ICRC Enquiry card process

[Bennett]

Hopefully this is the correct forum for this question. I am trying to educate myself as to the ICRC enquiry process for missing RAF Airmen in 1918. I see replies coming back from Frankfurt but also many from Charlottenburg (greater Berlin). I have been surprised that some enquiries were responded to with a few weeks. 

     I would greatly appreciate guidance on how this process worked. Some of this cards report something " downed at or near" but usually do not mention a burial. I would assume the crash had been witnessed or discovered by German personnel and likely buried on the spot or nearby?  Any wisdom and sources appreciated. Thank You

[Perth Digger]

Bennett

The process probably worked like this. A German unit in the field would report the crash and death(s) to their HQ and it would go up the military administrative line. The German Red Cross would be informed of the details by the military and they would pass the information on to the ICRC in Geneva. In the meantime, in Britain the War Office would report the airmen as missing and its Casualty Branch, MS 3 Cas for officers and MS 2 Cas for Other Ranks, would send an inquiry form via the neutral Netherlands Embassy (in 1918) to the German authorities, who would respond, usually within six weeks. Relatives of the missing normally approached the ICRC seeking information. The ICRC obtained their information both from the German Red Cross and from inquiries made in POW camps. The ICRC would reply to both the relatives and the War Office once they had information. The speed of replies would depend very much on how quickly the German units in the field set the process going and this would be determined by the local situation at the time.

 

I wrote a little about the process on a thread yesterday (Who collided with 2nd Lt A Rosenthal?). 

 

Mike

[Bennett]

Thanks very much Mike. That does sound like how the process should work. Thanks again  Ralph