HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2024
By mid 1916 many prisoners had been interned for nearly two years and for many their mental state was not good - Arndt makes some excellent points in his letter - the 'barbed-wire disease' would also be taken up by the Swiss Neutral Visitor
To The Sub-commandant Camp IV
KNOCKALOE ALIEN CAMP No. IV.
E. Arndt 25507 Compound 3, Hut 6b, 30th. September 1916.
Sir,
In the course of my long internment I had excellent opportunities of making studies of human nature, of which I availed myself with all the more interest, as I had not lived amongst so many Europeans for abt. 15 years owing to my residence in tropical Countries. I could not help being struck by the serious inroad that the internment has caused on the intellectual powers off many of us and which, I am sorry to say, seems more pronounced in this than in any of the other Camps I have been in. Similar results of the Internment Camps appear to have been observed in the other Countries and are recognized by Statesmen, like Lord Newton and others, and the medical profession, if we may believe the reports in leading British Newspapers. This fact gives me the courage to address you on a subject that has occupied the minds of, I should think, most of those Interned, who are open to reason and as yet in full possession of their senses.
Many of the misdemeanors occurring in the Camps will be traceable to the Camp Disease referred to above, but particularly will this be the case with the various attempts of escape. Anyone in his full mental vigour must be aware that he would not have the slightest chance to get away from this Island and reach the shores of a friendly Country, and knowing the harsh sentences of 6 months hard labour and similar that have been inflicted in the past he would give it thorough consideration before running the risk of still further aggravating his position. The conclusion is therefore permissible that those who do attempt to escape are victims of the Camp Disease, some may be in a more, others in a less advanced stage; and encouraged by the acknowledgement of this disease by Lord Newton and the medical profession I venture to propound the question, whether justice would not be met in a more humane manner, if these and similar cases were submitted to the examination and decision of a medical Board before passing them on to a Military Court. I purposely refrain from alluding to the various severe sentences from a legal point of view, as I desire to assert only considerations of humanity. The evidence of fellow Hut or Compound-Mates would in several instances have shown that the accused men could not be considered normal any longer, and there was one case, in which particularly striking proof might have been produced.
The mental disorder of the man PIETROWSKI, who early this year was sentenced to 18 months, had become so noticeable that his Hut-Mates (IV/3/6b) were in fear of their lives and always kept sticks beside their beds for self defence in case of attacks during night.
As to the man KANOPKA, P/W 25648, already in Stobs doubts as to the sound state of his mind were forthcoming; here he was sentenced quite recently to 9 months imprisonment, as he had been hiding for several days under the Kitchen Building of his own Compound.
In men of such disposition an increase of their hardships and single confinement is likely to bring about a final and lasting derangement of the mind.
I trust, Sir, that you can see your way to bring my observations to the notice of your superior Authorities and that they after due consideration will admit the reasonableness of my suggestion and that further misdemeanors will be treated accordingly. I further trust that they will be able to mitigate the unexpired sentences.
I have the honour to remain, Sir Your obedient servant,
He also attached a few extracts from Camp Orders which I presume were those posted on the notice boards of each compound - quite why these were not to be sent to Germany is not clear.
Military Court J. HUBECK. P/W No. 23588.
At a Military Court held at the Court House Peel, on the 28th August 1916, Alien No, 22508 V- J. HUBECK was arraigned upon the following charge :- Committing an offence in that he at Knockaloe on August 14th 1916 attempted to escape from escort whilst out working. The Court found Prisoner Guilty and he was sentenced to be imprisoned with Hard Labour for 6 months. The finding of the Court and sentence was confirmed by His Excellency the Lieut. Governor Lord Raglan.
