Northern Ireland became home to thousands of evacuees from Gibraltar from July 1944. British military operations in their homeland forced the population of The Rock overseas. Many of them came to Co. Down to escape the Blitz in London.
Cargagh Camp (Camp 2) stood on the Ballydugan Road, Downpatrick, Co. Down where Rosebank Country House now stands. The camp consisted of a range of buildings and Nissen huts. Those who lived at the camp remembered the cold and mud of the Northern Irish winter. Today, a red-bricked building remains. This was possibly an electrical generator building but now forms a redeveloped summer house.
In 1945, the Cargagh Camp lost out to the Aughacully Camp in the final of the inter-camp table-tennis tournament. Local teacher Miss O’Driscoll and Miss Kilroy taught the younger children on the camp.
Following the Second World War, most of the Gibraltar evacuees returned to their homeland.
Back Row: 1. Lionel Santos 2. Amanda Martinez 3. Florence (Flossie) Cartwright 4. Alminda Tonna 5. Unknown 6. Unknown 7. Muriel Cartwright 8. Unknown 9. Unknown 10. Unknown 11. Unknown 12. Unknown 13. Unknown 14. Unknown 15. Unknown 16. Unknown 17. Unknown Third Row: 1. Joseph (Pepe) Martinez 2. Victor Gonzalez 3. Joseph (Joe) Formosa 4. Unknown 5. Unknown 6. Unknown 7. Unknown 8. Unknown 9. Unknown 10. John (Johnny) Martinez Jr. 11. Unknown 12. Joseph (Pepe) De La Cruz Second Row: 1. Unknown 2. Unknown 3. Unknown 4. Unknown 5. John Martinez 6. Captain Bateman-Fox 7. Mrs. Bateman-Fox 8. Unknown 9. Joseph (Pepe) Noguera 10. Unknown 11. Unknown 12. Unknown 13. Unknown Front Row: 1. Unknown 2. Unknown 3. Unknown 4. Hilda Tonna 5. Unknown 6. Unknown 7. Unknown 8.Unknown 9. Unknown 10. Unknown 11. Unknown
Family Archive Photo: A group of young evacuees from Gibraltar pose in costume outside the Nissen huts that served as dining rooms and community centres on the Cargagh Camp, near Downpatrick in Co. Down. Photo supplied by Clive Martinez.
Back Row: 1. Unknown 2. Joseph (Pepe) Noguera 3. Unknown 4. Unknown 5. Unknown 6. Unknown Front Row: 1. John Martinez 2. Father Hugh Murphy 3. Mrs. Bateman-Fox 4. Captain Bateman-Fox 5. Unknown
Family Archive Photo: The committee looked after the welfare of the Gibraltar evacuees in Northern Ireland. Each community of evacuees had their own committee responsible for amongst other things, organising concerts and social events. Photo supplied by Clive Martinez.
Many thanks to Clive Martinez from the Gibraltar Evacuation WW2 Facebook Group for the archive photos from Cargagh Camp 2, Co. Down.
Family Archive Photo: Clive Martinez was an evacuee at Cargagh Camp, Co. Down in the late 1940s. He returned 60 years later to find the office of Captain Bateman-Fox still standing at the site. Photo supplied by Clive Martinez.
Residents at Cargagh Camp
Some of the evacuees from Gibraltar who lived in the Cargagh Camp, Downpatrick, Co. Down. If you have any further information on these people, please let us know.