There were some 20 depositions transmited from Berlin as evidence of the poor conditions then prevailing at Knockaloe in late 1915. The German originals were included in the file as well as the slightly abridged English translations transcribed here.
The depositions make the same points - poor housing, poor sanitation and insufficient provision. Knockaloe had been expanded from its initially planned 5,000 to around 23,000 very quickly - internees were moved as soon as, sometimes even before, the sleeping huts were ready; all other support blocks, eg the latrines and washrooms were minimal causing significant number of complaints. The wooden huts very soon showed their problems in their first wet and windy Manx winter.
This deluge of complaints provoked London to enquire more deeply into conditions - several visits of inspection were made, but probably a key change was the replacement of the Commandant by an experienced ex-colonial civil administrator in Col Panzera - he had briefly been appointed Commandant at Libury Hall before being transferred to Knockaloe following the removal of Lieut-Col Carpendale.
These depositions were made at Goch as the internees repatriated via Rotterdam and entered Germany - these internees had generally been transferred to the rapidly expanding Knockaloe in mid to late Summer 1915 from Stratford and were among the first batches of internees to be repatriated, often on the basis of ill-health. The depostions were taken at several dates over a month from the second week of December 1915 and all take the same formal style - probably around 10% of those who transited during this period
Present:- RHEINDORP, as Judge and SPTULZINGER, as Secretary. Goch, 11th December, 1915.
The American Dentist, Lothar Fuhrmann, appears, and after being sworn deposes as follows:-
My name is Lothar Fuhrmann, bachelor, American dentist. At Knockaloe we slept in wooden huts in cold and damp. On the planks there was a green mould; there was no heat. The straw mattresses were damp; they lay directly on the damp floor. 14, days ago two small stoves were set up in 6 rooms for 30 men apiece. The rain came through the door as soon as the wind was that way.
Washing conditions were wretched. For a thousand people there were four taps; one man had always to turn the tap on while another man washed.
We looked after the preparation of our food ourselves. Attempts were made to give us bad meat; our cooks always refused it, and we then got eatable meat instead.
In the next division [?compound?] to us there was often no substitute supplied. We often got nothing because we were told the steamer from Liverpool had not arrived. ...
Lothar Fuhrman can be found as PoWIB # 7032 in list D-3-207 aged 30 born Grotenburg, no local address is given - these early lists did not include the place of internment, however it indicates he was interned quite early in the war; like most of those whose depositions are included here he is noted in D-65-9 as repatriated from Stratford on the 8th December 1915. There is no indication of ill health and it is unclear why he was repatriated. The 'American' reflects the type of dentistry.
The comment about bad meat is found in other accounts - it would appear that little or no food for the internees was sourced on Island, probably for fear of upsetting the local economy. The initial meat supply for the camps was frozen meat imported from Argentina and sourced it would seem from Liverpool. As the U-boat attacks on shipping increased the meat ration was decreased with preserved fish increasingly provided.
ROYAL COURT. Present:- Assistant Judge BREUER, as Judge and Registrar HUFENSTUHL, as Clerk.
Goch, 13th December, 1915.
The Teacher of Languages, Josef Gossen, appears, and after being sworn deposes as follows:-
My name is Josef Gossen, bachelor, Teacher of Languages I was in Knockaloe Camp 4, Compound 1, from the 9th October to the 6th December, 1915. We were housed in wooden huts. The walls were not water-proof; they let the rain through so that when it rained the inner walls were constantly damp. Until my release I slept in an unheated room, and consequently suffered very much from the cold. My right foot was like ice and remained cold even after being massaged for half an hour. We slept on straw mattresses. We had brought our own beds; others had to sleep on the floor. Later they got wooden stands. The straw was damp; we had to dry it in the sun. About a fortnight ago there came about 200 seamen prisoners into our Compound. These men received straw mattresses which were so damp that on the next morning the place where they lay was clearly marked on the floor.
Every man had three blankets. Once the rain came through the leaky door and the walls so much that you could scoop up the water on the floor. The prisoners had to move their straw mattresses and put them on dry places.
As to the latrines, there were about 50 badly covered pails with a pole[?plank]. The rain beat from the sides and above. In the last three weeks these conditions were considerably improved.
