Parrafin/Kerosene

[Aaron Pegram]

Gday fellas,

I was carrying out some research in Kew last April, and was looking at the records of the Committee on the Treatment of British Prisoners of War, specifically looking at the Australian POW. Amongst many cases of German brutality against Australians I came across this statement from Capitan D. P. Wells of the 13th Battalion AIF, who was captured at Bullecourt:

At about midnight 11/12th April [1917], in my response to my desire for a drink, I was given kerosene, which I refused to drink, despite the fact I was held down whilst a German NCO compel me to drink the kerosene. One of my corporals, Corporal Stewart [14th Bn?], unfortunately drank some of the kerosene before it was brought to me. He died shortly afterwards. I received no attention whatever during my stay in the dug-out, and when I left on the morning of the 12th April I was in a very weak condition, my wounds still bleeding

Why would the Germans be issuing kerosene or paraffin oil to captured wounded prisoners? I came across a few Australian statements mentioning 'revolver' carrying Wurttemberg Ambulancemen issuing the coup de grace to Australian wounded, but Wells was wounded in the ankle by a bomb which was hardly a mortal wound.

I have come across statements where paraffin/kerosene has been menetioned, but cant find any reference to its usage for any medicinal use, aside for its laxative effects. That the Australians thought that the Germans were trying to kill them is understandable.

Was it really used to kill prisoners? I personally doubt it. A bullet would have been far more economical and effective, and could have been issued during the heat of battle and afterwards when a blind eye would have been turned.

Any ideas?

Cheers,

Aaron.

[truthergw]

My only suggestion for the prisoners being given kerosene to drink is an act of sadism by the NCO concerned. There was a laxative called liquid paraffin which was and perhaps still is, widely available.

[auchonvillerssomme]

Maybe the water was brought up in petrol or kerosene cans and was tainted.

Mick

Cpl stewarts death, he was wounded after all, may just have been a coincidence.

Mick

[Aaron Pegram]

Yeah I thought about that, but Stewart and Wells were old salts. Stewart had spent some time on Gallipolli before being repatriated home with bomb fragments in the knee, and Wells had been in France for about a year. They would have been used to water tasting like petrol had they had spent any time in the front line.

I cant find any evidence to tell me where Stewart was wounded. You could be right - Stewarts death could simply have been coincidental timing. But it doesn't explain why the Germans were administering something which resembled (if not) parrafin.

Cheers,

Aaron.

[centurion]

Some early painkillers were based on coca leaves disolved in kerosene (even today kerosene is used in the manufacture of cocaine but seperated out using an acid after it has disolved the active ingredients from the coca leaves). Sherlock Homes' ten percent solution may well have contained kerosene!. Its there for possible that the German sergeant may have been attempting to administer a pain killer rather than poison his prisoners

The only other medicinal uses I've seen is for some varieties of the stuff to be used as an antiseptic and In the Confederate Army it was used as a treatement for Dipheria but applied externaly to the throat. Neither of these cases fit the situation described.

I'd go for painkiller (aftr all why poison your prisoners when there were far more direct methods readily available?)

[Mark Hansen]

The only medicinal usage I know of for kerosene is for getting rid of head lice (no longer recommended). Perhaps it may have also been used for body lice but obviously both of these would be external applications and not the treatment you were referring to.