POW in Senne camp Germany

[migky]

Can any one please tell me any thing on this mans time in the POW camp please?

I have his Attention papers and his medal card and his record of his death from the CWGC site too

I would like to try and find anything i can on his time in the POW and if there were any records of his escape?

I have just received a letter from the red cross ( in French ) i have transcribed it the best i could below.

On it they have him as a L.Corp but i have no knowledge of this?

Name surname John MARTIN

Rank L. Corp

Incorporation Connaught Rangers 10765

Lieu capture Guise

Lieux detention of prisoners of war in German hands present in the camp Senne (according to a list received on 16.12.1914, a list received on 20.02.1915 and a list with information of non datee

Provenance list of three German authorities

The CWGC report.

THE FAMILY WAS LIVING AT " FAIR HILL ROAD, IN THE CLADDAGH AT THE TIME OF JOHNS DEATH. JOHN`S SERVICE NUMBER AND REGIMENT WERE; PRIVET 10765 THE FIRST CONNAUGHT RANGERS. JOHN HAD ESCAPED FROM A GERMAN PRISON OF WAR CAMP IN 1915. JOHN`S MEDALS: Victory Medal A/102B5 694, British War Medal AND 14 Star A/6 62. REMEMBERED: BASSRA MEMORIAL IRAQ (40&64)

Many thanks

Migky

[Doug Johnson]

I can find no record of his escape in WO161 or FO383 which is odd. Possibly it was before the committee was formed or really got going. There are a few repatriations that do not seem to have been interviewed. The L/Cpl could be either a field promotion which was not recorded which is unlikely or possible a "self promotion" which was not uncommon and a way for PoWs to avoid work. Self promotion seems to have been relatively easy to get away with, at least for a time though I am not sure that escaping work went down as far as L/Cpl and even so most ended up working as a way of relieving the boredom and getting better food. There is a small list of some of the Connaught Rangers at Sennelager in 1915 but he is not on it (FO383).

If you put Senne or Sennelager into the search engine you will find more information on the camp including some photographs.

Doug

[archangel9]

There is a small list of some of the Connaught Rangers at Sennelager in 1915 but he is not on it (FO383).

Hi Doug,

Any chance I could get a copy of this list?

John

[migky]

I can find no record of his escape in WO161 or FO383 which is odd. Possibly it was before the committee was formed or really got going. There are a few repatriations that do not seem to have been interviewed. The L/Cpl could be either a field promotion which was not recorded which is unlikely or possible a "self promotion" which was not uncommon and a way for PoWs to avoid work. Self promotion seems to have been relatively easy to get away with, at least for a time though I am not sure that escaping work went down as far as L/Cpl and even so most ended up working as a way of relieving the boredom and getting better food. There is a small list of some of the Connaught Rangers at Sennelager in 1915 but he is not on it (FO383).

If you put Senne or Sennelager into the search engine you will find more information on the camp including some photographs.

Doug

Hi Doug, thanks for your reply. I will follow up what you said and search for anything on the camp.

Migky

[Doug Johnson]

John,

What are you interested in? The list is a bit more than just names and numbers as it gives shoe sizes, height etc. In the mean time the names as follows;

Connaught Rangers in Sennelager

9401 Sgt Halfpenny, G

9026 Sgt Hayes, S

9386 Sgt McGuirk, J

9455 Cpl Leach, F

9635 Cpl O’Hara, J

7919 L/Cpl Herbert, J

9726 L/Cpl Shields, J

9045 Pte Bonnick, G

10741 Pte Walker, T

10102 Pte Smith, A

9855 Pte Hurt, W

9465 Pte Couldwell, F

8930 Pte Eden, F

7770 Pte Tougher, J

7955 Pte Black, J

Migky,

I trust you understood that the search was for this part of the forum.

Doug

[archangel9]

Doug,

My interest is in Connaught Rangers in general but specifically a cousin of my great grandfather who was taken PoW on 26th August 1914 at Le Grand Fayt - 6579, Peter Callaghan, 2nd Bn. He is not on the list but there are others taken prisoner that day who are, e.g. 9045, Bonnick. Any information you have on other Connaught Rangers PoW's would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

John

[SiegeGunner]

Just to clarify the place name, which is Sennelager - so named after the military camp first established on the Senne in the mid-1800s. The German name of the POW camp was the Kriegsgefangenenlager Sennelager - the point being that -lager is part of the place name and not itself a reference to the POW camp.

[migky]

Just to clarify the place name, which is Sennelager - so named after the military camp first established on the Senne in the mid-1800s. The German name of the POW camp was the Kriegsgefangenenlager Sennelager.

Thanks for the clarification on the camps name and place .

Migky

[Marco]

See http://www.archive.org/details/mapofmainprisonc00poperich

It is mentioned there

Regards,

Marco

[Doug Johnson]

"Just to clarify the place name, which is Sennelager - so named after the military camp first established on the Senne in the mid-1800s. The German name of the POW camp was the Kriegsgefangenenlager Sennelager."

I am not sure that that is strictly correct. The place name appears to be Senne and the military camp Sennelager ie Senne camp or the camp at Senne. Kriegsgefangenenlager Senne i.e "prisoner of war camp at Senne" appears to be a name sometimes used for the camp, often shortened to Senne when it is obvious that the PoW camp is being referred to. In fact there were at one time four PoW type camps there, referred to as Senne I, II, III and IV, thought the title of Senne I was actually Zivilgefangenenlager Senne I at some time as it was a civil internment camp. Doegen refers to the prisoner of war camp as just Senne in 1919. Sennelager is also used presumably as it forms part of the military camp and it is a lot easier to use than the full name though it is usually obvious what camp is being referred to (I have several PoW postcards which clearly state things like "Kriegsgefangenen im Sennelager" ie prisoners of war in Sennelager and one which gives an address as Block 2, English Camp, Sennelager by Paderborn)

It is useful to remember that there is also a long standing military camp and training ground there as it helps to avoid confusion though this applies equally to other PoW camps in Germany eg Wahn.

Doug