We washed in the open air; there were 6 taps there, two of which were always stopped up. They were not covered in. Washing materials were not served out. We had brought them from Handforth, but we had bought them ourselves.
The food was very bad. We therefore made a complaint by our representative to the Commandant. The Commandant answered him word for word "We have nothing else to do but to keep you just alive; everything else is a privilege."
The destitute prisoners especially suffered because they did not get any underclothes or shoes distributed. They had urgent need of these to protect themselves against the cold.
Read over, approved and signed.
(Sgd) Josef Gossen.
(Sgd) BREUER. (Sgd) HUFENSTUEL.
Royal Court Goch, 11th December 1915 Present; Assistant Judge Breuer as Judge Court Secretary Huefenstuhl as Clerk to Court
Machine-Smith Fritz Gralow appears and after being sworn reports as follows:
My name is Fritz Gralow, I am unmarried and a machine-smith by trade.
From the 9th August till the end of September I was in Stratford. There were 800 to 900 of us in an old factory. The roof was not weatherproof, so that it rained direct into the beds through the crevices. There was steam-heating but still it was always very cold, as the cold penetrated through the glass roof &c.
The victualling was very bad. the food was badly cooked, and the quantity per man was far too small to satisfy an ordinary man. The bread was unpalatable &c.
My sufferings increased at Stratford by reason of the cold and the foul air. I was twice brought to London to be examined at the German Hospital. At Stratford I was not taken to the Hospital although I requested the Doctor to send me. He gave me pills as aperients
The Doctor attended the Camp at about 12 o'clock midday and stayed about 10 minutes. He scarcely troubled himself about the sick.
At the end of September I went to Knockaloe and stayed there till 6th December 1915. I was almost the whole time in the Hospital. I had a bed with a straw sack and 5 blankets. The victualling was good. There were 2 Doctors. The Doctor who treated me did not understand my case at all well. There were a few Germans in the Hospital as dispensers. These saw the patients received the necessary medicine. There were no facilities for baths in the hospital. The latrines were not ready so that we had to use pails. One prisoner died after having been in the Hospital three days. He was suffering from kidney and heart complaints and could not stand the strong air. He frequently asked for soda-water but could not receive it. Those afflicted mentally and those suffering from abdominal complaints, who could not control the bowel motion, lay with us in the wards, for this reason there was generally a very foul atmosphere during the night, and we were unable to ventilate. The next morning we generally washed and attended to these patient: ourselves.
Read, agreed to and signed
(signed) Fritz Gralow(signed) Breuer (signed) Huefenstuhl.
Fritz Karl Gustav Gralow is found as PoWIB #26769 initially registered in list D-23-10 as interned at Ryde (no age is given in this list) and gives a home address of 6 Schwedenstr Berlin - noted in D-65-10 as repatriated from Stratford on the 8th December 1915; I cannot find any record of his entry into the hospital at Knockaloe, nor any record giving his Knockaloe camp number, others held at Ryde with close PoWIB numbers can mostly be found around Knockaloe camp number 20050..
Royal Court Goch 12th December 1915 Present: Assistant Judge Biesemann as Judge B.H.L. Geraths as Clerk to Court
Peter Gruenewald, Master Baker, appears and reports
My name is Peter Gruenewald, I am Master Baker &c From the 23rd June till the 6th December 1915 I was at Knockaloe, Isle of Man
The accommodation was bad. It was composed of wooden barracks, which were rough and badly put together so that the rain and wind penetrated from every corner. Overhead in the centre were apertures through which the wind blew with force. It rained very much and then the water penetrated into the huts so that sometimes they were under water. Our clothing and beds became mouldy and were almost always damp. We were provided with stoves only at the beginning of November. For two huts two stoves were provided; each hut was 180 feet long and about 15 feet wide and accommodated 90 persons. The stoves were insufficient so that we suffered from the cold.
The latrines were dreadful. Wooden shanties were put up in which side by side without a dividing wall the pails stood, so that we had to sit down on them to relive ourselves. They were old mason's pails. After some time wooden posts were erected on which we could sit, and underneath stood the pails. Later on trenches were made under the posts into which the excreta fell. These trenches were cleaned daily by being flushed with water, this was sometimes done 2 or 3 times a day. In the warm weather the excreta caused a horrible stench. In the meantime wooden partitions were put up, so that we were divided from each other. In front the divisions were all open. Above the little houses were open in the centre so that the wind and rain penetrated and we and the posts got wet. It also happened that the excreta and water overflowed in the house. There were seats for 50 or 40 persons and there were 1000 persons to use them.
