Part of The Great Wars Trail
During the second World War, a POW camp and American army base was built in the borough. There were a number of POW camps across Northern Ireland during the Second World War. One of these camps was located at Seahill, near Glencraig, on the outskirts of Belfast and not far from Grey Point Fort in Helen’s Bay that overlooks the entrance to Belfast Lough.
The area was also home to American soldiers based at the adjoining army camp at Seahill. Stories of people living there during the war talk of the German prisoners escaping in to the nearby woodland on numerous occasions but they were soon captured.
One POW who found himself at Seahill was Rudi Brulz. Having served on the Eastern Front the volunteered to become a Paratrooper and on completion of his training was sent to the Western Front. Captured in Belgium he was transported to Northern Ireland and after time in Londonderry, Dungannon and Holywood he was finally sent to Seahill in 1946 before being shipped to Scotland a year later.
If you do visit the site be aware of uneven surfaces and barbed wire which remains to this day.
Find out more about The Great Wars Trail.
