WW1 Internee - Fritz Gliebenberg

[From FO 383/311/242328]

High Commissioner Union of South Africa
32, Victoria Street Westminster S.W. 1
17th December 1917

Sir,
I am directed to forward, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies and for such consideration as may be deemed appropriate, a copy of a letter dated the 29th October, addressed by M W.H.Gliebenberg of Bloemfontein to General Smuts in regard to Mr. Fritz Gliebenberg.
I am to say that the High Commissioner will be glad to be informed in due course of the decision of His Majesty's Home Government in this matter
I am etc.,
(sd) R,A. BLANKENBERG
for Secretary.

112 Maitland Street
Bloemfontein
29th October 1917

The Honourable General J.C.Smuts War Cabinet London

Honourable Sir

Having read and studied the speeches you have made in Great Britain and having noticed running as a golden thread through all of them the expression of ideals and aims concerning the highest good of humanity, in short, the creation of a better world, it occured to me to bring to your notice the position and circumstances of my brother, Fritz Gliebenberg, who has been interned on the Isle of Man as a German subject since the sinking of the Lusitania.

He left Germany on attaining the age at which he would be liable to military service, and did so solely because he was on principle and by conviction opposed to militarism and autocracy.

He joined me in the United States of America in the beginning of 1902 whither I had gone from Germany about sighteen months earlier for the very same reasons which prompted him, About a year after he and I came to South Africa together. The said Fritz Gliebenberg entered the service of the Rose Deep Gold Mining Company, Germiston, as a mechanic and worked there for ten years,

After he had saved sufficient money for the purpose he proceeded from there directly to England and studied Optics at the Northampton Institute where he was at the time of his internment. All his activities since leaving Germany can therefore be easily followed.

At the time the sald Fritz Gliebenberg left Germany his personal interests would have heen better served by remaining, but he wrenched himse1f from his family, friends and fatherland solely on account of his strong conviction that the hope of humanity. and the world lay in the abandonment of militarism and autocracy.

He made great sacrifices at a time and place when and where it called for strength of character, self-sacrifice and self-effacement to stand by those convictions, and this, I say it in all sincerity, he did for the same ideals as are held up by you, Honourable Sir, in your addresses.

I am bringing this to your notice in the hope that you will use your great influence to secure his release, or if that is not possible, his exchange to a neutral country.

Hoping that you will pardon me for taking the liberty of thus intruding upon your time and hoping that something may be done for my brother who is suffering for a cause he never supported.

I have etc.,
(sd) William H. Gliebenberg

Fritz is found in I.C.R.C. record D46-17 as Friedrich Glietenberg, a 33 year old, born Düsseldorf, giving his brother's address as above as contact, interned at Knockaloe by 31st July 1915 - probably arrived 23 June 1915 into camp II compound 4 (camp number in range 9500-9600); noted in Douglas Camp records as transferred from Knockaloe to Douglas, where given camp #4477, on 13th June 1916 from where he was transferred to Spalding 9th March.1918 for internment in Holland; he is entered on the Holland list as age 35, an optician arrested at London.

Thus the letter would seem to have had some influence.

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Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2019