Oehlke

[Roy G]

Thanks for the explanation of the American end, that seems to make much more sense.
Re
I'm not spotting the birth in the indexes for this child. ........  If he is the father, then he could not have been in custody
See FreeBMD for
June quarter of 1914 listing the birth of Oehlke Wilhelmine G E, mother Rogers,  Lambeth ref 1d 601

Conception at least was well before war was officially declared, only the marriage was after it.
Probably a look at camp records for the Isle of Man might reveal something.  Couldn't find him on the latest release of Red Cross POW/Internee cards, the only person of that name seemed to be an 8 year old child.

Roy G

[lizdb]

Thanks, dont know how I missed that birth!

So he was over here before the war, not as a result of the war.

There are several of that surname around it seems. In Manchester and Deptford mainly.

[Roy G]

I didn't pick up on the Manchester entries, so thanks for that.

From the info sent, I have now been looking into the Royal Edward, then a ship for internees, some paying a supplement for first class cabins (how British).  It became a troopship and was torpedoed in the Med later in 1915.  It would now help to know if there was a ships log showing were she deposited her cargo of internees before becoming a troopship.
Roy G

[KGarrad]

Found this via Google:

STATIONED OFF SOUTHEND

----------

ROYAL EDWARD AS INTERNMENT SHIP.

When Mr. John B. Jackson, of the American Embassy in Berlin, visited this country to report on the treatment of German prisoners of war in England, he inspected the Royal Edward, which was then being used as an internment vessel. In his report he stated as follows:- Of the ships, the Royal Edward was obviously the show ship. On board, the interned were separated into three classes dependent to a certain extent upon their social standing, but to a greater extent to their ability to meet extra expenses. prisoners were permitted to avail themselves of the regular first-class cabins upon payment in advance of from 5s. to 2s. 6d. a week, according to the number of persons occupying a cabin. At that time the ship was lying off Southend, and Mr. Jackson reported that all the prisoners were locked below decks at night, which caused some nervousness among them owing to the apprehension of danger from Zeppelins.

[KGarrad]

Also a book on Google books:  http://www.rootschat.com/links/019az/
"The Internment of Aliens in Twentieth Century Britain"  edited by David Cesarani, Tony Kushner

which states that the Royal Edward remained in operation as an internee ship until the end of May 1915, when many of the prisoners moved to the camp at Alexandra Palace.

[Roy G]

Found the same article about the cabins and zeppelins, but the Aly Pally bit is further info.  Interesting, I would have expected the WW1 internees to be accommodated somewhere more remote.
Found 2 books on the Internet about Ally Pally.
Harris, Janet.  Alexandra Palace:  a hidden history.  Tempus Publishing Ltd., 2005.  128 pages.  ISBN: 0752436368  And, German Prisoners in Britain 1916.  Lots of pictures in the last one so should keep me busy.
Roy G

[jennifer c]

Do you already have info on Laura ?

Jennifer

[Roy G]

Yes, Laura was my friend's grandma, and she is quite informed on her, but tracing Fritz her grandfather's movements has been a bit more tricky.  I will await the copy marriage cert, and then get into it in more detail.
Thanks again.    Roy G

[Kath]

Hi, Roy.
A bit late, sorry.

One of the couples married at Southend was:
 Marriages March 1915  Rochford  4a 1031
Wilhelm Zunder, 22, waiter, and Winifred Bollingford, 21, no occupation, of Hayes-road, Clacton on-Sea.
I looked on the Anglo German Family History Society site & found the Zunder name was being researched. I was able to give the member info. on his grandfather, Wilhelm Zunder.
The site may be of interest to you (if you don't know it).
http://www.agfhs.org/site/index.php

Kath.
researching the Royal Edward: www.royaledward.net
I have yet to have a page on her as a prison ship.