"We were born in widely separated parts of the globe. We managed to end up at least for a short time in one place."

 

"We were born in widely separated parts of the globe. We managed to end up at least for a short time in one place." This is attributed to Arthur Harold Magill Copeland

 

More from the Schweidnitz POW camp  project team…….

This is a project that keeps on giving and also reminds us that relatives still hold on to the family memorabilia until the time comes to do something with it. I've always stressed the need to share the one available letter or small pile of photos or memorabilia before it ends up in the skip bin by some disinterested member of the family.

A welcome find happened in recent days when the cousins of a couple of our researchers decided to do the Swedish Death Clean with their artifacts from their grandfather, Arthur Harold Madill Copeland 1889-1894. They gifted photos, maps and letters to their cousins, Gail and John Copeland, to be preserved with our story. For us, it's little bits more of the story, reviving our interests and reminding us of research done while COVID loomed as a threat, almost as bad as a world war.

A letter by Copeland back to his parents is a charming account of another attempt at escape. Despite the hardship in the POW camp, family is never far from their thoughts. It also has some excellent descriptions of the countryside encountered en route back to the POW camp after his recapture and seasonal changes he experiences. He reminisces about camping with his father, sirloin stanks and camping fires.

“Winter has again given way to Spring and the weather is now glorious almost like summer. In some places the country is a regular garden. I remember one section in particular near the Dutch frontier which reminded me very much of good old Ontario. Fruit trees and shrubs were in full blossom. There were a number of large residences set well back from the road and surrounded by well kept grounds in some cases I should judge two or three acres for lawns and gardens alone. The road was lined with trees almost as large as our fine old elms. I should like to see the Black Forests and the Rhine Valley and then I think I should have some knowledge of out door Germany. Of the cities I have not seen very much I saw the Liepzig railway station and had lunch there. The station is I am told, one of the finest in the world. We had a meal at the Dresden station also but that is not seeing the cities”

In the letter, he talks about an enclosed photo of a postcard. It's a shot we had seen before and we had dubbed it “The Internationals”. Apparently, it was a photo of some of the Schweidnitz POWs taken a few days before they escaped in March 1918. Copeland has marked each country the group came from.

 

THE INTERNATIONALS Photo taken at Schweidnitz POW camp - dated March 1918

 

Standing – left to right

Trevor White (New Zealand) |James Hine (South Africa) | Arthur Copeland (Canada) | Erik Walthew (India) |            John Chapman (Scotland)

 

Sitting – left to right

John Samuel/Samuels (Wales) | Clive Gower (Australia) | Kenneth Gray/Grey (Brazil) |

Fitzerald Uniacke (Ireland) | Henry Vereker (England ) | Gilford Holley (Canada)

The Photographer captured this postcard a couple of days prior to Schweidnitz tunnel escape on 19 March 1918.

 

 

 

 

In some of the other photos we had, the man had autographed the photos. Others had simply named them, named those they knew. Such a boon for future historians.

Photo held in Frank Bronskill’s photo album with Ottawa Museum, Canada 

One thing it highlights is that the men, as well as being brought together as British subjects to fight war and get captured, are exposed to people from all over the world. In a time before air travel, before television and before social media, they were exposed to people with wildly different backgrounds from different countries with different accents and experiences. Brought together, living in captivity and plenty of time to talk they became mates.

As Copeland said, "We were born in widely separated parts of the globe. We managed to end up at least for a short time in one place."

We had also discovered another photo of 10 officers of the RNAS. They were known as the “RNAS Boys”, which is the Royal Naval Air Services. This photo contained some of the same people who had autographed their copies and enabled us to make the connection as to who they were.

