This rare photo, featured in a local newspaper during the early 1940s, shows captured German airmen helping to build pre-fabricated homes for the people of Plymouth. In the background can be seen the church at Higher St Budeaux. Many people will remember the pre-fabs that stood in the area long after the war had finished. They were only built to last for ten years but most lasted much longer. Some can still be found at the nearby Ernesettle Lane. There seems to be little mentioned about captured German prisoners of war within Plymouth and it seems ironic that the airmen were put to work building houses for the homeless when they would have caused the problem in the first place. They were known locally as 'Herrenvolk' which is a translation of 'The Master Race', which was probably applied to them sarcastically rather than with any respect. I can't find any reports of of how they were treated, although they were probably treated well, but local people would have despised them as many would have lost their friends, neighbours and families in the heavy German bombing particularly in 1941. Even so, local children would have been fascinated by them and probably pretended to machine-gun them every day on their way to school! Higher St Budeaux still has a village feel about it in this picture with very few buildings and plenty of open land. On the left can be seen the St Budeaux Foundation School which was demolished when the new road and roundabout were put in place, in the early 1980s, which led to the Parkway. Also in the picture is Higher St Budeaux Church and the nearby Inn, remembered fondly as 'The Blue Monkey.' A lot has changed over the years and it's strange to think that many of the roads and paths that are still in place were originally laid by German airmen.
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