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HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2020
[From TNA FO 383/192/ ]
Many Germans who had been settled for many years in Britain were placed in a difficult situation when their British born sons were conscripted into the British Army. Many Germans had attempted allow their offspring to keep a claim to German nationality by registering their births with the German Embassy or other authorities. There are several cases on file of the interned father complaining that their sons had either volunteered for or more often been conscripted into, the British Army. The situation of Carl Martini is probably more extreme than most and may explain why he was in the contingent sent from Knockaloe to Dartford Hospital for repatriation in early 1917 that was thwarted by the cessation of the Dutch Steamship service to Holland - Carl was finally repatriated via Sleaford and Boston on the 24 February 1918.
This letter and a later follow up were fowarded by the American Embassy, at this period representing German interests in the UK.
Carl Martini 19417
Camp IV. Compound 6 Hut la
Knockaloe Aliens! Camp
Peel, Isle of Man,May 8th 1916.
H.E. The American Ambassador
9 Carlton House Terrace
London SW.Your Excellency,
I respectfully beg to draw attention to the following matter:
My sons Charles August Martini and Heinrich Wilhelem Martin have been forced against their and my will to join the British Army and I beg you tobring all possible pressure to bear so as to secure their release as soon as possible.My sons
Charles August Martini, born January 1st. 1893 at London
Heinrich Wilhelm Martini, born July 26th 1896 at London
both born of German parents have both been registered as of German nationality at the American Consulate in London on or about August 10th 1914 and have also been registered in Germany and are consequently liable to serve in the German Army.Both were taken away from their mother residing at 37 University Road, Merton (Surrey) and I desire their release without further delay and if necessary their internment as Alien enemies. (May 4th 1916)
(Signed) CARL MARTINI.
The Embassy had replied to Carl and had had a reply from him, dated May 31st, and on 5th June, together with a copy of its enclosure passed it onto the British Foreign Office.
Carl Martini. P.O. 19417 Camp IV Compound 6 Hut 1a Knockaloe Aliens Isle of Man
May 31st 1916.Your Excellency,
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 27th inst. contents of which I have noted.
Enclosed please find a copy of a communication received by me on May 26th. I beg you to cause the necessary steps to be taken for my protection and the protection of my family.
Thanking you in anticipation of an early reply
I am
Your obedient servant,
The enclosure indicated that the youger son had gone AWOL
From The Officer Commanding 15th (2nd Reserve) Bn.: Middlesex Regiment.
To Charles Martini
Camp 4, Compound 6, Hut 1a,
Knockaloe, Isle of Man.I have to inform you that G/27623 Pte. H.W. Martini has been absent from this regiment since 13-5-16.
It is your duty to use every endeavour to induce him to return immediately to this Battalion.
Your attention is drawn to the gravity of the offence of a soldier deserting his regiment while on Active Service.
The following extract is for your information.SECTION 18 ARMY ACT.
Every person subject to Military Law who:
(A) Deserts or attempts to desert his Majesty's Service or
(B) Persuades or endeavours to persuade, procures or attempts to procure any person subject to Military Law to desert from His Majesty's Service:
Shall on conviction by Court Martial, if he commit such an offence on Active, be liable to suffer death.
Signed: A.R. Gardener: Lieut. Colonel.
Commanding 15th (2nd Reserve) Battalion Middlesex Regt:
The reply, presumeably to both the Embassy and the father from the War Office was
War Office
19th June, 1916.
Sir :
With reference to your letter of the 12th instant No.106791/1218/P. relative to the enilistment of Charles August Martini and Heinrich Wilhelm Martini, I am commanded by the Army Council to inform you that it has been ascertained that these men are British subjects, having been born in England, and as such liable for service under the Military Service Acts, 1916.
It appears that the Local Tribunal to whom they applied refused to exempt them from Military Service, and this decision was upheld by the Appeal Tribunal, They were accordingly called up for service.
The Council have recently issued an Instruction which provides that children born in Great Britain of foreign subjects. shall not be called up under the Military Service Acts, 1916, until they reach 21 years of age and have had an opportunity of making a declaration of alienage.
In accordance with this Instruction H.W. Martini, who is only 19 years of age, can now be relegated to the Army Reserve by his Commanding Officer if he should so desire,but C.A, Martini who is 23 years of age is liable for Military Service assuming he did not make a declaration of alienage on reaching his 21st birthday, or within a reasonable time thereafter,
The final letter in the file is from the father dated 17th July 1917 addressed to the American Abassador
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of July 3rd contents of which I have duly noted.
I beg you to cause the necessary steps to be taken for the release of my son Henry Martini aged 19 from any military service according to the instructions of the Army Council you mentioned.
As regards my eldest son Charles Martini aged 23 I would like to point out that he declared himself as of German nationality at the German Consulate as far back as 1913 and again at the American Consulate in August 1914. He is therefore an Alien Enemy.
Both have appealed to several tribunals where they were recommended for internment but were after all forced to join the Army.
They left the services in May but have now been recaptured and are thus very much in need of your protection ...
As is usual with these files the cover pages which discus policy implications and that from the Foreign Office marked Treaty Dept has
It wd be very foolish of the military authorities to use such people in fighting units, but their practice is I believe to assign them to labour contingents.
As regards the penultimate para we succeeeded in getting the Cabinet to agree to this concession in the case of persons of double nationality whose second nationality was that of a neutral state, but we did not interest ourselves to obtain a similar concession of behalf of youths whose second nationality was an enemy one. The W.O. can do what they like with these people without fear of objection on the part of the F.O.
C.A. Martini was born on Jan 1 1893. He therefore came of age on Jan 1 1914. If between that date and the outbreak of war he made a declaration of alienation in favour of German nationality, he is now a German subject pure & simple, & ought to be behind barbed wire. I don't think the H.O. woud have allowed him to opt for German nationality after the outbreak of war.
The treatment to be given to these British born Germans does not particularly concern the Treaty Dept but trhe W.O. letter seems to me to read rather as if the military authorities have not given sufficient attention to the fact that these young Martinis are German as well as British subjects.
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