America and Austria-Hungary: Prisoners, including: AMERICA: Escape of German crew...

America and Austria-Hungary: Prisoners, including:

AMERICA:

Escape of German crew members of the SS Dresden from internment on the island of Quiriquina, Chile, including:

• Extracts from intercepted letters from German naval prisoners interned on the island reporting the escape of fifty prisoners.
• Letter from the Chilean Embassy in London explaining the problems experienced in guarding the prisoners, and measures taken to secure the island.
• Enquiry by the Chilean Government into the circumstances of the escape.
• Report by Capt Quicke, the British naval attaché at Santiago, on the conditions of internment of the remaining prisoners.
• Enquiry from the Chilean Government about charges of negligence relating to the escape, and about the possibility of exchanging the remaining prisoners; opinion of the Admiralty that the prisoners should not be exchanged.
• Summary of the findings of the enquiry by the Chilean Government, and of measures to be adopted for the future supervision of the prisoners; observations by the Admiralty on the proposals.
• Report of the arrest at Lerwick, Shetland Islands, of Ernesto Funck-Keen, later identified as First Lieutenant von Koppelow of SS Dresden, with photographic copies of his forged Chilean birth certificate and certificate of identity (in docket no.134745).
• Request from the Chilean Government for a discussion with representatives of the British Government in Santiago concerning the internees of SS Dresden.
• Report by the British Consul in Santiago on the effectiveness of the security measures implemented by the Chilean Government.
• Ruling by the Foreign Office that Lieut-Capt Wieblitz was not eligible for repatriation.
• Unwillingness of the Admiralty to agree to a relaxation of the rules governing the internment of the prisoners.

Internment of German naval prisoners in Argentina, including:

• Proposed transfer of prisoners from the island of Martin Garcia to the military port at Bahia Blanca; reservations expressed by the Admiralty about the proposal.
• Measures taken by Argentine Government to prevent the escape of prisoners.
• Objection by the Admiralty to the proposal to transfer German prisoners to Rio Santiago.
• Intercepted letter from the island of Martin Garcia, reporting the escape of Lieutenant Steffan and Sub-Lieutenant Lange from the island.
• Extract from The Official Bulletin of 29 June 1917, reporting on measures taken by the American Government for the internment of prisoners.

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY:

Transfer of British and Austrian invalid civilian prisoners to Switzerland, including:

• Advice from the War Office that the terms of the proposed arrangement by Austro-Hungarian Government should not be accepted.
• Agreement in principle by Swiss Government to accept the internment of British and Austro-Hungarian prisoners.
• Support of the scheme by Swedish Government; objections by British Government due to the problems of transporting prisoners through enemy countries.
• Recommendation that Austro-Hungarian prisoners should be transferred to Switzerland via Holland; objection to this proposal by the War Office.
• Petition addressed to the Swiss Legation in London by interned German civilian prisoners at Alexandra Palace, requesting assistance in obtaining their repatriation.

Delivery of parcels and other matters relating to interned British prisoners in Austria-Hungary, including:

• Question of the despatch of food parcels to uninterned Allied subjects in Austria.
• Report by Mr T Cardeza of US Embassy in Vienna on visits to civilian internment camps at Drosendorf, Grossau, Meires, and to civilians interned at Raabs in Austria.
• Request by the Central Prisoners of War Committee for an official list of all British civilian prisoners interned in Austria-Hungary.
• Mr A E Adlerstein: complaint about regulations preventing him from sending parcels to his son confined at Prag in Austria; comments by the War Office.
• Mrs James Strain: report on conditions for interned British civilians at Raabs.
• Dental requirements of British subjects interned at Grossau.
• Advice from the Austrian Government relating to the packing and addressing of parcels for prisoners.
• Christmas Gift Relief Fund: statement of accounts for the year 1916.
• Report on the bad condition of parcels from the UK sent to Karlstein, Lower Austria.
• Information on the location of internment camps in Austria-Hungary.
• Mr Leslie E Hill: report on the distribution of parcels at Grossau Camp.
• Revised monetary allowances and postal regulations for interned civilian prisoners in Austria-Hungary.
• Reports by officials from US Embassy in Vienna on internment camps at Grossau and Drosendorf.
• Threat of reprisals by the Austrian authorities to prisoners at Karlstein; letter from Richard Henry Blakey.
• Details of the number and location of British subjects interned and confined in Austria-Hungary (in docket no.102618).
• Reports of non-receipt and interference with parcels sent to Grossau.
• List of names of British subjects interned at camps at Katzenau, Karlestein and Raabs, and names of those interned in other accommodation.
• Report (French language) by Spanish officials on the officers' camp at Salzerbad.
• Report of an interview with Mrs Jane Baxter, following her repatriation, on conditions in Austria.
• Request for information on Mercantile Marine officers interned at Salzerbad.
• Printed copy of a (French language) Red Cross report of August 1917 on visits to prison camps in Austria and Bulgaria.
• Complaints about conditions at Gratz Camp and about the transfer of British prisoners from Grossau to Katzenau: recommendation for an inspection by the Spanish authorities of the camps at Gratz and Katzenau.
• Non-receipt of parcels at Katzenau and Raabs camps; statement by the General Post Office on the delivery of mail to Austria-Hungary.
• Report of an interview with Mademoiselle Goudard, formerly interned at Katzenau Camp.
• List of British subjects interned or confined in Austria and Hungary (in docket no.210573).
• Report by Johan Fleischmann of the Spanish Embassy in Vienna on conditions at Katzenau Camp.
• Request for clothing for British subjects interned in Hungary.
• Ephraim de la Rue: information on his arrest and internment at Raabs.
• David Simpson: advice from the Foreign Office regarding a proposal by his brother, Alex Simpson, to accept employment in a shipyard in Budapest.
• List of British subjects confined at Drosendorf (in docket no.229870).
• Information from the Spanish Embassy in Vienna that no internment camps existed at Gratz or Wels, but that some British civilians were confined in those areas (a list of those confined at Wels is in docket no.235543).
• Petition from British civilians interned in Budapest requesting assistance from the Central Prisoners of War Committee (signatures in docket no.233128).
• Report by Mr L E Gill, a repatriated British Red Cross orderly, on conditions in Austrian camps.

Code 1245, code 1203 America: Files 14678-148251 (complete). Austria-Hungary: Files 181-204.

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