The washing arrangements were bad. By the side of the latrines there were bath- and washing-rooms in which were 2 water taps and from 4 to 8 spigots for 1000 men. There was not much water, the taps were partly plugged so that we had to fetch water. There were 5 pails for 45 men in which we had to wash. In these pails we had partly to wash our clothes. Later we had a small tub for every 30 men for washing and rinsing clothing.
The provisioning was insufficient and not good &c. Without extra food we should have starved.
There was no drinking water, at least it was so bad that nobody could drink it. All sorts of animals were swimming in it, it was dirty and even sea eels have been taken out of it. These we nailed on to the wall for the Commandant to see &c.
Read, agreed to and after being sworn signed (sd) Gruenewald
The above happened (sd) Geraths
Peter Grünewald is first noted in D-47-11 as interned at Knockaloe aged 48 from Dahlberg with local address of 372 Bethnal Green Rd Bethnal Green London N - it is likely that he was first interned at Stratford for a short period whilst a large party was being gathered for transfer to Knockaloe; His repatriation is noted in D-65-11 from Stratford on 8 December 1915 - same transfer date as Gralow - at this period these transfers would appear to be approximately every fortnight with a party of about 25 though subsequent parties were around 50.
The 'eels' in the water were never satisfactorily explained but it was commented that in one particularly dry period the water level in the Ballamoar reservoir which fed the camp had dropped very low and possibly some bottom dwelling creatures had got into the suuply - as the camp grew it was found necessay to lay further pipes from the main reservoir.
Present: Goch, 12th December, 1915 District Judge Rheindorff as Judge Judicial Candidate Stussinger as Clerk to Court
Theodor Haffner, Turner, of London appears and after being sworn deposes as follows:
My name is Theodor Haffner, I am a turner by trade, I am married and have 9 children.
The Camp at Knockaloe is a veritable graveyard for the German. I lived opposite the mortuary and have seen burials taking place almost every day. The climate is very damp. It rains continuously. The barracks are built on an open field, which afterwards began to sink. Through the irregular sinking of the ground chinks have been formed in the barracks, which are large enough for a cap to be thrown through. The rain and storm penetrate from all sides. Heating was not possible as there were no stoves. The floor was formed of thin boards, which had shrunk. The cracks were filled up by us with paper.
We lay on this floor on straw sacks and had at the beginning two and during the last time three blankets. As the dampness was insupportable, bed boards were supplied, but these had to be made by the prisoners.
The latrines were composed of pails with boards, which were surrounded by boards with spaces between. The rain and wind blew in badly.
The carting away of the dung was irregular, the whole place was dirty and was situated far from the camp.
The washing arrangements were in an open field. The [?fire] pails had be be used at night for latrines. The provisioning was insufficient so that we almost starved. The bread and potatoes were bad. At the beginning there was no meat at all. Once a week we received preserved fish &c
Read agreed to and signed (sd) Theodor Haffner
(sd) Rheindor? (sd) Stussinger.
(Abstract) Present: Assistant Judge Biesemann as Judge B.H.L. Geraths as Clerk to Court
Georg Josef Heilbrun,merchant, appears and deposes;
My name is Georg Josef Heilbrun, I am unmarried and a merchant &c.
I was at Stratford till the 28nd July. I was lodged there in an old machine room. It rained and stormed into the room; we lay on straw sacks and had 3 blankets. Under the straw sack there was a wooden plank bed &c. The provisioning was very faulty. In the morning there was bad tea, and worse bread, which was scarcely edible, and a small piece of margarine. The mid-day meal was sufficient and consisted of soup, meat and potatoes cooked together. At 5 o'clock we had tea, cheese or margarine.
Extra food was necessary &c.
Medical men were not in attendance, It is true a Doctor examined, but anyone that was ill had to apply to a Hospital Attendant.
There was no medicine supplied.
I was in the Isle of Man from the 23rd July till the 6th December 1915.
