Daniel DUFOUR Posted 2 March , 2022 Share Posted 2 March , 2022 Does someone know exactly where was located the ETAPLES POW camp? My understanding is it was in BEUTIN. Is that right? Where precisely? Also, was there other camps in the area between ETAPLES and ABBEVILLE? Other question: who was in charge of that camp? Any specific infantry unit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 2 March , 2022 Share Posted 2 March , 2022 On https://www.1914-1918.be/service_sante_etaples.php (in French) : "German prisoners were also cared for in Etaples as there were about six thousand of them in seven prison camps around the camp. Organised in labour companies of 500 men, they worked as labourers in the army's construction sites." "Les prisonniers allemands étaient aussi soignés à Etaples car au nombre d’environ six mille, ils occupaient sept camps de prisonniers situés aux environs du camp. Organisés en compagnie de travail de 500 hommes, ils travaillaient comme manœuvre dans les chantiers de l’armée." And on https://forum.pages14-18.com/viewtopic.php?t=9483 a list of the French-controlled POW camps (Main camps in Italics, rest are sub-camps) No Beutin or Etaples on there I'm afraid.. Unless ofcourse they were British-run? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel DUFOUR Posted 2 March , 2022 Author Share Posted 2 March , 2022 Thanks for helping I think the Etaples camps were ran buy the British army. I'll look closer at maps showing the POW hospital. Maybe POW camps are shown around... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 2 March , 2022 Share Posted 2 March , 2022 Are you researching a specific German soldier? If so, can you please tell us his name. His records at the Croix Rouge may tell us where he was held POW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel DUFOUR Posted 2 March , 2022 Author Share Posted 2 March , 2022 No I'm not. I'm rather looking for any connection between German POWs and the Canadian Railway Troops 7th battalion, who spent 5 months from May to September 1918 in Conchil-le-Temple and vicinity, working on quadrupling the Etaples - Conteville line. They were using many Chinese and POWs units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWK Posted 2 March , 2022 Share Posted 2 March , 2022 Aha, that narrows it down a little. Not that I can assist I'm afraid, but other members may. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 3 March , 2022 Admin Share Posted 3 March , 2022 Whilst prisoners of war were held at Etaples in the period you are researching German prisoners were organised in groups of 100 or more and supervised by the POW Companies of the Labour Corps. You would therefore need to know which POW Company(ies) were engaged. They were not usually required to keep a war diary. As an introduction see https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-labour-corps-of-1917-1918/ A forum search will give a number of threads on the POW Companies and I’ve tagged @themonsstarwho seems to have a good knowledge as to the deployment of the POW Companies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 3 March , 2022 Share Posted 3 March , 2022 I was looking through Etaples Commandant diaries earlier. Didn't have a specific time frame so I scan read through from April 1915 to Dec 1918. There is an increase in POW related entries for 1918. They frequently mention that various named POW Companies arrived at (locations given) with numbers of POWs. I'll check tomorrow in more detail and look for the Canadian connection. There is also a large scale map showing the Etaples administration area. TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 3 March , 2022 Share Posted 3 March , 2022 (edited) Daniel. I’m seeing many references to movements of men from many units congregating around Rang du Flier and later in Conchil-le-Temple from April 1918. I can’t see the 7th Canadian Railway Troops’ arrival but they leave Conchil 14/10/1918. The dairies are free, just register with TNA. Login and ‘add to basket’ checkout and agree to T&Cs and download. There is a monthly summary at the end of each month. WO95/4027/6 WO95/4027/7 I don’t know the area and I can’t say I know the role of all the units mentioned EG. Art. Works Coy., Railway Construction Companies RE., Area Employment (GG), Prov. Labour Coy. There are also: Railway Telegraph Coys., Canadian Railway Bridging Coy. Port Construction Coys. There are mentions of ZERABLES which I can’t find. Rang du Fliers seems to be the centre of a a lot of Railway work. There are a lot of movements of these units so you’d have to sift through to make sure they aren’t arriving in the area and then leaving. I have no idea if there are any more details for any of the POW companies. Canadian Railway Troops may have diaries with the Canadian Archive although I can't seem to find them! Just to give an idea of the POW companies movements which continue into October. 10/4/18 74 POW Coy. Rang du Flier 438 POWs 139 POW Coy. Bahot 418 POWs 20/4/1918 296 Railway Construction Coy. RE Rang du Flier 9 Lab Group Rang du Flier Railway Telegraph Coy. Dannes 22/4/1918 25 POW Coy. Rang du Flier 450 POWs 96 POW Coy. Rang du Flier 409 POWs 15 POW Coy. Wailly 414 POWs 24/4/1918 68 POW Coy. Villers 379 POWs 67 POW Coy. Coline Beaumont 408 POWs 4/5/18 4 POW Coy. Etaples 409 POWs 25 POW Coy. left Rang du Flier for Marquise 7/5/1918 111 Chinese LC left Etaples for Houdain 122 Chinese LC left Etaples for Houdain 157 Chinese LC left Dannes for Etaples 9/6/1918 Broad Gauge Workshop RE Rang du Flier TEW Edited 3 March , 2022 by TEW Formatting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel DUFOUR Posted 3 March , 2022 Author Share Posted 3 March , 2022 Wow great! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kath Posted 3 March , 2022 Share Posted 3 March , 2022 Tew, I'm on this page but cannot see how to download. Help, please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 3 March , 2022 Share Posted 3 March , 2022 Kath, That's WO95/4027, a higher level than WO95/4027/6. You could 'go to browse' from there to find /6 & /7 or follow my links in blue, earlier post. There are two parts to each diary. TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 3 March , 2022 Share Posted 3 March , 2022 Daniel, There are two 1918 diaries for 7 battalion Canadian railway at TNA. Phone playing up and can't copy the link but just search within WO95 (any of these references) and add 7 battalion Canadian railway as (exact word of phrase). Should offer you the two diaries. As there are so many different units you'll have to experiment with the search function, their diaries may not be indexed as you see them in the commandant's diary. It's not looking promising for the POW diaries but there could be be higher level diaries and ones that cover transport and railways in general for Etaples. Always interesting to see what comes out of research like this. TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kath Posted 3 March , 2022 Share Posted 3 March , 2022 Thank you, Tew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themonsstar Posted 3 March , 2022 Share Posted 3 March , 2022 This is all I could find for the PoW Company's & CLC, hope it helps with your research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel DUFOUR Posted 4 March , 2022 Author Share Posted 4 March , 2022 Thanks so. much. I'll cross-check this information with what I found in the 7th CRT war diary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted 14 April , 2022 Share Posted 14 April , 2022 just came across this subject and reminded me that there was a train crash between Frevent and Bonnieres and Im sure it was carrying Canadian soldiers during WW1. many were injured possibly killed when the stationary train was hit from behind by another train. Google isnt helping at the moment so cant post a link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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