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)