Springtown Camp was a United States military camp near Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in use during World War II. It was sited outside the western part of the city, off the Buncrana Road in an area now covered by an industrial estate. After the United States Navy had evacuated the camp at the end of the war, local people living in over-crowded terraced homes, sometimes three families living in one small house, broke into the camp and in to the huts in August 1946. The huts although without running water, electricity or any means of heating, they still provided the families with space, which was lacking in their previous homes. After a public outcry the Londonderry Corporation who were unionist/Protestant in the majority and who only obtained power by vote gerrymandering, granted "temporary" rentals to the new occupants and charged rent. This agreement was supposed to last 6 months after which the families were to be housed in proper house in Derry City. But this never happened due to discrimination, as the residents of Springtown Camp were over 90% catholic/nationalist.The quality of the accommodation was poor, however, and over time, children grew up, married and were obliged to live with parents, resulting in over-crowding. The conditions, in the tin huts deteriorated due to lack of repairs and became very unsafe, led to a sustained campaign for rehousing. The Corporation resisted this campaign for years but after a "silent" protest march by the residents from the camp to Derry's Guildhall was televised and beamed in to many homes throughout Ireland, pressure was mounting on the Londonderry Corporation to act.They again refused to re house the people of the camp, fearing the movement of so many catholic/nationalist to different areas of Derry could jeopardise their grip on power. However the residents protest gained so much support the Londonderry Corporation was forced to move on the rehousing of the people. Eventually all the residents were rehoused when on 11 October 1967 the two last families were finally housed to make way for the Springtown Industrial estate. Springtown Camp which was to provide temporary housing for the people for a maximum of six months was in existence for period of over twenty one years.The camp residents rightly claim the march on Tuesday 28 January 1964 from Springtown Camp to Derry's Guildhall was the first Civil Rights march in the 1960s and indeed was a precursor to the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march in Duke Street Derry where the marchers were beaten by the RUC over the head with batons. This march led to worldwide condemnation of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and led to other Civil Rights Marches throughout Northern Ireland which was the start of the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland which lasted over 30years.The Derry Journal in a two page article on their Friday 25 January 2019 edition on the coming 55th anniversary of the Springtown Camp silent protest march of Tuesday 28 January 1964. carried a quote from founder member of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association Fionnbarra O'Dochartaigh confirming that that march was the first march in the civil rights campaign in Derry. He further confirmed it was the spark that lead to the formation of the Derry Housing association . Willie Deery and Hugo Mc Connell are the former ex residents who have lobbied politicians for support to obtain planning permission to erect an Art Installation in remembrance of the Community who lived there. They also plan to remember the camps first dwellers, the navy personnel of the USA who were billeted there from 1942 until they vacated the Nissen huts, on the completion of world war 2. Planning approval was finally approved on their second application of 20th November 2018 Mr Deery has reported that their Art Installation is currently out to tender with Engineering and Building Contractors and work on the Installation will commence in the coming weeks.
