WW1 Internment Camp at Knockaloe

[Voirrey M]

KNOCKALOE  was  not  used  as  an  internment   camp  in   WW2  it  was  by  then  the  Dept of  Agriculture  headquarters  &   experimental  farm  &  still  is.  In  WW2  guest  houses[boarding  houses   as  they  were  called  here] /   
hotels  in  all  the   seaside  towns  were  requisitioned  by  the   military   for   use  as  "camps"  where  people  were  segregated  by   nationality.  Women  were  housed  in  Port  Erin  &   nearby  Port  St  Mary  &   were  free  to  move  around  the  villages   but   not   go  out  of  the  gated  area   as   the  locals   would  be  able  to  show  their  ID  cards.

"Island   of   Barbed   Wire"  by   Connery   Chappell    ///Robert  Hale   London   ISBN  0  70907754   8   is   a   fascinating
account  of   this  time  &  includes  some  photos .It  is   I  believe   only   £7.00

[eise]

Thank you Voirrey M.

I did not know that, thank you.  We dont really know where our Joseph was when he was moved but if records are correct he was in Knockele for abt 1 yr in WW1.  Family say they recall letters coming from IOM while he was away during WW2 so where would he have been do you think.  The book Island of Barbed Wire sounds interesting I will get it ASAP.

Eise

[Frances_mnb]

Most German aliens were held in the several camps in Douglas - along the northern section of the Prom or around Hutchinson square in North Douglas were the two main areas - see http://www.manxnotebook.com/towns/douglas/do_1910.htm + also http://www.manxnotebook.com/towns/douglas/metro.htm

[Voirrey M]

Giovvanelli   was   Italian   &   writes   in   the   Metropole  Camp  description   as   an alien   inmate   speaking   from
personal  experience.  It   was   opened  in  July  1940  &   closed  October  1944.  It  included   several  Italian  Opera
singers   who   gave  concerts  while  locals   stopped  outside  the  barbed  wire   to  listen.
Hutchinson  Square   had   Germans  including  many  German  born  Jews &  Austrians.It   was  a   town  square  with
garden  in  the  centre  surrounded  by  yellow  brick  guest  houses.  Barbed   wire  enclosed   the  area  &   I   could  see
one  of  the  main  entry  gates from  my   bedroom  window.  Guards  from  the  Camp  were  lodgers  at  neighbouring
houses. "  Living  with  the   Wire  "   about  WW1  &   includes  many  photos.  Editor   Yvonne   Cresswell , published 
by  Manx  National  Heritage   ISBN   190 1106 35 6  &  not  expensive ---only  a  paperback.

[Voirrey M]

Sorry   for  my  error  the  book  is  about  WW2  as   well.

[bongo ali]

Hi,
I'd be really grateful if you could add my g.grandfather's name to the 'list' of WW1 IoM civilian internees.  If anyone comes across any info with his name on it, I'd be overjoyed - like most people I'm finding it almost impossible to discover any information.

His name was Henry Cutts - he was a pork butcher by profession and had been in the UK since at least 1896.  He was married to an English woman and had a very young family of 4 children. He lived in Scarborough (County of York) , Carlisle and Bishop Auckland in County Durham.  Census returns show him to be a German National and also state that he was naturalised in 1904 (though the National Archives don't have any records of this, so that might have been a fib on his behalf!)

Again, very little information known about his internment - other than he was 'taken away' for several years.  His family did travel to the IoM, but I don't know if they ever got through the barbed wire to actually see him.

Fingers crossed,

Bongo Ali

[victorsj]

Hi, I am trying to help my husband find out what happened to his grandfather who was interned in Knotsloes camp - his name was John Arthur Conrad Rolf Herold and his number was Peel 1 No 12845.
Can you hjelp us at all? Many thanks

[Siridharmagalliano]

You are so lucky you have his prisoner number. You can contact the International Red Cross woh evacuated the prisoners, they are listed by number. And again, since you have the number the National Archives at Kew
could probably help you. Good luck.
Siri Galliano
Los Angeles

[victorsj]

Hi, thank you so much, will try them and let you know how I get on. Bye for now, victorsj in England