The accomodation was bad. There were wooden barracks, which were badly put together and the wind and rain penetrated from every side. It was very cold and draughty and it was impossible to get rid of the dampness. A stove was supposed to heat the barracks, but it was insufficient. The rain came through and the barracks were never quite dry. The barracks were 72 m. long and 5.5 m. wide. There were 90 men in every barrack, these were separated in 3 divisions of 30 men with tables for every ten men &c.
The washing arrangements were shocking. The washing room was 15 feet wide and 49 feet long. There were 5 shower baths for cold and warm water, but of these only one was in working order; there were also 5 taps but of these only one supplied water. In this room about 1000 men had to wash every morning from 6 to 9 o'clock. For every 90 persons there were 10 pails, which every man had to keep clean.
The provisioning was very faulty &c. We were allowed to procure extras, which was very necessary. The Canteen arrangements were very faulty and there was very little to purchase.
The drinking water supply was very bad. The water was purified by soda and was scarcely drinkable &c.
Read, agreed to and after being sworn signed (sd) Georg Heilbrun The above is correct (sd) Geraths
Heilbrun can be found with PoWIB #41703 in list D-48-21 as held at Knockaloe aged 49 with local address 5 Kensington Gardens Square, Bayswater London W; his repatriation via Stratford on 8th December 1915 is noted in D-65-11.
Royal Court Present: Assistant Judge Biesemann as Judge .B.H.B. Geraths as Clerk to Court
Karl Nagel, Merchant, appears and deposes as follows:
My name is Karl Nagel, I am a merchant and am married &c.
Isle of Man (Knockaloe) The accommodation was bad. We lay in wooden barracks, which were badly erected, so that the wind and rain came through on every side. The huts were double ones. In the central wall were open spaces through which the wind swept; these we filled up ourselves later on, as we were not able to bear the cold. The doors to the huts were on three sides, so thet it was very draughty, which greatly troubled us. When it rained, the rain always penetrated into the huts and often the huts were so full of water thet everything in it was swimming. Our clothes, washing and straw sacks were mouldy and nearly always damp. The stoves were only provided at the beginning of November, but they were so small that they did not heat the rooms. We suffered very much from cold. The foregoing refers to Camp 2 to which I afterwards went, at first I was in Camp 1 to which Camp the stoves were supplied earlier, but were also not sufficient. There 4 stoves which, however, did not give out necessary heat.
For the washing of clothes a drying-room was provided, which was not large enough. About 20 persons were able to dry their washing in it, the remainder had to dry their things in the sleeping rooms, otherwise we should heave had to wear our dirty linen &c.
The latrine arrangements were shocking, they were plank huts, open overhead, so that the rain came in and made us wet. The sitting arrangement was by means of a plank with pails underneath to receive the excreta, afterwards the latrines were divided into little cells, open in fromt. But here too the rain and damp penetrate It was most dangerous to one's health to remain there. The latrine accommodation was insufficient for 1000 men: there were only seats for 40 men.
The washing arrangements defy deseription. Next to the latrines was the washing and bathroom with 2 taps and 4 spigots, this was intended for 1000 men. In the morning we had to go from 200 to 400 paces to the bathroom. There every 45 men received 5 pails for washing. In these pails each one could wash himself in his own way, as well as this the clothes were washed out in these pails. The floor was made of cement and as there was no covering for it we were forced to stand bare cement and frequently caught colds.
Later on this was improved by providing wooden grids. The provisioning was insufficient.
In the drinking water we often found small sea eels. I never drank it as it was very dirty and all sorts of animals were to be seen in it.
The health conditions were very bad, most of the interned suffered from rheumatism, many also from abdominal complaints, and diseases of the bladder &c.
On the whole the Doctors troubled themselves very little about the people. They took things very easily.
Read, agreed to and after being sworn signed] (sd) Carl Nagel
Royal Court .Goch, 10th December 1915 Assistant Judge Breuer as Judge
Wilhelm Posko, Miner, appears and after being sworn reported as follows;
My name in Wilhelm Posko, I am a miner and am mrried. I have 2 children &c
From the 25rd September till 6th December 1915 I was at Knockaloe, Camp 4, Compound 6. We were accomodated in wooden barracks, which were not weatherproof, so that the rain penetrated. In the middle of November one stove for every 90 men was provided in the barracks. This was not sufficient and most of the prisoners froze.
