Text + Transcription © F.Coakley , 2021
This report is a three part report by Captain Unender, special attache to Swedish Legation, acting on behalf of the Austro-Hungarian Goverment - the three camps can be considered as those containing 'friendly enemy aliens'. The section on Islington is rather cursory but the sections on the other two working camps throws some light on the conditions there - the mixed, though predominantly military, camp at Feltham seems not to be appreciated by the civilian internees. There was a party of 22 Germans and 8 Austrians sent to Hackney-Wick on 9th June 1916 with a few individual transfers over the following 7 months - 3 individual returns are noted between January 1917 and February 1918. There were considerably more transfers between Knockaloe and Feltham - well over 300 transferred to Feltham over the year May 1916 to May 1917 - about 100 of these would appear to have returned to Knockaloe between July 1916 and November 1917.
Report on my visits of inspection to the places of internment for Austro-Hungarian Civilians at Islington 22nd October 1917, at Hackney Wick 12th December 1917; and at Feltham, 11th January 1918.
Of these places of interment, only Feltham has before been visited by representatives of the Swedish Legation.
The other two Camps, Islington and Hackney Wick, have not been inspected by representatives of this Legation.
Contents
A. ISLINGTON.
1. Situation and general organisation,
2. Military Staff,
3. Number of prisoners and nationalities,
4. Administration and sanitary arrangements,
5. Suggestions and complaints.B. HACKNEY WICK.
1. Situation and general organisation,
2. Military Staff,
3. Number of prisoners and nationalities,
4. Housing and Sanitary arrangements,
5. Food and canteen,
6. Routine of priseners' daily life, earnings,
7. Organisations of prisoners for various purposes,committees etc. etc,
8. Suggestions.C. FELTHAM.
1. Situation and general organisation,
2. Military Staff,
3. Number of prisoners and nationalities,
4. Housing and similar matters,
5. Hospital,
6. Food and canteen,
7. Routine of prisoners' daily life, work etc.,
8. Organisations for various purposes,amusements, sports etc,
9. Remarks and suggestions.
10. SummaryA. Islington
1. Situation and General Organisation
The detention camp at Islington is situated in Cornwallis Road, London, N.W. Most of the prisoners here are married to British or Allied Born wives, resident within the Metropolitan area. But there are, in addition, a small number of those who have been in England many years.
The building now used as Islington camp was, before the war, a union workhouse. It is very large and well adapted as a place of internment.
Adjoining it is a brush manufactory, in which the prisoners are employed,
It is a working Camp is considered almost as a privileged "Friendly Aliens' Camp",
2. Military Staff
Major Sir Frederick L. Halliday C.I.E Commandant
Robert Luck Assistant-Commandant3. Number of Prisoners and Nationalities
There are in all 651 prisoners, but only 6 Austrian and 2 Hungarian subjects, - no Turks or Bulgarians; the rest are of German nationality.
4. Administration and sanitary arrangements
Administratively, Islington detention camp comes under the Home Office.
The conditions of housing appeared satisfactory, with sufficient air space and ventilation, The water is good and the drainage and sanitary arrangenents throughout are in good order.
The general appearance of the Austro-Hungarian prisoners leads one to conclude that they are well and healthy. I was specially asked to see the Austrian prisoner of war No. 931. G.Ziegler, who was very ill in health. After my visit he was seen by the Home Office doctor and repatriated 9th January 1918.
5. Suggestions and complaints.
Three of the prisoners were more than 45 years of age and asked when these under this category will be repatriated or sent to a neutral ceuntry.
P/W No. 654. Ch. Schieff 48 years of age.
P/W No. 692. O. Peither 46 years of age.
P/W No. 778. Jos Adler 49 years of age.There is no recreation ground in this camp except a plot used as a tennis-court, The prisoners had, however a spacious area where they could receive their visitors
The Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war in Islington had no special complaints to make of the management of the camp. They only asked for reciprocity of treatment and urged that steps should be taken to gain the consent of the Britiish Governmment to make arrangements for the fulfilment of this request. They asked for at least one day's leave or parole every two months to visit their families.
B. Hackney Wick
1. Situation and general organisation,
This camp is situated in Gainsborough Road, London,E.9. The prisoners of war are interned in the Hackney Wick factories, which have a healthy site between the open spaces Hackney Marsh on the north, and Victoria Park on the south.
The prisoners interned at this place are all married to English-born wives and have all been living in England 12,15 or 18 years.
2. Military Staff.
Administravely, Hackney Wick is under the Home Office, which in most matters it manages on the same principles as camps under the War office.
