WW1 Internee - "Franz"

The following appeared in Mona's Herald 31st March 1915 - extracted from a report in the London Evening News.

By an Alien Chef

There is joy over the alien enemy that returneth in some parts of London. The home-coming of one of them was described by an ex-prisoner himself to an "Evening News" representative. His experiences are set forth below.
Franz is the flaxen-haired chef of a mid-London restaurant, where he is deemed indispensible. That is also his own view.
For if the business has saved him he has also, he asserts, saved the business, which lost patronage steadily while he was interned.
"How could zey get on with an Italian who knew nudding?" said Franz. "To see me again were they glad ? I Think yes.
"Rejoicings for me? No, no, but very happy vos everybody. Shaking my hand all say, 'Now ve shall haf somtfing fit to eat.' Even the caretaker say it, and the porters, too - all. Ever since I am back it is, they say, like old times. The Italians, --." Franz does not like Italians. His gesture clearly expressed that as a race he saw no merit in them.
"You vill not say ze name of ze place where I come to," went on Franz. "Ze directors haf been so kind. They write letters to get me, and zey welcome me also, oh, so much. Von of them come and say it is goot to see you and you haf one small holiday now, and then on Monday ve begin once more bizness as usual.
"To my sister-in-law's I went for a nice time. Since ve half done better; ze old customers begin to come back now that one is here who knows vot to put of ze plates.

The Arrest

The departure, it seems, was as far back as October. Franz told of it in hurt tones.
"Seven years I half been here ven one afternoon there come ze police. The policeman, he say. 'You must come witz us.' I am in my apron and cap ans am in the midst of cooking, so I change my clothes. Ve go some lot of us to ze station. Then first I go to Olympia where are 500 men. Not much room is there; ve sleep on mattresses on ze floor, von each. For breakfast ve haf tea also bread and butter; for supper we haf also bread and butter. Dinner is stew and potatoes, not bad.
"Next to Frimley camp. It is there better. In tents ve vos there till October ends I go then with 450 men to Isle of Man. Omnibus to I think Euston, train to Liverpool, and steamer Snaefell to Peel. In the barracks ve were first to arrive.

Life at Knockaloe

"It is there still more comfortable. Ze mattresses are straw arranged in bunks like on shipboard. Two hours ve exercise each day on ze hills; ve haf music. Ve are not cold because of blankets. Not much haf I to complain. The food is plenty. In the morning for breakfast porridge, tea, and bread and butter, for dinner sometimes mutton boiled or stew, in the evening cocoa, some bread and butter.
"At the canteen I buy apples, chocolates, and cigarettes with money. Ze soldiers are kind. I hear of the trouble at Douglas and I say it vos the men's fault. Of complaint none had they.
"All ze time I know zey want me back, but cannot I write. To Frimley my employer he sends for me and is told he must go to some police.
"He goes, then. I hear nothing. I only write to my sister-in-law. Once comes the command officer to me and says I can go. He brings a paper my employers have signed for me.
"Very depressed, I leave my friends, vishing me ven I go good luck and sorry themselves to stop. Many I know from hotels who vill not get back, and I have one companion to ret[urn]. Ve go by a small train to Douglas and by small ship to Liverpool. I get here at after nine at night.

Home Again! - in London.

"It is not the same manager, and I see Italians. But in the kitchen they know me. How glad they are. And I am glad to be home. All come round me to hear of it all. Pleased very is everybody.
"'Now we will be happy as before,' say some. Untidy were the Italians, and soon leave.
"Once more I get the kitchen right, and the directors rub ze hands. It is all again nice, and they see ze customers coming again. Ever since ve go on well.
"Vy not? It is not I who makes this bad war. I cannot help it - I am always very busy."
And reminded by this thought of his culinary duties, Franz returned cheerfully to the department which for a few minutes he had been coaxed to neglect in order to unburden himself.

Notes

This sequence of camps was I think quite common - Olympia was used as a temporary holding station from the early days of the war, Frimley Camp was probably the first concentration camp to be specially built but civilian prisoners were moved from there by the end of November 1914 and a later camp used for military prisoners. He, along with Heinrich Schmitz, were in the first group of 450 to arrive at Knockaloe and thus would be in Camp 1 compound 1, however with no surviving register his name cannot be checked.

The 'omnibus' to Euston seems somewhat strange unless it was a relatively small party as Frimley was only a few miles from Aldershot or Woking which had excellent rail links.

The release of those who could get an employer to vouch for them took place from late November onwards until the sinking of the Lusitania brought an end to such and the re-internment of those who had been given some freedom, albeit very restricted.

The Snaefell was requistioned by the Admiralty shortly after this transfer and the small boat by which he travelled from Douglas to Liverpool was probably the Tynwald, though the usual boat was at 9am but judging from the late arrival in London he may have been on a later boat.

He mentions travelling with a campanion - there are a few days post 19 November when the Knockaloe register indicates 2 internees left. Asuming the same proceedure of giving them a ticket for the boat and rail as used at Douglas was also used here then one possible date could be Wednesday 22nd December when there may well have been a later sailing and would allow his kind manager to allow him a short break with his sister-in-law over the Christmas weekend with work starting on Monday 29th December.

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