"My relative mentioned he was in Schweidnitz POW camp during WWI………."

 

You might have landed on this blog page because you know your relative was at Schweidnitz POW camp at some stage in World War I and you’ve done a google search. One of our team, Ruve, has been a gem at collating names of prisoners who were interned at Schweidnitz POW camp at sometime while they were prisoners of war. There are hundreds.

We started with the 24 names and one thing led to another. Stories were explored, people were found. The spreadsheet is impressive and still a work in progress (Sorry the only way to access it is by requesting it by email using the contact form at the bottom of this page.)

This shows the movements of one prisoner through camps- he was multiple escapee Jocelyn Hardy

 She has collected names from every reference we have come across

•          International Red Cross records,
•          The National Archive accounts of POWs
•          Articles
•          The Liddle collection
•         Websites/ forums
•          books
•          memoirs
•          photo collections

 As you can imagine prisoners of war came from all theatres of war in Europe and were transported to POW camps all over Germany for many reasons. They were moved on as the war progressed. The Germans often needed more places to accommodate the prisoners as number rapidly increased.

There were many reasons they may have been moved on from camp to camp. This of course could’ve been because they were first housed at a processing camp such as Karlsruhe or a new camp was built such as Schweidnitz. The size and capacity of the camp and the ability to adequately feed and house prisoners was of utmost importance. Escape attempts often meant prisoners were moved on.

 Sometimes prisoners were multiple escapees and the distance from border was a way to limit the ability to escape for serial offenders.  Schweidnitz which was a new camp from early December 1917 could house up to 600 officers at any one time. It took its last batch of prisoners in October 1918.

Our own 24 came from different camps at different times. Some would have met in camp after their capture, others would have travelled in trains or on foot together, building friendships, swapping stories, hatching escapes.

Prisoners came and went often via other German camps. We have found prisoners transferring to Schweidnitz from:

•         Holzminden
•        New Brandenburg
•         Landshut
•         Dobein and Freiburgh
•         Eutin
•        Sennelager
•        Munster II
•        Brandenburg
•        Castrian and Zorndorf
•       Trier
•        Closthal
•        Kauenburg
•        Rastatt
•        Karlsruhe
•        Stendel
•        Grandenz
•        Heidelberg

Ruve’s list also captures other known escapees from Schweidnitz. Men usually desperate to get out and recommence their war effort- some successful and others not.

 

So how do you trace the movements of men from Capture to repatriation?

The Red Cross records have been digitised and housed at the following site.  https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/ They are online and free and among their 5 million records includes British and Commonwealth military personnel and civilians who were captured during the War.  The Germans provided lists of those captured to the International Red Cross  to facilitate communication, food parcels and letters home. There are 13 country groups including British and Commonwealth. An index card should exist for each prisoner of war.  

 

To search for POWs and build your relatives story.

1.Search for the person in the archives. Choose the nationality e.g. British and Commonwealth forces which includes Australia and New Zealand and Military or Civilian. Click on the validate button.

Start your search with a name, Country and choose Military or Civilian

Click Validate

2.      Click on surname in the left hand box or look down for the Army unit or suitable defense category. Scroll through the list until you find your man.

 

Index card for Fryar- note incorreect spelling

3.       When you do hover your mouse at the bottom of the relevant record.

This will bring up all the index cards and PA numbers

4.       Small index cards will come up. This reveals PA numbers. They also contain comments written at the time by Red Cross volunteers about prisoner contact addresses, DOB, capture date and place etc. Add in a PA reference number and search.

5.       There will also be one or more number  E.g. PA1454 type this into the right hand box and the transfer papers and fellow transferees  will be shown on German lists. Camp details and the transfer papers to the particular POW camp will show up this give you enough information to follow transfer through the various camps, the date of capture, date of birth are always included and the unit.  

Fryar is transferred to Schweidnitz with Jocelyn Hardy

6.       You may need to do this with several PA or R numbers displayed under the original record.  

 

Confidential Repatriation list for Fryar using the R number in the record above

Searching using the various PA numbers is a great way to trace your family member’s story through the prisoner of war camps. Occasionally you need to be a little creative or lenient with the spelling or variance of your relative’s name to find the correct record. As you can see from the screen shots above Fryar has been misspelled.  Sometimes there are multiple records also so explore all.

Happy exploring……. Let us know what you find.

 

 

 

 

Six Degrees of Separation - Michael Claude Hamilton Bowes Lyon meets Charles Henry "Harry" Ffrench Nobbs

Unlikely friendships developed whilst in Schweidnitz. One such friendship was with Michael Claude Hamilton Bowes Lyon. Our 24 escapees years later would have said “I knew that guy.” Captain Michael Claude Hamilton Bowes Lyon also known as Mike to his family served with the Royal Scots in World War I. He gained the rank of Captain of the 3rd Battalion Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment). 

Michael Claude Hamilton Bowes-Lyon from Nobbs Collection  (Permission Chris Nobbs)

 

He was also Queen Elizabeth ‘s uncle, him being Elizabeth senior’s brother. Elizabeth Bowes Lyon married the future King of England George VI in 1923. She of course was the mother of our current Queen. Six degrees of separation! 

On third of May 1917 or 20/9/1918 his parents the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne received a telegram from the war office to say their son was missing in France. Micheal had been leading the troops and was involved in a counter-attack at Roeux near Arras. After having first been taken to a POW camp at Karlsruhe and then moved to Strὅhen from May to August 1917 he passed through Augustabad (Neu Brandenburg) from September to December 1917. 

 

                                    Micheal's Red Cross Record - transfer to Schweidnitz

From there the Red Cross records show him arriving at Schweidnitz POW camp from December 1917 where he stayed until November 1918. Interestingly they knew he was alive when he drew a cheque on the Cox’s Bank. 

A partial letter in a Glamis Castle Facebook Post in 2018 sees them commemorating 100 years since he wrote this letter to his mother at Glamis Castle in 1918. The archivist at Glamis, Ingrid Thomson answered our query about his time in Schweidnitz POW camp. Her timeline of him being there until November 1918 coincided with our lot arriving around the same time until their escape from Schweidnitz on 19 March 1918. 

 The crux is – our people were mixing with the top echelon of British society. 

 Interestingly, Michael wrote to his mother only 4 days after the escape of our 24 men. Alas, with censorship he could not tell her of our guys’ remarkable effort of escaping through a tunnel excavated with spoons and metal cups. We do know he was offered a prisoner exchange. Ingrid tells us he states in a letter to his mother from Schweidnitz, dated 24 April 1918: “I was offered an exchange to Holland the other day for another German Officer in England but I did not take it as I’ve only done a year & there are many others who have done nearly two still in the country.” …… I sneakily suspect this man who had Earls as relatives was secretly enjoying the company of his newfound friends. Read on…. 

Michael, in his letter dated Schweidnitz July 26 1918 tells his mother about “learning miniature baseball from American or rather the Canadians in the camp.” He was lamenting missing the cricket news and anticipating the grouse shoot his friends and family would be involved with. He said “it is really quite an amusing game but the most important part of it is the booing and cheering. The man who has the longest string of epithets and adjectives to hurl at his opponents is very good and the great thing is to laugh and jeer at them all until they get thoroughly angry and put off their game.” “I am learning American (sic) slang for that purpose now.” 

 

Michael's letter home from the Glamis Castle Facebook Page

 Well Mr Bowes Lyon, we Australians call it ‘sledging’ and perhaps you were also getting your accents mixed up . The practice is possibly as old as cricket itself. Witty banter between players is quite common. ‘Chaffing’ as it is called in England is part of this controversial gamesmanship. Anyhow, this little bit of exchange gives us a rare glimpse at life in the camp- the camaraderie built and friendships made. Others have mentioned the friendships made while watching and playing the baseball games.

 

Schweidnitz Camp Baseball Game courtesy Richard Townsley

The archivist tells us food and cigarettes featured in Michael’s war diaries and letters home and we know that the Red Cross was instrumental in ensuring the delivery of boxes of goodies requested by the POWs from their families. I don’t have a definitive answer (from Archived Red Cross records) but several references including the Imperial War Museum site have him also serving time at Holzminden which is of course the POW camp our lot spent the rest of their captivity in after their escape and recapture. 

Her Majesty’s uncle met up with a young Aussie called Charles Henry Ffrench "Harry" Nobbs and also known as Nobby. Harry was not part of the escape but he was an affable chap who kept a magnificent archive of camp photos. In normal times it was an extremely unlikely friendship considering the isolation of Norfolk Island in the Pacific 1600km from Sydney. However Harry and Mike were extremely close friends during their captivity. 

Charles Henry Ffrench Nobbs was born on 18 June 1895 at Norfolk Island. He was a descendent of the Christian family from mutiny on the Bounty fame. After completing his education in the Kings School near Parramatta in 1911 “Bishop” or “Bish” as he was known worked for a couple of years as a clerk. Harry Nobbs, enlisted in Sydney in the 6th Australian Light Horse, Australian Army at the commencement of the war. 

Charles Henry Ffrench Nobbs

He served in Egypt, then Gallipoli Later the young Aussie, transferred from the AIF to the Royal Flying Corps as part of the first intake of the Australians. After training he was commissioned 2nd Lt as a pilot in the 66 Squadron flying Sopworth Pups in sorties against the Germans during the 3rd Battle of Ypres. Less than 2 months later he was reported missing over enemy lines. The website http://www.niwarmemorial.nlk.nf/SalutingtheirService/Nobbs_Charles_Henry_Ffrench.html has an account of Harry’s capture. 

"Sent out in bad weather to bomb and strafe aerodrome (north of Courtrai). Failed to locate aerodrome on account of weather. Proceeded to return to lines, encountered and engaged enemy aircraft which went down through clouds after my first burst. Later encountered 5 enemy aircraft over lines but evaded them by diving into clouds. Continued under clouds towards lines then observed several Battalions of German Infantry on the march and in column formation near the road so dived to attack with machine gun fire. Much confusion and many casualties observed (Subsequently confirmed from German sources). Finally brought down by fire from ground during third dive. Not wounded. Unable to destroy machine as crashed among German soldiers who very nearly lynched me but managed to delay matters by feigning to be wounded till arrival of German Officer who escorted me at a run for 2 or 3 miles followed by a great crowd of shouting German soldiers from whom all semblance of order or discipline had apparently disappeared" 

Nobbs ended up in Schweidnitz. His POW records seem to be missing but his family has a letter also putting him in Holzminden as well as Schweidnitz. This Norfolk Islander, “Nobby”as he was nicknamed was also friendly with our lot. Interestingly overlapping photos featuring our escaping 24 turned up in two different sets of photos- one from Nobbs’ relatives from UK and the others from Fulton’s relatives from Australia. 

Interestingly Nobbs was next in line to escape via the tunnel when it collapsed. Hence in the photo he has started growing some facial hair like the other men to help disguise themselves after the escape.

Hill, Avey, Howes and Nobbs  Courtesy of Margaret Clark  Fulton's Collection 

By November came the end of the War. Michael, Nobbs and the mix of prisoners from Canada, England and Australia were repatriated from the POW camp after the Armistice in 1918. 

 For the Aussies, demobilisation was steadily (and slowly) taking place. Since many of the the Australian and New Zealanders had resigned the Infantry and were attached to the Royal Flying Corps they had a different pathway home than the Infantry Forces. After returning to air force bases in England there was little to do and leave was granted. Free rail passes were granted while they waited for the opportunity for passage home. So, in the months to come, time was available to visit friends and relatives while exploring the United Kingdom. 