                    

“RNAS Boys”   Back Row, Left to Right: 

Lieutenant Henry Connell Vereker, RNAS, from Somerset, England

Lieutenant John Clifford Croft, RNAS, from Leeds-Yorkshire, England

Lieutenant Edward (Edouard) William Desbarats, RNAS, from Montreal, Canada

Lieutenant Norman Hall, RNAS, from Nelson, British Columbia, Canada

Lieutenant William Seager Green, Royal Navy, South Norwood, London, England

Lieutenant Harold Edwards, RNAS, from Canada

 

Front Row, Left to Right:  

Lieutenant Robert Slater, RNAS, from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Colonel Charles Rathborne, RNAS, from Cheltenham, England

Lieutenant Leo Phillip Paine (Sinbad), Royal Navy (Seaplane), from Shoreham-by-Sea, England

Lieutenant Valentine George Austen, RNAS, from Sittingbourne, Kent, England

 

Thanks to Ruve and her filing system, we soon have a list of the subjects of each photo and several variations from the collections. So with the combinations we have pieced together the names of those in the photograph taken with Copeland 198 years ago. See end of blog for details of the men.

In his letter, Copeland makes the comment, "I can hardly say we were the best representatives of our respective birthplaces in the camp, but such as we are, you see us."

You see, these men are in various stages of disguising themselves as was usual for those contemplating escape. They grew their hair long, exchanged uniforms and clothing and grew facial hair.

Now from the international to the ANZACs  as its almost ANZAC day 2026.

             

This photo supplied from the collection of Eric Paul Fulton  Courtesy of Margaret Clark was taken  c Jan/ Feb 1918

Here's another shot taken of an Aussie, a New Zealander, another man and a Norfolk Islander. This shot was taken on the 3rd of March 1918 and sent by Alan Barrington “Brolga” Hill to Brolga's sister Nan who was serving in a military hospital in England. Hill mentions "longing for the smell of a mob of jumbucks," Aussie talk for male sheep. As it was taken days before the escape from Schweidnitz, the boys were preparing their escape looks. With their longer hair, beards and moustaches. A devilish lot they look too.

This ANZAC Day, we remember these crazy scruffy men and make the most of making the most of their wait for escape or the end of the war. I’ve written about the Aussie, NZ escapees previously  https://schweidnitzpowcampwwi.blogspot.com/2020/10/anzac-day-2020-remembering-schweidnitz.html

 Do you know anything more about Schweidnitz prisoners? One photo or a letter will keep us amused for days!

Make sure you preserve the artefacts, share the stories and drop us a line. In Australia and NZ we commemorate ANZAC Day  this week. It is the Anniversary of the Gallipoli  Campaign World War I but we reflect on all Defence Force Personnel, past and present and sacrifices they have made.

 As we prepare for Anzac Day 2026, we salute this lot and all those who fought,

Lest We Forget.

 

 

An ANZAC Day Tit bit.

Ever wondered why there are so many photos around of these POWs?

Apparently in 1912, Kodak introduced a folding camera small enough to be slipped into the vest or coat pocket. These compact devices were popular during World War I with many soldiers and nurses using them to record their memories and experiences.

 

 

Further information on  The Internationals supplied by Ruve Baker

 

Ltn. Trevor Watts 'Tiny' WHITE              R.F.C.                        DOB: 19.10.1893 in Canterbury, New Zealand

PA 18392 Holzminden to Schweidnitz. Date stamp 19 JAN 1918. Batch of 90 POWs                   DOD: 1979 in New Zealand

 

Ltn. James Burnett HINE                          R.F.C.                       DOB: 10.04.1898 South Africa

PA 18421 Neubrandenburg to Schweidnitz. Date stamp 19 JAN 1918. Batch of 72 POWs    DOD: 1977 in Ramsey, Ayre, Isle of Man

 

Ltn. Arthur Harold Madill COPELAND    R.F.C.                       DOB: 27.08.1889 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

PA 18419 Neubrandenburg to Schweidnitz. Date stamp 19 JAN 1918. Batch of 72 POWs          DOD 1984 in Toronto, Canada

 

2^nd Ltn. Frederick Selby 'Erik' WALTHEW   Hertfordshire Rgt.        DOB: 10.12.1893 in Madras, India

PA 18392 Holzminden to Schweidnitz. Date stamp 19 JAN 1918. Batch of 90 POWs                   DOD: 1952 in Surrey, England

 

2^nd Ltn. John Mitchell CHAPMAN             R.F.C.                       DOB: 26.05.1895 in Paisley, Scotland

PA 18386 Holzminden to Schweidnitz. Date stamp 19 JAN 1918. Batch of 90 POWs                   DOD: 1979 in California, USA

 

