Text + Transcription © F.Coakley , 2021
This report is extracted from a longer report on visits to many places of Internment in the British Isles made by Mr Jackson during January and February 1915.
On February 10 [1915], I visited the camp at Queen's Ferry near Chester where about 2200 civilians were interned, as well as a small number of soldiers.
The general atmosphere of this camp was the most depressing of all those which I visited, and although the camp had been occupied for about five months but little had been done to improve the original conditions. The buildings are those of an old machine shop, and are divided into two separate compounds. The roofs are of glass and there were many leaks. The floors are of stone or cement and as a rule the wooden beds are raised only a few inches. There was no special accomodation for better class prisoners, although many had been allowed to build a kind of tent around their beds, to protect them from leaks and draughts. The prisoners themselves seemed listless and not inclined to make much effort to improve matters. No opportunity is provided for work and but few appeared to be willing to work.
The bathing and washing facilities were limited and the use of hot water was restricted. There was no drying room but one is in course of building. New kitchens are also in building, the present one being dirty and insufficient. In the latrines the pail system is used, but the number is not adequate, and at night only two have been made available for each compound, although provision is being made for an increased number. In spite of all this there had been only two deaths in the camp, and a third after an operation outside. The hospital was full however, and a part of it was separated from the sleeping quarters of one of the compounds only by a wire screen hung with blankets to a height of 8 or 10 feet. Men claimed to have been in the hospital for weeks awaiting medical or surgical treatment, and having no special diet. There were many cases of venereal disease, and some of itch and other contagious diseases in the infectious ward.
Much money, which does not appear to be available, would be necessary to put this camp in good condition. The cantine facilities did not appear to be bad, but there were many complaints about the regular food, the heating and lighting and the receipt of mail and packages. Sausages and cigars had been cut open as had been the case at Knockaloe Although the ration is supposed to be the same as in other camps it was claimed that there was only one hot meal and no bread or margarine at night. Smoking was permitted as usual and beer had also been permitted at first, but the privilege had been withdrawn after one of the Captains had got drunk.
Papers and books were permitted but there was apparently no library. The exercise grounds are small.
Visitors are permitted in theory, but few come because of the inaccessibility of the camp.
In this camp there were a number of old sea-captains and some other old men who were apparently detained as spies. In this camp were also a number of Germans who have been brought from Africa, who made complaints similar to those made by the men on board the ships off Ryde. Some complained that they had been unable to obtain their money or luggage. Upon my speaking of these complaints at the War Office, upon my return to London, I was told that the baggage was being forwarded, and that the money would be returned upon demand and upon presentation of the receipts which were given at the time it was taken.
There was also a vist of inspection a few days earlier by Professor Naville and others from the International Red Cross. Robert Cecil accompanied this party and left his own notes on the visit. Those on Queensferry are equally damming but also contain some thoughtful comments on civilian internment.
On the 27th January [1915] we went down to Chester and drove out to see the camps at Queens Ferry. We arrived at 2.40 in the afternoon, and were evidently not expected. The Commandant Colonel Reed was extremely courteous to us, but my impression was that he was not very pleased to see us.
The "Camp" is a large disused Boiler Factory, an immense building with a yard, or compound on one side of it and recreation fields on the other. The building is divided into a number of sections or bays, which are in fact very large rooms, lighted by sky-lights and windows some 12 ft. above the ground so that it is impossible to look out from the rooms. Some of the bays are divided structurally from the rest of the building, in other cases they are merely divided by some kind of temporary partition. In each bay there are some 200 prisoners who live there night and day, excepting, when they are out doors, sleeping and eating on beds and 3 tables stuck about in the room without any apparent order except in the case of one bay where a separation is made between the day part and the sleeping part.
The general impression given to anyone visiting the place for the first time is one of considerable untidiness to put it at the lowest. All about there are wooden beds made apparently from bits of wood nailed together by the prisoners and on these straw mattresses are placed. They are gradually being replaced by beds made by skilled workmen.
The tables are placed anywhere, without any particular arrangement, between the beds and at each table some 8 or 10 prisoners eat. It should be added that the rooms are perfectly fresh and airy, indeed some of the prisoners complained that they were draughty.
Though there is some attempt to classify the prisoners it is quite apparent that many of the bays contain prisoners of very different classe, to some of whom the conditions of internment must present a very great difference to their ordinary mode of living. All were civilians and consequently unaccustomed to barrack conditions. I was assured by the adjutant that he had received no complaints since he had been there. If this is so I am afraid that it points more to a want of free communications between prisoner and officer than to absence of dissatisfaction on the part of the prisoners; for several complaints were volunteered to me and more still to my companions on this occasion as on the occcasion of all their visits talked freely in German to the prisoners without any supervision by the officers attached to the camp.