The Commandant of this camp is the same as at Islington - Major, Sir Frederick L. Halliday C.I.E. There is no other military staff with the exception of a guard, a segeant and 3 police constables from the metropolitan police.
3. Number of prisoners and nationalities.
There was a total of 182 prisoners of war in this camp, of whom 59 were Austrian and 7 Hungarian subjects. During January 1916 the number of Austro-Hungarians was increased to 75 men.
4. Housing and Sanitary arrangements,
The camp is connected with the factory of Messrs. Vickers, Ltd. About 80 prisoners are living in a building formerly used as a casual ward by the Metropolitan Asylums board, and the rest are housed in five huts, each with a space for 20 men.
Beds and bedclothes are supplied by the camp authorities, also towels and soap, as in other camps.
The prisoners run a laundry for themselves; it is self-supporting.
The sanitary arrangements are satisfactory. There is no Hospital, but a medical man attends regularly.
5. Food and canteen.
The interned in this working camp have almost the same rations as in other ordinary camps. The menu December 12th was as follows:-
Breakfast:- Porridge. Coffee, Bread - Margarine.
Dinner:- Peas-Soup. Salted Herrings. Potatoes.
Afternoon Tea:- Tea. Bread - Margarine. Cheese.The prisoners consider that, as this camp consists almost entirely of workers employed at the factory of Messrs. Vickers Ltd.,some exceptions should be made when applying the rules; and extra rations given beyond those of other camps where no work is done. A man who works 11½ hours a day cannot be expected to satisfy his appetite with the same amount and quality of food as a man in a non-working camp.
One meatless day per week was enforced besides the two days per week on which fish was supplied.
I hope the English authorities will do their best to increase the quantity of rations in this working camp.
A canteen is managed by a staff composed of prisoners elected by themselves and working for the benefit of them.
6. Routine of prisoners' daily life, earnings,
Some men are working in the factory of Messrs Vickers Ltd., makeing engine fittings for Vickers Ltd, Sewing Machines. Others are occupied with wood-carving etc. I expressly passed through the shops during working hours to ascertain if they were employed upon anything that could be considered of the nature of work for war purposes. I stated that they are employed upon nothing but that mentioned above, viz:- making engine fittings for sewing machines. The prisoners of war asked that I should convince myself of this fact because it has been commonly reported that the work done in this camp was for war purposes.
Work commences at 7 a.m. and ends at 8 p.m. with 1 hour at noon for dinner, and half an hour at 5.30 for tea. On Mondays, however, work finishes at 5.30 p.m., and on Saturdays at noon,
Earnings.
The larger proportion of Austro-Hungarians here are operators of automatic machinery, and their is 4½d an hour. The firm of Vickers Ltd. is, in addition to this, paying direct to the authorities 15/- for each man for his maintenance. From the net earnings (the limit being 23/- per week), 15/- only are given to the man if his wife is in receipt of a Subsistence Allowance from the Board of Guardians.
The difference between 15/- and the total of his wages is divided :- 75% to the Board of Guardians and the balance of 25% to the worker in addition to the 15/- above nentioned. Thus, if the wife receives a Subsistence allowance from the Local Board of Guardians, the husband must pay for part of the same out of his earnings here in the proportion stated above.
Skilled workers, who had no wives, or those whose receive no subsistence allowance from the Board of expressed dissatisfaction that a further deduction should be made from their wages beyond that already mentioned. And they also pointed out that, as the primary condition of their emloyment is that they should be paid at the rate of wages agreed upon by the Government and the respective Trades Unions, the skilled men receive a special War Bonus as part of their earnings. This special bonus, they consider, should be handed to them intact, and that the authorities should not make any deductions from it for maintenance or on behalf of the Board of Guardians. This deduction of half the War Bonus amounts in most to about 8/- or 9/- per man.
7. Organisations of prisoners for various purposes,committees etc. etc,
An Austro-Hungarian committee is formed in this camp, and the members are elected by the prisoners themselves:- The Austro-Hungarian committee: -
PoW No. 227 A. Doctor.
PoW No. 251 G. Dessauer.
PoW No. 132 J. Szmazenku.One Head-Captain, a German prisoner of war, is elected for the whole camp.
Comnittees exist, moreover, for the canteen, camp management, kitchen, amusements, etc.
There is usually very little time remaining for amusements as this is a workers' camp. Occasionally, cinematograph performances and concerts are arranged.
Conditions of internment are similar to those in other camps.
Delivery of mail and parcels is satisfactory.
