Burlish Camp then and now

The area known locally as Burlish Camp gained the name “camp” from the era of the Second World War.

In 1943 American troops began to arrive in Britain in large numbers often ferried across the Atlantic in the great ocean liners at high risk. Landing mainly in Glasgow or Liverpool they were transported to tented or hutted camps.The camps here were known by the US Army as Camp Bewdley No.1 and No.2 they served as HQ (Headquarters) facilities for the 8th and 12th Corps. of the US Army. The Rifle Range area was used for training exercises.

When the army left for France after D-Day the sites were converted to Hospital Facilities numbers 114 and 297 and served as such until June 1945, dealing with the wounded from the battles in Europe.

The Camp was maintained until 1950 when local families, many of Polish ex-servicemen, took over the site. The site was run as a housing estate by Stourport Town Council until sufficient post-war new housing was available. Camp No. 1 (Hospital 297) became the Burlish housing estate and Camp No. 2 (Hospital 114) was then cleared and became a nature reserve.