John Gilinsky Posted 31 October , 2014 Share Posted 31 October , 2014 Thanks wingrove for your excellent post and your consideration in responding to others. You might be somewhat interested in my very old out of date HSI website created in the mid-1990s (that's right: the ancient civilization period of the Internet! ) as it has a lot on hospital ships with a particular focus on WW1. Tx again! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaforths Posted 1 November , 2014 Share Posted 1 November , 2014 I am amazed that there has been such interest in the photographs that I took of this memorial. The site is situated in the forests to the south west of what is now Pila. An area that saw the brunt of the Russian attack on the city in 1945. Situated nearby is a Russian cemetery that has been well looked after over the years. The site with the British memorial in it has many smaller grave stones that belong to Turkish graves and these spread out around the area surrounding the larger memorial. There are even some that are Jewish Grave markers that somehow survived the second world war. There does not seem to be anything visible of the original camp. The candles on the memorial will be refreshed in the next couple of days as Poland has All Saints night. The origin of Halloween that is better known in the west. Graveyards in Poland are decorated with different colored glass candle holders. These candle lanterns, or znicze in Polish, light up even the darkest parts of graveyards throughout Poland. It is a beautiful way to remember those lost and the whole night can be a very overwhelming sight to those new to All Saints Day. Typically, no grave is left unadorned. Graves forgotten or lost are visited and so are the graves of strangers or National heroes. Thank you for postng the album. It looks and sounds like an atmospheric place to visit. I've just been looking at the last neutral inspection carried out there. It was quite a controversial camp and seems to have had a very bad reputation regarding treatment and cruelty. As you seem to have some local knowledge of the area, do you know of a location about 4km away called Kamstigall - it might be called somethng differeng now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingrove Posted 1 November , 2014 Author Share Posted 1 November , 2014 Hi, I don't know of anywhere near Pila that was called Kamstigall. My in laws only know about the Schneidmuhl camp and that there was a Albatros aircraft factory there during the first world war. The area was cleared of its German population after the war and the current population is now Polish. I have seen on the internet that the location of a camp called Kamstigall is mentioned being near to Pillau, similar sounding to Pila, but 168 miles away near to Kalingrad today. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaforths Posted 1 November , 2014 Share Posted 1 November , 2014 Hi, I don't know of anywhere near Pila that was called Kamstigall. My in laws only know about the Schneidmuhl camp and that there was a Albatros aircraft factory there during the first world war. The area was cleared of its German population after the war and the current population is now Polish. I have seen on the internet that the location of a camp called Kamstigall is mentioned being near to Pillau, similar sounding to Pila, but 168 miles away near to Kalingrad today. Andrew Ahhh I see. Thank you for that and boy the renaming can be quite confusing. Dealing with the old names most of the time and then trying to switch to new names to locate them...even in Germany, France and Belgium, especially in border areas where the country has changed hands a few times before WW1 and since and post WW2 as well. Glad you put me on the straight and narrow again, yes, Kamstigall - I am confusing Pillau and Pila! It is so nice that they have never neglected the graves over the years. I have some information on an old Romanian POW camp in Germany that was lost for decades and rediscovered a few years ago by a teacher. The graves and cemetery have now been restored but to lose 70+ graves for all that time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clin Posted 27 March , 2015 Share Posted 27 March , 2015 It is not meaningful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 2 July , 2018 Share Posted 2 July , 2018 Thanks for this post. Just discovered my Grandfather was imprisoned in Schneidemühl Camp. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 20 August , 2018 Share Posted 20 August , 2018 (edited) Schneidemuhl POW Camp....Grandfather Hugh McCluskey was held at this camp throughout the War, Captured wounded at Mons 1914. Scots Guards. Repatriated 1919. 'Family history', ''not a nice place to be''. Edited 20 August , 2018 by Guest Information Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 20 August , 2018 Share Posted 20 August , 2018 A number postcards of Schneidemühl on this French Ebay https://www.delcampe.fr/fr/collections/user/profile/647511-pmsz1 Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 4 January , 2019 Share Posted 4 January , 2019 Hi , i visited the Berlin South West Cemetery to see the grave of a family member . It is a nice and clean place and it's nice to see it being kept this way . I took some pictures as , as far as i know im the only family member to have been to his grave . I would like to know how he ended up in the Schneidemuhl camp , but can't seem to find any info on it , could anyone help with that please . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza Posted 5 June , 2019 Share Posted 5 June , 2019 Hi all. Just found out that my paternal Grandad 7451 Leonard Dawson (16th Manchesters) was at Schneidemuhl circa 1916 to 19/1/1919. My Grandma was married to 19118 Robert Cochrane (1st The Kings Liverpool Regiment), a mate of Lens who died in the camp (T/B) on 9/12/1918. He is buried in Berlin South-western Cemetery. Len subsequently married his widow and moved here to Perth Australia in 1927.He died in 1955 aged only 59. