Germany: Prisoners, including: Recovery of bank balances and money due to former...

FO 383/498

1919

Germany: Prisoners, including:

Recovery of bank balances and money due to former prisoners of war:

• Cheque for 56,090 marks and 86 pfennigs to the credit of British prisoners of Friedrichsfeld prisoner of war camp.
• Enquiries into transfer of credit and payments due to British mercantile marines repatriated from Germany.
• Transfer of prisoner of war camp credits of British prisoners to Netherlands Legation.
• Repayment of advances made by German Government on behalf of British Government to mercantile marine officers interned in Germany: letter drawing attention to article 224 of Peace Treaty on the reciprocal agreement to waive all repayment of maintenance sums.

Relief of British prisoners of war in Belgium:

• Miss Hilda Gertrude Pratt, possible award of an Order of the British Empire for her work helping British prisoners of war in Belgium: auto-biographical account of her work; views of Chevalier de Kattendyke and Countess d'Alcantara as to authenticity of Miss Pratt's account; enquiries as to truth of claim to have been decorated by the King of Belgium.
• Request for advice as to disposal of 420,000 Belgian francs by the Central Prisoner of War Committee.
• Replacement of stocks of clothing supplied by the Comité National to British prisoners of war in Belgium.
• Details of expenditure on behalf of British prisoners of war up to 15 February 1919, from funds provided by the Central Prisoner of War Committee.
• Miss Hilda Gertrude Pratt: note from Mr Sullivan, Vice-Consul at Ghent, on authenticity of Miss Pratt's claim to have been decorated by the Belgian King for her work with prisoners of war; denial by Miss Pratt of having written original account and provision of a new statement; various reports respecting the services rendered by Miss Pratt during the German occupation of Ghent.
• Funds placed at disposal of Netherlands Legation by Central Prisoner of War Committee: letter acknowledging receipt of a total of 714,676,80 Belgian francs.
• Work done by the Liége Committee of the Belgian Red Cross on behalf of the Allied wounded after the conclusion of the Armistice.

Search for information on missing Allied soldiers and prisoners of war:

• Letter from Mrs May Elliot of Wimbledon, requesting that a commission be sent to Germany to visit all prisoner of war camps, hospitals and fortresses and recommending that all records of prisoners be demanded of German Government.
• Undated article from the Daily Mail dispelling notions of deliberate concealment of British prisoners of war by Germans.
• 2nd Lieutenant Luke F R Coleridge, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, wounded and missing at Givenchey: request by his mother, Mrs J Coleridge, that further steps be taken to trace the missing.
• Press notice issued by the Interdepartmental Committee on Prisoners of War on efforts to trace missing officers and men; with printed copy of article from The Times, dated 4 January 1919.
• Scheme drawn up at Berlin and accepted by Spa Conference requiring German Government to notify local authorities to assist search parties.
• Instructions to Second Army regarding plan to locate missing soldiers and prisoners.

Code 1218 Files 17-26 (to paper 555)

Files 17-26 (to pp.555)

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Clothing

Internment

International

Army

Medals

Treaties and alliances

Europe and Russia

Navy

Banking