Auchtertool Distribution Camp, however, with a bit of super sleuthing the history soon comes alive!
Overview Of Auchtertool Distribution Camp
Based on all the photo evidence on this page, I believe this to be an approximate layout of Auchtertool Distribution Camp.
© www.swoopingeagle.com
Entry Point
This is the road leading to the entry point to the field and also the entry gates to the area where the Polish distribution camp was. Such an unlikely place to have a camp!
© www.swoopingeagle.com
The Only Standing Relic
Surprising that anything remains of the Polish Auchtertool Distribution Camp (Obóz Rozdzielczy W Auchtertool). No idea what it was part of though!
© www.swoopingeagle.com
Shower Block Base
Given its close proximity to the small river and open drain, this is most likely a former shower block. The last photo is an open concrete drain to the small river.
Concrete drainage channels from shower blocks still exist in the ground, rather overgrown and yet they still function.
© www.swoopingeagle.com
© www.swoopingeagle.com
© www.swoopingeagle.com
© www.swoopingeagle.com
The Shooting Range
Life stories of former Polish soldiers stationed here state there was an on site shooting range into the gorse. The landowner confirms having found bullet casings here.
© www.swoopingeagle.com
An Emotional Moment
The last few years of my life have been an eternal quest to research, understand and absorb my grandfathers life story. To stand in the very field in which he stood as an evacuee in 1942 (when it was the Auchtertool Distribution Camp) from Stalins oppression in the Soviet Union was very emotive.
It makes history come alive. My thanks again to landowner Tom Mitchell for allowing me this experience.