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 5 June , 2019 Share Posted 5 June , 2019 2 hours ago, Gazza said: Hi all. Just found out that my paternal Grandad 7451 Leonard Dawson (16th Manchesters) was at Schneidemuhl circa 1916 to 19/1/1919. Your Grandfather arrived back in the UK on 01.12.1918 on board the HS Russ, which docked at Leith. He was registered as being at Schneidemühl on 30.09.1916. https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Zoom/E/01/03/C_G1_E_01_03_0021/C_G1_E_01_03_0021_0062.JPG/ Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza Posted 6 June , 2019 Share Posted 6 June , 2019 Many thanks for the info Charlie-most helpful Gazza Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TullochArd Posted 6 June , 2019 Share Posted 6 June , 2019 Regarding James Jackson's earlier post (04 Jan 19). I've found a Friedrichsfeld PW Camp reference for his relative but no mention of Schneidemuhl. The ICRC Database holds an Index Card which tells us that his relative's journey as a PW started as 102339 Pte James Rice, C Company, 7th Sherwood Foresters, taken prisoner on 15th April 1918. This information was taken from the German record (Page PA 37603, Ser 104) which adds the place of capture as Kemmel (?), the fact he was unwounded, a date of birth of 30th September 1897 in Bolton, Lancashire and his next of kin as Mrs. Rice, 23 Grasmere Street, Bolton, Lancashire. PA 37603 is headed Friedrichsfeld in red ink and dated 3rd October 1918 suggesting he was here at this time. Friedrichsfeld PW Camp at Wesel. Schneidemuhl is (now) in Poland. I'm new at this ……. have I missed something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 6 June , 2019 Share Posted 6 June , 2019 He has two index cards the second one records on PA42446 that he died at Schneidemühl. https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/3422482/3/2/ You might like to note that the date 03.10.1918 stamped in red is not the date of the list but the Red Cross processing date. The first page of the list - PA37594 - records the date 04.09.1918. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TullochArd Posted 10 July , 2019 Share Posted 10 July , 2019 Thank you charlie2. An education! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TullochArd Posted 12 January , 2020 Share Posted 12 January , 2020 (edited) There has been a fair bit of discussion here around the 18 "abandoned" lost graves of soldiers known to have been buried at Pila (formerly Schneideműhl) Prisoner of War Cemetery whose graves could not be identified by IWGC for later concentration. Here is a fascinating photograph of British prisoners from Schneidemühl burying a comrade under the supervision of a German (standing right). Of the six crosses at the front four can be clearly identified as “abandoned” lost graves. From left to right they are the graves of H. Browne, J. Cuthill, H. Devine and W. Stimpson. Perhaps the location of the building behind the German one day might provide an answer to the mystery? Edited 13 January , 2020 by TullochArd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 13 January , 2020 Share Posted 13 January , 2020 I think POW's were listed under the parent camp. Satelite camps were not usually mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TullochArd Posted 13 January , 2020 Share Posted 13 January , 2020 12 hours ago, johnboy said: I think POW's were listed under the parent camp. Satelite camps were not usually mentioned. Thanks johnboy. I don't think this is the case here. Some time after the War ended the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died in Poland as prisoners of war were (mainly) gathered together in Pozan Old Garrison Cemetery. 18 graves were unaccounted for but known to have been at Pila (formerly Schneideműhl) Prisoner of War Cemetery and were formally classified as "abandoned" by IWGC. 17 received recognition with Special Memorials in Posnan Old Garrison Cemetery and one in Berlin South-Western Cemetery. Special Memorials look the same as the usual ones but do not sit over an actual grave and in this case they have an inscription “SHCN P/WC” just below ground indicating the individuals are buried in Schneidemühl in a grave which is now "lost" or is "unmaintainable". The photo clearly shows several of these lost graves around 1915 - maybe one day someone will identify the location from the building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 13 January , 2020 Share Posted 13 January , 2020 Thanks for the info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TullochArd Posted 2 February , 2020 Share Posted 2 February , 2020 On 27/10/2014 at 18:05, moraglsutherland said: here is the detail on one of the men from my village of Brora who is on this memorial- ROSS, Alexander Rank: Private Regimental Number: 4738 Unit: 1st Battalion, Scots Guards. Died: Died of fever 18.2.15(NT says 8.2.15) Prisoner-of-War camp, Germany Age: 32 according to NT Parents: Mr. and Mrs. George Ross of Manse Park, Brora. NT April 1915 says at the time of his death his mother was in Bridgend George Ross (Blacksmith) & Christina nee Fraser, who married at Rosehall 09 Sep 1880. George from Alness & Christina from Rosehall. Father George emigrated to Alberta,Canada in April 1913 to work on the Duke of Sutherland’s railway. Sadly he died out there on 07 Jan 1917. Christina died in Moray Terrace on 25 Nov 1947.Born: 25 Aug 1881 Rosehall eldest of 8 childrenHome: Brora. With family 1911 census Job/Trade: Reservist Enlisted: Inverness Arrived in France: 13.8.14 Medals awarded: 1914 Star, War Medal, Victory Medal Notes: Served with Lovat Scouts in Boer War and 7 years in Scots Guards - great athlete wining prizes – NT April 1915 Buried (In 1915): Schneideműhl P.O.W. Cemetery, Silesia. Commemorated: The Pila Prisoner-of-War Cemetery Memorial, Poznan, Poland. Memorials: Listed on the Clyne War Memorial, Brora Recorded in the Scots Guards Roll of Honour, The Scottish National War Memorial Mother & some siblings are interred in Clyne Cemetery ……. and a photo submitted as him at https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/3825804 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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