Not only have the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) released on-line many of their First World War period records covering prisoners of war, but also the Royal Air Force Museum have digitised their collection of 'casualty cards' (and related records) for the same conflict. Here is an example of how these two sets of records can work together. The release of these records is an exciting development, making it much easier to research individual servicemen - in this context, particularly prisoners of war and internees - from the comfort of your own home. For this example I am using the case of Lieutenant William Reid of the Royal Flying Corps, who was the first victim of the German air ace Max Immelman.
If you are mainly interested in the International Committee of the Red Cross records about prisoners of war, start reading just after the second image below.
Lieutenant William Reid's papers are held at the Royal Air Force Museum, London. He was shot down by Immelman - inventor of the legendary 'Immelman Turn' air combat manoeuvre- on 1 August 1915.
Lieutenant William Reid's papers are held at the Royal Air Force Museum, London. He was shot down by Immelman - inventor of the legendary 'Immelman Turn' air combat manoeuvre- on 1 August 1915.
The image above (courtesy of RAF Museum) shows the front of Reid's casualty card, and is from was the records kept by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). The card indicates Reid's original regiment - 6th Battalion, King's (Liverpool) Regiment - from which he was attached to the RFC. The card records that Reid went missing on 1 August 1915. News that Reid was a prisoner of war at Munster was received through a letter sent by another PoW that October, Lieutenant H.M. Goode RFC. By February 1916, the card indicates that Reid's father was hearing from him regularly (presumably through the letters that are now at the RAF Museum). For example, that April he wrote home to his parents: “You ask about the bread from Switzerland. Well, it takes about two weeks to arrive, so it is rather stale by the time it gets here. It is also remarkably full of holes, but it’s quite eatable.” Around this time, the Swiss Red Cross were sending out about 25,000 bread parcels each week (note that this was the national Swiss Red Cross society, as opposed to the international body that was the ICRC).
He was then being held prisoner at Fürstenburg, Germany). According to this source, this was: "A small town fifty miles north of Berlin. The officer prisoners are quartered in a well-known summer hotel or Erholungsheim, with a good view over the surrounding country and lake, a mile from the town. It has a glass verandah and the grounds are considerable. Walks are permitted."
On 4 June 1916, the card indicates that Reid was transferred to Switzerland - in other words, he was interned. Reid was in the first group of British prisoners of war held by the Germans to be interned in Switzerland. His letters home (as I mentioned, held in the RAF Museum's archives) suggest that officer internees had a relatively easy life. On arriving in Switzerland, Reid wrote to his parents to request clothes, 1000 cigarettes, Gilbert and Sullivan records for his gramophone, his camera and his butterfly collecting equipment! He seems to have spent most of his time in Switzerland catching butterflies, playing tennis and bridge, dancing, going to tea and having picnics. Of course it is possible that he omitted to mention any hardships in order to prevent his family from worrying!
He was then being held prisoner at Fürstenburg, Germany). According to this source, this was: "A small town fifty miles north of Berlin. The officer prisoners are quartered in a well-known summer hotel or Erholungsheim, with a good view over the surrounding country and lake, a mile from the town. It has a glass verandah and the grounds are considerable. Walks are permitted."
On 4 June 1916, the card indicates that Reid was transferred to Switzerland - in other words, he was interned. Reid was in the first group of British prisoners of war held by the Germans to be interned in Switzerland. His letters home (as I mentioned, held in the RAF Museum's archives) suggest that officer internees had a relatively easy life. On arriving in Switzerland, Reid wrote to his parents to request clothes, 1000 cigarettes, Gilbert and Sullivan records for his gramophone, his camera and his butterfly collecting equipment! He seems to have spent most of his time in Switzerland catching butterflies, playing tennis and bridge, dancing, going to tea and having picnics. Of course it is possible that he omitted to mention any hardships in order to prevent his family from worrying!
The back of the card (below, again courtesy of RAF Museum) shows that in March 1918, Reid was repatriated to England. This was presumably because his injuries were persisting and were felt to prevent him being of any use to the war effort. Such repatriations of German and British personnel had begun in 1917 following an agreement between those two countries. There was also a similar Franco-German repatriation agreement.
Turning now to the ICRC records, which cover Reid's time as a prisoner of war in Germany...
