Mail for P.O.W.s in Germany.

[chris.wight]

I came across this piece in May 27, 1915 edition of "The Sedgewick Sentinel" (Sedgewick, Alberta) and thought I'd share it with everyone, link (Also have a look at the bit about the English vs. Scots charity football match).

Mail for Prisoners of War in Germany

Letters (letters should be left open), post cards and postal parcels should be addressed as follows-

1. Rank, initials, name.

2. Regiment, or other unit.

3. British (or Canadian, French, Belgian, or Russian) prisoner of war.

4. Place of internment.

5. Germany.

Place of internment should be stated always if possible, and parcels cannot be accepted unless place of internment is stated. All addresses must be in ink.

Communications must be limited to private and family news and to necessary business communications, and should not be sent too frequently.

No reference to the naval, military, or political situation, or to naval or military movements and organizations are allowed. Letters or postcards containing such references will not be delivered.

Friends of prisoners of war are advised to send postcards in preference to letters, as postcards are less likely to be delayed. If letters are sent, they should not exceed in length two sides of a sheet of note paper and should contain nothing but the sheet of note paper. On no account should the writing be crossed.

Letters cannot for the present be accepted for registration.

No letters should be enclosed in parcels and newspapers must not on any account be sent. So far as known there is no restriction on the contents of the parcels; tobacco may be sent and will be admitted duty free but food stuffs of a perishable character should not be sent. Parcels should not exceed 11 lbs. in weight.

Remittances can be made by money order to prisoners of war. Instructions as to how to proceed can be obtained from Postmasters of Accounting Post Offices. The transmission of coin, either in letters or parcels, is expressly prohibited. Postal Notes and Bank Notes should not be sent.

It must be understood that no guarantee of the delivery of letters or parcels can be given and that the Post Office accepts no responsibility. In any case, considerable delay may take place, and failure to receive an acknowledgement should not necessarily be taken as an indication that letters and parcels sent have not been delivered.

So far as known, prisoners of war in Germany are allowed to write letters or post cards from time to time, but they might not always have the facilities for doing so, and the fact that no communication is received from them need not give rise to anxiety.

[Canadawwi]

Chris - thank you for posting that information, very interesting.

Shortly after Christmas 1916, Canadian could no longer send private parcels to POWs overseas. They were asked to give money to the Red Cross to send standard parcels. This created a big outcry as families wanted to send special items to their sons.

Here is an attempt just before the Christmas of 1917 to overturn the regulation.

PARCELS FOR PRISONERS

Premier Will Try to Make Arrangements for Prisoners to Receive Parcels at Christmas.

There is a lively prospect that Canadian prisoners of war in Germany will be permitted to receive Christmas parcels from home. On that point a good deal of anxiety has been felt by the relatives of prisoners. They appealed to the Toronto Prisoners of War Association to help them with the result that the president of that organization, Ex-Ald. W. R. Plewman took up the matter with Ottawa and secured from Sir Robert Borden a promise to attempt to secure the desired concession.

The following telegram was sent to the Premier:

Sir Robert Borden, Ottawa:

Eight months ago the relatives of Canadian prisoners in Germany lost the privilege of sending parcels from home to prisoners after being permitted to send Christmas Parcels. Red Cross is now sending standard parcels with minimum food and clothing. As president of the Toronto Prisoners of War Association representing more than half the prisoners in Germany would respectfully ask that you try to secure War Office consent to Canadian relatives sending parcels of certain weight or certain articles under any regulations found necessary to their loved ones for coming Christmas. Early action necessary if parcels are to be mailed in time.

(Signed) W. R. Plewman

The following reply was sent by the Premier:

W.R. Plewman, Toronto:

Telegram received. Will take up matter immediately and do my best to secure arrangement asked for.

R. L. BORDEN

More than 1,200 Torontonians are in durance vile in Germany accounting or fifty per cent of all the Canadian prisoners of war, Toronto battalions having suffered very heavily at St. Julien

Toronto Star - Sept. 25, 1917

My two attachments show a Canadian POW asking in 1915 for a variety of items to be sent before these regulations, and the second attachment tells the story of men relying on the Red Cross parcels. (Atkins & Bedford articles removed - contact me for a copy)

[stiletto_33853]

It seems that it was not just Canadians who were not allowed. From "The Rifle Brigade Chronicle 1916"

In October, 1916, the Central Prisoners of War Committe was formed by the Red Cross Society, and no parcels were allowed to be sent out except by the Committee or by Regimental Associations licensed by them. At the same time the Committee laid down a scale for each prisoner, calculated on the total amount of food being sent weekly to prisoners of war from this country, which to say the least of it, was on a more liberal basis, viz, for each man three parcels a fortnight, value 6s. each and 13lbs of bread fortnightly.

There is a whole article concerning this and the Prisoners of War Help Fund formed by the Regiment. Let me know if yoiu would like it posted.

Andy

[chris.wight]

Marika thanks for posting that information and the two news clippings. Do you know if any success was reached in their quest to have the decision overturned? I had a look in the London Gazette which listed Military Medals to those men who escaped from P.O.W. camps and he is listed as a recipient, link. His Battalion is listed as the 48th, could they have meant 58th?

Andy, I would enjoy reading the article.

Was the reaction in Britain similar to what Marika described in Canada?

[Canadawwi]

Chris,

Pte. Atkins' attestation is here.

Thank you for finding the Military medal information. It didn't say anything about his unit in the newspaper article. He enlisted with Col. Reg Pellatt (of Casa Loma fame), who was recruiting for the Queen's Own rifles in Toronto.

I don't know the follow up to the POW parcel issue - probably the same as in England. I will post more here when I get through the fall of 1917 newspapers.

Regards, Marika

[stiletto_33853]

Chris,

I believe that the reaction was the same in England. Here is the article, long winded but some useful information though.

Andy

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Lastly

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And this is the 1917 Chronicle article on this fund

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[chris.wight]

Thanks for posting that, Andy. No doubt this was replicated through other Regiments throughout Britain. Quite an effort too which no doubt kept many men alive until the war was over.