8. Suggestions.
As mentioned before, the prisoners who work very hard in this camp, find their rations insufficient. As they pay for these, they think some arrangements could be made to supply them more satisfactorily, especially as many are perfectly able and willing to pay even more if necessary. The greater proportion of prisoners in Hackney Wick are married to British-born wives, with English children, and they ask that, as they are doing such useful work in the factory they should have the privilege of going home to see them at least once a month.
I paid this visit to the Camp at Hackney Wick at the special request of P/T No. 248. Albin Bleier, who had pressing family matters to discuss with me.
The long internment is causing more and more trouble among the families of the prisoners, and it appears necessary that some steps should be taken to help them in this matter, either to go home occasionally, or to have some facilities for the wives to stay for some days in the camps at stated intervals.
C. Feltham
1. Situation.
Feltham is situated on a treeless plain in Middlesex: 15 miles west of London, travelling from Waterloo terminus. The camp is half-an-hour's walk from the village and railway station.
2. Military Staff
Administravely, Feltham Camp comes under the War Office
Commandant for the whole camp:- Major L.W.Johnson
Adjutant:- Captain G Tyer
Interpreter:- Lieutenant F. Toye
Supervisor of labour:- Captain HansellThere are also a nunber of soldiers to form the necessary guard of the camp etc.
3. Number of prisoners.
The capacity of this camp is 1300 men, which number is made up of about 10 different nationalities. On the day of my visit there were, on the civilian side; - 118 Austro-Hungarian subjects. 1 Armenian + 1 Arab Ottoman subjects and no Bulgarian subject.
4. Housing and similar matters.
Feltham is a big brick building of two stories, surrounded by a spacious court, enclosed with walls, as it was first constructed for a prison. Before the war, however, it was used as a Borstal Institution. After being adapted as a place of internment for prisoners of war, there have been built, in addition, 8 huts of the same dimensions and construction as are usually seen in English camps.
The dormitories are of various types and sizes. In the principle building, the former Borstal Institution, there were only two beds in every room or cubicle. These cubicles open from a main corridor and are screened off with curtains; they measure on an average 12 x 6 feet. The The prisoners like this arrangenent exceedingly as it gives them privacy and quiet not obtainable when so many are crowded into one area. I saw also some rooms containing 6 beds, but three only were occupied, and I was told there were seldom more than three. On the ground floor there were big halls used as dormitories for from 20 to 30 men according to the dimensions. The men are grouped, not into batallions, as in other camps, but according to nationalities.
Each man had his wooden bed-stead with "biscuit-mattress", exactly the same as used by the British soldiers. They also had pillow and blankets as in other camps. Each prisoner is responsible for the making of his bed every morning. The dormitories are kept clean by the men themselves.
There were two bath-rooms with 10 to 12 baths (hot and cold water) in every room.
The sanitary arrangements were good: the latrines and urinals were automatically flushed and periodically disinfected, The air and floor space seemed satisfactory and the impression that the housing and general conditions in Feltham were the best I had hitherto seen in a camp for prisoners of war in England
5. Hospital.
The camp had its own hospital, - a brick building, isolated from the rest of buildings of the camp.
The patients had iron Hospital Beds, with "biscuit-mattress" and disinfected blankets.
There were on the day of my visit only 3 invalids, of whom one was an Austrian with tuberculosis. According to the Medical Officer's orders, the medical cases are receiving increased or special rations.
The doctor attends to accidents and calls every day. One R.A M.C. corporal dresses small wounds and there are, in addition, two orderly attendants in the hospital.
There is no isolation ward or special kitchen, but a disinfecting plant is in use, Necessary medicines are kept in the hospital, and all the sanitary conditions are perfectly satisfactory.
All severe cases are sent to Fulham Military Hospital, and mental cases to Wandsworth Asylum.
I was told that there had been no accidents or infectious cases in the camp.
A dentist visits the camp once a week
6. Food and Canteen
The dietary in force at the time of my visit to this camp vide the Army Council instructions, Nos. 1233 of 7th August 1917, and No 1446 of 19th September 1917, (Exhibit B.)
Menu this day (January 11th 1918. )
Herring 10oz
Potatoes: 20 oz
Beans: 2 oz
Cabbage 4 oz
Rice 2 oz
Bread 13 oz
Tea ¼oz or Coffee ½ oz
Margarine 1 oz Jam 1 oz Cheese 3 oz
Maize Meal 1 ozMeals are served three times daily :- Breakfast 7 45 a.m, Dinner 12 .30 p.m. Tea, 5.30 p.m. I did not hear any complaints of the food, although the question of the manner of cooking the food supplied by the Government caused a certain amount of dissatisfaction amongst the civilian prisoners, who asked that some change in the kitchen administration might be made. It is now cooked in the same way as for the soldiers; and the civilians who have lived abroad before the war, do not find the English method of cooking palatable.
