Knockaloe Camp - Criminal Camp

"...all disreputable elements from other civilian camps ultimately find their way to Knockaloe."

Introduction

The suggestion that a special compound be established to isolate the criminal section of the internees from the remainder of the camp was put forward in a letter from Dr Vischer of the Swiss Legation to Mr Vansittart of the Foreign Office.

[from FO 383/311/231797]
Swiss Legation
German Division
9 Carlton House Terrace
London, S.W.1

December 4th, 1917.

Dear Mr Vansittart.
During my recent visit to the Prisoners of War Camps in the Isle of Man, I was struck by some points which I venture to bring before your kind attention. Knockaloe Camp contains amongst its 19,000 interned enemy aliens a certain number of criminals and, in fact, all disreputable elements from other civilian camps ultimately find their way to Knockaloe. This class of people is naturally not improved by camp life and it is a notable fact that on an average one prisoner is sent to trial each week for an offence against common law, such as stealing Government property or robbing a fellow prisoner. Some are engaged in starting gambling dens in the camp where "card sharping" and similar practices are not uncommon. The three years' seclusion has, in addition, fostered a certain amount of unnatural vice.

It is in the nature of things that these elements should have a pernicious effect on their fellow prisoners, as it is well-known that criminality is, to a certain extent, infectious. It is therefore, little short of martyrdom for men of a good reputation and decent social standing and education to be forced to live in daily contact with these nefarious characters.

The segregation of criminal prisoners is a suggestion which has been in my mind for a long time, I made a special study of it during my last visit and discussed the question with all the for Sub-commandants who have a better knowledge of the prisoners than anyone, and with Mr.J.Madigan, Assistant to the Commandant, They all agree that such a segregation would be most desirable for the interests of the whole camp. The camp captains are also strongly in its favour. It is urged, however, that the site for such a compound should be well out of shouting range or other means of communication, so that its inmates would be absolutely separated from the rest of the prisoners. An area north of the Isolation Hospital has been suggested.

The selection of prisoners to be sent to such a compound should only be made after the careful consideration of the Sub-Commandants, as every precaution must be taken to insure that innocent characters are not amongst them.

Generally speaking, every prisoner who has been convicted during his captivity for an offence against common law should be segregated.

Transfer to the criminal compound must, naturally, never be used as a means of discipline in a case of an offence against military law.

May I venture to submit this matter for your kind attention.
Yours sincerely (sd) A. L. Vischer

This suggestion appeared to be acted on fairly quickly as towards the end of 1917 compound 4 of Camp III was turned into such a camp. This was the smallest and most northerly of the compounds.

According to a Note Verbale of Berlin, 48 civilians who were originally held at Brixton on suspicion of espionage, were also interned here. The British Foreign Office found answering German complaints somewhat difficult for, whereas the facilities in this compound were very similar to those of other compounds, the internees within it were in effect segregated as no passes to leave the compound were granted. The Germans promised reprisals against a similar number of English prisoners unless these conditions were improved and certain prisoners were moved to Holland. London admitted that "The men confined in this Compound are either of criminal antecedants or men whose character was such that it was thought proper in the interests of the other prisoners of war to keep them seperate since the date of their original internment. ...[see TNA FO 383/441/108974 dated 11 July 1918]

Vischer's comment as to the camp fostering "a certain amount of unnatural vice" by which he presumeably meant homosexual activities needs considerably more research.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2020