Swiss camps

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by Paul Nield, Mar 18, 2020.

  1. Paul Nield

    Paul Nield Member

    20200106_120101-1512x2016.jpg Wondering if anyone has any information on this camp in Switzerland. My grandad was held here after escaping Italy. It seems they were aloud to roam the local town and integrate with locals
     

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  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

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  3. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    According to international law whilst a combatant evading capture by entering a neutral country was subject to internment but an escaping POW was not so he should have been free to wander around. The camp may have acted as some form of hostel. During WW1 a number of ski resorts/hotels, empty because of the war, were adapted for this function and so this may have been repeated in WW2.
    The internees at Wauwilermoos should be combatants who had been originally interned after crossing into Switzerland and then absconded rather than POWs who had escaped into Switzerland
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2020
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  4. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  5. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Thats a good link there CL1 - adds to the thread I hope this link shows perhaps the darker side POW Hell in Switzerland

    TD
     
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  6. Paul Nield

    Paul Nield Member

    I know he was " permitted" to wander around the local town - as he befriended a couple of the local young ladies - the pics being postcards sent to him from 1 or two of his " swiss miss" as my nan calls them
     
  7. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    The article misses a vital element about the WW1 internment. This was that it was the result of agreements made between the Allies and the Central Powers brokered by the Red Cross whereby wounded POWs could be exchanged into Switzerland. Such internees were medically reassessed after a year and if they were still unfit for combat duties but capable of travel they were repatriated to their home country, if found to be fully fit they were interned in Switzerland. The initial batches of POWs exchanged into Switzerland were French POWs who had contracted TB whist held by the Germans. The Swiss already had TB sanatoriums. This formed the model for agreements involving Britain and Russia. The cost of housing these internees was met by their own government. I believe that there was a similar scheme in WW2 albeit on a much smaller scale.
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2020
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  8. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    There could be more details in his Intl Red Cross - I dont have the details but there are links to obtain this info, but you need to be warned that when their slot is open for requests it also shuts again very quickly, sometimes I think its only open for an hour or so

    TD
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2020
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  9. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi Richard,

    As discussed via PM I’m aware Paul applied to ICRC in January for his gf papers but here is a link in case anyone else needs it.

    Requests for information about people held during Spanish Civil War or Second World War: Quarterly limit reached

    Steve
     
  10. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    But this thread is about WW2

    I usually ignore your posts but have unignored this particular one as it doesnt seem to add anything to the OPs needs

    TD
     
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  11. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Yawn

    Your knee jerk hostility is becoming boring

    However
    The article in the link referred to both WW1 and WW2 Swiss internment
    As I pointed out in my post practice in WW1 was repeated in WW2
    The OP seems to have liked it so what's your beef?
     
  12. A-58

    A-58 Not so senior Member

    Y'all behave before the mods shut this one down too please.
     
  13. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Oh for fuck's sake not again.

    Shut up you lot I'm fucking sick of it.
     
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  14. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

  15. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    ric2.jpg
     
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  16. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I apologise to Paul Nield for the trashing of his thread.
    Well done everyone.
    Including me for swearing.
     
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  17. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Not your fault Owen but IMHO there is a common denominator to all of this....

    Steve
     
  18. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Perhaps we should all ask ourselves why we use this forum.

    In my case:

    to look for an answer to something that I haven't been able to resolve on my own

    to share something I have discovered which may be of interest to others and to collaborate with other users of the forum

    to see if I can help somebody who is looking for information in areas about which I have accumulated a certain amount of knowledge.
    At the moment a contact of mine up in the Lomellina rice-growing area to the south west of Milan is trying to find the family who helped Paul's grandfather Charles Browne in the period between the Armistice and his arrival in Switzerland


    That's what I think this forum is all about.

    Vitellino
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2020
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  19. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    Well said, Vitellino.

    PL1.jpg
     
  20. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

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