Were German non-combatant internees allowed visitors?

[singwiththespirit]

Does anyone know whether a German national residing in the UK and interned in a camp such as Alexandra Palace would have been allowed visitors, e.g., British non-interned family, fiancee, friends, etc.?

[jon_armstrong]

At the very least it must have been possible to get pretty close to them. I've read reports in the Alderley and Wilmlsow Advertiser of locals who were prosecuted after being persuaded to post mail for interned German civilians from the Handforth camp, thus bypassing the censoring in processes.

[CGM]

My grandma took supplies to her school friend's family, interned in the Ally Pally, but I believe she had to pass them through a tiny window. I believe conditions weren't particularly good and she took food, soap and other items.

This is a story I really want to find out a lot more about but haven't managed to start yet. I think the 1911 census would be a good start, but I need the address of the patisserie shop they ran, and for this I must visit the area.

Regards

CGM

[Doug Johnson]

The answer is yes. According to Richard Noschka, after they had been interned fro three months they were allowed visits from their wives. At the start this was for eight minutes but in the second month it was half an hour and then one hour per month. This was in Stratford. He was moved to Alexandra Palace in 1917 and he mentions visits from wives who brought food on visiting days. Rudolf Rocker also mentions monthly visits from wives and childfren at Alexandra Palace, each of fifteen minutes duration.

Doug