Author Topic: WW1 Internment Camp at Knockaloe  (Read 96339 times)

Offline Marged

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WW1 Internment Camp at Knockaloe
« on: Tuesday 30 December 03 23:13 GMT (UK) »
My great grandfather was sent from the Isle of Man to Libury Hall in Hertfordshire, where he died in 1916.  I would love to find out if there are any records available in the Isle of Man?

Offline RootsChat

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Re:WW1 Internment Camp at Knockaloe
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 11 March 04 20:28 GMT (UK) »
Dear Marged,

If you are looking for records for Knockaloe I am afraid there may be nothing available  :( I have included a link to a site which will tell you a little more and an address where you may write.

http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/famhist/genealgy/intern.htm

I found a link to Libury Hall that was a German Industrial and Farm Colony  ??? not sure if this is the one you are interested in ?

Hope this helps
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Offline Christopher

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Re: WW1 Internment Camp at Knockaloe
« Reply #2 on: Friday 17 March 06 07:21 GMT (UK) »
Hei Marged,

The Knockaloe Internment Camp ... History comes from the Isle of Man Guide site and then there is some more information about Internment on the Isle of Man from the Manx National Heritage site ...
Internment World Wars I and II
A picture of a half-crown note which was issued for use in the Onchan Civilian Internment Camp during WWII

All the Best, Christopher

Offline loo

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Re: WW1 Internment Camp at Knockaloe
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 04 April 06 07:39 BST (UK) »
See my Bibliography at http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,112434.0.html . This will not likely give you anything specific about your ancestor, but will give you a lot of background info which might be helpful - and, you never know who you might run into.  In particular, see Margery West, Island at War; Paul Cohn-Portheim, Time Stood Still: my Internment in England; and Walling, John.  The Internment and Treatment of German Nationals during the 1st World War. 

There are numerous records of interest at the National Archives in Kew.  You may find something there which mentions your ancestor.  I might be able to give you some clues about that if you give me some more info.

If your ancestor was of German origin, I suggest you join the Anglo-German FHS and get them to search their records for him.  I know at least one person who located their ancestor immediately this way, complete with a prisoner ID number.

Finally, if all else fails, contact the International Committe of the Red Cross in Geneva.  They have archives of all prisoners of war (which is what this is).  I believe they charge to do the search, which can be quite involved.

If you give me his name, I will let you know if I run into it, as I am working my way through a number of sources.  I am very interested in this topic in general, and in people's stories, but have not yet found a record for the person that I myself am looking for.

Can I ask you if you found a death record for him, and, if so, where you found the reference?  I have not been able to figure out whether those who died in the camps are listed in the general deaths yet.  thanks.
ARMSTRONG - Castleton Scot; NB; Westminstr Twp
BARFIELD - Nailsea
BRAKE - Nailsea
BURIATTE
CANDY - M'sex, Deptford
CLIFFORD - Maidstone
DURE(E) - France, Devon, Canada
HALLS - Chigwell
KREIN, Peter/Adam - Germany
LEOPOLD - Hanover, London
LATTIMER, MAXWELL - Ldn lightermen
MEYER - Lauenstein
MURRAY - Scot borders
STEWART - Chelsea; Reach
SWANICK - Mayo & Roscommon; Ontario
WEST - Rochester & Maidstone
WILLIS - Wilts, Berks, Hants, London
WOODHOUSE - Bristol tobacconist, London
WW1 internees


Offline runey

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Re: WW1 Internment Camp at Knockaloe
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 04 April 06 11:01 BST (UK) »
Hi All,
My husband's ggrandfather died in the internment camp in Knockaloe in Nov 1916.  I contacted the librarian at library[AT]mnh.gov.im  and they were able to confirm that Johann Evers died at the camp and was buried in St Patricks cemetary on 21st Nov 1916.  They advised us to contact the civil registry on the Isle of Man for the death certificate (civil[AT]registry.gov.im) (Haven't done this yet).
 Johann's wife, Mary, had to apply to be renaturalised and I was able to get the documents related to this from the National Archives at Kew through their digital online service.  From this we were able to find out that Johann was arrested in Liverpool in May of 1915 and was first interned at the Prisoner of War camp  in Stobs (Scotland) before being transferred to Knockaloe.   We know he is now buried at The German Wargrave Cemetery in Cannock Chase. 
Loo, if you come across any references to Johann Evers in your research I would be most grateful  for the information.

Regards
Michelle


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Looking for Fry in London, Surrey, Devon& Dublin. Humphries in Wandsworth.  Marsh in Wandsworth & Kingston. Blacker in Wandsworth & Battersea.
Growney in Meath & Dublin. Also Harris and Walker in London
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline loo

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Re: WW1 Internment Camp at Knockaloe
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 05 April 06 07:25 BST (UK) »
Michelle, I have just decided to start keeping a list of real known internees, like yours.  I'm going to make a Word file for myself, and I will keep the info that you have posted.  If you would like to PM me contact info for yourself, then maybe one of these days when I get around to trying to assemble this, I might get in touch.  Maybe eventually the story can be told from the real life experiences of relatives like yours and mine.  It just seems to me that that story has not yet been told from that perspective, and that it's important.  There were almost 30,000 of them, so there ought to be quite a few stories out there somewhere, but hard to find, no doubt.

