Cottbus No. I

[Moffatt]

Does anyone have a map that shows the exact location of the PoW camps at Cottbus? If so could you post a scan, or point them out on Google Maps?

I'm not entirely sure whether Cottbus No. I was the main camp at Cottbus, or whether it was a different camp. Lt. Ives who went to take charge of the prisoners and bring them home at the end of the war said that Cottbus-Sielow consisted of two camps: one at Cottbus where most of the British prisoners were, and one at Sielow which was mainly full of Russians. Would No. I be either of these, or might it be a work camp rather than a head camp? In any case, would the theatre most likely be at the head camp regardless of what or where No. I was?

The reason I'm asking is that I'm exploring the possibilities of Flickr for storing and sharing Great War photos, and one of its features is the ability to drag the photos onto a map to show where they were taken.

Gavin - I have just come across this photo-postcard from Cottbus, depicting a scene from the English Theatre. The two men in drag appear to be playing prostitutes - it would be fantastic if anyone could put a name to them!

[saberhagen427]

That's a great photo. It looks a lot less formal than the ones I've seen before. I don't think my GGF is in it and so far I don't know the names of anyone else he was with. You can see all my Cottbus photos on Flickr and maybe compare faces.

[Kate Wills]

Two photos of the Bing Bong Boys at Cottbus have been posted by Rob Bulloch in the Concert Parties thread

[Guest HIGHLANDER]

Hi

I was looking for information regarding" COTTBUS" My wife has in her possession a pencil drawing belonging to her grand father who served in the First World War and was a prisoner at Cottbus. It is a sketch from a play put on by the prisoners namely "The Lion Tame dated 16/11/1918. The signature of the artist I think is L. LANGE or LANGER. There are other names in the drawing too of whichW.GRANT of the KOSB, A.HAYWARD, S.CAREY,W.f.w.WILLIAMS,S.MORGAN. I do not know if this will interest anyone but it seems a shame that such a piece of history should remain hidden away in a folder.

Kindest Regards

David Duncan.

[Guest Jaytack1]

My grandfather RSM Albert Owen James was the senior NCO at Cottbus camp and was heavily involved when the Red Cross parcels failed to be delivered to the prisoners. In his papers I have found a set of sketches that show some of the people in the camp. It was in poor condition so I have scanned it and used digital photo editing to clean up the background.

A small version of the drawing is attached and I will happily email a full size version on request.

Please contact jaytackATntlworldDOTcom

John James

[Guest KATHYKATE38]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I've just found all my Great Grandfather's postcards from Cottbus and did a Google search to find out more about it. It lead me here. His name was George Nicholls and he was listed as "missing, presumed killed" and his name was written on the Menin Gate war memorial. He was in fact a POW and 2 and a half years later, turned up at home! My Greatgrandparents celebrated their Diamond wedding in 1973, when I was 5. He lived into his late 80's.

This is the very beginning of my journey into finding out all I can about Cottbus and I'd love to share the postcards if they are of interest, there's about 50 of them at a guess.

[Guest]

Attn Kathykate38,  I would love to see the photographs and will scan to put on my Ancestry family tree

Please email  JaytackATntlworldDOTcom

John James

[DavidOwen]

1 hour ago, jaytack1 said:

Attn Kathykate38,  I would love to see the photographs and will scan to put on my Ancestry family tree

Please email  JaytackATntlworldDOTcom

John James

John James

Welcome (back?) to the forum

Sadly  KathyKate38 is no longer a member so will be unable to reply to your post.

Your email has been edited to prevent bots scraping the details.

Regards

David

[Alisha]

On 11/06/2012 at 06:58, Guest HIGHLANDER said:

Hi

I was looking for information regarding" COTTBUS" My wife has in her possession a pencil drawing belonging to her grand father who served in the First World War and was a prisoner at Cottbus. It is a sketch from a play put on by the prisoners namely "The Lion Tame dated 16/11/1918. The signature of the artist I think is L. LANGE or LANGER. There are other names in the drawing too of whichW.GRANT of the KOSB, A.HAYWARD, S.CAREY,W.f.w.WILLIAMS,S.MORGAN. I do not know if this will interest anyone but it seems a shame that such a piece of history should remain hidden away in a folder.

Kindest Regards

David Duncan.

Hi David, 

 

I am writing my thesis on theatre within WW1 prisoner of war camps. Would love to chat more about the drawing!

 

Best wishes, 

Alisha 

Hi again, 

 

Does anyone know what type of prisoner was held at Cottbuss? Soldier or officer?