We had no visits from the Authorities or the American Embassy in our Camp, The American Embassy always only visited Camp 1, which was a show camp and for that reason visitors were only taken there &c.
Read, agreed to and signed
(sd) Withelm Posko (sd) Huefenstuhl.
Royal Court Goch 12th December, 1915 Present: Assistant Judge Biesemann as Judge B.H.B. Geraths as Clerk to Court
Rudolf Remmele, late high school teacher appears and deposes
My name is Rudolf Remmele. I was formerly High School teacher at the Royal Conservatoire, Dresden.
From the 23rd July till 6th December 1915 I was on the Isle of Man, Knockaloe Camp 3, Compound 2, Hut 3a. The accommodation was faulty. We were housed in badly built wooden barracks which let the wind and rain through &c.
The hospital was also a wooden erection, the rain did not penetrate there, but it was draughty. In spite of complaints matters were not improved.
Read, agreed to and after being sworn, signed (sd) Rudolf Remmele
(sd) Biesemann (sd) Geraths
Rudolf Remmele is noted aged 54 in D-49-7 as interned at Knockaloe with local address Ruskin Manor Denmark Hill London S.E. ; his repatriation from Stratford on 8th December 1915 is noted in D-65-12; 'Ruskin Manor' is a later name for what was the family home of John Ruskin's parents and where he himself lived 1842-1871 - Ruskin has left a description of the house and his work room overlooking the rear garden, which house he sold in 1871 as he felt the railways ruined the view, it became a hotel in early 20th century and was demolished in 1949. The address suggests that Remmele might have been on holiday in London.
Royal Court Present: Goch 12th December, 1915 Assistant Judge Breuer as Judge Court Secretary Huefenstuhl as Clerk to Court
Wilhelm Ruehle, Goldsmith, appears and after being sworn deposes
My name is Wilhelm Ruehle, I am a goldsmith &c
I went to Knockaloe on the 23rd June 1915 and remained there till the 6th December 1915. I was 2 days in Camp 2, Compound 5 and the remainder of the time in Camp 2, Compound 3. For two years previous to my internment I have been in a Sanatorium as I was suffering from tuberculosis. As soon as I was interned in the Camp my trouble started again. I applied to the Camp Doctor who at once ordered me to be removed from Campound 5 to Compound 3. Here I was put into a tent provided for sick men. Besides me there was one other man in the tent, which was just large enough for us both. There was a a wooden floor to the tent and on it were straw sacks. During heavy rains the water came through the canvas and the dampness affected the wooden flooring, so that the straw sacks were always damp &c.
I remained in this tent till 25th August and was then transferred to the Isolation Hospital.
In the Hospital were different wards for tuberculous cases, mental cases and those suffering from sexual diseases. We lay on straw sacks which were placed on plank beds, which were good 50cm high. Besides my own 4 blankets I had 3 others. Our ward was not heated. One side of it was quite open and had a verandah. In wet weather the rain beat in and soaked the beds. The wards for mental cases and sexual cases were both heated. During the time I was in the tent I seldom went to the Doctor. The Doctor was abrupt. There was scarcely any medicine and it was said that all patients received practically the same medicine. Once I received codliver oil. In the tent we were not visited by the Doctor. In the Hospital he came through the ward every 2 or 3 days. He however, troubled himself very little about the patients, if they asked him for anything he growled at them. With regard to myself I managed on the food supplied in the Hospital, but it was taken as a whole not sufficient for a normal person. The other patients and especially those who for want of funds were not able to purchase extras, suffered hunger. &c.
Read, agreed to and signed (sa) Wilhelm Ruehle (sd) Breuer (sd) Huefenstuhl
Wilhelm Rühle is found as PoWIB 39630 in list D-46-4 as interned at Knockaloe aged 51, his address & next of kin as Sophie Ruhle Waiblingen; he is also noted in D-51-10 as being admitted to camp hospital adm on 25th August 1915 with Phthisis (TB) his repatriation from Stratford on 8th December 1915 in D-65-11.
TB was a major problem at this period before the invention of suitable antibiotics - close confinement in the huts would encourage the spread - at the time it was thought TB sufferers should be in the open air, hence the open side to the TB ward.
