"Windermere boys" courtesy of 45 Aid Society / Another Space

Legacy of war

Impact of World War II on the Lake District

Some of the wartime infrastructure was used after the war officially ended and many of the remains can still be seen today.

Lowther huts

The Nissan huts built in the grounds of Lowther castle to house the tank regiments during the war were later used to house displaced Polish refugees.

"Windermere boys"

In 1945, 300 traumatised Jewish children from Nazi concentration camps were flown from Prague to Crosby in Eden, Carlisle. They were brought to Windermere to recuperate, and became known locally as the ‘Windermere boys’. It was thought that the landscape of the Lake District would aid the recovery of the children.

Find out more at From Auschwitz to Ambleside and watch out for repeats of the BBC programme The Orphans Who Survived The Concentration Camps.

Crashed bomber

There is a memorial on the summit of Great Carrs in Coniston Parish, which marks the site of a crashed Halifax bomber. Sadly eight men lost their lives in the crash, seven were Canadian and one British.

World War II activities and resources for teachers

We've created several World War II-related activities:

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Created with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund