WW1 Internment Camp at Knockaloe

[Siridharmagalliano]

How fabulous!
My address is:
Siri Galliano
10524 W.Pico Blvd. #218
Los Angeles, Ca 90064
USA

I hope to write a docudrama about the camp, it is really an untold story.
I have read about it from a german prisoner, two fiction books written
by Manx people, the Baily Quaker book, and the British documents,
which tell what and how much they ate, how the camps were run, etc.
Some people dies, some people killed, some went crazy, some became
enlightened. It is sad, but triumphant too.
Thank you, thank you, thank you,
SDG

[Frances_mnb]

I hope to write a docudrama about the camp, it is really an untold story.

SDG

There is quite a lot written - have you contacted Manx Museum - equiries@mnh.gov.im - also my website http://www.manxnotebook.com has a bit
The Museum has many hundreds of photos mostly of Knockaloe but also of Douglas - not all people identified however

[Siridharmagalliano]

Thank you, yes, I'm a year i nto this research. I need to go there as they
dont have the staff to duplicate anything so I am planning a visit in April.
Most records have been destroyed. I have contacted the Swiss Red Cross and
received oonfirmation from them, though, that was exciting.
Thank you, thank you.

I have read the British reports on the camp. Joe Pilates worked in the
camp hospital and the reports say they were very well equipped(how can that be) I am trying to find information on spring beds the camps had poor furnishings, but apparantly not the hospitals, which perhaps, since
located outside the barbed wire, were also used for returning injured Manx soldiers.

thank you, thank you, I've been alone in my quest and it is exciting to know other people.
Siri Galliano

[Frances_mnb]

the reports say they were very well equipped(how can that be)

simply (a) they used a holiday camp - look up Cunningham's camp; (b) the Island wasn't a backwater - it catered for around 600,000 holidaymakers withina short 10 week period

[Siridharmagalliano]

Joe Pilates was at Knockaloe, the worst of the camps.
They said he developed his method of fitness from working with
patients in the hospital, taking the springs from the bed and having
them do exercises. I find it hard to believe there were springs in beds
or cots. The British documents say most of the patients were in the
hospital for venereal disease or TB.  The German prisoner who wrote
an autobiography about his time at Knockaloe says the prisoners organized
the camp activities, so I can surmise Joe Pilates either led the exercises
for the men in the morning or was part of the prisoner's police force.

it's amazing, he lived until he was 86, but never mentioned his time
in the camp, except to say he was there. Now I'm trying to find out
if his brother was also there. They were traveling and performing in
a circus in England when the war broke out and Joe Pilates was at
Lancaster the first year.

Good point about Cunningham, though, I've read all that, but maybe
the hospital in Douglas was well equipped.

[Frances_mnb]

Some 200 died in the 5 years of the camp - which housed probably some 20,000 on average over 4 years  - this doesn't seem to indicate poor treatment - in fact the hospital huts survived for some 50 years post end of WW1 - one was used as a Roman Catholic church - another as a the basis for holiday apartments in Peel - much of this avoidance of infection can be laid at the door of Col Madoc inspector of police who was seconded to camps and having seen the problems (and significant health risks + high death rate) in the Boer war concentration camps laid out the camp structure so as to minimize risks - when you visit the island you will gauge just how many men were held in such a relatively small space - 25,000 was about 50% of the usual Island population.
The activities did appear to be self led by the inmates - the food was it seems generally adequate tho there was a campaign in the English press that treatment should be harsher

[Siridharmagalliano]

know that, been looking along time, here's something for you from the Brits.

The daily dietary for a prisoner of war, which up till then had been more liberal, was laid down on April 13th, 1917, to consist of—

Bread 8 ounces
Flour ¾ ,,
Salt-cured Herrings 5 ,,
Meat (fresh or frozen) on five days a week 6 ,,
Meat, preserved (tinned) on five days a week . 3 ,,
Salt-cured Codfish (or Herrings) on two days a week , 12 ,,
Margarine 1,,
Tea 3/8 ,,
or Coffee ¾ ,,
Sugar 1 ,,
Milk (condensed) 1-20th of 1 lb. tin.
Salt ½ ounces.
Pepper (black) 1.72 ,,
Oatmea1 3 ,,
Syrup or Jam 1 ,,
Split Peas or Beans or Rice 2 ,,
Fresh Vegetables 10 ,,
Each Prisoner of War employed on work was given four ounces of bread and one ounce of cheese in addition. On the 18th March, 1918, as a result of still further food shortage in the country, the above daily dietary was modified as follows:—

Bread 5 ounces.
Biscuit 3 ,,
Flour ¾ ,,
*meat (fresh or frozen) on five days a week 4 ,,
or Meat, preserved (tinned) on five days a week 3 ,,
Salt-cured Herrings, on two days a week 12 ,,
Edible Fat ½ ,,
Tea V,,
or Coffee ½ ounces.
Sugar .1 ,,
Salt ½ ,,
Pepper (black) 1/72 ,,
Oatmeal . 4 ,,
Syrup or Jam 1 ,,
Split Peas, or Beans, or Rice1 ,
Potatoes . . 20 ,,
Fresh Vegetables (other than Potatoes~. . 4 ,,
*On three days when fresh or frozen meat was issued, eight ounces of herring were issued in addition.

Each Prisoner of War employed on work received two ounces of bread, three ounces of biscuit, and one ounce of cheese in addition. In no other case was this additional food given, except on medical certificate.

SDG

[hannelore]

I have tried to send you the photograph of my Grandfather Adolph Wieland with this e mail.  If it does not appear let me know and I will post one off to you.

How will you use the photo in your documentary.  I ask out of interest.  I also think the story should be told and have written a resume of the story of my Grandfather which I have retold to the local Family History Society.

Do you know the hut number of Joe Pilate?

I have the Camp number and hut number but there is still no mention of my grandfather in any documentation.


What information was the Red Cross able to give you.  I have tried them but they charge so much and you are not sure if they can help or not.  They do not seem to be interested.

Good Luck

[Siridharmagalliano]

Hello. I did not get the photo.perhaps if you send it directly to my
email, which is ^(*). I can also reimburse you
for the cost of duplicating and mailing it.

I do not know Joe Pilates hut or prisoner number. One of my students
in Switzerland contacted the red Cross for me, we just needed his birthdate.
this is the first documented proof I have of his internment, and also, he
changed the spelling of his name, so that was interesting.
They did not give me the full information I desired, which was, when did he
leave the island, as you might know, it took a year to evacuate that many men,
and where did he go, some took whatever boat was going East, not necessarily direct to Germany.

I am using the pictures, first, as i give the lecture of Joe Pilates life, to  make
the camp more real. I am only in the proposal phase of a book or docudrama,
to earn more money to research it and write it.  I need to go to England and
the Isle of Man and Germany.
Happy New Year,
Siri Galliano



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