WW1 Prisoner of war exchanges

[MartynRIR]

Can anyone point me in the right direction to find any details (if they exist) on one of the first POW exchanges between Britain and Germany?
My Grt Grt Uncle, Francis Henry Stockham, 1st Bttn Somerset Light Infantry, reg no. 7537, was taken prisoner late 1914. He lost his right arm, and was repatriated (per Red Cross records) on 17th Feb 1915. According to a Bridgwater Mercury newspaper article in 1960, the Germans took him prisoner when the BEF retreated from Mons, but he was one of the first British pow's to benefit from an exchange with the Germans - presumably because of his wounds. No service record survives unfortunately, but I have info on Pension and medal rolls for him.
many thanks

[barryd]

And here is an interesting newspaper article from the Ilkley Gazette that gives more details about Reid's wartime RAF/RFC duties and post-war life. It describes how in 1920 he gained second place in a motorcycle race despite the persisting effects of his wartime injuries to his elbow. Apparently Reid fired about 60 shots before his gun jammed. He then flew with his left hand and fired a pistol with his right. He was hit four times in his left arm, and lost his engine. After Reid had crashed, Immelmann landed near him and took him prisoner.” The article quotes his grandson, who confirms that Reid "was interned both in POW camps and Switzerland, having been deemed by the Germans to be unfit to be of any use in further active service." He add “He married his Swiss-Italian nurse whilst in Switzerland and on his return to England he taught the Queen’s father to fly, at RAF Cranwell."


I found very little on the Internet about Prisoner of War exchanges in World War One.

One would have thought that an exchange would be made from Germany to Britain and vice versa. And one would expect that (lets say) a New Zealander would be repatriated to Britain. However how does Switzerland get involved in its camps. In Swiss camps would British and German Officers share  room???

All very interesting!

[Crumblie]

I think Switzerland was involved because it was a neutral country and was allowed access to the German POW camps as Red Cross representatives.

[MaxD]

What the Shield Daily News describes as the first repatriation of prisoners of war is reported to have taken place via Holland with 110 men arriving in Holland on 17 Feb 1915, this is no doubt the same event as in the Bridgwater paper.

The government had, on the outbreak of war, established a Prisoners of War Information Bureau, as provided by Article 14 of the Regulations respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land, to provide  furnish lists of the German prisoners of war to the German Government. (Hansard 15 Sep 1915) but had not yet seen any lists from Germany.  Such lists had been provided by Germany by mid November.

Someone may find a definitive single source on the subject but meanwhile the Hansard website is relatively easy to navigate.  The period between Aug 1914 and Feb 1915 has innumerable reports of debates and parliamentary answers which should be of interest.  https://hansard.parliament.uk/search/Contributions?searchTerm=prisoners%20of%20war&startDate=08%2F01%2F1914%2000%3A00%3A00&endDate=03%2F01%2F1915%2000%3A00%3A00

Newspaper reports (British Library) are also useful for anecdotal accounts.

MaxD

[ShaunJ]

Private Stockham is listed in the Western Daily Press of 19 February 1915 (page 5) as one of the local men repatriated. The short report says that they were all admitted to Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital, Grosvenor Road, on 17th.

Other press reports in the preceding week say that the British POWs would be brought by train from Bentheim in Germany to Oldenzaal in Holland, where Dutch troops and medical staff would take over and accompany the wounded men to Flushing.

[MartynRIR]

Thanks all for the responses, especially MaxD and ShaunJ for the newspaper articles.

MaxD  - was that "Shields" Daily News you were referring to?

thanks again

[MaxD]

Yes it was, sorry - typo.  A number of newspapers, as you'd expect, carried essentially the same report at the same time.

MaxD

[Redroger]

Though later in the war there was a big exchange of prisoners through the port of Boston Lincs in 1917, which attracted extensive newspaper coverage. There may be references in the articles to other earlier exchanges which might be more helpful.