Christmas Day 1918 Parchim

[Moran]

This is a photo of my Grandfather and two other prisoner of war soliders picture taken Christmas Day 1918 - The back of the photograph has the details: Parchim I/Meckl. Germany. Names Left to right Chas. Low 1/5 Gordon H.T.F rcs Thos. Moran 7/8 R. Innis Fus (my Grandfather Thomas Moran Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers) Chas. Claydon. S. Lancs. Regt

Date of capture. British Prisoners of War

Pte Chas. Low 21-3-18

Pte Thos Moran 21-3-18

Pte Chas. Claydon 17-4-18

I am trying to find out more about Parchim POW camp, would love to hear from any relatives of the other two men in the photograph, any information on Parchim and relatives would be greatly appreciated

[Doug Johnson]

ARCHIM

Report from Miscellaneous No 7 (1917) Further Correspondence with the United States Ambassador respecting the Treatment of British Prisoners of War and Interned Civilians in Germany; Cd 8477

Drs. Taylor and Webster to Mr Grew

Sir,

We have the honour to submit to you a report of a visit of inspection made by us on the 25th September, 1916, at the camp at Parchim, where British prisoners are detained.

Number of Prisoners of War: This camp has 46,000 prisoners on its books, and there are in all 1,900 prisoners of war in the camp proper, of whom 40 are British. 39,000 of the prisoners of war from this camp are employed at agriculture work, and 5,000 at industrial work. Of the prisoners in working camps there are 490 British and 130 of these are at the camp at Wasbeck.

Previous Inspection; This camp was visited by Mr Jackson on the 9th June 1915, and by Drs. Taylor and McCarthy on the 12th May 1916.

Description of Camp; As this camp has been described before it will be unnecessary to make a more detailed report.

Barracks; The barracks are the same as when inspected by Drs. Taylor and McCarthy, with the exception that 4,000 bunks have recently been ordered and made, and we saw these being carried in at the time of our visit.

Clothes; All the prisoners had sufficient clothing, underclothing, and shoes.

Latrines, Baths, and Washing Facilities; There has been no material change in this regard since the last visit of inspection.

Kitchen; There are at present three main kitchens, one for Russians, one for Jews, and one for the French, Serbians and British. In the latter kitchen French prisoners of war were employed. The menu for the day, which was written on a blackboard, was as follows;

Breakfast; Coffee and milk.

Dinner; Potatoes, smoked beef, carrots, meat extract.

Supper; Consomme, potatoes.

We tasted some of the midday meal, which was being prepared at the time, and found it to be very palatable and nutritious. Later the prisoners were seen passing out from the kitchen with bowls about 8 inches in diameter nearly filled with this food. On questioning the British it was stated that all the men took the midday meal. They also stated that the food had improved considerably since the visit of Drs. Taylor and McCarthy in May. There is a large bakery where the camp bread is prepared, the ration being 300 grammes per day. The bread now contains no potato. The menu for the week, as determined by the Kriegsministerium, is appended to this report.

Medical Attention; There were no British in the camp Lazaret. This camp has a remarkable record of never having had a death among the British.

A British prisoner, who was walking about with a cane, stated that he had undergone two operations for appendicitis. He said that the physicians advised him to have a third operation performed, but that he had refused. He stated that the wound was healed over but that he had “lumps” underneath the surface, which was suggested to us induration of the wound.

Packages; It was stated by the men that the packages arrived in good condition and regularly.

Mail; Recently the letters had been arriving irregularly.

Complaints; The British were lined up for inspection, and an opportunity given to register complaints. We were allowed to speak to the prisoners freely, and without ear or eye witnesses.

Complaints were made of the delay in arrival of letters. It was stated that this had occurred only recently, and was synchronous with the installation of a new interpreter in the censoring department. The men regarded him as being very slack in his work. This was taken up with the commandant, and he promised immediate investigation of the matter and definite correction. Some of the men under the class 4 list (the classification being formed in regard to health and ability to work about the camp) stated that being in this class they should be exempt from fatigue work, but that on the morning of our visit they had been ordered to perform this work. When this matter was taken up with the commandant he stated that this was undoubtedly an error, and that it would immediately be rectified.

