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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

German POWs Imprisoned In UK


jimmyjames

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I would be most grateful for any guidance on the registration of the death of German POWs whilst imprisoned in the UK.

Were their deaths reported to the International Red Cross for onward reporting to the German Authorities?

Is anyone aware of a list recording the names of dead German POWs. If there is such a list, I wonder where is it kept?

With many thanks

Jimmy James

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I would hazard a guess that all German POW's who died in WW1 in the UK are still buried overhere?? If so probably all the graves are under the care of the CWGC who will no doubt be able to provide a list. I would anticipate though that there would be no distinction of any casualty listing between POW's or airman lost over the UK, naval personnel washed up on UK shores etc etc but at least it would be a start.

There is an interesting small book on the German POW camp at Leigh, Lancashire that mentions a few German soldiers who died as POW's. This book is A5 size and published by Neil Richardson Local History publishers.

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I would also guess that they would be registered the same as any other death and will be listed at the Family records centre though they will be mixed in with everyone else. FreeBMD looks as though it will eventually include deaths up to 1919 but there is not much movement beyond 1911 at the moment. The FO383 on line index contains some names of German deaths in the UK. They will have been passed on to the Red Cross but probably as they occured and not as one complete list.

Doug

Doug

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Jimmy,

The deaths of German POW's that occured on the POW ships Saxonia and Ivernia, both moored of Southend Pier and used as POW ships early in the warare all recorded in the cemetery register where they were buried although they were re-interred at Cannock later.

Andy

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As Doug suggests, the deaths of German prisoners of war were recorded in exactly the same way as any other death in the UK. The death had to be registered by the local register office and was entered without any special comment in the register.

As an example, you can see here details of POWs at Badsey Manor House, including one Pte. Johann Rosskopf, who died in late 1918.

The image below is an extract from the register of deaths in the final quarter of 1918, showing Pte. Rosskopf in the same way as all other individuals.

Death certificates for the German POWs can be ordered in the same was as any other from the GRO.

post-1356-1150445624.jpg

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Hi

This is Sgt Webster of the Manchester Regt POW Guard Force at Leigh POW camp, he was at the siege of Ladysmith with 2nd Rifle Brigade

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Hi Thermonstar,

My Gt Grandfather Oliver Crowdell was at the siege of Ladysmith with the 17th Foot (Leicestershire Regiment). He made it out of Ladysmith but not out of South Africa.

Doug

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Gents

I very much appreciate your replies and guidance.

Regards

Jimmy

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Am away from base and my files, but recall that the Commonwealth War Graves Register for Wiltshire merely notes the numbers of German PoWs buried in local churchyard without giving details. I believe that there was a large national progamme of disinterment, with the bodies being reburied at Cannock Chase. There are files in the National Archives about this programme, with a letter from one local official expressing concern that some of the skeletons still had matter attached to them, which was "scraped off" before the remains were placed in new coffins.

Mooonraker

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  • 3 months later...

Thought I would resurrect this one as I have just located part of the answer. FO383/284 apparently contains a list of deceased German prisoners that was handed over to the IRC. It looks as though this was the first such listing with others being passed on later. I think the list is probably complete up to some time in 1917.

Doug

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Thought I would resurrect this one as I have just located part of the answer. FO383/284 apparently contains a list of deceased German prisoners that was handed over to the IRC. It looks as though this was the first such listing with others being passed on later. I think the list is probably complete up to some time in 1917.

Doug

Is it just a list of names, or are other details given, like place and cause of death?

Moonraker

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Some of the German POWs might have been subject to Coroner's inquests (Crowners as some call them in WIltshire). Suicides, murders etc.

Edwin

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The National Archive has a file in RG 41/9 entitled "German prisoners of war or interned civilians - death certificates", but there is no indication of the actual contents.

Terry Reeves

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All German military and interned civilian bodies from WW1 in the UK are in the care of CWGC and they do maintain a list of them all. I can supply details if anyone wishes.

Some are still located in cemeteries/churchyards where they were originally buried but the majority were moved to Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery in 1960/61 along with most WW2 German casualties - at the request of the German government. Austrian casualties from WW1 were also moved to Cannock.

Some of them are PoWs but there are also sailors washed ashore and downed airmen. The only Germans not cared for by CWGC are those civilians shot as spies as they have never been requested to be treated as war graves by the German authorities.

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Was in Glasgow Western Necroplois last week took a photo of a grave containing

Willy Feld - 25/8/1917 and Erich Jagusch - 28/8/1917

No indication as to POW or Civilian.

Just in case someone is interested in a photo.

Cheers

John

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All German military and interned civilian bodies from WW1 in the UK are in the care of CWGC and they do maintain a list of them all. I can supply details if anyone wishes.

Some are still located in cemeteries/churchyards where they were originally buried but the majority were moved to Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery in 1960/61.

Any idea why most but not all were moved to Cannock Chase, Terry?

Moonraker

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I have been told that in some cases the relatives asked that they remain in situ and in others that local objections to removal were quite strong causing them to remain.

Two airmen were removed from my own cemetery just up the road but I have been unable to trace any correspondence on the subject in Council records.

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  • 2 years later...
Was in Glasgow Western Necroplois last week took a photo of a grave containing

Willy Feld - 25/8/1917 and Erich Jagusch - 28/8/1917

No indication as to POW or Civilian.

Just in case someone is interested in a photo.

Cheers

John

The two men were both held at Loch Doon POW Camp in Ayrshire and when taken ill were transferred to Stobhill Military Hospital in Glasgow. Their deaths were registered at the Springburn District of Glasgow, Lanarkshire.

The register can be viewed (for a fee) at the scotlandspeople website although, at the moment, you have to spell JAGUSCH as JAQUSCH to find his entry.

Kenneth

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Over 40 German and Austrain POW and internees where buried at Stobs Camp near Hawick during the Great War - and their bodies subsequently moved to Cannock Chase in 1962.

Those responsible for the Cannock Chase German Cemetery have been unable in the past to tell me which bodies were removed from Stobs.

Would anyone be able to tell me if such a list is in existence?

Or surely there must be a list somewhere which tells where all the German graves at Cannock originated?

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Derek,

I managed to find all of the Germans that are now buried in Cannock Chase that were originally buried in Sutton Road Cemetery, Southend-on-Sea (from the POW ships Ivernia & Saxonia moored of Southend Pier) from the cemetery registers, held in this case at the cemetery itself, otherwise usually held in Civic centres.

The registers in this case, were all done by year with follow up notes so checking the deaths for 1914/15 enabled me to find them with the notes saying moved to Cannock Chase on such and such a date.

Hope this helps.

Andy

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Derek,

If you have access to the Registers, or to an Index, in which the Stobs deaths were recorded, you could check names with the list of Cannock internments which Terry Denham has.

A long job!

But some names would be obviously German, and further sorted by date, age & sex.

Kath.

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Andy & Kath,

Thanks for the pointers.

Unfortunately I am 80 odd miles from actual printed registers so have been using the "virtual" equivalent today with frustrating results.

Usually the Scottish records are second to none BUT their on-line search facility is a pain.

It doesn't allow search by date in a given district or search by surname by a single letter so I have been regularly beaten by German surnames.

A visit to Edinburgh is now in order.

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  • 9 years later...

I've done a lot of research on the Jagusch/Feld grave in Lambhill cemetery in Glasgow, also on Stobs POW camp where they were. Have copies of their death certificates also. Anyone interested, please get in touch

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