The Abandoned Village of Imber: How Far Can Emergency Powers Go? 

My great uncle owned a house and a shop in Imber, the government promised they'd return the buildings after the war, but never did. They never even compensated him. He was so destitute and broke because of Imber, he sadly ended up committing suicide.

I was in Tyneham last week - a village on the Dorset coast with a similar story. The villagers believed that they would return after the emergency and left a note saying "Please treat the church and houses with care; we have given up our homes where many of us lived for generations to help win the war to keep men free. We shall return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly."

Nothing is more permanent than temporary government policy.

In the US, you don't even need emergency powers to do stuff like this. Eminent Domain is commonly used simply to seize 'underutilized' land and hand it to developers who would make 'better economic use of it'.

happened to my family recently. lost our home to make way for a road so that people driving past could save a few minutes off their commute. thankfully we were compensated reasonably fairly for it, but we did lose something that can never be replaced materially.

Have you ever heard of Quabbin Reservoir? Basically what happened was in the 1930s, people realized that Boston (Massachusetts) was getting very big very fast and they needed an alternate water supply. So the government seized the land from four towns (Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott), evicted all the residents, and flooded the area. The result is a giant reservoir that serves most of the Great Boston Area in some way or another. The kicker is that this was completely legal through eminent domain. In the United States (and a bunch of other places), the government can seize private property without compensation, as long as the land goes to public use, such as a reservoir. It's rarely done, but it's still odd to know that there are towns hidden under the local water supply.

The same thing happened in November 1943 in Tyneham Village near Lulworth, Dorset. Fascinating place and open to visit. The school and church are just how they would've been before the military took over.

Well this suddenly got very relevant fast.

While looking up the Latin quote (it's been 40 years since high school) I was surprised to also find the source of "The laws will thus not be silent in time of war, but they will speak with a somewhat different voice." which Tom paraphrased. It's from a book by former U.S. Chief Justice William Rehnquist about civil liberties in wartime. I wonder if he found it in Wikipedia too.

everyone in 2020: oh yikes

If you are ever in New York City, you could do a similar story on how the government seizing a lot of land in the Bronx in the 1940s-60s in order to make highways decimated middle class neighborhoods. These areas are now some of the poorest in the city and were really scary to even take the bus/subway through for decades, although it's a lot safer (though no less poor) nowadays.

Did some house clearing training there when I was in the army back in the 90s never knew it was an actual village amazing videos new to this channel keep the information flowing

Something you might not know: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges was an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space 9

Important question: Is your closet full of only red shirts?

Nothing is more terrifying than a government granted "Emergency Powers."

It’s incredible how in Britain, during a war, you get a seven weeks notice to leave, while here, in Russia, without any reason for emergency, government just destroys your property with one week notice if it has other plans for a piece of land it’s on.

How many of one's principles can be broken in defense of these very same principles, before it becomes hypocritical?

Theres a similar villiage called Tyneworth in the training area around Chesil beach. The circumstances of the two are almost identical its just that the training grounds are different. I havent done enough research about the area but living locally i found it quite interesting.

Jefferson City, Tennessee, the place where I grew up, is home to Cherokee Dam which created Cherokee Lake. During WWII, the government built the dam to help provide power for the “Manhattan Project,” the code name for the research/development of an atomic bomb. People had to leave their homes; hundreds of thousands of acres of former farmland were flooded. There are plenty of places you can still see old grain silos poking out of the water, or even the remains of farm houses. When the lake's low, you can walk right up to some of them. I have mixed feelings about it, but it's a really interesting thing to be able to see history that closely. And the dam does still provide the community with some electricity.

I've been there! It was for a geocaching thing at the Church, it was so cool, although soldiers told us to go away. The houses are empty and are rotten and breaking down. It's crazy, wish I'd taken some photos.

Oh, silly me, I was thinking about emergency electric power...

Excellent video as ever. I did know about Imber, as once a year, on one of the fifty odd days that the public can revisit it per year, they run "Imberbus". Usually in latter end of the summer. August/ September time. It's effectively a once a year registered bus service, using mostly, but not exclusively, London Transport "Routemaster" buses It's excellent. Well worth a look...when we can do such things again. Kind of ironic with Tom saying about "Emergency Powers"etc

Thank you for bringing this to the attention of people - and not just as a quaint photo opportunity. I find it chilling.

That final statement is very appropriate for current events. We'll see how much of a reach there is by government

In 1956 the British Government passed a private bill sponsored by the English City of Liverpool to develop a water reservoir in the Tryweryn Valley, Wales. Although reservoir would be in Wales, the bill didn't require consent from the Welsh local authorities. 35 out of 36 Welsh MPs opposed the bill but it was passed anyway, Members of the community waged a 8 year effort to prevent the bill but failed. They flooded a Welsh village called Capel Celyn in 1965 the village and it's buildings included the post office, the school, and a chapel with cemetery were all lost. Cofiwch Dryweryn. Cymru am Byth.