Remarks; It was stated that on e prisoner had been found to be temporarily mentally unbalanced , and had been sent to the camp at Sachsenberg, where it was heard that he was improving.

The prisoners were told of the proposed new arrangements for packages, whereby one committee was to handle all packages, and they were given a chance to make suggestions as to the contents. The prisoners wished to have a cake of soap included, and the scotchmen desired a tin of fish each week.

It was stated that there were a sufficient number of footballs in the camp, but they would like to have football shoes of mixed sizes, and eleven this jerseys of one colour and eleven of another together with football knickers.

The four civilians, of whom mention was made in the report of Drs Taylor and McCarthy, are still at this camp, and prefer to remain here.

Our visit to the camp was unannounced.

We believe that especial commendation should be given to the commandant, Oberst Kothe, for the spirit in which he governs the camp, and for the way in which he does everything in his power for the welfare of the prisoners, and for the promotion of a cordial relationship between the men and those in charge.

We have etc

A E Taylor

Jerome Pierce Webster

The previous report is in Miscellaneous No 26 (1916) Further Correspondence with the United States Ambassador respecting the Treatment of British Prisoners of War and Interned Civilians in Germany; Cd 8297. I have not yet transcribed this one.

Prisoners registered there in Oct 1918;

French Men 4 792

Russian Men 40 515

Belgian Men 2 315

English Men 5 264

Serbian Men 1 991

Rumanian Men 17

Italian Men 76

Portuguese Men 76

American Men 8

Montenegran Men 5

Civilians 206

Total 55 265

Doug

[ROD WEALE]

I have in my information these details of anyother prisoner;

regards

Rod

Cecil James MOTT

Born: 4 February 1894

Where born: Hersham, Surrey

Father: Thomas Levi MOTT

Mothers maiden name : Worsfold

Regiment: Royal West Surrey Regiment

Rank: Private

Battalion: 1 Battalion

Date of Capture: 31 October 1914

Place of capture: France

Army Number: 6076310

Regimental number: L/9966

Initial place of detention: Parchim

[bootneck]

Here is some further material regarding Cecil Mott taken from material held at the Surrey History Centre (SHC), Woking. First from the Queen’s registers of WW1 POWs (SHC reference: QRWS/1/5/1):

Name: Mott, C

Rank: LCpl

Battalion: 1st

Regimental Number: L/9966

Camp: Parchim

Adopters:

1. Miss Watson, Woodford House School, East Croydon – 2 x 6 shilling parcels & bread per month

2. Mrs Barton, The Retreat, Guildford Road, Woking – 2 x 6 shilling parcels per month

3. Miss J Mellish, Ash???, Godalming – Occasionally

Relative: Mrs Mott, Waverley, Molesey Road, Walton on Thames then C/O Mrs Marshall, 32 Station Road, Claygate

Remarks: [He has]Written 12 October 1918

And from the Queen’s Enlistment Register covering men who originally enlisted between August 1892 and January 1919 (SHC reference: 7791/1/1/1):

Army Number: 6076310 formerly L/9966

Name: Mott, Cecil

Attested: 15 August 1911

Where: Guildford

Age: 18

Occupation: Labourer

Born: Hersham, Kingston, Surrey

Terms of Enlistment: 7/5

Married: Olive Jessie Bond

When/Where: 31 August 1913 at Brentford

Children: Ronald Horatio Winston Gates born Kingston, 25 December 1919

He appears to have transferred to the Reserve on 3 April 1919. This is almost impossible to read as it has been stamped across with:

Discharged termination of engagement. Para 497 (vill) KR 1928 14 August 1931.

Rank on Discharge: Private

Character: Very Good

Address on Discharge: 2 ?? Cottages, Moor Park, Farnham [very faint, 1919?]

regards

Bootneck