THE PRISONERS OF RUHLEBEN CIVILIAN INTERNMENT CAMP ........ 1914 - 1918
"Although unable to fight for our King and country on the battlefield, we endeavoured to maintain the British ideal of patriotism, patience, courage and usefulness through four years".
Ruhleben Gefangenenlager (British Civilian Internment Camp) was established after the outbreak of the First World War at a racetrack in Spandau, a suburb of Berlin, and remained in operation until Armistice Day, 1918. At its peak, the camp held some 4,500 male civilians of military age who had been living or traveling in Germany when war was declared - prisoners were housed in stalls originally intended for racehorses. Most were British, but there were also a few dozen French and Italians, as well as Indians, Jamaicans, West Africans, and Zanzibarees, most of whom had been crew members of British merchant ships docked in German ports. About 300-400 internees were Jewish. Most would not see freedom from the camp until the end of the war, but managed to create and maintain a unique way of life for the four years of their unwelcome internment.The internees established their own camp organization, mail service, social and sports clubs, cultural and educational programs, relief programs, religious services, and hygienic measures.
The racecourse at Ruhleben, home to five and a half thousand civilian POWS in the First World War.
http://ruhleben.tripod.com/
Chris Paton's amazing website includes ....
HERBERT OWEN
Herbert Owen is listed in the surviving register from Barrack 5 at Ruhleben (register number 2), recorded by Neville Stanley Wilkinson in approximately 1916. In the register, Owen is recorded as having been born on August 20th 1879 in Bolton, and is described as having been a fitter prior to his internment. His home address was listed as 12 Ainsdale Street, West Gorton, Manchester. At the time the register was recorded, Owen was noted as staying in loft A.
Owen was recorded as a member of the Ruhleben Lancastrian Society in the Manchester Guardian of January 15th 1915 (p.12). The article is entitled "Interned in Germany: Lancashire's Civilian Prisoners: Full List of Those Detained at Ruhleben".
Between December 22nd and December 27th, Owen spent some time in the camp's Schonungsbaracke. (An H. Owen was also noted as having been in the Schoningsbaracke between January 12th 1918 and January 24th, though this may have been Harold Owen, rather than Herbert.) Herbert relocated to Holland on April 25th 1918.
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