Polish WWII Veterans and Families Reunite at Devon Resettlement Camp

Former residents of Ilford Park in Stover, near Newton Abbot in Devon, gathered for a reunion to recall their time at the resettlement camp created for Polish veterans and their families after World War Two. People who lived at the park described it as "heaven on earth" and a "beautiful place" to grow up.

The camp opened in 1948 under the Polish Resettlement Act of 1947 as one of 45 sites built to house displaced Polish veterans who fought under British command.

Jagla arrived at the camp at age five with his twin brother and lived there for 50 years. "It was heaven on earth," he said. "The world, as far as you can see, was our oyster. " Jagla brought his granddaughter to the reunion to show her what life was like at the camp.

He noted that the gathering was bittersweet because participants may not see each other again. Halina Grabiec, who organized the reunion, arrived at Ilford Park when she was five. "It's really absolutely brilliant to see them face-to-face after so many years and we have such fantastic memories," she said.

" Alicia Rosanna, a current resident, said she was grateful for the support provided after the war. "He kept the promise and, you know, he treated us well," she said.

The Ministry of Defence, which owns the site, has launched a consultation to review whether to close the park. Officials said the number of residents with links to veterans has declined, with most residents now in their 80s and 90s and the oldest person living there aged 101.

Senior manager Rob Rowntree said the park aims to fulfill the original promise made to the veterans before any potential closure. "With that generation, as we know, numbers are sadly declining and what we've got to do now is think about how we will continue to look after these people," he said.

"But as numbers are declining, we want to consult and say how should we bring things to a close," Rowntree added.