Billy Brooke - CEF

[marc leroux]

I was doing some research on CEF soldiers from my hometown area and came across William "Billy" Brooke. He was taken prisoner at Ypres on April 24, 1915, then (according to the newspaper article) he was sentenced to 12 years in a German prison for refusing to work in a munitions factory.

His VWM entry can be found here

The newspaper article I referred to is in the digital photo section on the VWM.

Was it common for prisoners of war to be forced into factory work? What type of imprisonment would he have received? 12 years seems awful specific, more like it was a criminal charge, not a war-time crime. And wouldn;t this have been against the Geneva Convention of the time?

Any other resources I should explore?

Thanks

marc

[Broznitsky]

Marc, most Canuck POWs were taken April 24th. The Hague Convention allowed both sides to put all but officers to work. Canadian prisoners were employed in all sorts of conditions and places, from farms to factories to steel mills to salt mines.

The incident involving Billy Brooke occurred at Bokelah in spring 1916. Some Canadians were involved in acts of sabotage and other resistance that led to a bayonet assault that killed one and left 19 facing court martial. One man from McGill was condemned to death, commuted to 13 years solitary; 6 others, including Billy, got 12 years at Cologne military prison. Brooke sent a letter home flattering the prison conditions and the comment "Mother, you know I'm not George Washington." He died in cells.

In all, 28 Canadian officers and 255 ORs died in German hands.

I have pinched all the above from Morton's When Your Number's Up, Chapter IX Fannigans.

Another book that could be of interest is Moynihan's Black Bread and Barbed Wire: Prisons in the First World War. I have not read this.

Peter in Vancouver

[mordac]

Was it common for prisoners of war to be forced into factory work? What type of imprisonment would he have received? 12 years seems awful specific, more like it was a criminal charge, not a war-time crime. And wouldn;t this have been against the Geneva Convention of the time?

Hi Marc:

The combatants were operating under the articles of war laid out in the 'Second Peace Conference,' The Hague, October 18, 1907. Following is the article pertaining to prisoners of war:

Chapter II

Article 6

The State may utilize the labour of prisoners of war according to their rank and aptitude, officers excepted. The task shall not be excessive and shall have no connection with the operations of the war.

Prisoners may be authorized to work for public service, for private persons, or on their own account.

Work done for the State is paid for at rates in force for work of a similar kind done by soldiers of the national army, or, if there are none in force, at a rate according to work executed.

When the work is for other branches of the public service or for private persons the conditions are settled in agreement with the military authorities.

The wages of the prisoners shall go towards improving their position, and the balance shall be paid them on their release, after deducting the cost of their maintenance.

Garth

[jhill]

An interesting P.O.W. was Peter Anderson. Major Peter Anderson of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Battalion ( late of the 101st Edmonton Fusiliers) was captured at Ypres in April, 1915 and was sent to a Prisoner of War camp near Dresden. He escaped after a number of months and returned safely to England. I have seen suggestions that he may have been the only British officer to successfully escape from captivity in Germany.

After the war Anderson privately published a thin book of memoirs entitled "I, That's Me' Unfortunately, you may have trouble tracking down a copy.

[paul guthrie]

One POW who died was George Sinnock Godsall a brass finisher from Montreal who was 87th Bn and was 1 of 2 men from a group of 12 who were standing along with Alexander McClintock after the October 21 1916 attack on Regina Trench. I think he was cpatured Nov 18 in attack on Desire Trench. He died of gastritis at Cambrai in 1917. All is from memory but I have his record if anyone wants to know more.

It was curious that AM remembered his # & it is in his book. When I was looking for all men named so I could do the afterward for reprint I had trouble IDing some but not him!

[marc leroux]

Wow!

Thanks guys.

marc

[Guest stevenbec]

Mate,

You may be aware that due to the massive call up of men for the Germany army in 1914 there were few men to do any work in the country.

This in later years was the main reason for the food promblems in Germany as they had no womens land army or such to fill in for the men. These promblems with the british blockade lead to her collaspe.

Prisoners were used to save man power for the Germany state which they continued to do again in the second war with prisoners both civil and military.

S.B

[marc leroux]

I just re-read the thread. It states in the Hague convention that:

The task shall not be excessive and shall have no connection with the operations of the war.

So assumont that the newspaper article was correct, wouldn't have to work in a munitions factory be in contravention of the agreement?

marc

[mordac]

So assumont that the newspaper article was correct, wouldn't have to work in a munitions factory be in contravention of the agreement?

Hi Marc:

Yes, having a POW working in a munitions factory violates Chapter II, Article 6 of the convention. Having said that, many of the articles of The Hague Convention were violated by both sides including:

Section II, Chapter I, Article 23 In addition to the prohibitions provided by special Conventions, it is especially forbidden

[a] To employ poison or poisoned weapons

To kill or wound treacherously individuals belonging to the hostile nation or army

[c] To kill or wound an enemy who, having laid down his arms, or having no longer means of defence, has surrendered

[d] To declare that no quarter will be given

Etc., etc., etc.

As you can see, both sides flaunted the articles of The Hague Convention, so It's not surprising your man worked in a munitions factory in Germany. It does raise an interesting point, how well made were the bullets, shell, etc. that the POW's produced?

Garth

[marc leroux]

It does raise an interesting point, how well made were the bullets, shell, etc. that the POW's produced?

I think this might have been the sabotage that Peter referred to in his earlier post.

I agree, there were probably a lot of violations on both sides. And the fact that it is 90 years later, it is difficut to say if he even was in a munitions factory.

marc