There are many many examples of cruel treatment of prisoners described in the reports that I have seen.
The sentries for example, often had access to full winter clothing while the British and presumably French and Russian prisoners were made to work with only light clothing and rags tied round their feet. The POWs were also kept under close observation with the punishments for any attempted escape being the shooting of fellow POWs.
"Sentries here pure savages, continually butting and striking prisoners; very severely treated. The German officer in charge came nearly every day and ordered sentries, if we did not work to shoot us."
Private Joseph Driscoll
National Archives WO 161/100/361
One of the German Officers whose name crops up in various places in POW reports is the camp Commandant and head of reprisal at Latchen who was named as a Lieutenant Prael ( Prahl) from the Reserve of Artillary and who is described as being "extremely cruel"
36 British soldiers and sailors are buried in the Cemetary, most having died whilst in German Prisoner of War camps during WW1. Remembrance events take place at the Nikolai Cemetary and at St Saviour's Church in Riga, an Anglican Church, the foundations of which were built on British soil brought over in Merchant ships as ballast. I am fortunate to have been present at Jelgava again this year and would like to provide information about the men and the circumstances leading to ther deaths
Pages
Welcome
British WW1 War Graves, Jelgava, Latvia
Welcome to my blogs
I began researching my family history in the 1990s after my Nan told me that my Great Grandfather her Father had been killed in action in 1919. I discovered that his ship HMS Dragon had been shelled by Bermondt's Russian (German) forces at Riga and that 8 other young seamen had also been killed. Their bodies were buried at sea in the Gulf of Riga.
What started as an interest has developed into a hobby as I have become increasing fascinated by the role of the British Navy in the Latvian War of Independance and especially in the personal stories about people who were present and witnessed these events.
While attended a Remembrance Day Cermony at the Nikolai Cemetary at Jelgava in 2004 I viewed the grave of an unknown seaman who had died on 17th October 1919 (perhaps my Greatgrandfather's?) I also saw the graves of the soldiers around me and wondered about their stories.
I discovered that many were British prisoners of war held by the Germans in camps on or near the Eastern Front around Jelgava (Mitau)Many had died from the effects of being ill-treated, from starvation and exposure, some were shot and their bodies left in the snow to be buried later by their comrades.
As with the British Naval Intervention in the Baltic during 1919 I had no prior knowledge of British POWs being held near the Eastern Front in comparison with the campaign on the Western Front.
I'm not at all academic but I have been looking at records recently, in the National Archives at Kew, Hansard documents, Commonwealth Graves Commission and online information and the result are these blogs.
I hope this is of interest to others. Please feel free to comment or make any suggestions.
What started as an interest has developed into a hobby as I have become increasing fascinated by the role of the British Navy in the Latvian War of Independance and especially in the personal stories about people who were present and witnessed these events.
While attended a Remembrance Day Cermony at the Nikolai Cemetary at Jelgava in 2004 I viewed the grave of an unknown seaman who had died on 17th October 1919 (perhaps my Greatgrandfather's?) I also saw the graves of the soldiers around me and wondered about their stories.
I discovered that many were British prisoners of war held by the Germans in camps on or near the Eastern Front around Jelgava (Mitau)Many had died from the effects of being ill-treated, from starvation and exposure, some were shot and their bodies left in the snow to be buried later by their comrades.
As with the British Naval Intervention in the Baltic during 1919 I had no prior knowledge of British POWs being held near the Eastern Front in comparison with the campaign on the Western Front.
I'm not at all academic but I have been looking at records recently, in the National Archives at Kew, Hansard documents, Commonwealth Graves Commission and online information and the result are these blogs.
I hope this is of interest to others. Please feel free to comment or make any suggestions.
FEEDBACK
For more information about events in the Baltic 1918-1920
Search This Blog
Labels
ill-treatment of British Pows
(17)
Prisoner of War
(16)
Reprisal
(15)
St Nikolai
(9)
Jelgava. Mitau
(8)
Latchen
(6)
Mitau
(5)
Private Joseph Driscoll
(5)
Lieutenant Prael
(3)
Private AP Skett
(3)
Remembrance Day
(3)
Seargent C Bennett
(3)
Able Seaman CS Ireland
(2)
Libau
(2)
Private J Farmer
(2)
Rifleman HS Carruthers
(2)
Bandman WP Clarkin
(1)
Company Sgt-Major A Gibb
(1)
Corporal M Purdon
(1)
Private A Skett. Private HS Carruthers
(1)
Private C Brown
(1)
Private CA Irvin
(1)
Private G Boyington
(1)
Private J Archer
(1)
Private W Starling
(1)
River Aa
(1)
Blog Archive
-
▼
2011
(6)
-
▼
January
(6)
- Part 3: Conditions at Latchen camp, Feb 25-April ...
- Part 4: Working conditions at Latchen POW camp, K...
- Part 5: Sentries at the Latchen POW camp, Latvia
- Lieutenant Prael (Prahl)1st Jaegar Regiment 8th Ar...
- The German Spring Reprisals of 1917: Prisoners of ...
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission : Nikolai Cemet...
-
▼
January
(6)
Popular Posts
-
The following are exerpts taken from a precis of a statement by Company Sergeant-Major A. Gibb, 2nd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, who w...
-
Commonwealth War Graves Commission "Jelgava, better known as Mitau, was captured by German forces in the summer of 1915; and in 1919 i...
-
"...about 6 p.m, we entrained 600 men. We did not know for what destination. The Germans at Libau packed our kits and said that they wo...
-
I've been interested in finding information about the circumstances which led to the death of the British soldiers who are buried in Je...
-
"On one occasion a man who was working with me carrying timber fell down with exhaustion about 40 yards from the tent. As the sentry r...
Posts