At a Military Court held at the Court House Peel, on the 26th August 1916 Alien No. 25648 KARL KANOPKA. was arraigned upon the the following charges :-(1) Committing an offence, in that he at Knockaloe on August 12th, 13th, 14th. and 15th absented him self from Roll Call contrary to Camp Rules. (2) Committing an offence in that he at Knockaloe on August 12th 1916 attempted to escape by hiding under a building. The Court found Prisoner Guilty and he was sentenced to be imprisoned without Hard Labour for 9 months. The finding of the Court and sentence was confirmed by His Excellency the Lieut. Governor Lord Raglan.
Military Court Albert W. ROGERS, 23566
At a Military Court held at the Court House Peel, on the 22nd day of September 1916, Alien A. W. Rogers, No. 23566, was arraigned upon the the following charge :- Committing an offence in that he at Sulby on the 7th day of September 1916, escaped from a working party under escort.
The Court found him guilty, and he was sentenced to be imprisoned for twelve months.
The finding of the Court and the sentence was confirmed by His Excellency the Lieut-Governor, Lord Raglan.
At a Military Court held at the Court House Peel on the 29th. day of September Alien No. 26633 Engels, Gebhardt, was arraigned upon the following charge :- Committing an offence in that he at Knockaloe on September 16th. attempted to escape by climbing the barbed wire enclosing the Compound. The Court found him Guilty and he was sentenced to be imprisoned for 180 days. The finding of the Court and sentence was confirmed by His Excellency the Lieut-Governor, Lord Raglan.
The American Embassy would have sent Arndt's letter along with other Notes Verbales received from Germany to the PoW department who seeing the criticism of the punishments given out by military Courts sent it to the War Office for comments.
To Secretary Prisoners of War Department Downing Street
War Office London S.W. 13th April 1917
Sir With reference to your letter No.25260/1917/1218 dated the 9th February relative to certain disciplinary measures adopted at the prisoners-of-war camp at Knockaloe and forwarded to this Department by the Home Office, I am commanded by the Army Council to acquaint you, for the information of the Controller, that the information sought for in respect of Goller and other interned Civilians was contained in the letter of this Department No .0103/9456 (D.P.W.) dated the 17th December, 1916. The Council observe that in the German Note four prisoners-of-war are referred to in addition to Goller, but assume that this reference is to the three men Beirich, Wunderle end Kohler, (there was not a fourth), who were convicted of Mutiny and a serious assault upon a hut captain, another prisoner-of-war.
I am to add that the Council have no objection to the letter dated the 30th September, 1916, from E. Arndt, a prisoner-of-war at Knockaloe being forwarded to the German Government, but without the extracts from the camp orders which are attached to it.
I am to say that the men Kanopka and Pietrowski were awarded sentences of 18 months' and 9 months imprisonment respectively. The former was released after serving four months' imprisonment without hard labour, and the latter would have been similarly dealt with, but for the fact that he committed suicide.
As regards the case of Pietrowski I am to say that the man's mental condition to which reference is made in Arndt's letter did not come to the notice of the Camp authorities until after conviction. His general health was good. He was then placed under observation and was eventually considered insane. Whilst awaiting an escort for removal to an asylum he broke away and before he could be caught climbed a doorway some 7 or 8 feet high from which he threw himself backward, fracturing his skull.
I am, &c
Though the Military Courts were held in the Court house at Peel, there would appear to be little or no reporting of these, unlike the Civil courts for which records are held at the IoM PRO, there would appear to be no records held on Island.
Piotrowski's death is noted in ICRC D-81-6 as at H.M. Prison Liverpool 23.3.16 "committed suicide by throwing himself from a door in the observation ward of the hospital at HM prison Liverpool whilst in a state of unsound mind".
Transfers between Douglas and Knockaloe camps were it seem the norm for prisoners returning from imprisonment in Douglas prison. However transfers to Stobs(in Scotland) and Oldcastle in Ireland can be noted though no corresponding movements are noted in the Knockaloe register of daily arrivals or departures - it would appear that the transfer was from Liverpool prison where many of those detained for extended periods were sent direct to these camps.
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
| Any comments, errors
or omissions gratefully received The
Editor HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2024 |
||