Free talk by Thomas Mcloughlin about the Halbmondlager, the German First World War prisoner-of-war camp in Wünsdorf.
The Halfmoon Camp is a talk at the National Army Museum on Friday 18 December, running from 12:00pm to 1:00pm. It's led by Thomas Mcloughlin, an Engagement Officer at the museum, and it looks at a First World War story that hasn't had much time in the spotlight: the Halbmondlager, or Halfmoon Camp.
Set up in the town of Wünsdorf during the First World War, the camp was part of a German propaganda campaign to persuade captured Allied soldiers to switch sides and support the German war effort. It held several thousand prisoners, mostly Muslim soldiers recruited from the colonial territories of Britain and France in Africa and South Asia, including members of the Indian Army. Compared with other POW camps, those at the Halbmondlager generally received better treatment and greater religious freedom — a deliberate strategy by the Germans to win them over.
Mcloughlin's talk covers how the camp came to be, the experiences of the men held there, and why this particular episode of the First World War has been so long overlooked. It's a look at the intersection of war, propaganda, and the colonial soldiers caught in the middle, rather than the usual battle-map history.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in London and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
The museum itself is in Chelsea, on Royal Hospital Road (SW3 4HT), and it tells the British Army's story from the 1600s to the present day across five galleries, working from personal accounts rather than glorifying war. The talk is free, though you'll need to book a place in advance. It runs from 12:00pm to 1:00pm on Friday 18 December.
