Internment Camps for Italians in WW1 and WW2

[JDG]

This might be of interest.

The internment records are held at Kew (TNA), they have a leaflet on the subject:
http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/rdleaflet.asp?sLeafletID=224

[JDG]

Here are some book titles for those who are interested in this subject:

"The Italian Factor" by Terri Colpi
" Collar the Lot"by P and L Gillman
"Interned Italians and the sinking of the Arandora Star" by V. Gough
" Isle of the Displaced" by Joe Pieri
"A bespattered page" by Ronald Stent
"Deemed Suspect" by Eric Koch

[Keith Sherwood]

Thanks again, JDG,
An interesting leaflet - it's been a while since I've been to Kew (looked at some original 1804/5 Regimental muster books then), but I must pay them another visit to look into this Internment Camp business.
The place of internment of my great-grandfather on the Isle of Wight in the 1914-18 War was called Totland, by the way.  Haven't yet been able to find any reference to it anywhere...
Keith

[JDG]

Hello Keith,

A quick Google provides the following URLs for the area/place on the IOW as Totland, and these maybe of some use on background for the area.

http://www.iwcam.gothere.uk.com/iwcam/HTML-JavaFiles/PhotoGallery/PG-Totland.htm

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~villages/totland.htm

http://www.steve.shalfleet.net/totland.htm

http://www.setowns.org.uk/towns/town-info.php?town=Totland

http://www.iwight.com/images/iow_maps/map_iow.gif

I did have a very vague thought, but the URLs above blow the thought out of the water
when you look at the map (last URL)

Camp Hill Prison on the IOW was built in 1912 and opened by Winston Churchill. It was built using prisoners from Parkhurst as cheap labour. It did cross my mind if Camp Hill was used to house internees. Nothing on the Prison Service web page indicates this, but it might be a starting place.

Have you contacted the Archives for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight?

[JDG]

This gives some useful reading and memories published on the BBC site
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/Search?searchstring=italian

[Keith Sherwood]

JDG, Thanks again,
The last reference should keep me busy for quite a while this evening!  Strange that so far nothing has turned up about Totland and Italian POW's - maybe it was covered in secrecy, or somehow filed away somewhere under a different heading...
Keith

[Berlin-Bob]

Hi Keith,

I don't know if this will help, or it's merely repeating information mentioned above, but I posted a thread about a book from the TNA called Immigration and Aliens, on
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,45248.0.html . There is a section in there about POWs.


I skimmed through it  in the Bedford Public Library and someone mentioned that it is also available at the FRC. 
Good luck,
Bob

[Keith Sherwood]

Hi, Berlin Bob,
I did in fact notice this title for sale on the FRC bookshop shelves on Tuesday when I went (also the brand spanking new "The Family and Local History Handbook 9, price up to £12.99, but still tempting value).  However, I'd already splashed out on an order for 3 certificates, plus the train fare from Cambridge, so resisted the temptation.
I'll get hold of a copy of the Aliens book from the local library, I think...
Keith

[hazel.bevis]

Hello Keith

In case you don't know about this Italian POW camp. My father has good memories of talking with Italian POWs when he was a boy in Ashford, Kent during WWII. I believe that the camp was close to the town but I don't know what it was called.

Good luck with your search.

Elaine