Around Edinburgh -  Wardie School Playing Fields

Duddingston Camp

Camp for the Homeless following World War 2

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Duddingston Camp

Housing for the Homeless

Duddingston Camp was one of the camps in Edinburgh that provided temporary housing for the homeless who were not eligible for Council Housing, following the end of World War 2.

Date of the Photo

The photo above shows women and children in the kitchen of Duddingston  Camp.  The photo was taken on November 9, 1951.

Lochinvar Camp

I don't know much about Duddingston Camp or have any other photos of the camp.  However, here are some photos of Lochinvar Camp on Wardie School playing fields at Granton.  These were probably also taken in 1951.

Recollections

1.

Bryan Gourlay

Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Bryan Gourlay wrote

"It was interesting seeing the inside of the Nissen huts a few weeks ago. I walked past the huts at Duddingston many times as a small boy.

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As I recall, the huts were about two deep on a narrowish strip of land.  They ran all the way along Duddingston Road West from just after the bungalows at the junction with Milton Road crossroads, along the boundary with Duddingston Golf Club.

I’m sure they went round the bends after Duddingston village, but can’t remember if they went as far as the railway crossing near to the golf club entrance and the railway crossing at Craigmillar."

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland:  June 8, 2008

Recollections

2.

Betty Campbell

Northfield, Edinburgh

Thank you to Betty Campbell who wrote:

Duddingston Camp

"It was great seeing the picture of the cookhouse in Duddingston Camp where me and my family lived for almost 5 years, before moving to a prefab in Craigour Drive.

The best part of seeing this snap of the camp was, lo and behold, I spotted my mum who died twelve years ago.

Thank you for the pleasure."

Betty Campbell, Northfield, Edinburgh:  July 23, 2008

Recollections

3.

Carol McGhee

Australia

Carol McGhee was originally from Edinburgh.  She has just returned to Australia, following a recent visit to Edinburgh.

Carol wrote:

Duddingston Camp

"My Dad served in the Royal Navy for several years.  At  the end of the War, accommodation was extremely scarce so lived at Duddingston Camp for some time.

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My parents wanted a better life for me and couldn't see a future in Edinburgh at that time, so we emigrated to Australia.  I was only  about 3 or 4 years old at the time, in 1951.  My parents would have only been about 27 years old.

My parents told me many funny stories about  living at Duddingston Camp.  eg.  Dad would fill the kettle and put it on a low peep when he went to bed.  When he got up, there was enough hot water for him to shave and have a cup of tea before leaving for work.

I can also remember Dad building a little picket fence to make a garden for me to play in, and he erected a little trellis around the entrance of our hut/home.

My Mum was very fussy about the way I spoke and was a stickler for manners.  I can remember being laughed at by neighbours who weren't as fussy as my parents."

Carol McGhee, Australia:  December 8 2009

Recollections

4.

Winnie Riddell Sipprell

Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA

Winnie Riddell Sipprell read the message from Betty Campbell, above, and replied:

1947

"My family lived in the camps at Duddingston after I was born, in 1947, because of the housing shortage.  We lived in those little quonset huts, and my parents, Mick and Vi Riddell had three children during that time.

I was the eldest and remember some of the time we lived there.  All in all, it was a relatively happy time.  Everyone was in the same boat and struggling to make ends meet."

Orchard

"I remember, there was an apple orchard close by, and we would go and get the windfall apples that fell to the ground, and bring them to share with our family and neighbors.

We did not think at the time that it was stealing,  but I am sure that the owner may have thought differently."

Death

"I seem to recall that there was an incident of a child dying (murdered?)  that was talked about a lot  by the grown-ups, but the children, of course, were not supposed to know about it.  Since I was very young at the time, I am unclear as to the details."

Schools

"We walked to school.  I don't recall whether it was St Francis or another, but as we were Catholic, that's probably where we went school"

When housing finally became available, we moved to Niddrie and went to school there.  I don't remember too much about my class mates, other than that I was bullied quite badly.

My secondary school was St John's at Portobello, and I don't really remember any of my class mates there either."

Emigration

"I moved to US in 1968."

Winnie Riddell Sipprell, Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA:  July 24, 2011

Recollections

5.

Gus Coutts

Duddingston, Edinburgh

Thank you to Gus Coutts who wrote:

Duddingston Camp

"I hadn't been aware that there had been a POW Camp at Duddingston until I saw mention of it in Bobby McEwan's comments in Recollections 18 on the Craigmillar page.

My memory of the camp, albeit from the ages of 4 or 5 at the end of WW2, was as an Army Camp latterly occupied by Polish troops, then subsequently as Emergency Housing.

Gus Coutts, Duddingston, Edinburgh:  February 10, 2013

Recollections

6.

Bill Arthur

Thank you to Bill Arthur  following up Gus Coutts' comments above about Southfield Farm.

Bill wrote :

Bill Arthur:  February 10, 2013

Recollections

7.

Archie Foley

Joppa, Edinburgh

Archie Foley replied to Bill Arthur's comment d) in Recollections 5 above. concerning the date when the original Duddingston Camp was set up.

Archie wrote :

World War I Camp

"Yes.  There was a camp built at Duddingston in WW1.

 This newspaper extract describes an accident there while it was being built:."

"The 3rd Btn KOSB spent time there using Duddingston House as battalion HQ.'

Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh:  February 10, 2013

Recollections

8.

Doug Watt

Innerleithen, Borders, Scotland

Doug Watt replied to Gus Coutts who wrote Recollections 5 above.

Doug wrote:

Nissan Huts

"Like you Gus I cannot go back that far as we were in Glasgow during World War 2, but I was told that it was Italian prisoners that were in the Nissan huts during the war.

I did not know that the huts had been there since WW1 and did not know that Duddingston House was used by the army at any time."

Doug Watt, Innerleithen, Borders, Scotland:  February 11, 2013

Recollections

9.

Bill Arthur

Thank you to Bill Arthur  for writing again.

Bill wrote :

Southfield Farm

"The Nissan huts were still there when we lived at SOuthfield Road West.  That would have been in 1945 or 1946, just before the speedway.

The field was still there.  Joe Douglas was making guys for Guy Fawkes Nights and there were turnips close to the Figgate Burn Park."

Bill Arthur:  February 12, 2013

Lochinvar Camp on  Wardie School Playing Fields

Photos

Recollections