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
A start perhaps Wauwil - Wikipedia During World War II, mainly Allied soldiers who were caught after their escape from the Swiss internment camps, were detained in the prison camp Wauwilermoos Wauwilermoos internment camp - Wikipedia TD
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
This might be of interest Switzerland’s Prisoners of War during two world wars and beyond. | Global Geneva
Thats a good link there CL1 - adds to the thread I hope this link shows perhaps the darker side POW Hell in Switzerland TD
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
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.
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
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
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
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?
I apologise to Paul Nield for the trashing of his thread. Well done everyone. Including me for swearing.
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
interesting link see page 22 https://classic.stamps.org/userfiles/file/articles_distinction/Helvetia_Phil_Soc_2012.pdf
