Text + Transcription © F.Coakley , 2021
The following letter by Friedrich Nettel was dated 31st October 1915. so within 11 months of the opening and 5 months of the start of Camp II to which Nettel had been transferred at the end of June 1915. It would appear to be a private initiative by Nettel - the FO cover notes "I am afraid that conditions at Knockaloe leave something to be desired". Unflattering comparisions of the British treatment of interned Austrian civilians with the considerably better treatment of British citizens in Austria continued to be a constant refrain throughout the war. It is also worth pointing out that Austria at this period controlled a large swathe of Eastern Europe many of whose people, e.g. Poles, Czechs, southern Slavs, desired to be free of the their control and wanted nothing to do with the German war effort yet the British seemed incapable until much later in the war to treat these 'friendly aliens' in a different way.
Many of the Austrians interned at both Douglas and Knockaloe were aged between 18 and early 20s - judging from their British address they were young waiters at large Hotels, most in the west end of London. A good number of them also gave home addresses which indicate a family hotel - possibly a short term job in a large London Hotel gave a useful knowledge of English for future use in a tourism industry.
Another group of Austrians were Galatian Poles many of whom it seems worked for a year or so in Canada or the USA to earn money to help support families back in what became postwar Poland and were arrested at various ports in the early days of the war - many in fact actually prior to the declaration of war between Britain and Austria - when their onward prebooked travel was interupted.
Ing Friedrich Nettel
Prisoner of War No 9121 Knockaloe Aliens Camp Peel Isle of Man
To his Excellency The American Ambassador ,
At this Camp there are many hundreds of Austrian and Hungarian Civilian Prisoners of War. They are together with German Prisoners and consequently subjected to all regulations in such a way so as to put the treatment at the same level, in the opinion of the British Authorities as those in German Camps for Civilian Prisoners. Whether this is so or not is not of the slightest value to the Austrian and Hungarian Prisoners in this Camp.
I want therefore to impress upon Your Excellency the urgent necessity of comparing the treatment to which we are subjected with that meted out to British Civilian Prisoners in Austria-Hungary.
That the conditions prevalent in both countries cannot be compared at all, you will be able to judge from the official report published on page 9 in the Standard [London Evening Standard newspaper] dated October 25th dealing with the Camp in Grosseu, (Lower Austria).In short I wish to state below those instances showing clearly the inequality of treatment:
| 1. In Grossau there is for 67 British Prisoners alone a new frame building, well lighted and ventilated as the American Official says in his report | 1. In Knockaloe we are compelled to live in wooden huts 90 men in each. Each has has a cubical capacity of 755 cubic metres this this making 8.15 cubic metres per head, which is greatly below the minimum prescribed by the building authorities in any civilised country. Whereas the British Prisoners in Grossau are separated, we have in some instances to share the huts with niggers, who are neither our countrymen nor our allies. |
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2. In Grossau the prisoners receive proper mattresses, pillows, blankets and a sheet. |
2. In Knockaloe about half of the prisoners are still lying on the floor on strawsacks, half are already supplied with absolutely unelastic bedcods of a totally unsuitable design. no pillow, no sheets are supplied and three very shabby blankets. |
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3. The heating arrangements as made up to October 31st are hopelessly inadequate. Half of the huts are still without any heating arrangement at all, in the other half 2 small stoves are supplied for 180 men with a heating surface of 0.014 square metres per head. This figure will appear a farce to any expert. |
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4, The bathing room having a floor space of 0,07 square metres per head is far too small, The men have to stand on concrete floor without any boarding whatever;only shower bathing is possible. |
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| 5. In Grossau there seems to be a good quantity of vegetables in the dietary. | 5. In Knockaloe vegetables are practically non-existent. |
| 6. In Grossau there is a large exercise field open at all hours of the day, an outdoor gymnasium and a tennis court being provided in addition. | 6.In Knockaloe the prisoners are allowed on the recreation ground 2 to 3 times a week no gymnasium no tennis court is existent. In addition to this I beg to state, that the huts are built on a newly ploughed field which every short rain turns into a quagmire. |
| 7. In Grossau the men are allowed to send correspondence every day. | 7. In Knockaloe only 2 letters weekly are allowed; |
The above points do by no means exhaust our just complaints and I should be glad to have an opportunity of laying before you detailed facts at your next inspection visit to this camp which I am sure will take place in the near future.
Further I beg to request you to hand this letter to the Foreign Office at the Ballplatz after you have found all statements correct. I may point out to you that all correspondence in this matter will be handed to the minister for Foreign Affairs immediately at the end of the war together with your original replies.The main purpose of this letter is to cause a though inspection to be made at the earliest possible moment, since the conditions are growing worse every day as the winter comes in.
Trusting that you will not refuse your good offices and will do everything to enable us to remain in good health which under the present circumstances: is more than improbable
Friedrich Nettel was a Univerity trained Engineer (hence the title Ing) from the Technische Hochschule Vienna - he also became known for the many cartoons he drew for the camp newspapers and later played a significant role on various Austro-Hungarian committees.
His comment that there were Black or Negro internees at Knockaloe is interesting and possibly refers to some of the German civilians transferred from West Africa, many of whom landed up at Knockaloe or at Lofthouse Park Wakefield. However those transferred in atrocious contions in the holds of cargo ships from West Africa were openly racist in their comments, and surely would have strongly objected to sharing accomodation with 'natives'. However he might be referrering to "Snowball" who was also detained in camp II though mistakenly as a Turkish subject whereas he was Egyptian and thus British.
TNA FO 383/1 - letter from Nettel
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| Any comments, errors
or omissions gratefully received The
Editor Text + Transcription © F.Coakley , 2021 |
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