Central Promenade Camp was the second of several camps to be set up in Douglas, on the Isle of Man to house male internees. The process was rushed through at speed in order to accommodate the large numbers of “enemy aliens” being sent to the island from the mainland.

 

The camp opened on 15th June. It had to locate some 1500 internees, but by 21st June, when Grandpa arrived, Central Promenade was operating above the suggested capacity. Over 2000 men had to be housed, so camp conditions were particularly cramped and crowded.

 

Central Camp, as it was called, was situated on the sea front, almost directly in the centre of Douglas Promenade. It comprised a block of 34 requisitioned boarding houses, all of which were surrounded by an enclosure of barbed wire. Twelve of the houses had magnificent views of the sea and Douglas Bay, the rest didn’t. Armed guards would patrol between the two rows of wire on the sea front edge where the tracks of the Douglas Horse Tram were also located.

 

What would Grandpa’s first impressions have been as he approached Douglas harbour from on board the large excursion steamer ship? The idyllic seaside holiday setting, contrasted with the sight of a camp enclosed with barbed wire and soldiers in attendance must have been confusing and unsettling. A stark and poignant reminder of the reality of his predicament and the uncertainty of what lay ahead. Grandpa would have to adjust and somehow get used to his new living quarters and being apart from Grandma and Dad. We know he was in House 13. It’s exact location within the camp is not yet confirmed but a sketch map of Central Camp drawn by internee Dr Henry Mendel, clearly locates House 13 on Castle Drive.

 

Alan Franklin in “Involuntary Ghosts” states “Houses 13-18 had the worst situation being directly opposite the Castle Mona Hotel which was used by the officers.” Poor Grandpa! No 13 really is unlucky for some. Each house had a dining room on the ground floor, a lounge on the 1st floor and one bathroom and two toilets were to be shared by 50-60 men! A narrow L shaped yard at the back of each plot, offered a small amount of outdoor house space.

 

The summer of 1940 was a warm one, so much sunbathing took place. It seems that there was no system in place to allocate rooms. Hans Gal, the Austrian composer who was also interned here, reports needing to be quick off the mark to secure the good, bright rooms with glorious sea views. Not only would Grandpa have had to share a room with others, he would have had to share his bed with a stranger. No sheet, just 1 blanket and 1 uncovered pillow “tolerably filled”. At least there was a well sprung mattress, “luxury” Gal says after having experienced sleeping on a straw lined sack at Huyton transit camp in Liverpool. Furniture was minimal in each room and there was little space to house your personal belongings. A washing facility with running water in the room was a gratefully acknowledged luxury. Gal was lucky to share a room with people he already knew. What about Grandpa? Did he know anyone there and how quickly was he able to connect with his fellow internees? Being thrown together in such close proximity would surely have speeded up the process. Grandpa’s jokes may well have helped to break the ice and to make friends.

 

Cooking : Each house had to appoint it’s own chef . Gal writes “ cooking needs somebody who understands it. Happy the house that counts a gifted cook amongst it’s number”. Food : This would be handed out daily by the supplier outside camp in exact amounts according to the number of internees in each house. Porridge for breakfast and often for evening meal too. Sticky as glue. No sugar or salt available. Grandpa must have missed his sugar cubes, although hopefully, like many other internees, he would have looked forward to receiving a food parcel containing some treats from Grandma. Hygiene was an issue. There was no hot water to wash up with, no dish cloths. Food would be served on damaged crockery and cutlery was scratched.

 

Internees were starved of news, newspapers and communication with the outside world. In his diary, Dr Henry Mendel who was interned at Central, refers to this as being the most difficult part of the experience. “We were completely cut from the world. This was the worst of our sufferings. We had no news of our relatives, no radio and no newspapers. It was like living in a remote island in the Pacific…this led to the wildest rumours spreading and I can assure those who have not experienced this themselves there is nothing worse”.

 

Self Governing : Internees were given a lot of say in the running of the camp. They were very organised and did whatever they could to flourish. Each camp had a University so that internees could learn new skills. Lectures would be held on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from the creative, to the technical as well as the academic. Musical concerts were put on in the bigger lounges of certain houses. They were very popular. This positive use of time helped the internees combat the loneliness and despair caused by being separated from their loved ones during this crucially unsettling phase of the war. These cultural activities kept them going until the news of their release date.

 

Luckily, for Grandpa, his internment at Central Promenade Camp was relatively brief. It ended on 28th September 1940. He had signed up to join the Pioneer Corps. Helping the war effort was the quickest route out of internment for Austrian and German Jewish Refugees. It must have been a great relief, when his release date finally came through.

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JR 2020