"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 Madill 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 108 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

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