 

Best wishes, 

Alisha 

[Robert Bueschel]

Hello,

I know that most of the users that posted an article here aren't active, but maybe it's interesting for the other. :-) In my opinion it's not really clear that Cottbus I is the POW-Camp Cottbus-Sielow. I even think so, but e.g. in the report of the IRC (12. april 1916) it's called on second place (II.).

I even tried to localize the two camps on a map. It's easier to localize Sielow, because the streets are even the same. In Merzdorf it's a little bit tricky, in the time of the GDR they changed the whole place and made it to an industrail area.

Greetings from Cottbus, Robert

 

Map-Source: Daten von <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/">OpenStreetMap</a> - Veröffentlicht unter <a href="http://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/">ODbL</a>

[FROGSMILE]

Hello Robert,

Thank you for your interesting posts regarding Cottbus Kriegsgefangenen Lager.  I hope that the museum display that you are organising goes well.

 

Now that you have made 2 posts it is possible for you to send private messages to previous posters that they will receive as an email. You simply click on their profile name, and then on the envelope icon, which opens a typical message format. 

Edited 2 March , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[vintagebobt]

I have just joined this forum as I was trying to find out a bit more about Cottbus in Germany, the reason being I have a bunch of postcards from the First World war sent from "Gaff" ? Cottbus, Germany. Some have names on. There are several with theatrical images as well. How would be the best way to show those on here who may be interested to see them? I can scan them an attach to comments I presume?

[DavidOwen]

8 minutes ago, vintagebobt said:

I have just joined this forum as I was trying to find out a bit more about Cottbus in Germany, the reason being I have a bunch of postcards from the First World war sent from "Gaff" ? Cottbus, Germany. Some have names on. There are several with theatrical images as well. How would be the best way to show those on here who may be interested to see them? I can scan them an attach to comments I presume?

Welcome to the forum

 

There is a dedicated Postcards thread you may wish to contribute to.

 

 

[Robert Bueschel]

3 hours ago, vintagebobt said:

I have just joined this forum as I was trying to find out a bit more about Cottbus in Germany, the reason being I have a bunch of postcards from the First World war sent from "Gaff" ? Cottbus, Germany. Some have names on. There are several with theatrical images as well. How would be the best way to show those on here who may be interested to see them? I can scan them an attach to comments I presume?

Hello vintagebobt and welcome to the forum. I'm very interested in your postcards. We have over 1.200 pictures of the two camps and the pow, but nearly every week we find some new photos. As an example, ilkley remembers send me over 20 pictures and they were nearly completely new for me.
We (Team of the city-museum in Cottbus) still work on an online-exhibition and I hope that we can start with it in may, but at first it's in german. I still hope, that we can translate it in english, french, polish and russian.
Beste regards

Robert

[vintagebobt]

13 minutes ago, Robert Bueschel said:

Hello vintagebobt and welcome to the forum. I'm very interested in your postcards. We have over 1.200 pictures of the two camps and the pow, but nearly every week we find some new photos. As an example, ilkley remembers send me over 20 pictures and they were nearly completely new for me.
We (Team of the city-museum in Cottbus) still work on an online-exhibition and I hope that we can start with it in may, but at first it's in german. I still hope, that we can translate it in english, french, polish and russian.
Beste regards

Robert

I have more to post and I will scan some images during the week

 

[vintagebobt]

I have had time to scan the last few cards I have, a couple are not Cottbus but someone on here may find them interesting and be able to use them. 

 

Nothing on the back of these four but they may relate to the gravestone?

[vintagebobt]

First one - Gaff  party Cottbus Germany 1916

Second One -  Nothing on the back

Third one -  Gaff Cottbus Germany Dec 26th 1916

Fourth one  - British Company March 17 Cottbus Germany

[vintagebobt]

First one - nothing on the back

Second one - 5348 - Mr F Thompson, Cumberland  England

Third one - Nothing on the back

fourth one - Corporal Lane? Somersets Cottbus Germany Dec 26th 1916

fifth one -nothing on the back

sixth one - Welshmen at Friediclfield ? Lagern? 1915

[vintagebobt]

I have found these in the same batch of photos I posted before. There is one showing the town of Cottbus, one showing a cemetery ( no details on card ) one showing a Company of soldiers, on the back it says ' This is A Company when they were in Alexandria, Egypt, and one showing a memorial stone. I hope they may be of interest to someone on here.

