WW1 Internment Camp at Knockaloe

[hannelore]

I would suggest that you write to the Stadt Archive ( Town Archives ) in Germany  giving as much information as you have got.

If you can write in German all the better but most Germans speak very good English and I am sure you will find them  very helpful.

I knew very little about my Grandfather Adolph Wieland as it had been kept a family secret for so long.

He was also interned at Knockaloe and had to leave his motherless family of eight in 1919.

I just kept on writing to whoever I could think of in Germany and eventually found where my grandfather had come from.

Eventually we were able to go to Germany and found his birthplace and the little house from where he baked and sold bread.  He was a master baker.

We even went into his house and met a lady whose family had known my grandfather.

We met family who knew nothing about us and finally all ended well.

 Good luck with your search.


Florence

[loo]

You can also check with the Emigration ("Auswanderer") museum in Bremerhaven .  There is the chance that there will be a record of when he left Germany, which could provide you with some additional clues.  I think it is searchable online but have not looked at it for quite some time, so am not sure, but the place is intended for people to be able to find information.  I found one of mine listed there, although the other 6 were not, but tat one was a valuable clue.
Not all German archival authorities are friendly or helpful.  The one I contacted tried to tell me my theory could not possibly be correct as to my connection with a particular person.  But I persevered.  She was wrong, and I was right, as it turned out.  You have to persevere, as Florence has said.

[BigVern2512]

Hello all, I have enjoyed reading the thread, I am an English man from maltby Yorkshire, I joined the army straight from school and my first posting was osnabruck germany and I loved the people and culture, despite it being a garrison city in the early 90's. I later learned from my grandfather that our family history is German, the family emigrating here from kunzelsau wurtenberg in 1904. We like many German immigrants owned a butchers shop and was persecuted during ww11 for our family name reisig, despite running a soup kitchen and his son (my grandad) being in the raf our butchers was torched during the war. We changed the business name from reisig to Roberts but to our knowledge the family name was never officially changed but my father and myself have Roberts now on our birth certificates. The business went bust after the war as accounts were not paid, my grandfather refused to sell on the debts. I'm proud of my German ancestry, loved my time in Germany and have visited our ancestral roots in the kingdom of wurtenberg. I also own a BMW, lol but have a classic jag also for fun. Ironically I was in the queens lifeguards in the army, she's German too. Frau Liz. Of family http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Saxe-Coburg_and_Gotha

[KGarrad]

In case it helps anyone, I have a list of burials from Knockaloe Camp, during WW1.

[Frances_mnb]

it's fairly easy to construct one from the published list of Patrick Burials (online via www.imuseum.im) - however comparing that list (which also includes some of the guards + auxilliary workers at the camp) with a list prepared by Lutheran Pastor Hartmann prior to his departure in late 1917  it is obvious that a reasonable number of names were mis-spelled and ages at death don't always tally

[knockaloe.im]

We are a Registered Charity set up to develop a Visitors Centre and Archive of all internees of Knockaloe Camp which was situated in our Village of Patrick, 100 years ago. We would be delighted to help anyone looking for information about internees and would love to add their experiences to our archive of those men who, for a short time, lived in our village. Because it takes a little time to properly research each one, please do be patient, but we value every piece of information we can find out. In turn, every piece of information allows us to gradually build a clearer picture of the experiences of the internees and their families during this time. We hope, over time, to completely rebuild the records of the camp and anyone who passed through it, and to record their family's internment story for future generations. Our E mail address is available via our website www.knockaloe.im. We would really love to hear from you!   

[Frances_mnb]

whilst wishing you well in trying to find a use for the old schoolrooms there is virtually nothing left to see of the camp other than the goods shed adorned by a small and now weather frayed plaque - since the farm is now commercial even access to this may well be inconvenient.

The Red Cross archive is now online (tho not sure how much info it actually holds tho it gives a list of names) - the Manx Museum is building a list of internees from various sources which should be online soon - the museum also has a large collection of photos few of which actually identify the people shown

there are histories of the camp + also several published accounts (eg see my own site - like other useful sites you don't seem to believe in refs) - I also deposited my part of the Hartmann papers in Manx Museum

[knockaloe.im]

Many thanks - yes we are currently working with the Manx Museum and transcribing papers for them, and we shall be at the public meeting tomorrow at the historic Schoolrooms, following the Village and community's campaign to save the Knockaloe site from sale. I am glad to say that it should now be recognised as a historic site.

What we have found is that it means a huge amount to the internees descendants we have met and communicated with to understand more of the experience their relatives went through, and we hope to do what we can to help.

All of these men lived in our village 100 years ago, and we would like to get to know them 100 years later, and help their families do the same via www.knockaloe.im.

[Frances_mnb]

Did Patrick Village even exist then ? - most is a typical Manx ribbon development along road from Peel and mostly dates I think post WW2  eg in 1881 census Glen Maye + Foxdale are villages but no Patrick Village !- no shop in 'village' (tho there was one once on corner near church - the Bishop even wanted the new church (the one that replaced the original one near the school on land donated by owner of Knockaloe moar) to be at Glen Maye.

The more serious problem is where do you expect the helpers to come from - eg IoMFHSoc library is now only open 2 short period a week, MNH is about to close the physical iMuseum leaving it an online only facility and in no way could you emulate the holdings of Manx Museum which should be first port of call for any on-Island research