The first thing that is not exactly straightforward is that you will not find "Reid" in the logical place in the alphabetical sequence of names. As the ICRC website explains, names that sounded similar were filed together, so "Reid" is under "Read", which also includes men called "Reed". Read/Reed/Reid (etc.) is then broken down by regiment, with 'our' Lt. Reid being found under "Read (King's Liverpool Regiment)". The two 'PA' numbers on this card link to other records held by the ICRC, shown below.
(Image at left courtesy of ICRC).
(Image at left courtesy of ICRC).
'PA 4108' leads to this handwritten list (left) of British officers held as prisoners of war at Fürstenburg, dated 26 January 1916. Some names, including Reid's, are circled in red, while other names are circled in blue. I have not yet attempted to work out what this means.
Below is a detail of the section showing Reid's entry.
Both images courtesy of ICRC.
Below is a detail of the section showing Reid's entry.
Both images courtesy of ICRC.
The number PA 5191 refers to this typed list dated 28 June 1916 of hospitalised British officers who were prisoners of war. Reid's name is underlined, along with one other. Given the date - one day before the air force records state that Reid was interned in Switzerland, it seems likely that there is a connection with the fact that he was about to leave for internment.
Again, below is a detail of the section showing Reid's entry.
Both images courtesy of ICRC.
Again, below is a detail of the section showing Reid's entry.
Both images courtesy of ICRC.
As is often the case with this sort of research, there are a number of possible leads going off at tangents that you could pursue, and that might lead to useful contextual information.
Regarding Reid himself, as he was an air war casualty, and due to the fame of the man who shot him down, there is considerable relevant (and reliable!) information available on the internet. Here is a diary from a member of Reid's RFC squadron (No.2) that records that unit's actions on the day he was shot down: "1 August 1915. Lt.s Reid, Leather & I ascended at 5.0 am with six bombs each to drop on Vitry aerodrome... At the time of writing Lt. Reid has not returned. 2 August 1915. The Germans dropped a message last night over the French lines saying that Lt. William Reid is a prisoner & wounded in two places in the left arm but not seriously. He was hit by anti-aircraft fire." (see the source website for an explanation about the mention of anti-aircraft fire).
And here is an interesting newspaper article from the Ilkley Gazette that gives more details about Reid's wartime and post-war life. It describes how in 1920 he gained second place in a motorcycle race despite the persisting effects of his wartime injuries to his elbow. Apparently Reid fired about 60 shots before his gun jammed. He then flew with his left hand and fired a pistol with his right. He was hit four times in his left arm, and lost his engine. After Reid had crashed, Immelmann landed near him and took him prisoner.” The article quotes his grandson, who confirms that Reid "was interned both in POW camps and Switzerland, having been deemed by the Germans to be unfit to be of any use in further active service." He add “He married his Swiss-Italian nurse whilst in Switzerland and on his return to England he taught the Queen’s father to fly, at RAF Cranwell."
So there you have it: an interesting set of records that allows us to trace the story of an individual prisoner of war who was held by the Germans and then interned in Switzerland.
Regarding Reid himself, as he was an air war casualty, and due to the fame of the man who shot him down, there is considerable relevant (and reliable!) information available on the internet. Here is a diary from a member of Reid's RFC squadron (No.2) that records that unit's actions on the day he was shot down: "1 August 1915. Lt.s Reid, Leather & I ascended at 5.0 am with six bombs each to drop on Vitry aerodrome... At the time of writing Lt. Reid has not returned. 2 August 1915. The Germans dropped a message last night over the French lines saying that Lt. William Reid is a prisoner & wounded in two places in the left arm but not seriously. He was hit by anti-aircraft fire." (see the source website for an explanation about the mention of anti-aircraft fire).
And here is an interesting newspaper article from the Ilkley Gazette that gives more details about Reid's wartime and post-war life. It describes how in 1920 he gained second place in a motorcycle race despite the persisting effects of his wartime injuries to his elbow. Apparently Reid fired about 60 shots before his gun jammed. He then flew with his left hand and fired a pistol with his right. He was hit four times in his left arm, and lost his engine. After Reid had crashed, Immelmann landed near him and took him prisoner.” The article quotes his grandson, who confirms that Reid "was interned both in POW camps and Switzerland, having been deemed by the Germans to be unfit to be of any use in further active service." He add “He married his Swiss-Italian nurse whilst in Switzerland and on his return to England he taught the Queen’s father to fly, at RAF Cranwell."
So there you have it: an interesting set of records that allows us to trace the story of an individual prisoner of war who was held by the Germans and then interned in Switzerland.
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