Emergency powers are always a touchy issues not namely because they often side track a lot of laws and possible human rights (Torture, secret trails which cannot be checked etc.) but also mission creep. When laws originally for one thing (anti-terror laws like stop and searches) being used for another (stopping drugs etc.).

it would happen again in a split second. we definitely did not change that much since the last episode.

+ Tom Scott I did some FIBUA ( fighting in built up areas) training while I was on a camp at the near by knook army base with the Northumbria army cadet force

The same thing happened in Norfolk, Stanford training area containing 4 villages 1 of which my grandmother lived at

I just discovered your channel and have seen a few videos . Very good work indeed . A new fan from India .

In Massachusetts we have a reservoir called "The Quabbin Resivoir" which used to have towns in it but the people there were forced to leave so the government could create it. Now Boston gets water from there.

Reminds me of the 2008 movie 'City of Ember', an isolated city due to war.

Quite apt that this has come in my suggested feed in 2020!

In Belgium there's a village called 'Doel' (fun fact, literally translates to target) which has been evacuated only because they'd want to expand the port of Antwerp there.

Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges was also the name of a 7th season Star Trek Deep Space Nine episode.

I did my FIBUA training there. Brought back a few memories (of being petrified!). I wasn't aware of the history.

There's a neighborhood a few miles away from where I live where a several blocks of houses have been acquired by the government via eminent domain. The city wants to expand the road around an intersection because it is the deadliest intersection in the city. It's creepy to drive through those neighborhoods and see about half-a-mile of houses that have abandoned and fenced off.

I've trained in that village. The badgers are the bravest creatures to walk the planet 😂

In the U.S. we have the same thing. Only its not in any statute. Its part of the constitution itself. The 5th amendment says "Private property may not be confiscated for public use without just compensation" Which implies by way of pregnant negative that private property may be compensated for public use so long as just compensation is afforded. The worst part is that the state is allowed to seize private property and give it to another private party so long as they can justifiably believe that the party they give it to will pay more in property taxes than the party they took it from, which basically means they have the constitutional power to take all residential land, re-zone it as commercial land, and give it to private for-profit businesses.

_"In time of war, the true nature of the law and government becomes clear."_ _"Ignorance is Strength." I'm weak._

Hello from the Kingdom of Jordan in year 2020. We're using our version of this law (Jordanian law of Defense of the Realm. Which is essentially martial law) to use any and all means necessary to contain CoVID-19. We're watching Britain and the US being indecisive, and Central Europe's healthcare systems slowly collapsing one by one. Our government used the Emergency Powers act to force isolate Jordanian cities from one another, close airports and ground all flights to and from the country, and more importantly, to keep the economy running. Banks were banned from collecting mortgage and loan payments, at no interest. Social Security was strong-armed into accepting only 5% of what they normally deduct of salaries. And the Customs office is mandated to accept only 30% of the usual customs fare on essential goods like wheat, grain, fruits and vegetables, and medicine. More significantly, they used this power to assume control over hotels around the country for them to be used as emergency quarantine rooms

_"When they kick at your front door, how you gonna come, with your hands on your head or on the trigger of your gun?_ _When the law break in, how you gonna go, shot down on the pavement or waiting in death row?"_ - The Clash > The Guns of Brixton > London Calling

Guess we've found the amount of panic required for government to reach for those powers.

i've been there, the amount of bullet casings you find on the ground is incredible.

I can't speak to the UK, but in the USA eminent domain can be used to take a "village" and replace it with a casino if government decides it's in the "public interest". It's done all the time for everything from public highways to private toll roads.

Why is there an anotation on the sign on the right at 1:12 that takes you to the music video for Timber by Pitbull?

I used to live in tidworth (home to a garrison where most of the light tanks are kept such as the 430 series and the warrior IFV) which is next to imber and I already knew the story of imber but this video is still very good at telling the story of imber

Like the Government's temporary introduction of Income Tax during the Napoleonic Wars move than 200 years ago! And it is still with us and still rising, at least for those of us who still pay Income Tax.

Emergency powers: "In order to ensure the security and continuing stability...."

Same thing happened to the village of Tyneham in Dorset. The residents were told they could return after the war. They left a note on the church door which read "Please treat the church and houses with care; we have given up our homes where many of us lived for generations to help win the war to keep men free. We shall return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly." They never were allowed to return. the village and its ruins are open to the public when the firing range is closed.

theres a similar area in norfolk, i attended a few illegal raves there between 2003-2009 and have never forgotten the place

Also a village called Tyneham, near Lulworth, Dorset. A lot of the buildings there were left abandoned and haven't been touched. You can go and visit.