Invites were plenty. After his release Harry Nobbs spend some time visiting Glamis Castle in Scotland with his friend Michael. What an experience for this island Aussie far from home spending time in a Scottish Castle in the winter snow and ice. Jacqueline Cook in her book “the Real Great Escape” places Harry and Michael in Holzminden for a time. She describes the visit to the Bowes Lyon home where Elizabeth Bowes Lyon refers to Harry’s Norfolk Island home as Nobby’s Island. 

Later Michael married Elizabeth Margaret Cator on 2 February 1928 in a high society wedding followed by a tour of the continent. Together they had four children. His post war life was taken up with farming. He died 1 May 1953 in The Gastlings, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England of asthma and heart failure after suffering ill health from his imprisonment and as a result of being gassed in the trenches. 

Interesting fact: Bowes Lyon was once considered for the position of NSW Governor. Little was known of him at the time and the NSW Government considered the position should be offered to an Australian born person. So, the Queen Mother's favourite and elder brother was passed over.

Harry was repatriated home to Australia and then to Norfolk Island. Post war he spent time in New Guinea before heading off to England to live and work. He married Audry Copperthwaite on 20 March 1930 at Malton, Yorkshire, England and had two children Christopher Kenyon Ffrench Nobbs (Born 1936) and Gillian Ffrench Nobbs (b1937). 

Due to ill health he was unable to enlist for WWII but in the end contented himself to serve in No.7 British North Riding Home Guard from 1940 to 1944 where he was promoted to Captain. He died on 7 January 1946 at age 50 at Amotherby, Yorkshire, England. 

                                            Charles Henry Ffrench Nobbs - origin unknown
 

The Kings School Magazine in May 1946 reproduced Harry’s obituary from the British Trade Journal as follows - 

“Charles Henry Ffrench Nobbs 

His many friends in the bottling industry will learn with profound regret of the untimely passing of Mr C H Ff Nobbs - Nobby to his family - who passed away in the early hours of January 7th. The bottling industry is well known for the good fellowship which exists among those whom it is the ‘daily work and common task’ Nevertheless, Nobby was an outstanding character, because of his ability to make not merely business acquaintances but real friends. Indeed if one were asked to account for his undoubted success in life, it may lay in the very fact that his mission was to be a pal amongst pals. Born on Norfolk Island in 1896 he was educated at Kings School, Parramatta, NSW. A true son of the Empire, he joined the Australian Light Horse and at the outbreak of the 1914 war was in the Middle east subsequently transferring to the Royal Flying Corps. Shot down in operations he was for eighteen months a prisoner of war in Germany, an experience which doubtless contributed to his ill health which dogged him during the latter part of his life. After making and to quote him “losing a pile” in New Guinea, he settled in England and in 1930 married Miss Audrey Copperthwaite, whose family is connected with Messrs. Russells, the well known Malton brewers. When the second World War began he made tremendous efforts to re-join the RAF and much resented on being turned down on medical grounds. Nobby, hated to use his own words, ‘being not wanted’, but this illusion was quickly dispelled when Mr Anthony Eden’s call to arms came and he was well to the fore in organising the L D V, afterwards of course the Home Guard in which he held the rank of Major in command of A Company, 7th North Riding Battalion for three years. He was a member of the Camulodunum Masonic Lodge, Malton and his interest in local affairs culminated in his appointment as Chairman of the Amortherby Parish Council in 1944 which office he occupied until his decease. He was also President of the Amortherby Cricket Club and was an enthusiastic player until it became necessary for him to curtail this activity due to health reasons.”  

One of the family treasures is the Letter from the Royals about the friendship of Harry and Michael. 

 

                                    Letter from Balmoral Castle  courtesy Christopher Nobbs

So in summary Our 24 relatives  and Nobbs knew Michael Bowes- Lyon who knew Queen Mother who knew Queen Elizabeth II -6 degrees!!

