Stories • Warth Mills Project

Read about the issues, tragedies and effects of internment at Warth Mills and beyond, during the Second World War.

The Road to Internment

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Britain entered a state of high alert. Read about the issues that led to the internment of men from opposing nations.

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Conditions at Warth Mills

Appalling living conditions, corruption and anti-Semitism were daily realities for the men interned in the camp. Hear the internees' experiences in their own words.

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The Tragedy of the Arandora Star

Many of Warth Mills' Italian internees were bound for Canada on the SS Arandora Star, when it was hit by a torpedo on the morning of 2 July 1940, killing many of those on board. Read and hear some of their stories.

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Public Opinion

Public opinion of Britain's internment policy shifted dramatically during 1940 – as illustrated by these newspaper clippings.

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