Some of the complaints were irremediable so long as the prisoners are interned For instance many of the prisoners come from the Cameroons and they feel the climate severely. Several of them are ill in hospital with Malaria, which I suppose may be due to chills re-awakening the poison in their system. It was these prisoners who complained of the draughts, and it might perhaps be possible to give them the screens they ask for. Other complaints were for want of soap, bad food, and insufficient food. The Colonel informed us that there had been a deficiency of soap, but he was very positive that that cause of complaint had been removed. Some of the prisoners, however, spoke of it as a continuing grevance. As to the quality of the food we were assured that it was precisely the same as that given to our troops and was quite good now, thougn apparently there had been some trouble with it. As to the quantity the prisoners get bread and a little margarine with tea for breakfast at 8 o'clock, a stew of beans or peas with beef for dinner and bread with margarine and tea at 4 o'clock. They can and do supplement this by presents of food and money with which they can buy food. The rations seem to be the same as those given to our troops excepting that for breakfast and tea our troops have some little addition such as bacon for breakfast or sausages for tea. Considering the much more confined life that the prisoners lead the difference in food does not seem to be objectionable. On the whole I expect the great majority of the prisoners get plenty to eat and it can only be the very poor or unlucky who occasionally have to rely on Government rations only.
One other complaint was that they did not get enough exercise. There is, however, plenty of room in the compound and there is a football field in which a certain number play every day when weather permits. The field is at present rather difficult to guard but it is to be properly fenced and then more can be allowed in it. There will also be a greater variety of games.
As far as indoor recreation is concerned no complaint can be made. The prisoners have plenty of music, they have books and games though for reasons which he declared sufficient but did not give us the Commandant declined to allow them to see newspapers. The hospital is attached to the camp, which we also inspected did not impress me very favourably, it seemed to me rather dark and dingy, and there were no sheets to the beds. There is of course, no female nursing and if this is unavoidable it is a great disadvantage. As I have said many of the patients were suffering from Malaria, others from Rheumatics and some were very seriously ill. There is another ward for other diseases which we did not visit.
On the whole I do not think that it could be said that there is anything in the least likely ill treatment at Queens Ferry , but internment there seems to involve a good deal more hardship than it does on board the Ivernia not to speak of the Royal Edward
I could not help feeling that it would be well if the principle of self government so successfully employed at Southend, could be utilised more largely at Queens Ferry It is true that the prisoners in each bay elect a Captain and there is also a mess committee, but there appears to be little or no attempt at classification by the prisoners themselves and indeed not much by any other method, nor has there been the same organisation of messes and so on which has worked so well on the ships. It would certainly be a great improvement if it were possible to separate the sleeping and eating places. There may be many great difficulties which do not appear to a casual visitor, but if it could be done I cannot help thinking that it ought to be done.
The treatment of civilian prisoners is evidently a very difficult problem. They are unaccustomed to discipline or barrack life and many of the inevitable discomforts of internment must seem to them more difficult to bear than they would to soldiers and sailors. In one respect the position of the prisoners at Queens Ferry is fortunate, their religious needs appear to be very carefully attended to. A Roman Catholic Priest visits the camp and Pastor Neitz who was interned there for a short time and then released has elected to remain in residence and has given most valuable and self sacrificing ministrations both in the hospital and in the camp. By doing this he discharges a duty, which by the convention rests upon the Government, and he does it without any kind of remuneration beyond his rations and lodging. It seems to be a matter of consideration whether he should not be given some small allowance by the Government, even if it were only 5/- per week. In this connection I should like to add that there are two lay-brothers of some Roman Catholic order still interned, and to suggest that their release might be considered unless something is known against them.
In March 1915 some members of a Parliamentary committee visited - their report is somewhat more favourable :-
On March 25th. I met Sir H, Dalziel, Tyson Wilson and Roberts at Chester at 1.55. We motored to Queensferry and went over the Camp. I had been there previously last September.
The Commandant then was Col. Wynne Edwards. It is now Col. Reid, D.S.O.
The main lines of the arrangement seemed about the same, but there was a certain air of improvement due no doubt to increased experience.
The inmates were all interned civilians with very few exceptions and the numbers were something over 2,000.
There was a Lieutenant (Lugardt ?) - or a name that sounded like that, who claimed to be an officer and that he ought to be in an officers Camp. He looked like an officer, and I think his application should be favourably considered. I saw several prisoners whom I had previously seen at Ryde on board ship, they appeared to me more cheerful and healthy ashore than afloat. We went thnough the Quarter Master's Store and the appearance of the food was good.
There had been complaints about the Bread, Col. Reid said that the complaints were justified but that he had spoken to the Contractor and that the Bread now was all right. We paraded the line Captains who were generally content, they complained of a long delay in the delivery of their letters and parcels. The delays seemed to be greater from Liverpool than London, due no doubt to difficulty of censorship. Such delays should if possible be avoided, for the longer letters and parcels are en route the greater risk there is of loss. We do not wish to lose any parcels or letters, as it would be lamentable if the rascally thefts of our prisoners' parcels in Germany could find any repetition, however slight, in this country.
The Health of the Camp was good.
Shower Baths and Latrines appeared satisfactorily cared for.
The Prisoners have a Band which plays in fine weather as they walk about the compound.
The Buildings are spacious and airy, but the situation is flat and the surrounding country unattractive.
TNA FO 383/106 - contains reports on many camps based on visits in the early
part of 1915.
TNA CAB 45/207 - contains a series of reports found in the collected papers
of G Stewart M.P
see also Col Schindler's account of a visit December 1914 which seems somewhat more positive
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