Royal Court Goch 15th January 1916 Present: Assistant Judge Breuer as Judge Court Secretary Huefenstuhl as Clerk to Court
Julius Scheele, seaman, appears and after being sworn deposes as follows:
My name is Julius Scheele. I was born on the 5th November 1899 in Burgdorf. I am unmarried and a seaman.
I went to Knockaloe, Camp 3, Compound 4 at the beginning of September and was there until the 11th January, 1916.
The accommodation was bearable during the summer but very bad for the winter. We were housed in wooden barracks, these were not weatherproof and wind and rain penetrated.
We slept on straw sacks, which recently had plank bed-steads under them. We had 3 blankets.
There was a washing room with 3 taps for 1000 men. Periodically there was a dearth of water.
The provisioning was bad. We formed a theatrical society and with the money gained in this way we purchased extra food.
In the morning we had tea, bread end some margarine, in the evening tea and at midday potatoes and tinned meat. The tinned meat was very bad and had a bad odour.
It was absolutely necessary to procure extra food. The drinking water was periodically very bad. Three Germans died through drinking it whereupon the supply was tested. The treatment was proper &c.
The American Embassy visited the Camp twice. Previous to their visit 2 stoves were quickly fixed in the hut, and the mould which had collected on the walls was removed.
Many prisoners suffered from rheumatism and colds. There were several Doctors, who however did not trouble themselves, about the patients.
As far as I know there were 8 or 9 deaths.
Read, agreed to and signed (sd) Julius Scheele (sd) Breuer (sd) Huefenstuhl
Julius Hans Eduard Louis Scheele is noted in list D-71-8 with Colonial PoWIB # 3871C as having been transferred from "WA.S" [West Africa Station] to the UK and released & repatriated from Stratford on 13th January 1916 [the date of the repatriation of some 50 from that camp]. His release was based on being younger than 17 - his Colonial reference number indicates that he was interned outside the UK and never left this internment (though transferred by naval vessel to UK) by entering a UK civil hospital etc.. He was possibly one of the many from the Cameroons removed in the first days of the war, possibly taken from one of the several Woermann line ships which served Doula, captured there - however it was unusual for the release of any ship's boys to be agreed to by the Admiralty..
Royal Court Present:Assistant Judge Breuer as Judge Court Secretary Huefenstahl as Clerk to Court . Goch 10th December 1915
Robert Schlaag, Head Master, appears and after being sworn deposes
My mame is Robert Schlaag, I am unmarried and am a Head Master
I was interned on the 16th June 1915 and was sent to Knockaloe via Stratford. I remained there from the 19th June till 6th December and belonged to Camp 2, Compound 3. I was in the hospital the whole time. The Hospital is a wooden building. The roof and walls are not weatherproof and the rain peretreted. Further the rain came in under the door, so that rags had to be stuffed into the chinks, and protectors placed in front of the door to keep out the water. The beds were clean. There was also sufficient heat. There was an average of 60 to 70 patients in the 3 wards. For these there were only 2 latrines, and water was laid on to these only 8 weeks ago. Before this there were pails with a plank. There were no baths.
The washing-room was an empty room 3m large [in orig 3 qm grosser leerer Raum ?3sq m]. Here the patients washed themselves in pails. The pails were not kept separate, even though many of the patients were suffering from contagious diseases. The patients had to fetch the water. There was only one tap outside the hospital in the open. Only those seriously ill were allowed to wash themselves in bed and these had the water brought to them. Those suffering from mental diseases and sexual diseases were treated in 2 special hospitals for the entire Camp. Those suffering from contagious diseases were not treated separately. The constructional condition of the Hospital, which subjected the patients to the changes in weather, had a very deleterious effect on them. In my opinion many patients died who might have been saved if they had been placed in proper rooms.
I myself was suffering from neuasthenia of the heart For Hospital No. 2 Doctor Stidt attended. When he was unable to attend his place was taken by a Military Doctor. Besides the patients in the Hospital he also had to treat the Camp patients. For this purpose his hours of attendance at the Hospital were mornings 9 to 11 o'clock. He also visited, when necessary, the Camp prisoners. There was a great shortage of medicines and medical apparatus. I have the impression that there were only 12 kinds of medicine and that all the patients received the same medicines in different strengths and variously mixed, &c.
Read, agreed to and signed (sd) Dr. Robert Schlaag (sd) Breuer (sd) Huefenstuhl.
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