Oblt. John Rees SAMUEL                          R.F.C. Welsh Regt.   DOB: 21.09.1895 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales

PA 18391 Holzminden to Schweidnitz. Date stamp 19 JAN 1918. Batch of 90 POWs                   DOD: 1964 in Neath, Wales

 

Ltn Okto 'Clive' Dhroslyn GOWER                                              DOB: 18.01.1881 Withbourgh, Melbourne, Australia

PA 18421 Neubrandenburg to Schweidnitz. Date stamp 19 JAN 1918. Batch of 72 POWs      DOD: 1968 in Melbourne, Australia

 

Ltn. Kenneth Whitmarsh GRAY              R.F.C.                          DOB: 10.03.1897 in Sao Paulo, Brazil

PA 18426 Dobeln + Freiburg to Schweidnitz. Date stamp 19 JAN 1918. Batch of 9 POWs       Marriage: 1924 in Sao Paulo, Brazil

 

2^nd Ltn. Desmond Percival ‘Fitzerald’ UNIACKE  R.F.C.           DOB:18.12.1895 in Chelsea, Middlesex, England

PA 21174 Trier to Schweidnitz. Date stamp 12 APRIL 1918. Batch of 31 POWs              DOD: 25.03.1933 in Middlesex, England

 

Ltn. Henry Connell VEREKER                   R.F.C.                          DOB: 11.04.1895 in Curry-Rivel, Somerset, UK 

PA 18424 Neubrandenburg to Schweidnitz. Date stamp 19 JAN 1918. Batch of 72 POWs         DOD: 1993 in Berkshire, England

 

Ltn. Thomas Gilford ‘Gil’ HOLLEY            R.F.C.                         DOB: 07.11.96 in Winnipeg, Canada

PA 18421 Neubrandenburg to Schweidnitz. Date stamp 19 JAN 1918. Batch of 72 POWs          DOD: 1987 in Canada

Mark Strelley Fryar A case of Barbed Wire Disease ??

I've written about my relative Captain Mark Strelley Fryar 1892- 1931 before. 

In my eyes, he was a war hero and a good leader but others may have seen it differently with a touch of ignorance or dismay probably due in hindsight to lack of understanding of war caused neurosis.

Born in Derbyshire of a mining background he was destined to work in the family mining interests. After completing school and attending Malvern Officer Training College he had prepared to enter the mining business training up under his father, Mark Fryar at Denby and with his uncle at the Messrs Barber, Walker and Company Limited.

Mark from a 5th Bttn photo

In May 1911 he joined the 1/5th Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiments).  This territorial regiment was mobilised for war service on 5/8/14 when Mark was 23. Less than 4 months after landing at Ypres he was wounded at Dickebuse. He returned to the Front.

Mark's story is recorded in "A Lack of Offensive Spirit" The 46th (North Midland) Division" by Alan MacDonald p392-4. He was captured at Gommecourt in 1917. Initially, he was missing in action after the horrific events of the Somme on the 1st of July 1916-one of the bloodiest battles in history. 

On the night of the battle ....Owing to smoke he and his Captain were separated from the rest of the Battalion. Captain Lewes was hit three times and while Fryar and his men took other action to secure their safety they needed to lay low until cover of darkness or reinforcements appeared. The Germans kept bombing them until 11am and sent an English speaking soldier to say he would take them prisoners. They were out of ammunition and by 12.30 they were being shelled by their own forces. He talked with the injured Lewes and they decided to give in asking the Germans to help them with their wounded. They would not and just looked on. They carried the semi- conscious Captain out but he died the next morning. Then... He was sent to a POW camp or two during the next few years of the war.

Initially his mother, Louisa received word saying “ I‘m afraid I can give you very little hope.”

 A month later she received a telegram saying he was a prisoner of war at Gutorsloh, Germany. Mark’s Prisoner of War transfer cards are marked with red circles indicating multiple escape attempts. He moved between Custria  (Fort Zorndorf) and Schwarmstedt camps (30 days in the cells for escaping) then to Schweidnitz where after several months he escaped with 23 others and a partner named Bush. The upshot of this was that he got 78 kilometers away but was caught taking a train.

