During World War Two, a small P O W camp was established on Wimbledon Common opposite the junction of Lauriston Road and Southside. Italian and German prisoners were housed in wooden huts and set to work on the land or in local factories. The camp was even adorned with a wooden model of Wimbledon windmill, built by the prisoners in their spare time.
At the end of the war, a clandestine interrogation camp codenamed "Inkpot" was formed at Queensmere House (previously Beltane School), which was situated in Royal Close off Queensmere Road. It was filled with civilian scientists and technicians who had been rounded up and brought to England following the German surrender in nineteen forty-five. Here they were visited by representatives from various government departments, who interrogated them on a vast range of topics from gas turbines, and rocket fuels to parachute design. The intelligence gathered was used to draft reports that helped to develop British industry.