You are really really lucky to have found so much information for this person.  I still have nothing really on mine except that I know he was interned.  I did try the source you mention some time ago, but there was nothing there for my man, and, as far as I know, my ggrandmother never bothered to get herself renaturalized;  nothing at Kew, alas.

I did know that many of the internees who died and were buried at St. Patricks were eventually moved to Cannock Chase.  One can find out about the ones that are there by contacting the Commonwealth War Graves Commission - they do not list these people on their site, but they do have some information and will respond to email inquiries.  Nothing for my man there either!

I will certainly let you know if I run into Johann.  If you know where he had come from, where he lived and what he did for a living, I will put that in my list as well, for starters.  Maybe one day this will turn into a book.
ARMSTRONG - Castleton Scot; NB; Westminstr Twp
BARFIELD - Nailsea
BRAKE - Nailsea
BURIATTE
CANDY - M'sex, Deptford
CLIFFORD - Maidstone
DURE(E) - France, Devon, Canada
HALLS - Chigwell
KREIN, Peter/Adam - Germany
LEOPOLD - Hanover, London
LATTIMER, MAXWELL - Ldn lightermen
MEYER - Lauenstein
MURRAY - Scot borders
STEWART - Chelsea; Reach
SWANICK - Mayo & Roscommon; Ontario
WEST - Rochester & Maidstone
WILLIS - Wilts, Berks, Hants, London
WOODHOUSE - Bristol tobacconist, London
WW1 internees

Offline runey

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Re: WW1 Internment Camp at Knockaloe
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 05 April 06 09:45 BST (UK) »
Hi Loo,
Yes, it was wonderful to find the information I have found so far, but as is always the way we still want more. We hope to join the anglo-german fhs this year and perhaps that will give us some more information. 
As Johann was from Germany, I found his details on the german wargraves site. From what i remember it took a bit of time to figure out how to search as I don't have german, but I did find a site somewhere that gave advice on how to search the site.(  http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=3595) If your man was german perhaps that could be of use to you.
As you are compiling a list of internees, I have another name for you, Peter Solyts is mentioned in some of the documents as an internee who was also arrested in Liverpool in May 1915, also sent to Stobs and then to Knockaloe, both he and Johann are mentioned in the letter as deceased prisoners of war so I assume Peter also died in the camp.
I will pm you with my contact details. 
Best of luck with your project,
Michelle
Looking for Fry in London, Surrey, Devon& Dublin. Humphries in Wandsworth.  Marsh in Wandsworth & Kingston. Blacker in Wandsworth & Battersea.
Growney in Meath & Dublin. Also Harris and Walker in London
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline loo

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Re: WW1 Internment Camp at Knockaloe
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 06 April 06 09:03 BST (UK) »
Thank you very much for that link, Michelle.  I tried it, and I almost thought I had my man for a moment, but it turned out to be someone who was a musketier, so obviously was in active combat.  Drat!  I was so hopeful there for a moment, as the name is not very common.
I will keep in touch.
Do you know this other fellow at all, or just wondering about him?
ARMSTRONG - Castleton Scot; NB; Westminstr Twp
BARFIELD - Nailsea
BRAKE - Nailsea
BURIATTE
CANDY - M'sex, Deptford
CLIFFORD - Maidstone
DURE(E) - France, Devon, Canada
HALLS - Chigwell
KREIN, Peter/Adam - Germany
LEOPOLD - Hanover, London
LATTIMER, MAXWELL - Ldn lightermen
MEYER - Lauenstein
MURRAY - Scot borders
STEWART - Chelsea; Reach
SWANICK - Mayo & Roscommon; Ontario
WEST - Rochester & Maidstone
WILLIS - Wilts, Berks, Hants, London
WOODHOUSE - Bristol tobacconist, London
WW1 internees

Offline runey

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Re: WW1 Internment Camp at Knockaloe
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 06 April 06 09:44 BST (UK) »
Thats a pity, I'm sure you'll find him at some point.  I don't know Peter Soltys, he was mentioned in a letter from the war office to the home office asking for information on any relatives of the deceased prisoners  Peter Soltys and Johann Evers.  I have since found out that he died in August 1915, and is also buried at Cannock Chase. I have some family information for him, but I don't know if there is a connection between Peter and Johann before their arrest.
Looking for Fry in London, Surrey, Devon& Dublin. Humphries in Wandsworth.  Marsh in Wandsworth & Kingston. Blacker in Wandsworth & Battersea.
Growney in Meath & Dublin. Also Harris and Walker in London
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk