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Within the Military Camps Officers were segregated from the other ranks and were detained in separate camps, with considerably more privileges than in other camps- they were also allowed to have servants, taken from these other ranks. The Merchantile Marine Captains and Officers felt their loss of status when they were treated the same as the crews under them. However when they were notified that they were not subject to repatriarion on grounds of health or age there arose several complaints.
The following are three papers extracted from FO 383/241
Home Office to Under Secretary of State Foreign Office
April 11th, 1916
I am directed by Mr. Secretary Samuel to refer to your note of the 17th February (29804/P/16), transmitting copies of two notes dated 12th and 14th February from the United States Ambassador covering two letters of complaint from certain ships' Officers interned at Knockaloe as Prisoners of War, (some of German and others of Austrian or Hungarian nationality) with reference to their treatment,and raising the question of the repatriation of such of them as are invalids or over military age, and I am also to refer to your note of the 23rd ultimo transmitting two similar petitions by German and Austro-Hungarian ships' officers raising substantially the same points.
I am to say, for the information of Secretary Sir Edward Grey, that Mr. Samuel has caused enquiry to be made of the Commandant of Knockaloe Camp, through the Isle of Man Government, as to the complaint that ships' officers are treated in the same manner as seamen, and is informed that the Commandant has discussed the whole matter with delegates and representatives of the prisoners from various Camps and has carefully considered the advantages and dis-advantages of the proposal made in the Petitions for the institution of a separate camp for officers. He found general agreement among the representatives of the ships' officers to the effect that since the complaint was made conditions had very largely changed,and that they would prefer to remain as they are now, unless indeed it were possible to form a separate camp for them only; and even if this latter course were possible, it would still not be free from all objection from their own point of view. At the present time officers employ seamen as servants to the mutual benefit of all persons concerned; separate messes have been formed and many of the ships' officers find congenial occupation as Captains of Compounds. Hut Captains, or otherwise, in which capacities they render valuable assistance to the Authorities of the Camp. The Commandant is therefore of opinion, and Mr. Samuel concurs in this view that on this head no action is called for at the present time.
With reference to the question of repatriation, Mr. Samuel has understood from your Note of December 7th last (179849/15) and also from the despatch to the Netherlands ; Minister of the 28th ultimo (54397/16/P) (with a copy of which he was furnished by Sir Edward Grey on the 28th ultimo) that the agreement for the mutual repatriation of seamen concluded by H. M. Government with the German Government does not apply to ships' officers, and he assumes that this is also true of any agreement for the like purpose concluded between H. M. Government and the Austro-Hungarian Government. Mr. Samuel has therefore, as a general rule, declined to permit the repatriation of ships' officers from Knockaloe, and in the absence of any new arrangement he will continue to do so. It will be seen from the petitions that this decision has been already intimated to the prisoners concerned. If any new arrangement is contemplated, the Admiralty is the Department to be consulted, as it is understood they attach importance to the maintenance of the rules.
With reference to the question of the transmission of the petitions to the German and Austro-Hungarian Governments, I am to say that Mr. Samuel is not disposed to offer any objection to these petitions being forwarded, provided it is made clear that the complaints as to treatment in the Camp have already been dealt with, and he therefore concurs in the reply of Sir Edward Grey proposed in your Note of the 26rd ultimo (52926/16/P)
I am Sir, Your obient Servant Edward Troup [Sir Charles Edward Troup (1857-1941) permanent under secretary at Home Office 1908-1922.]
The American Ambassador presents his compliments to His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and has the honour to transmit herewith translations of two petitions addressed to this embassy by Prisoners of War at Knockaloe Aliens\u2019 Camp regarding the status of interned ships' officers and Captains.
Mr. Page will be happy to learn whether His Majesty's Government would entertain any objection to the transmittal of the above petitions to the Embassies at Berlin and Vienna for the information of the German and Austro-Hungarian Governments.
London, 18th March 1916
The two complaints "of the 23rd ultimo " are found in the same FO file:
Knockaloe Aliens' Camp Camp IV, Comp.3 January 15th, 1916.
To His Excellency Walter Hines Page, Ambassador Plenipotentiary of the United States of North America, London.
Your Excellency:
The undersigned, captains and nautical and technical ships' officers, were arrested at the outbreak of war on board German and Austro-Hungarian merchantmen in British ports confiscated by the British Admiralty for the duration of the war. (Captured ships included.)
The circumstances of their capture were essentially different from those attending the arrest of other civilian prisoners, since captains and nautical and technical ships' officers, by reason of their responsible office, were not in a position to merely leave their ships at the outbreak of war and return in good time to their native land, as, under maritime law, abandonment of their ships upon their own authority would have been equivalent to punishable desertion. (Austrian Maritime Law no. 9749 of October 19th, 1857, and Order of the Ministry of Marine of October 19th, 1863, no. 163.)
On the contrary, the undersigned were compelled by duty to remain on board until the last moment, in order to bring their ships into neutral ports, for they assumed - and their assumption was supported by assurances of the English authorities - that the ships in question would in all probability be released. Consequently the undersigned were in the same exceptional position as officials of German and Austro-Hungerian Consulates, who, by reason of their office had to be the last to leave, and who were consequently, in accordance with international custom, at liberty to depart - although the undersigned do not legally enjoy that immunity which is conceded to diplomatic officials as a body.
The undersigned were not only denied freedom of departure, but, without regard to the positions of authority which they had held on board, they were marched off by the police in common with and together with their own sailors and other members of their crews, detained, at first, in prisons intended for criminals and vagabonds, and then transferred from one aliens' camp to another.
They have always received treatment, food, and accommodation identical with that accorded to ordinary persons of the standing of their crews: indeed, they have been and still are required by the British supervising staff to perform in common with and in the company of their crews rough labour, such as transportation of luggage, the sweeping of the yards of the camp, or bringing in of coal, the filling of straw mattresses, kitchen work, and many other similar tasks.
