[From TNA FO 383/115]

WW1 Internee - Moriz Wand

Letter forwarded by American Embassy

Knockaloe Camp April 3rd 1916

Sir
Some weeks ago a letter was made public in our Camp written by the American Embassy of London, which undertook the protection of Austrian and Hungarian subjects in the U.K., in which interned civilians were asked to put forward their claims and complaints to above Embassy which promised to remit all such cases to the competent authorities and therefore I, too, venture to submit to you my case and to ask your valuable assistance for my repatriation.

I am an Austrian Pole and have not done any military service whatever. I am shortsighted and owing to this I have had to wear spectacles these 15 years, besides I am suffering of heart trouble, moreover nervousness and because of these my house Dr, recommended it to me to retire for a short time from business and to undertake a trip of recreation. Following his advice I came to England on the 18th of July 1914, in order to spend a short time with my relatives. I was during my stay in England under the attendance of Dr Tytler of 114, Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester.

On the 4th or 5th of August 1914, I wanted to leave for home, but I was informed at Thos. Cook & Sons that all traffic with the Continent had been suspended. Therefore I went to our Consul at Manchester who informed me in a similar sense simultaneously stamping my birth certificate and advised me to apply to the Austro-Hungarian Consul General at Liverpool. This I did, but obtained the same information, viz that there is no possibility of departing for the Continent. Of this I have got a Certificate too. Consequently the only thing I could do was to wait for a possible chance to return home. Unfortunely my expectations did not realize and after appeals to the Home Office in Sept and Oct.1914 for a permit to leave for home, I was on Oct. 22nd 1914 arrested and interned at Lancaster Detention Camp.

You can easily imagine, Sir, that the incongenial conditions of Camp life are not conducive to one's failing health

From above statements you are able to see, Sir, that I wanted to leave this country while I was a neutral, yet was prevented from doing so.

If you would approach, Sir, in this matter the British Government, they undoubtedly possess the power and may also show the willingness to rectify the injustice to which I was subjected and from which I am still suffering.

Finally I must mention that I had left my flourishing business for reasons of ill health. When feeling fairly fit to resume the management of my business, I was prevented from returning home. Thus my business was left to the care of my inexperienced brother. That my business interests were bound to suffer from my undue absence it goes without saying.

An ackowledgment of this letter will greatly oblige.

Your obedient servant sd Moriz Wand 3785
Camp I. Compd. 5 Hut 3.B

Notes

The brief entry in I.C.R.C. list O-5-26 gives his age as 30, born Vienna with residence 12 Oberstrasse Bremen. The Cheetham Hill area of Manchester was home to many Polish Jews who worked in the garment industry in Manchester - the one great Polish Empire has in the 1790s been split between Austria and Russia - Prussia also controlled part.

The Knockaloe letter book notes an application by him (though the name is rendered as Wandt) on the 18th April 1916 for transfer to the Jewish Camp at Douglas, he stated that he could pay (for Kosher food) - his transfer was approved for the 20th and the letter book notes 300 Marks (paper currency) transferred same day to Commandant at Douglas where he would remain as #4446 until repatriation via Ripon on the 25th January 1919. His intended fortnights holiday thus extended tor almost four and a half years.

The basis of his claim is that although Britain declared war on Germany on the 4th August 1914 it did not actually declare war on Austro-Hungary until 4 days later thus he was legally a neutral in this brief window. However the British Authorities did not distinguish between the two German speaking empires, and as the French were at war with the Germans, the only possible link was the Dutch ferries.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2025