A Red Cross Transfer  record- the red circle indicates he is prone to escape

The prisoners involved in the Schweidnitz tunnel escape were taken to Holzminden POW camp. A few months later he was court-martialed by the Germans for escaping by the tunnel and for forging passports used in the escape. (He served 47 days in the cells for escaping)

Like many of his fellow captives Mark was eligible for internment in Holland. Having been captured in 1916 he was entitled to be interned after two years captive to a neutral country like Holland. Here they would be bound to conform to laws and regulations for the rest of the war by their personal honour and good behaviour “on parole”.

Authorities were becoming aware of “barbed wire disease”, a new medical phenomenon of war. About 10% of prisoners made a concerted effort to escape, and about three times that attempted breakouts.

Military staff POWs felt a deep disillusionment, enhanced by the solitary confinement for punishment, overcrowding and harsh living conditions. They were going stir crazy. It was considered that men captured for more than two years would be suffering from barbed wire disease and should be offered internment in a neutral country. Many of his fellow prisoners refused this eligibility because one, it meant they had to sit out the war and two, they did not get to escape to fight another day. Many wanted to return to their unit to fight or fly again.

Even though the officers were able to enjoy orchestras, workshops, sports, and theatre, the physical response to being behind barbed wire for prolonged stretches of time would send the prisoners stir-crazy. Solitary confinement that was issued after the prison break would further deepen their disillusionment. The Hague Convention states that prisoners must be treated humanely. Officers were not put to work. They were to be treated with the same board, lodging, and clothing as the troops who captured them.

German officers often violated these conventions. The Commandant at Holzminden, Niemeyer, for example, was well known for the way prisoners were harshly treated. The men survived because of Red Cross parcels even though 1 in 5 were lost in transit! Letters home show that Mark asked for his mother to send him a parcel from Fortnum and Mason. I wonder if it ever arrived.

He became a Captain during his incarceration and would take his role seriously writing reports when necessary .

Mark believed that the delay in going to Holland was caused by the Germans dragging out the court-martial for their part in the Schweidnitz escape. This delayed his and others' transition to Holland and he believed it was in breach of the Hague Convention Agreement. And he let the management know via a letter to the Dutch Ambassador requesting that the British Government investigate the delay. Family believed he was depressed by this delay as letters back home revealed during 1918. We now know this was probably part of the psychological distress that Prisoners of War  suffered. It is also known that internees  suffered the same effect.

Part of the military code was that you were expected to escape whether English, NZ, Aussie or Canadian. Since the other big escape from Holzminden the Germans were more harsh. Another of Fryar’s report from the Officer’s Camp at Holzminden was about the random shooting of two Aussies, Lt Alexander Wallace Couston 10th Battalion AIF and 2^nd Lt Cyril Boyd Fenton RFC in Oct 1918. https://schweidnitzpowcampwwi.blogspot.com/2021/04/another-escape-remembered-anzac-day-2021.html As I said before, I liked his leadership. It seemed he created quite a stir. He’s not writing his report to condemn the men but as a condemnation of the behaviour of the Germans during the men’s escape.

He was eventually interned in late October 1918. Mark went to Holland with fellow escapees Asquith, Burrow, Bush, Moorhead, Patton and Murphy.  Most were repatriated on the 26th of November 1918 after the Armistice was reached.

Officer's statements were obtained upon repatriation. These explain the circumstances of their capture and recapture. Many of Mark's, part of Mark's capture statement describes his capture while serving with the 5th Sherwood Foresters.

His experience of war made it difficult to return to normal life and his father's colliery business. In 1915 his uncle had died and this put more pressure on Mark to assist in the business. All the blasting and confined spaces involved triggered what we now know to be PTSD. Rumors and perhaps some  misunderstood as to why and how  he was captured, escaped, captured and treated after the tunnel escape.

He was caught, perhaps a little misunderstanding as to why he was court-martialled by the Germans and not the English, may have persisted in his local village and family. In April 1919 he had received word that his statements regarding his capture by the enemy had been investigated and it was considered no blame at all on him in the matter.

 After the war he could not settle and returning to the colliery meant claustrophobia. Anxiety caused by the constant blasting in the mine unsettled him. He was given time to recover by his father but in the British way after 12 months he was expected to pull himself together and get back to work. This caused friction with his family assisted by persistent rumors about his capture and court martial.