Wtih the discipline acquired in their responsible profession, the undersigned have submitted to these conditions, and they may point out with just pride that during the period of their imprisonment - about eighteen months - not only has no incident occurred in their ranks which might have given the British supervising ataff cause for intervention, but the undersigned have always readily exercised the authority which they possess over their own crews in the interest of the British officials, with a view to alleviating in this way, where possible, the lot of their fellow-prisoners.
Having been placed by the British government upon an absolutely equal footing with all the other civilian prisoners, especially with the members of their own crews, for about eighteen months, the undersigned were justly extremely astonished when, on December 31st, 1915, they were officially notified that they represented an exceptional group for which no possibility of exchange by reason of unfitness for military service or advanced age existed: this possibility that they represented an exceptional group for which no possibility of exchange by reason of unfitness for Miltary service or advanced age existed, this possibility being only open to merchant seamen irrespective of rank. Thus the undersigned had the satisfaction - much belated, it is true - of seeing recognised in principle the difference between ships' officers and ordinary sailors of the mercantile marine: at the same time, however, justly questioned why this distinction should first have been observed at a moment when benefit would have resulted from its non-recocognition rather than in relation to the unpleasant side of an imprisonment to which the undersigned are subjected as a reward for having faithfully fulfilled their duty.
The undersigned, captains and nautical and technical ships' officers, venture therefore to protest most emphatically against the treatment which has been accorded them, and to give utterance to the demand that the principle of differentiating between officers and men of the mercantile marine which has first been made manifest in respect to exchange shall be exercised as in every other respect - in other words, that the Germen and Austro-Hungarian officers and machinists of the mercantile marine shall be transferred to a special detention camp where they may receive accommodation, food, and pay identical with that accorded to officers of the Navy.
Generally speaking, the position of captains, officers, and machinists on board merchantmen is notoriously such that there is virtually no distinction between their functions and "Gerenden" and those of the captains, officers, or machinists of the Navy.
The effort to obtain treatment identical with that accorded to captured officers of the Navy which this petition represents appears justified, not only by the position of the undersigned on board their ships, but also by the fact that the possibility of attaining the rank of officer of the reserve is open to ships' officers of the merchantile marine who are unfit for military service; that among the petitioners there are actually such officers or naval cadets of the reserve, while some of those who do not at present hold that rank might have attained it during the present war under the prevailing Defence Regulations upon joining the colours or voluntarily reporting themselves at once - which they were only prevented from doing by remaining on board their ships in obedience to duty and so being unable to return to native land in time.
Similar Defence Regulations are in force in respect of ships' machinists, to whom, at the time of mobilisation, appointments in the Navy, some of which involve the rank of officer, lie open.
We respectfully ask Your Excellency to transmit this petition in copy form to the Foreign office at Berlin and the Imperial and Royal Ministry of foreign Affairs at Vienna as a protest against the arbitrary treatment which we have received.
An accurate list of the names of all the signatories is attached.
Awaiting Your Excellency's reply (On behalf of the signatories whose names appear on the enclosed list) E Kuhl No. 16416
The second is from those detained in Camp 2
Knockaloe Aliens' Camp. January 20th, 1916.
To His Excellency The Ambassador Plenipotentiary : of the United States of North America, London.
Your Excellency
The undersigned, captains and nautical and technical ships' officers of the German and Austro-Hungarian mercantile marines, at present prisoners of war in Great Britain, humbly venture to submit to your Excellency the following petition:
In detaining ships' officers the authorities superintending have paid no regard to their previous official status, and those who were formerly in positions of authority are forced to live promiscuously among and in the closest association with their subordinates. Naturaly there is much friction and animosity, as, for example, when subordinates who have been punished in their former capacities by those in authority over them seek revenge, if not by actual attack, yet by the most defiant behaviour. Also, the captains and officers feel it a hardship that they should be inconsiderately compelled to perform work of all descriptions involving their degredation in the eyes of their crews: thus it happens that a first officer has to wash saucepans and dishes for boys or cooks' mates who were with him on board ship on their first voyage, and performed the most menial services. After having been placed by the British Government on a level with the ordinary men of their crews in this manner for twelve or eighteen months, the undersigned were exceedingly surprised when, at the end of 1915, they were notified that they occupied an exceptional position in that ships' officers were not eligible for exchange consequent upon unfitness for military service or advanced ages At the same time, it is with satisfaction that they see the difference between ships' officers and other men of the mercantile marine recognised in principle.
They now ask: Why should this difference only have been observed at a moment when benefit might have resulted ? Why not in relation to the unpleasant side of their detention ?
The undersigned therefore venture to protest most emphatically against the treatment which they have received, and humbly request that Your Excellency will make representations to the British Government to the end that the distinction between ships' officers and men of the mechantile marine first recognised in connection with the question of exchange shall be maintained in all other respects, and that the German and Austro-Hungarian nautical and technical ships' officers shall be detained in a special camp seperately from the men of the men of the merchantile marine.
They believe that they may venture to mention that under the prevailing laws of the land they already possess an advantage over the men of their crews in that they were admitted to the "Einjahrig Freiwilliger Dienst" and may therefore rise to the rank of officers and engineers of the Navy.
The undersigned respectfully request that Your Excellency will transmit this petition to the foreign Office at Berlin and the Foreign Office at Vienna in copy form as a protest against the arbitrary treatent which they have received.
A list of the officers who desire to participate in this petition is attached. Awaiting Your Excellency's gracious reply, Your Excellency's most obedient servant,
Joh Schutte, No 7835 Camp 2 Compd 2 (Chosen representative of the petitioners)
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