These civilians, (who number 140) therefore ask if a special mess could not be reserved for them where they could prepare their own food and manage their own kitchen arrangements:- and furthermore expressed their willingness to share the extra, expenses amongst themselves.
The canteen is managed by the Government, and I noticed there was not much choice of articles to be bought by the prisoners.
7. Routine of prisoners' daily life, work etc.,
The routine varies with the Seasons, but at the time of my visit, as follows:
Reveille 6.0 a.m. Make beds, clean cubicles, wash.
Breakfast 7.45 a.m.
Parade for work 8.0 a.m. Conmandants inspection
Work 8.0 a.m - 12.
Dinner 12.30 p.m.
Work 2.0 - 5 p.m.
Tea 5.0 p.m
Lights out 10.30 p.mOf the Austrian and Hungarian prisoners of war in this camp, only 62 are working. They are employed in such work as market-gardening, fruit-picking, and general farm work, the employers being the local farmers and fruit-growers. In winter they work 36 hours a week, in summer 48, and they are paid at the rate of 2d per hour.
Other wages earned by the men are: -
Tailor 6/- per week
Shoemaker 6/- per week
Clerk 6/- per week
Head Cook 12/- per week
Ordinary Cook 3/- to 3/6 per week
Camp worker 3/- to 3/6 per weekEvery worker receives increased rations; those who are able to work, but prefer not to do so, receive only the ordinary quantity of food.
Other work, such as that in the library, woodcarving and carpentry, are done voluntarily Art is practised to some extent, and lessons are given to the prisoners in languages, history, music etc.
8. Organisations for various purposes,amusements, sports etc,
All the Committees are under the Y.M.C.A. which has a good building of its own in the Camp. Prisoner of war No. 701 R. Steffan is Chairman of the Y.M.C.A. as well as of the Camp Committee. There is one Civilian Camp leader, No. 1809 L. Dumont, and there are two military leaders, one for the Danes, Christensen, and one for the Poles, Zrackoniak. Committees are formed for various purposes, such as educational, religious, theatrical, for music, and for sports of different kinds.
The Camp has a spacious concert-hall with a piano and a stage erected at one end. The amusements organised by themselves consist of theatrical performances, concerts by an orchestra of 27 men and a Cinema. They also enjoy different kinds of out-door sports, especially football.
Religious services in Polish and Danish are held weekly, the priest coming from outside to visit the camp.
With reference to the distribution of Mails and Parcels which takes place twice daily, the prisoners had no complaint to make.
Punishments are usually given in the same manner as in other Camps. I was told that scarcely any were necessary: if there were violations against the camp discipline, they were punished with fatigue work.
9. Remarks and suggestions.
The civilians in Feltham pointed out that it was particularly trying for them to live in the same camp as prisoner of war soldiers. They are not accustomed to the military discipline necessary, of course, in such a camp, and, as mentioned before, they do not agree with the soldiers on the important question of cooking the food. No less than 23 Austro-Hungarian civilians asked, for this reason, to be moved from Feltham or if necessary,sent back to Knockaloe on the Isle of Man.
Summary.
Both the first mentioned camps in this report, Islington and Hackney Wick, are privileged and working camps, and my impression is that the prisoners there are living under better conditions than in other places of detention. The constant employment enables them to keep their thoughts from dwelling on their present anxieties, and their mental state is therefore happier in consequence.
In camps where no work is done, the mind is liable to become obsessed with their deplorable condition, (being interned through no fault of their own ) as they consider it, to the detriment of their general health and state of mind.
At the same time, I consider it highly important that these men should not be overworked. With the present shortage of food, and their long internment, they cannot have the same strength as workers in peace time, and therefore tire much more quickly. I think this matter should be taken into consideration in these working camps.
In spite of the fact that the prisoners in Feltham had better housing and food than in most other camps I have seen, there was an unfavourable atmosphere in the place caused by civilians and soldiers being interned together. The civilians are not accustomed to the discipline of a soldier's life, and they become depressed and bitter, and are feeling the discomfort of their internment far more than they otherwise would.
There were no complaints against the Commandant and sub-Commandants of these Camps personally; On the other hand, the best relations seemed to exist between the English officers and the prisoners.
Finally to express my best thanks to all these Camp authorities who showed us every kindness and hospitality, and did everything to facilitate my difficult task.
LONDON. 15th February 1918.
TNA FO 383/360 - contains this report (a carbon copy is also contained in FO 383/359)
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