Post-war mental illness was probably exacerbated by his lack of work and idleness. Rumours persisted and he was known to drink too much. Some incidences occurred unbecoming of the gentleman he was.

In 1924, he was acquitted of breaking into a garage at Stubbington and stealing five motor tyres and two tins of petrol. He denied he was the person seen leaving the garage at midnight, and that the evidence was circumstantial.

Acquittal- Gloucester Citizen 8/10/1924

 In 1926 he was charged with being in the Wesleyan Church after dark for unlawful purposes having forced the door. The judge satisfied that it was a drunken episode and in exchange for damages and expenses Mark was accordingly discharged.

More trouble - Mansfield Reporter 18/6/1926

At age 39 in 1931, he died- a bachelor. He had been living between Long Bennington and Denby and after a visit to the pub was involved in a car accident while on a cycle. He died of head and internal injuries   

He was buried with military honours.

Notes from a talk given by Jill Sparrow to a local group

Such a shame that, in hindsight Mark was probably suffering undiagnosed trauma. We now understand more about these war neuroses, probably initially caused by shell shock from his part in the Somme battle and exacerbated by barbed wire disease. Studies show that mortality rates of POWs in the 1920s and 30s were five times that of other veterans. An added cost of war.

Remembrance Day 2025

Lest we Forget

Mark's grave in Denby with his sister Molly

Tips on Connecting for an International Genealogical Research Project - A Covid research project

Republished from the Robyn and the Genies blog.....

Researching Family History is a lovely project but it is often isolated and lonely. Collaboration is “more funner” especially during a covid pandemic. At the beginning of Covid I was approached to contribute to research on a prisoner of war (POW) escape project. The initial group comprised of men and women from the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. Four people who had had grandparents or relatives in this event at Schweidnitz POW camp in Poland in WWI had started researching the circumstances and events. I was contacted due to a blog I had written on a third cousin Mark Strelley Fryar about the project. Even though my connection to this event was via a WWI British soldier, I felt I could get my teeth into the Aussie side of things as there were 6 Australian soldiers and Flyers involved in the escape.

Ruve's desk and her memorabilia

Since then (mostly throughout COVID lockdowns and isolation) five of us along with other interested parties have followed up on a World War I tunnel escape of 26 prisoners of war from Schweidnitz on 17^th March 1918. It was important to contact the “holders” of any hundred-year-old letters, photos, documents and memoirs. Usually these would be in the hands of aging children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. 

This is a little-known Prisoner of War escape story where British, New Zealand, Canadian and Australian officers who have been shot down or captured during their time in the RAF, AIF, infantry or Merchant Navy. They had generally escaped their way out of other camps into Schweidnitz Prisoner of War camp where the last of their daring escape plans was hatched and carried out in March 1918 The men were relatives of the researchers and throughout research and writing, we connected and pulled our knowledge and resources. The combined story is amazing.

Along the way we attracted photos, stories, records and memoirs from some other relatives who were glad to share and for us to go for it.  We were lucky enough to score some personal memoirs, letters, anecdotes, scrapbooks and articles. Basically, we were looking for “the last man standing” in each family- the keeper of the medals, facts, photos etc for men who fought over 100 years ago.

The results of a group search collaboration are fun. The combined skills produce a result, far larger than the sum of its parts.  Think about the synergy of many heads in such a diverse team. Some are fantastic communicators where personal Ancestry messages or emails to strangers are well received and often fruitful. Others are lateral thinkers and approach a problem in a more productive way.                               In other words, we all went down different rabbit holes. Of course, it helps to have a devil’s advocate to cast an eye over findings, to question or query assumptions.

The ability to access local research or different subscriptions add to the knowledge and scope of information found. For example, we discovered National Archives were free in the UK during and after Covid. We could all access up to the quota. Lots of research and Australian and New Zealand records are free to use and search especially war records and newspapers. Knowledge of this improved our chances of finding all that we needed.

Our inboxes were always dinging with correspondence. After all we were operating in at least 4 time zones. Files and comments were flying everywhere. We needed a system of organisation and storage.