It's very somber the way that it all went down but it's creepy the almost houses that they have up for simulations are sooo freaky

I remember being on exercise there in the late 80's doing FIBUA. It was a fantastic rush!

I’ve stopped there whilst on exercise with the army! We used that farm house as a fob.

I get this suggested to me by RU-vid during the Coronavirus/COVID19 panic...

tom, im not sure if you have already but you should do a video on the underground town in corsham in whiltshire. when you catch the train from swindon to bath and you pass through the box tunnel you can see a track that dissappears off into the old entrance.

I've trained in that village countless times its quite eerie really

Same thing happened in Tyneham (Dorset, I think?) I visited there this year and it was a rather eerie athmospere.

I seem to remember they broke a legally binding contract to return the land based on the argument that "you can't expect us to stick to something made so long ago"

Why does the annotation at 1:11 link to Pitbull?

You should be part of every home school. Thanks for another great video.

Anything is legal, as long as your government says it is. O_O

Again a very interesting video!

Reminds me of "Get 'em Out by Friday" - Genesis... Cool story, Tom

it's weird watching it right now

I went there a couple of months back on a cadet exercise. Very interesting and surreal place.

Rather prophetic

Reminds me to "Lopau" in Germany. A village that was in the saftyzone for a tank shooting range on Munster Training Area and so all habitants was resettled.

We had a very similar military range called Brdy in the Czech Republic that was created in 1926 and all residents permanently evacuated in 1950. It was closed this year (and reopened as landscape park, a type of protected area) but the confiscated land was not returned. There was not much to return anyway.

Wow - those powers sound broad enough to conflict with the Magna Carta - can a baron violating one of the emergency powers regulations be tried in secret and imprisoned?

Before i clicked this i thought it was going to be about emergency (electrical)power. Though i'm not disappointed in this content, thanks.

I am unsure if I have ever been to Imber. I seem to remember going there once. Great video

There's another village like this in Dorset, it's called tyneham! It's a few miles away from lulworth and you can go there when the firing range isn't being used!

I see what you did there RU-vid! Watching this video in 2021 around the 1 year anniversary of COVID-19.

Everyone in 2021: this is getting real 😳

I love going to Imber on the open days.

Tom, when the government wants your stuff, saying no is not an option, as you can go peacefully or by force, but you will go eventually.

Fun fact: in newer translations of the bible, the commandment that says ‘thou shall not kill’ was changed to ‘thou shall not murder’ to prevent potential conscientious objectors from finding any problems religion-wise with going to war. Which is just lovely.

Here in the States we have the same thing it's called eminent domain. Back when I was at Uni, the university declared eminent domain to demolish several blocks of homes for athletic facilities. It was a huge controversy.

Little did Tom know that he was making a video about the near future...

Have you heard the conspiracy theory regarding Imber Village? As a young soldier training on the village i was told it by the Platoon Sergeant at the time. Theory has it that the residents of Imber at the time were inbred from generations of in-breeding due to the remote location. As a result the residents were horribly mutilated. The government discovered this and all the residents were then re housed across the UK (some go on to say executed!) The excuse of 'to support the war effort' was then used to cover the whole thing up. Not sure if this theory is well known but it used to scare the ba-jesus out of me when sleeping in the village overnight!

I know that Latin phrase because there's a Deep Space Nine episode with that as the title. It's a good one too.

The Canadian government expropriated over 400 square miles of land to create CFB Gagetown (near Fredericton, New Brunswick) in the 1950s. Several small villages suddenly ceased to exist and 2000-3000 people had to move.

There's a town like this in Dorset - Tyneham. I've gone there a few times, and it is often still being used by the army.

I went there once, so eerie

I guess there are circumstances where I could agree to those actions but mostly they they make me very unconfortable. I guess, they were at least compensated. Usually that is too little for the loss but that should always be the least done for those people.

I love the use of "&c." in the Emergency Powers Act.

At Easter people are allowed into Imber after the Easter service where, as a kid I collected the casings left from their training.

Also happened in Epynt in Wales about 80 years ago.

And this is why we will never give up our ability to defend what's ours. Never. End of story.

I visited imber a few months ago (from a distance as it was close) and I live really close its crazy

Same happened at Tyneham Village in Dorset.

the village of doel and lillo in the neigborhoud were also abandonded for the expansion of the port of Antwerp

Why is this Ke$ha video link about?

Tom, if you happen to come back to Austria anytime, check out Reschensee and its history!

The amount of time Ive spent "fighting" over that village and I never knew this......

I'm glad they kept the church!

Little dis you realise what 2020 and 2021 would bring.

Interesting video as always. The same situation happened in Tyneham, Dorset.