"The next leg in this seemingly never-ending journey to reach a 'permanent' camp led northwards, then eastwards, and finally we arrived about 6 km east of Heilbronn, at the small village of Weinsburg, in the heart of German wine country. The old camp, parts of which dated back to the First World War, was set in hilly country with slopes covered in vineyards and dark forests, and this was confirmed as our final and permanent camp. Prominent in the view from the camp was the village church and, beyond that, on a conical hill, rested the ruins of an old castle, built in the twelfth century and known to the local community as 'Weibertreu' ('Castle of Faithful Wives'). The story goes that, during the early history of the area, when wars between neighbouring states were common, the castle was besieged. The investing army chose to show clemency before the final onslaught by granting safe passage to the womenfolk, on condition that they only carry out as much as could be borne on their backs. Remaining faithful to their promise, the besieging army watched in astonishment as the women carried out their husbands!
The wooden hutments of the camp were set in two rows about an open, dusty 'playground'. Each bungalow contained ten rooms and each of these, small and cramped, housed fourteen men. The double-storey wooden bunks, together with a tall cupboard, a narrow vertical stove/room-heater, fed with brickettes when available, and a modest table, served as furniture. The camp was designated Oflag V-A (Officer Camp V-A). A large wooden structure served as a dining, games and entertainment centre. Sentries paced, 24 hours a day, beyond a high, double, barbed-wire fence in between which lay rolls of more barbed wire. Further to this security, more sentries were perched on high watch towers, manning searchlights and machine-guns…."
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experiments to find a better way to mount aircraft for wargaming.