Notice
By order of higher authorities, the following British subjects will be evacuated and transferred to Germany.
a. Persons who have their permanent residence not on the Channel Islands, for instance, those who have been caught her by the outbreak of war;
b. All those men not born on the Channel Islands and 16 to 70 years of age who belong to the English people, together with their families.
Detailed instructions will be given by the Feldkommandantur 515.
Der Feldkommandant: KNACKFUSS, Oberst.
Quoted from The German Occupation of Jersey by L.P. Sinel.
This was in response to Briain expelling German spies from Iran in 1941, but due to confusion amongst the various German military groups in Sept. 1941, the original order was never carried out. It was then re-ordered in Sep.t 1942.
The first group to leave went on Sept.16 1942. The deportees made their way to the Weighbridge, where they were examined by 3 local doctors and 1 German doctor. A few exemptions on the grounds of ill health were made, but most of them made ready to leave. They were given refreshments of hot milk and bread and jam, and then supplied with a 1 lb loaf, a jar of paste, a tin of milk, a packet of cigarettes and a slab of chocolate. There is a family legend that Richard, heard about the chocolate and went down and collected a bar. He was then ordered onto the small boat with the rest of the deportees and had to be rescued from deportation then.
'one boy who did manage to get himself some chocolate nearly found himself being shipped off to German until he could convince the Germans that he was not one of the deportees' Roger E Harris Islanders Deported.
Richard was to go on the next transport in October, with his family, my Grandad's brother Bob, wife Dolly and 4 children.
The deportees left for the 2 small boats singing patriotic songs, such as 'There'll always be an England', the Germans were amazed at the show of bravado made by both the Internees and the remaining population. As late as 21.00 hours, it was reported that you could still hear them singing as the boats left the harbour.
Internee Letter 14.5.1942 from Doll, Bob and kids.
The text reads
7/5/43 Dear Bern and Betty, Received your welcome letter this week, glad to hear you are all ok. Have not received any cig's from you yet, but packages arrive from there now, almost daily. Went out on the walk today, the country around is really lovely, now covered with almost ever colour wild flower, and so much bigger than ours. We also have football matches 3 times a week which breaks the monotony, Bob plays goalie for his room, which makes it more exciting for me and the kids, thinking about him transfer for the Arsenal, when we get back. Glad to hear Elsie John and children are all OK give them our very best, Have you received any letters from us yet, Had a couple of letters from Bus Friends of Bob's from England this week, was a pleasant surprise, Mum, Emily and all at home quite well, Bill and Dedie and little Mary are O.K. had a letter from them recently, still at same place, of course it is lovely in summer, Well cheerio, write again soon, we look forward so, to your letters, give girls our very best love and Elsie and John, when you write, Best of love from , Doll, Bob and kids.
Schloss Worzach now.
On arrival the castle was filthy and infested with rats. The men set to and cleaned down the walls with broken bricks and generally cleaned up. It was designated a family camp, but there were not enough rooms for families, so there were smaller families crowded together in large barrack rooms of 30 0or 40 people. Only families with 4 or more children had a room of their own. Doll talks of 'Bob playing goalie for his room', so here was one family of 6 who did not have a room of their own.
Dolly writes of the walks, these were organised to provide exercise and soon reached numbers of 125 people going out 5 times a week. The walks were of different lengths and destinations, some were very boring, the Biberach road, walk 4 miles up a straight road. turn round and come back; whilst others were made more interesting by the camp guards, who showed off their beautiful part of the country. Eventually a park attached to the grounds was annexed and used by the internees, especially the very young and the old or sick, who could not walk too far.
There was very little poor quality food on arrival and internees survived on watery red cabbage soup and a loaf of rye bread shared between 5 people. Some people wrote back to the Channel Islands complaining that they were being starved.
In January 43, it was found out that the Bread Committee; made up of Channel Islanders like themselves and who had control of the bread rationing within the camp, had been stealing the bread ration for themselves. Bread rations were increased at the weekends; the Bread Committee had reduced the weekend ration and kept it for themselves. The Bread Committee were forced to resign and luckily for them, the first issue of Red Cross food parcels was issued which took the edge off the camp's anger.
The German issue of food per day was as follows
46 gms margarine
0.5 gms tea
25 gms sugar
45 gms dries veg
400 gms potatoes
350 gns bread
80 gms tinned fish.
The internees would trade some of their food parcel goods with the Germans, and get some fresh food now and again. The Red Cross parcels stopped reaching Wurzach in late 1944, and emergency rations were sent from Lubeck, but these never arrived. It seems that it was either feast on famine on the food front.
In my previous blog I put on a card from Bobbie, the eldest son, who said 'We have school here but the lessons are too easy'. There were 130 children but no qualified teachers for them, but there were 6 untrained volunteers. The Red Cross tried to get teachers transferred from other camps but to no avail.
Internee Card 14.5.43
The text reads
Dear Betty, just another request letter, do you think you could get me any lipstick, and powder, feel so horrid with nothing, also scurf comb and comb if possible, I suppose you must think me a nuisance, Well its no use asking Jersey for it, they never had anything when we came away, Have you any news of Jim, we often wonder what happened to him, Weather over here wonderful, almost too hot to be comfortable, this is when we miss the sea. Country around here really lovely, wild flowers twice the size of ours; give our best love to Elsie and family, hope all O.K. Don't forget to write soon, Doll, Bob and family.
Internee Letter 14.5.43
Dear Betty and Bernard, Have received very welcome letter, as we are all, All at home, are O.K. according to last letter and going along just as usual. Bern asked in his letter for things that we needed, look here are a few, we are really desperately in need of shoe for Bob (size 8) only pair passed repairing, Kiddies too, are walking on the soles of their feet, can't get an repairs done here, If possible (size 8 for Bernice), size 2 for Ronnie) size 3 Myra Size 4 1/2 Bobby Do you think there us any possibility of getting boys a suit, one for boys of 14, another boy of 10, if impossible, pants only would be more than welcome, everyone one of us need clothes badly I have still a pair of shoes so don't worry about me, could do with a frock of any description, for summer wear, stockings for boys needed, in fact Bett, anything you could get hold of. I think I have already asked if you could get girls, a frock, anything old thing that could be cut up would be welcome, shirts for Bob, his are all going home sports coat and pants, Bernard size would also be about Bob's. Thanking you Betty, I'll know you'll do your utmost for us, hope to repay you someday, Love Doll, Bob Kids.
This letter was written on the same day as the previous card asking for combs, Dolly must have forgotten to include her request for combs in this letter. Notice how Dolly asks for shoes, shirts, sports coat and pants for Bob, shoes, stockings (socks) and clothes for the kids, but only a 'frock of any description' for herself. She also addresses the letter to her sister in law Betty, as one woman to another, and putting the needs of her family before herself.
Reply to Red Cross Telegram from England 16 June 1943
Granny telegrams her mother in law on 16 June 1944, Florence turns it over and makes the following reply. ' Dear Bern and Bett, Received rather delayed message. Hope you all enjoyed holiday. Glad all well. Everyone Okay. Bob says wonderful parcels from you. Love, Mum.' So Dolly requests clothes in a letter on 14 May 1943 and Florence passes on news that 'wonderful parcels' have been received in her reply of 17 Sept 1943. Just above the Bailiff's stamp and to the left is the date the reply was made at the telegraph bureau in Jersey. It takes a while to get your 'eye' into reading the letters but I got there in the end. The pencil marks are fading a bit now but I'm sure I'll get it all done before May 8th. I have gone public now, not just to family and friends.
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