Grandpa’s Internment on the Isle of Man – June to September 1940

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Along with thousands of other “enemy aliens”,  most of whom were genuine Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi oppression, we know that Grandpa was interned on the Isle of Man during the summer of 1940.

 

Internment was the result of official government opinion that decreed “the extremity of events justified drastic precautions” (p33 in Connery Chappell’s Book “Island of Barbed Wire : The Remarkable Story of World War Two Internment on the Isle of Man”).

 

What were these events? Well, shortly after war was declared, tribunals for all “enemy aliens” began. “Enemy aliens” were put into one of three categories :

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Category A – aliens who were considered to be the most dangerous, an immediate threat to national security were to be interned straight away – about 600 individuals comprising pro fascists, pro communist and trade unionists.

Category B – aliens who were deemed suspicious in some way were not to be interned but were subject to restrictions on their freedom of movement – limited travel and no cameras/telescopes without permission of police.

Category C – aliens who were genuine Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi oppression were not to be interned. These “friendly aliens” could remain at liberty. The government didn’t want to repeat the situation that occurred during WW1 when over 30,000 men were interned regardless of nationality. However, the outcome of these tribunals varied hugely depending on where you were in the country.

 

It seemed that tribunals had no overall standards to work to. In Leeds where Grandpa and Grandma were, our research has highlighted the harshness of the outcome for Category B aliens. We’d like to know more about this. We know that Grandpa and Grandma were classed as Category B on 16th October 1939 but a second Tribunal on 14th May 1940 recategorised them as Category C. Category B aliens were rounded up and interned in May. Given that we know Grandpa was interned on 21st June, it seems likely that we assume that he was rounded up with the Category C aliens. The fall of France and the Low Countries in quick succession was put down to sabotage by pro Nazis and this changed the feelings towards refugees allied to Britain.

 

Winston Churchill’s drastic call to “Collar The Lot”, was activated on 21st June 1940 when a government circular was released calling for the internment of all Category C men. Grandpa’s fate was sealed. Grandma remained at liberty probably because she was looking after Dad. Grandpa would have been arrested from his home at Reginald Terrace in Leeds. The police would have come knocking at the door at any time of day. How frightening an experience this must have been for all the family. Grandpa would have been taken to the nearest police station before being held in a transit camp. We’re unsure as to the location of this but what we do know is that Grandpa was to spend the next three months, separated from his wife and young son, interned on the Isle of Man at Central Promenade Camp.

 

One small glimmer of hope that may have gone some way to sweeten the bitter pill and provide some comfort to anxious internees as to what would befall them, came in the form of a letter, which was addressed "To The Internees of The Isle of Man", from S. W. Slatter, Lieutenant – Colonel, the Commandant of the Isle of Man Internment Camps. It offered some words of support, encouragement and advice:

 

“It is my wish that every man who enters internment on this Island shall be assured that nothing avoidable will be done that might add to his discomfort or unhappiness”.  “There will be no aggression” and “the officers and troops who are given charge of you are men of understanding”.

 

JR 2020

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