Education.

They had a library in one of the Nissen huts.

A warm day !

What looks like a nice day in 1944. From the accommodation area, loking towards Dyffryn-Bach Farm and the Blorenge mountain.

Warm ?

With only a pot belly stove at each end you can bet there may not have been as much heat as was needed during the winter of 1944 !

Nissen Huts

A lot of the accommodation on the site was provided by the simple 'Nissen' hut. Usually sleeping up to 20 men, it was invented by Colonel Peter Nissen in 1916 as a shelter structure during the first world war, a design that endured for many years, well into the 1960's. The huts shown here are in the Northern area of the camp for the enlisted men.
Left - T5 35725125 William Lacer Jr., from Elberfield, Indiana.
Middle - T4 32139281 Anthony J. O'Connor (Speedy!), from Rochester, New York.
Right - Sgt. 38113195 Oscar Lozano, from Brownsville, Texas.

Tents also.

Even 130 solid buildings were not enough to accommodate the 279th. Many tents were also used in spaces between the buildings. I dont know what exactly they were used for, probably stores. In the middle of the camp was a large open water tank for fire fighting purposes.

On the left, T/5 Ted Buergler and Pfc Harry Herschall (guy with hat unknown)

Looking South.

This is looking from the small parade ground up to the camp entrance. Where you can see a Jeep just coming onto the site is where the guard hut is. The building on the right is the Camp Office and the building on the left is the Admissions and Dispersals Office.

Carl F. McDaniel.

'Mac' has been a guiding light in my research of the 279th at Gilwern and without his memories and photos I would have very little knowledge of what happened there. He is alive and well at 86 years of age and resides in Williamsport, PA. His best friend durning these times was William Lacer who is also alive and well. They keep in touch often. Mac on the left, Bill on the right.
More about them later !!

Commanding Officer.

The commancing officer of the 279th Station Hospital was Colonel Raymond R. Decker from Lewisburg, PA. He was also a surgeon.

Halt !

This is the Guard Hut at the main gate.

The Yanks are Coming.

A picture of a parade in front of the motor pool building (right). Raising the Stars and Stripes! This building still remains. On the far centre you can see some new Dodge Ambulances on the vehicle yard. The building on the left is the main administration office. This is now a training centre for heavy goods vehicles.

A Big Site

With over 130 buildings housing up to 1200 patients in 44 ward buildings, and accommodation for 450 personnel, this was at the time the largest hospital of its kind in Wales.

The Start 1942

Where there were once the open fields of Aberbaiden Farm on the outskirts of Gilwern village, in late 1942 the Ministry of Works set about building a 1200 bed hospital. This was ready for occupation in early 1943.

2010

Today, only 7 buildings remain of the