World War 1 internments in UK - bibliography

[KGarrad]

Do the Red Cross have similar records for WW2?

I am searching for am English Merchant Seaman who was a civilian POW!


By the way, I have been corrected re the pronunciation of Knockaloe!
It should be similar to Knock-Aylo (rhymes with halo!)

[loo]

I'm sure they do, but it will likely be difficult to get the info.
See https://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/icrc-archives/agency-archives-seeking-information.htm

WW2 bibliography is here: 
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=112432.msg490494#msg490494
Please add anything you find out that is useful.

[Alistair Knox]

Hi Loo

Thanks for reply-Richard Constantin Noschke was my g-g uncle-only found out through online refs to his diary. According to my Noschke great uncle[his nephew],my g-g father August Friedrich Max Noschke [known as Max] b. 1867 in Gross Lubolz,Spreewald,Brandenburg State,in then Prussia,was somehow not rounded up in WW1 London,despite being the right age and looking so Prussian that people would shout insults at him...I've seen a family pic of him,even his moustache looked terribly "German"!

[Alistair Knox]

Thanks for ICRC link-yes it is a bit tricky. A few useful pointers on the index cards:

1]abbreviation 'all'=alleman [German]
2] bear in mind that French like being different -francophones usually use surnames first,as I just found,wasting my precious Sunday! So enter surname first.

I found my Richard Noschke no.42081 ,in the registers,listed at Sratford 'Stfd' where he was first interned,the index card dated 22.3.18 which would refer to repatriation date as the 2nd and last register entry is marked 'repatriated'. Under home address or birthplace on list 49,pg 1075 "3 Boston Rd,Hatherley Gardens,East Ham,London,E" plus birthplace:"Gross Lubholtz,Preussen". No mention of Alexandra Palace where his diary records that he spent most of his time after being transferred.

ICRC registers contain extensive lists of names,so well worth the search.

[braam63]

Hi Loo

Have you perhaps found any reference to either Elizabeth or George Behm?  Elizabeth was born 11 July 1868 of German nationality and place of birth is listed as Palone?

[loo]

Alistair:
I'm glad you were able to find Richard.

Very interesting that not all the details of his journey as an internee were recorded by ICRC.  You are in a rare situation because you have other evidence with which to compare, whereas most of us have next to nothing.

Interesting too that the other person was not interned.  Many possibilities - did he "disappear" for a while and cut off his moustache? perhaps he was friendly with the local constabulary?  had he anglicised his name by then?

I have 2 people in my family tree who were subject to internment, but only one of them was, just like you.  The rumour concerning the one who was not interned is that he had no accent (having come to England as an adolescent), had anglicised his forenames, had an acceptable-sounding surname anyway (could have easily been Belgian), and was very well-liked by his neighbours who did not make life difficult for him.  The one who WAS interned had come to England well into adulthood (I forget date but would have been perhaps 1900) and would clearly have been identified by his accent, but I have no photos of him.

Is the name "Knox" the name that this family adopted, then?  It is always tricky to figure out how the names were reworked, but it was common to do so.

Loo

[loo]

braam63:

I have nothing on family Behm, but suggest you search the ICRC records online.
I can confirm that women were indeed interned.  It's possibly that women who had come from enemy countries were more likely to be interned or were the only women interned.  Technically, all wives, even British-born, were identified with their husbands and lost their citizenship.  (Remember that this was before women were allowed to vote.)

I suggest reading Panayi's most recent book for details on the experience.  I have not gotten to it yet, but, based on his  previous work, expect it to be excellent, perhaps definitive, for now at least.

See post #26 above.

[loo]

Tips on navigating the ICRC site can be found on posts 32, 35, and 39 above.

[braam63]

Thanks Loo.