Swiss camps

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

  1. Paul Nield

    Paul Nield Member

    Thankyou In the short time I have been on here I have been overwhelmed with the generosity of everyone, the knowledge and help I have recieved ( and still receiving).
    I feel that this is a group with so much knowledge and it's good that it can be shared amongst each other and not playground antics of "I know more than you ". I hope we can continue learning off each other and helping each other

    Paul
     
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  2. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    This is an area where angels definitely fear to tread without a full set of international treaties, but for the sake of completeness, and in the hope that someone has access to the World War Two version of the Manual of Military Law, this is my contribution.

    My 1939 edition of the "Manual of Military Law" has an entry in the index for "prisoners of war" under the heading of "Internment" but the volume is a reprint of the 1935 edition and upon turning to the page number given, page 285, pages 270-352 are deliberately missing. This should be " Chapter XIV "The Laws And Usages of War On Land" but a note says: "This chapter was revised in 1936, and re-issued as Amendments ( No.12) (q.v.)."

    I lack the Amendments.

    It is possible that member AB64 has a copy since he has photographed portions of the Manual before and I think he has a later edition.

    The 1914 version is here:

    MM4.jpg
     
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  3. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Here's a copy of Paul's grandfather's entry slip into Switzerland. He crossed into Switzerland, as Paul has already told us, with his mate Bill Davies.

    These are held in an archive in Milan and were photographed with all the other slips by Prof. Claretta Coda and a colleague of hers. We now have a record of all the POWs who were helped to cross into Switzerland by Ing. (engineer) Giuseppe Bacciagaluppi and his organisation and will be publishing something in the near future.

    In the meantime, in the same archives is a list of all men being held in PG 29 which I have posted on a separate thread.

    Vitellino

    20 January 2022. I have taken the slips off as I may have infringed copyright in posting them. However, there's more about the escapers on my website : escapetoswitzerland.webador.com
     
    Last edited: Jan 20, 2022
  4. The link below is to the Swiss Archives which holds details of most of those who were interned and usually includes
    a photograh
    Research
    Trevor
     
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  5. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    It would appear the Swiss treated Polish POWs differently, as internees and:
    The Poles formed the 2nd Rifle Division of the French Army and were accompanied by a unidentified French division.

    Link: 80th anniversary of Polish division crossing Swiss border celebrated
     
  6. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Thanks for posting this, davidnfpo.

    However, I have not received the impression from individual testimonies I have read, or from reports by the men's families, that Allied escapers were badly treated once they crossed the border, though at times to their dismay they were disbelieved by the Swiss border guards. More than one remained behind after the war to work and some married Swiss girls - Australian Bill Rudd for example (Shooting Through by Katrina Kittel) and South African R.L.George.

    Whilst interned many also followed their civilian trade, for example T/132094 A.G. Sturgess who was a bricklayer (letter from his sister in answer to a general inquiry from the MOD, 1980 and held in the ISTORETO Archive, Turin). Anyone wishing to follow up this theme should consult WO 32/9895 The National Archives:Treatment of British POWs who escaped to Switzerland 1941-46.

    Many also learned to ski (see Kittel) as did my South African friend's father Gunner Eric Maunder. Other South Africans, such as Private Sidney Feinson, Umvoti Mounted Rifles, referred to in Prisoners of War in the Lomellina: Work Camp 146 Mortara (translated by me from the Italian and available from Lulu.com.) went hill walking.

    Vitellino
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2021
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