[From TNA FO 383/162 a Translation from the German dated 9th February 1916]

Note Verbale 3rd February 1916

Introduction

Up to the entry of the USA into the war the Americans looked after the interests of the German and Austro-Hungarian Governments - one of their duties was to inspect and report on the various internment camps - hence the requests channelled to the American Ambassador.

Text

The [German] Foreign Office have the honour to inform the American Embassy as follows in reply to their note No. 7324 of the 14th ultimo [January 1916]:-
The Government see from the enclosures to the note in question that the Camp at Knockaloe was again visited in December of last year by Members of the American Embassy in London, and that the conditions prevailing In this Camp have since formed the subject of numerous conversations between representatives of the Embassy and the British authorities in London, as a result of which the Embassy consider that they may confidently expect that every attention will be given to the complaints of the inmates.

The German Government consider It essential that this expectation should be fulfilled. For, in view of the facts brought to light in the report made by the representatives who inspected the Camp and of other reports which have reached the German Government, there seems to be no doubt that even if a considerable improvement has taken place in the conditions of Knockaloe Camp still very serious deficiencies persist in respect to the accommodation and other matters of such a nature as to deprive the British Government of any justification for drawing comparisons invidious to Germany, between the state of British Prisoners in Germany and of German prisoners in England,

To how serious an extent the prisoners suffer from the abuses prevailing at Knockaloe,
the Embassy will have been made aware by the complaints addressed to them, as well as by the affidavits forwarded with Foreign office note No. 35472 of December 23 last. A further instalment of affidavits and other detailed descriptions of conditions at Knockaloe are annexed here for transmission to the Embassy in London.

In view of this evidence the Foreign office feel themselves justified in requesting the embassy in London to bestow their particular attention to conditions at Knockaloe and to neglect no suitable means of introducing conditions of life in that Camp, which will be more or less endurable to the large number of civilian prisoners interned there and less calculated to prove injurious to their health,

Berlin, February 9th, 1916,

Enclosure consists of affidavits by the following 19 returned German prisoners and of a long statement signed by Ferdinand N. Schoelles, respecting conditions in Knockaloe internment camp
Eugen Becker, Gerhart Bertram, Felix Bruchert, Gottlieb Everth, Richard Friedel, Lothar Fuhrmann, Josef Gossen, Fritz Gralow, Peter Grunewald, Theodor Haffner, Josef Heilbrun, Karl Nagel, Wilhelm Posko, Rudolf Remmele, Wilhelm Ruhle, Julius Scheele, Robert Schlaag, Paul Schumann,. Franz Stappenbeck.

The [British] Foreign Office cover comments "These affidavits are extraordinary reading. They cover the whole area of possible complaints including the presence of large eels in the drinking water. From the American report there is evidently too much occasion for the complaints, but the exageration must be excessive. Still, if the German Authorities believe half of what is here, we can hardly expect to get much hearing for our own requests till they think there has been large improvements.
I especially recomend for perusal Mr Schoeles report (the best paper) as the most moderate & comprehensive."

Unfortunately none of these affadavits appear to be included in the file - possibly they may surface in later files.

I can locate two names from other records as having been in Knockaloe in 1915 and repatriated via the hospital at Stratford, 11 of the names can be found as having been repatriated from Stratford on 15 December 1915 [ICRC D-65-6 , 9,10]. It is possible that they may also be found in a German Archive (?Koblenz).

It would seem that the Westminster Government were still refusing to accept that conditions at Knockaloe were as bad as every report of the time makes them out to be - the internees, nominally interned for their own safety following the mob attacks on German-owned property in many cities in May 1915, were not guilty of any crime, nor had they borne arms against British forces, many had been resident in Britiain for many years, often with British born children, others were merely in the wrong place at the outbreak of war whilst others had been taken off neutral ships often on the high seas - however, based on various complaints from the IoM Government the then Commandant at Knockaloe was relieved of his post early February 1916 and an experienced civil administrator appointed.

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