Rare WW2 German POW Internment War Work Inlaid Wood Vesta

This is a very high quality inlaid wooden vesta or match safe, to the front it has ‘P.O.W. Shrewsbury camp’ and to the back a lovely inlaid star shape. Research shows that the pow camp at Shrewsbury was used to house German internees and other German prisoners captured at the various fronts (see below). The box has a flip lid to the side and on the underside of the lid a strip of sandpaper used to strike the matches. The piece comes in superb condition and measures just under 2.5 inches long.
Some Germans found in Shropshire were held as prisoners of war, even if they were simply living in England at the outbreak of war. Others may have been captured at the front. There were between 500 and 600 German Prisoners of war interned at the Old Midland Carriage Works, Shrewsbury.

J27.1

Code: 65144