Art Installation

When Jimmy Jennings came up the concrete path to become the first Springtown Camp person to see the Art Installation, which was erected to commemorate the spirit of our parents who lived there for many years. It was the culmination of many years planning. Sure it only took us fifty two years! Yes, but it is now there in its most natural spot, right at the top of the camp, where all the action took place.

It was a great day and it was wonderful to see so many old neighbours and friends some who travelled from across the UK. to be there on that special day. We were honoured and delighted to have U S naval personnel present to represent and remember the US servicemen who were billeted in the camp from 1942. We were delighted that Jim 'Sully' Sullivan, and Denis Kolodziej from the Derry Navcommsta Alumni Association agreed to speak in the Guildhall at the Mayor civic reception for the Springtown Community.

Jimmy Jennings the first person to view the Art Installation

Jimmy loved the camp and every man, woman and child in it and they loved him and his wife Lily in return. He was the one person everyone wanted to stop and have a conversation with on the day.

Sadly Jimmy Jennings passed away not long after the unveiling of the Art installation.

The sun shone as several hundred people turned out to witness the occasion, some travelling from all over England and Scotland. While thanking them for coming they said "We just felt we had to be here for this special occasion, our parents would have wanted us to be here. Just seeing old friends from the camp it made the journey well worth while. Honestly it is like as if we are being transported back in time to the days of the camp, and it is a wonderful feeling just to be standing on this ground where we stood so many times in our childhood days.This day will make precious memories for us for many years to come.

Nineteen mothers from Springtown Camp marched to the Guildhall where the Corporation were holding their housing committee meeting, their aim was to speak at the meeting to voice their anger at the conditions in the camp, which nearly caused the lives of some children a couple of days ago in a fire there They were denied permission to address the meeting, but the committee agreed to come out to the camp the next day to see the conditions for themselves.

The daughters and granddaughters recreated the picture of their mothers and grandmothers that was taken by the Derry Journal that day almost sixty years ago. It was a lovely moment for all concerned.

The great idea for the recreation of this iconic image was suggested by GSAP boss Darren Kirby and it sure proved popular with the families of the mothers of the camp who were in the original image. The whole day was a roller coaster for the happy campers as they mingled with each other sharing magic moments from their childhood past.

A section of the crowd all in deep conversation

In the above image it is so sad to see at least three of the people who enjoyed the day so much have now passed on, my sister Mary, Tommy Cook, and Hugh McMonagle, may they all rest in peace.

Eileen Fleming and Margaret White two of the Dunn sisters holding the ribbon both travelled from England to be with us on the day. Hugo McConnell can be seen at the mic keeping people informed.

The cutting of the ribbon was done by George Lynch, the last person to leave the camp on Wednesday 11 October 1967, and Patricia Moore who sadly passed away recently. The many ex residents who have passed away since the Art Installation is a reminder of how so precious days like that day are and a reason why it is so important that people should embrace such occasions.

A strong front bench for sure, include: Fionnbarra O'Dochartaigh, his sister Deirdre, my sister Mary and Jimmy Jennings

Many of us tend to forget that we were not the first residents of the camp as our American friends not only build it but it was home for many during the war years. Young men from New York to Montana and some more states were there before us. They liked Derry so much they decided to take a permanent memory of the place by taking a wife from our fair city. I spoke to several of the U S personnel who were billeted in Springtown and they told me of their memories of the camp and our city. Some of them admitted to liking our beer so much that at times they had to leave a watch or some other small item of value with the barmen which enabled them to get 'credit' so they could get more beer until their paycheck came through. Once they paid their bill their goods were returned. It was an arrangement well known to us campers although we done 'business' with a pawnbroker and not barmen!

Above: Dennis Kolodziej, from Detroit, Jim 'Sully' Sullivan and his brother Joe Sullivan from Pennsylvania checking out the short history of the camp. Both Dennis and Jim spoke in the Guildhall later that day

Below: A selection of the names of some of the 1600 plus U S servicemen who were in Springtown during the war was printed on one side of the replica hut and the other side was how it was for the residents back in the day. I spoke to many of the men listed on the gable when I was researching the 'Springtown Camp from the Inside' book several years ago.

Remembering the 1600 US personnel who were in the camp from 1942-1945

It was then on to the splender setting of Derry's Guildhall for the Sinn Fein Mayor Michaela Boyle reception which around 200 people attended. Springtown Camp committee members Rory Quigley and John McLaughlin were present with framed certificates for their services to the people of the Camp by the mayor of Derry and Strabane Michaela Boyle. After people helped themselves to the buffet kindly supplied by The Mayor several speeches were made and at 4pm the memorable day ended. It was a day we all can look back on with a degree of satisfaction as it supplied us all with memories which we can look back on in the future It was only made possible by the support of many people not least by the community of Springtown Camp who were asked for help by way of personal donations and they responded it a most generous way.

The following contributed in a big way to the success of the Art Installation and our grateful thanks go to them all.