[PRC]

On 26/09/2021 at 16:23, vintagebobt said:

Second one - 5348 - Mr F Thompson, Cumberland  England

Could be a co-incidence but a Private 13395 Daniel Thompson, 11th Battalion Regiment, (might it say XI Border Regt. in the bottom right corner?), was captured at Beaumont, (Or Mailly!), 16th November 1916 and initially held at Cambrai. (ICRC report PA9757). In a report prepared for Cottbus Camp dated 25th April 1917 he was recorded as being in Hospital in Berlin since the 13th April 1917, (ICRC Report PA9932).

Image courtesy the International Committee of the Red Cross. Next of kin lives Carlisle Cumberland. https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/837430/698/9932/

On report PA11826 which was received by the ICRC on the 23rd June 1917 and which references Frankfurt, his next of kin is given as his father Daniel D. Thompson. Looks like he was either transferred from Cottbus or Frankfurt was the administrative office for Cottbus. https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/837430/698/11826/

1 hour ago, vintagebobt said:

This is A Company when they were in Alexandria, Egypt

The Motto "Gwell Angau Na Chywilydd" I believe was that of the Welsh Regiment.

Among the pictures available for sale on this website is one captioned "C Company, Welsh Regiment, Alexandria, Egypt 1910.". https://amdally.wordpress.com/tag/officer/

The 1910 Edition of Harts Annual List has the 1st Battalion starting the year at Pembroke Dock, bound for Egypt.
The 1911 Edition of Harts Annual Army List has the 1st Battalion stationed at Alexandria.

I believe seated at the front in the centre will be the Company Commander with his Lieutenants on either side. It's difficult to make out but possibly a medal ribbon on the left breast of the Company Commander. "A" Company is likely to be led by either a Major or a senior Captain. The 1911 edition of Harts shows that the senior Captain in the Regular Army Battalions of the Welsh Regiment who was actually serving with the 1st Battalion was an Arthur Derry, who already held the D.S.O. - but again that could just be a co-incidence

Cheers,
Peter

[vintagebobt]

On 18/01/2023 at 22:11, PRC said:

Could be a co-incidence but a Private 13395 Daniel Thompson, 11th Battalion Regiment, (might it say XI Border Regt. in the bottom right corner?), was captured at Beaumont, (Or Mailly!), 16th November 1916 and initially held at Cambrai. (ICRC report PA9757). In a report prepared for Cottbus Camp dated 25th April 1917 he was recorded as being in Hospital in Berlin since the 13th April 1917, (ICRC Report PA9932).

Image courtesy the International Committee of the Red Cross. Next of kin lives Carlisle Cumberland. https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/837430/698/9932/

On report PA11826 which was received by the ICRC on the 23rd June 1917 and which references Frankfurt, his next of kin is given as his father Daniel D. Thompson. Looks like he was either transferred from Cottbus or Frankfurt was the administrative office for Cottbus. https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/837430/698/11826/

The Motto "Gwell Angau Na Chywilydd" I believe was that of the Welsh Regiment.

Among the pictures available for sale on this website is one captioned "C Company, Welsh Regiment, Alexandria, Egypt 1910.". https://amdally.wordpress.com/tag/officer/

The 1910 Edition of Harts Annual List has the 1st Battalion starting the year at Pembroke Dock, bound for Egypt.
The 1911 Edition of Harts Annual Army List has the 1st Battalion stationed at Alexandria.

I believe seated at the front in the centre will be the Company Commander with his Lieutenants on either side. It's difficult to make out but possibly a medal ribbon on the left breast of the Company Commander. "A" Company is likely to be led by either a Major or a senior Captain. The 1911 edition of Harts shows that the senior Captain in the Regular Army Battalions of the Welsh Regiment who was actually serving with the 1st Battalion was an Arthur Derry, who already held the D.S.O. - but again that could just be a co-incidence

Cheers,
Peter

Brilliant, thank you Peter

On 27/03/2007 at 17:26, Tom Morgan said:

Gavin - I don't have a very detailed map, but Mrs. Pope-Hennessey, in her Map of the Main Prison Camps in Germany and Austria says,

COTTBUS

A busy town on the Spree (pop. 48,600) containing wool, linen and yarn factories.Seventy miles S.E. of Berlin. The camp is situated on rising ground on the outskirts of the town. The buildings radiate from a central guard tower. There is a Y.M.C.A. hut. This is a coal-mining district and the camp is under the same command as Merzdorf. 3rd Army Corps.

Hope this is of interest.

Tom

Thank you Tom