Template for storage of files for each person on Dropbox

We used a cloud system called Dropbox to collate all our files. Everyone can access the team content through a single site. After an email had been circulated to all members with new information or files correspondence was summarised and files sorted in a systematic way on Dropbox.

We developed a standardised format for collecting and filed it on the Dropbox account based on this template. Occasionally we had to cull because of storage limitations, but it was okay because we had usually saved it to our own personal computers also.   Files and photos all in one easily accessible space – easily saved to our own systems too. Soon it was filled with the fruits of our research.

We were systematic in collating our research -Claude Asquith Captivity and photos

Similarly, on your own Personal computer be systematic with naming the files and storing them. A major folder called for example POW Project is ideal. Separate folders within this folder for each man eg Mark Strelley Fryar or possible general topics such as camp life. Separate out the other information into subfiles for each person eg Mark Strelley Fryar photos, war records, capture,  Red Cross records, repatriation.

One of our team was a wonderful “spreadsheeter”. Soon we had information about all the POWs coming in an out of prisons, the length of their stays, matching record numbers and photos in colour-coded spreadsheets.

An original spreadsheet of the escapees

An historian had already started off some Family trees for the men and I used my Ancestry account for tracing all the POW families of men in the escape sharing the links so others could access, add, and refer to information at will. We populated it with genealogical information, photos and records. As the number of stories expanded so too did the number of people being researched. It was all so interesting. My tree had all the men in one single tree but as several disconnected family groups. The tree was named after the Schweidnitz POW Camp.  Contact information was included to catch anyone who stumbled upon our main men. Hopefully they would have their interest peeked and they would make contact. A bonus is the Ancestry “tree hints” which attract others to us and provide information to us through their algorithms.

Murphy's family details on a tree up loaded to Ancestry to share

 Naturally, being during Covid, we were unable to face-to-face to communicate (I could easily have jumped on a plane and visited in a different time). We became experts at Messenger video chats and found that we could have very productive meetings and gatherings if we chose 7.00 am Australian time to converse.  In that time frame business was discussed with either a nighttime aperitif in England, a red wine in Canada or a breakfast or morning coffee in Australia and New Zealand. It was great to chat and touch base with one another individually or in a group from time to time, especially at Christmas. 

A 4 timezone catch up with and without alcoholic beverages!

 

Besides sharing via the Ancestry tree, I wanted to share our stories.

Schweidnitz  POW Camp Escapes and Escapades https://schweidnitzpowcampwwi.blogspot.com

We used the blog to get out our research story into a wider open public arena.  The Blog would end up being used to capture other researchers or interested relatives who would stumble to cross it after a websearch on a particular person or a search for Schweidnitz POW Camp. We wrote a series of short stories on the various characters involved in the escape plus some of the other people of interest which popped up during discoveries such as the Queen Mother’s brother and a fellow who later became a Catholic priest after the war. We rounded it off with camp stories, information about life in the camp and their eventual repatriation. We invited guest writers to contribute their stories.

The blog is a means of directing people to our incredible story, and to capture their stories. People can contact us once they have found us.  Interestingly, a Polish historical page found us and we are now working collaboratively with them via their Polish blog site. 

The Polish Schweidnitz History portal

A word of warning here – for all its benefits be cautious of what you want to reveal. Do not give everything away in a blog if you are considering writing a book, a huge report or screenplay. 

One of the team developed timelines for our research “chapters” and in view of our accumulated information makes it easier to gather up referenced information when or if the book finally comes along. Colour coded charts and a spreadsheet is also a great data sorter for this task.

I thoroughly recommend a collaborative project. These men couldn’t have planned such a massive escape if they didn’t join forces, cooperate, help others. Likewise, like our ancestors we colluded and joined forces- how proud they’d be.

 

Below is a summary of tips for collaboration.

• Develop resources on shareable ancestry trees such as Ancestry or Wikitree
• Organise a cloud share service for files such as Dropbox. Make sure to standardise and sort files using easy to understand file titles/names. These are particularly useful when files are large.
• Develop protocols for emails so that information is easily shared, followed up and retained.
• Beware of email overload- develop a system of updates occasionally for those who may not want to be flooded with every bit of data.
• Think of using blogs or Facebook groups to pass on information to others.  eg We have a Strelley Family Facebook page and the blog for people to receive updates. People can access new information at will or introduce new interested parties to the current information. Blog links and stories are easy to share.
• Instagram, X , Messenger are other options to explore.
• Catalogue information into stories. My kids like 1 page summaries – little bites keep their interest.

