Hundreds remember Napoleonic POWs

The prisoners had been fighting for Napoleon Bonaparte

More than 400 people have gathered for the unveiling of a memorial in honour of thousands of Napoleonic troops who perished in a prisoner of war camp.

The monument was dedicated to the 1,700 mostly French captives who died at the Norman Cross prisoner of war camp near Peterborough between 1797 and 1814.

The event on Saturday was led by the 8th Duke of Wellington, whose ancestor defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815.

Those attending the ceremony included French dignitaries.

The original monument - a cast eagle on top of a stone column - was erected in 1914 to mark the "entente cordiale" between Britain and France but was vandalised 15 years ago and the bird stolen.

Peter Lee, chairman of the organising committee which raised more than £30,000 to replace the memorial and create a new eagle, said he was pleased with the "tremendous turnout".

'Remembering the peace'

Mr Lee said visiting French dignitaries joined more than 400 people gathered close to the junction of the A1(M) and the A15, near the site of the Norman Cross museum, to celebrate the unveiling.

He said history re-enactors representing British, French and German regiments associated with the camp gave a colourful aspect to the day with their bright red and yellow costume jackets and white trousers.

Mr Lee said: "This memorial isn't a memorial to English soldiers it is a memorial to our enemies and that's particularly unusual.

"It helps to remind us of the long-standing peace between England and France and reminds us to continue that peace."

Mr Lee said wreaths were laid at the memorial by French and British veterans and prayers and anthems from both sides of the channel were recited by the crowds in memory of the dead.

Norman Cross was the first purpose-built prison - known as a depot - for French prisoners of the revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars between 1793 and 1815.

More than 1,000 prisoners died from typhoid in 1800 and 1801 and as many as 1,800 prisoners died during the life of the prison.