Injured German Prisoners

[archman]

In researching prison camps 1914/1919, uk, for German prisoners of War ,there seems to be little information about where injured prisoners were treated.

Were officers treated differently when injured, than ordinary conscripts.

Is it possible hat some of the work camps, attached to Pattishall , has hospital sections attached ?.

What happened when a prisoner became ill for other reasons other than war related.

Any information will be good.,,

Rodney Gunner, researching P.O.W.camps Sussex.

[Ralph J. Whitehead]

Hello Rodney,

I have come across a number of related items regarding medical treatment for injured German prisoners. In some cases it would appear that they were treated and/or died in field ambulances, at nearby military casualty clearing stations and base hospitals such as at Etaples. This would fit any similar treatment provided to a British soldier.

I have come across some records regarding treatment at locations in the UK after a man was transferred there as a POW. I will go through the records and post the appropriate documents and information later this evening if I get home early, or by tomorrow. Icame across these records while searching through Stammrolle books for men captured on the Somme on 1 July. I am leaving for work in a few minutes so I will get back to you later.

Ralph

[archman]

Hi many thanks look forward to what you have, Rodney

Hello Rodney,

I have come across a number of related items regarding medical treatment for injured German prisoners. In some cases it would appear that they were treated and/or died in field ambulances, at nearby military casualty clearing stations and base hospitals such as at Etaples. This would fit any similar treatment provided to a British soldier.

I have come across some records regarding treatment at locations in the UK after a man was transferred there as a POW. I will go through the records and post the appropriate documents and information later this evening if I get home early, or by tomorrow. Icame across these records while searching through Stammrolle books for men captured on the Somme on 1 July. I am leaving for work in a few minutes so I will get back to you later.

Ralph

great look forward to what you have, many thanks Rodney

[Sue Light]

There were thousands of hospital and convalescent beds for enemy prisoners of war in the UK, and treatment was much along the same lines as for any British soldier - they would be admitted to one of these hospitals from disembarkation. There were some specialist medical beds for things like head injuries/dysentery etc., and some hospitals set aside almost exclusively for Germans. Some of the larger hospitals/units for sick, wounded and convalescent prisoners were at:

Park Hall Camp - 800 beds

Nell Lane Military Hospital - 1,700

Sutton Veny - 500

Fargo - 500

Lewisham Military Hospital - 200

Fulham Military Hospital - 300

Belmont Hospital, Sutton - 1,200

Dartford War Hospital

Crowthorne War Hospital

Connaught Hospital, Aldershot.

If normally healthy prisoners were taken ill in camp, they would be transferred to the nearest military hospital for treatment, and if this was going to be long-term, then onwards to a unit that had beds set aside for prisoners of war.

Sue

[Ralph J. Whitehead]

I cannot locate the actual entry but here is a section of Chapter 11 of book 2.

Infanterist Josef Weingartner, 6/6th Bavarian RIR had been wounded and taken prisoner on 1 July. He was sent to a hospital in England where his wounds were treated. On 12 July 1916 he was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, Hants with a diagnosis of ‘bullet wound in the chest, penetrating wound that opened out into the left pleura, blood and pus was removed, considered serious.’

It was a serious wound, and like Theurlein, once Weingartner had recovered sufficiently he was exchanged as an unfit soldier. On 17 December 1916 he was recovering in Weggis, Switzerland, just across the lake from Theurlein, where he was interned for the duration of the war.

I know I saw others, many simply indicated a man was wounded and treated at the camp in a hospital. If I come across them I will post them here.

Ralph

[grantmal]

As an addendum to Ralph's post, "At one time German prisoners of war who had mental disorders were admitted to Netley as well, but this procedure was so obviously undesirable that they were later sent to other institutions." [Read, Miltary Psychology in War and Peace, 1919].

Grant

[jhill]

On a related note, in preparation for offensive operations, the operation orders of medical units almost always included instructions on the treatment of wounded casualties. Invariably these included a phase such as "wounded prisoners are to be treated in a manner similar to our own". In general this seems to have been the case, but some units may have behaved differently from others. For example, I have read some cases where wounded prisoners were treated the same as ours, but not so promptly; that is wounded prisoners may not have been evacuated until all our own wounded had been evacuated.