Some of the photos collected - from the Nobbs Collection

What are we going to do next?? 

With the world coming back to normal our project has slowed as we make up for lost travel. I'll keep the blog going with updates like this. Some researchers and contributors have been able to write about their relatives and interests and we are always open to more finds and information. This is a space to celebrate them.

One member is engaging a ghost writer to incorporate her grandparent's part of the story into a larger family history of war, immigration and farming history. 

Another is planning a book on the topic between trips. Who knows- I think it could be a good documentary or film.

The search is always open for more information and memorabilia. We'd love to place a War Memorial in the location of the POW camp but negotiating that between 4 governments is probably easier said than done. Poland in Spring in 2028 might be nice!

I recently had a copy of the blog series made into a book. It is added to my collection of stories from my other blog- something I'm really proud of. Any suggestions ?  Contact us

Repatriation from Internment in Holland

 

Repatriation from Dutch Internment camps (Repatriation Part 3)

 

A Remembrance Day Rose outside my study window

Between January and April 1918 some 2000 - 3000 men were transferred “on parole” from German POW camps to internment in Holland. This means most of them were captured in 1914 to 15 and after two years it was considered that these men were suffering from ‘barbed wire disease’ and therefore eligible for internment in a neutral country. “On parole” means  Prisoners of war who are paroled or who have given their promise in conformity with the laws and regulations so notified, are bound on their personal honour and good behaviour.

Many of the men at Schweidnitz and Holzminden became eligible during 1918. For the  German Army, prisoners’ continued internment was in breach of the Hague Convention. As tempting as this may have sounded some men refuse to put their name forward for the prisoner exchange. Internment in Holland only meant they were sent to a neutral country- they did not get to go home and were to sit it out until the end of the war. Besides this meant that they did not get to attempt escape.

They did not get to return to fight another day or fly in RFC planes and sorties. Many of the POWs were intent on refusing prisoner exchange with a view to escaping so that they could return to their unit!

W hile still technically incarcerated ex-prisoners of war at the Dutch camps experienced better living conditions and improved freedom. From our group of Schweidnitz escapees it appears the following went to Holland under the prisoner exchange program. 

POW                                      Capture date                               Internment date             Repatriation                           

Claude Asquith                 7 Nov1916                                          13 June 1918                      22 Nov 1918

 

Reginald Burrow               8 Aug 1916                                        12th Oct 1918                    22 Nov 1918

 

Henry Kramm Bush          30 July 1916                                       15 June 1916                     22 Nov 1918

 

Mark Strelley Fryar          1 July 1916                                         7 Oct1918                           22 Nov 1918

 

William B Moorehead    8 Aug 1916                                          12 Oct 1918                        22 Nov 1918

 

Ernest Michael Murphy 8 Aug 1916                                          12 Oct 1918                        21 Jan 1919

 

Alexander Patton           21 July  1916                                       3 June 1918                        22 Nov 1918

In the case of some of our men, they have been delayed from going to Holland while awaiting their Court Marshall for their part in the Schweidnitz tunnel escape. Fryar believed that this delay in conducting the Court Marshall delayed his and other’s transfer to Holland and it was in breach of the Hague Convention Agreement. 

Mark Strelley Fryar takes action

He told the Commandant of Holzminden just that by way of requesting he forward a letter to the Dutch Ambassador who would then forward it to the British government. Eventually Mark Strelley Fryar arrived in internment camp on 7 October 1918.  

Complaint to the Hague 

 

 

They were to remain at Internment Camp in neutral Holland until Armistice was reached.  Upon repatriation they  may have been split up on two different ships but is known that they arrived in Hull on the 20th Nov on the SS Porto and Murphy arrived home one month later.

Part of Confidential Repatriation List

 
Remembering  the Armistice 11/11/1918

A Field of Crocheted Poppies  Canberra  (S Reid)