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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

A POW on 'parole'?


phsvm

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In his obituary it states Captain Sir Jocelyn Lucas, who had been a POW since Oct 1914 at Freiburg was 'transferred to Holland on parole, and there began to develop his early interst in wild fowl'.

 

As he seems to have been a fanatic for hunting, shooting and fishing before the war I think the latter part of that statement is an exageration but what would the bit about 'parole' mean in terms of his captivity?

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It means he could have his freedom in Holland but would have had to give an undertaking not to return to the UK until wars end nor presumably, attempt  not to rejoin the army in France and Flanders.

 

TR

 

Edited by Terry_Reeves
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I wonder if this was the case for all POWs transferred from German camps and interned in Holland? Or just the officers? Or applied only in certain individual cases? My grandfather, captured in August 1914, was interned in Holland from Jan 1918.

 

Pat

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From what I understand the 1918 internees were free(ish) to go about their way.

The officers stayed in hotels and boardinghouses, soldiers were housed in purpose-built barracks, vacant buildings, or sometimes lodging with private families (minimum of “15 cubic meters” per soldier!)

 

Part of the July 1917 agreement between the UK and Germany was that “escaping internees” would be sent back to the Netherlands (when caught…).

 

Véry interesting essay from 1987 by an ensign of the Dutch Military Academy (all in Dutch I’m afraid…):

http://www.kvbk-cultureelerfgoed.nl/MS_PDF/Mars_in_Cathedra/1987-2447-01-0007.PDF

Edited by JWK
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That's interesting because Jocelyn was detained in October 1914 and held in a camp at Frieburgh which was visited by a representative of the American Ambassador in Berlin who, besides inspecting the conditions the officers were living in reported "The officers spoke to me of the possibility of their being allowed to go out through the surrounding country for walks, under the guard of a German officer or non-commissioned officer.  I spoke to the commandant concerning this, and he said it was not within his power to grant the request, be he would speak to the Ministry of War concerning it."

 

At the time there were 300 officers in the camp so even then it would have been quite a challenge to accommodate the request.

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