                                                                Published on ANZAC DAY 2021

                                                                    LEST WE FORGET
                                                                WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

Another Escape Remembered -ANZAC DAY 2021

 

With Anzac Day 2021 approaching, I write about another not so famous escape by some not so famous Aussies but still heroic in their own right. My interest in this began with a report to officials by Captain Mark Strelley Fryar of England who had escaped many times and most recently was one of the 24 who escaped on 19th March 1918 from Schweidnitz POW camp. He was recaptured and for his part in this escape, Fryar received a transfer to Holzminden POW camp, solitary confinement and a court-martial hearing. Here he met Couston and Fenton.

Part of the military code was that you were expected to escape whether English, NZ, Aussie or Canadian. 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. 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.

Lt Alec Couston

Coustan  b 19 June 1893 Launceston, Tasmania had started his work with experience as a telephone mechanic and had enlisted in Adelaide in September 1914. He began his war experience at Gallipoli on 27 May 1915 and joined the AFC on 5 May 1917 after asking for a course of instruction in aviation. He became a Lieutenant on 15 August 1917 was reported to be missing in action on 22 February 1918 and reported to be in German hands. 

Red Cross request for bread

He ended up in Holzminden Pow camp. His escape partner was Cyril Boyd Fenton, a young bank clerk from Terang, Ballarat Victoria. Born in 1897 Fenton had started in the AIF and then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in September 1916 Fenton had met with a serious accident involving a fall of 100 feet and remained in hospital for seven months. One message sent to those at home was “Cyril Conscious Recovery Probable”. He resumed duty in March 1918 but only 12 days into March he was a prisoner of war- a guest of the Germans. 

 

Cyril Boyd Fenton Flying Accident

The men were buoyed by the escape of the 29 from Holzminden on 24 July 1918 and planned their escape. In the attempted escape by Fenton and Coustan on 30 September 1918 Coustan was shot and wounded without challenge. For his trouble Coustan received a bullet wound that had its entrance through the lower lip and exit right of the mandible which fractured his jaw and eventually required splinting. His second injury was a flesh wound to the arm.

The escape attempt was described in this article in the Herald, Melbourne 18/12/1918.

Report of the Holzminden shooting - Melbourne Herald 18/12/1918

 

Fryar and others were appalled at this cruel deed. The Commandant of the Camp, Commandant Niemeyer was reported to be very vindictive to the soldiers.  

The senior British Office Commander Bingham VC was denied avenues of communication to the German War Office and to representatives in Neutral Holland.  Captain Fryar put in his own report on the shooting on 11^th October. 

Fryar's report on the shooting 11/10/1918

 

Lt Eric Fulton also wrote about the attempt in his memoir several years later.

“About this time a man concealed himself, toward evening under the parcels room intending at night to cut a way through the wires of the ‘verboten zone’ and get away. He got through the first barrier and was engaged upon the outer one when a guard who had been bribed to let him through shot him point blank in the face.  He was a mess. Months later he returned with a wired-up jaw and a remodelled face. Nice man that guard. I sometimes wonder just how a man like that sees himself.”

The men were repatriated back to Australia after Armistice.  Couston arrived in Australia on 13/5/1919 and was terminated due to medical unfitness in May 1920. He was mentioned in dispatches on 16 December 1919 for various services whilst in captivity and noted accordingly in the official records of the Air Ministry. He married Gertrude Evelyn Nichols on 25 July 1920 in Sydney and had one child Herbert Wallace Couston 1923-1997. Couston returned to assist in the World War II effort. He died on the 13th of April 1968 in Pasadena, Mitcham City, South Australia.

 

Unfortunately for Fenton, life back in Australia was short. Little is known about him. He died on 21 January 1922 age 22. 

 

 

LEST WE FORGET     

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM     

ANZAC DAY 2021