JOURNAL JULY 2007 Journal ^ Association of Jewish Refugees
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AJR JOURNAL JULY 2007 journal ^ Association of Jewish Refugees Remembering intemment y article on the 'Thank-You intemal security risks, largely imaginary. To Britain' Fund (May 2007), which intem as potential Nazi sympathisers Jewish Memphasised the positive side of refugees, who had been the most prominent relations between Britain and the Jewish targets of Nazi persecution and had the refugees from Hitler, provoked a letter, greatest reason to oppose the Nazi regime, published in June, reminding readers of the was almost perversely insensitive. Among mass intemment of 'enemy aliens' in the its worst aspects was the trauma that a fresh summer of 1940 - the heaviest item on the bout of detention inflicted on those of the negative side of that account. The wartime internees who had already experienced intemment and deportation of refugees were imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps. indeed the greatest stain on the record of The incompetence and inefficiency that the British government's treatment of those Internment camp. Isle of Man characterised the entire episode were who fled here to escape Nazi persecution. apparent from the outset. The process of The events of that momentous summer, now national security, as spies or as potential arresting detainees was conducted with a 67 years ago, were of such consequence for fifth columnists who might sabotage British combination of heartless bureaucracy and the refugees that I intend to devote two defences as their counterparts supposedly disorganised muddle. Refugees were often major articles to them. had in Holland and France. The defenceless detained in the early morning - some Initially, the govemment had intended to refugees fell victim to this temporary suffered the dawn knock on the door that avoid mass intemment, which had proved ascendancy of reactionary bigots and Jew- would carry them off to an uncertain fate - harsh and unjust in the First World War. haters allied with military and security while others adopted the simple expedient Instead, at the outbreak of war, German circles obsessed with intemal threats to the of leaving home early to avoid arrest. The nationals were required to appear before defence of the realm. police notoriously raided Hampstead Public tribunals, which classed them according to In May 1940, the newly installed coalition Library on 13 July 1940 to detain its refugee the security risk they posed. Only a tiny govemment under Winston Churchill first readers, but failed to round up those who minority - some 600, mostly Nazi decreed the intemment of male enemy aliens congregated for an early breakfast at Lyons sympathisers - were placed in Category A between the ages of 16 and 60 living in Comer House at Marble Arch. and intemed forthwith. The vast majority 'Protected Areas' on the threatened sectors After their arrest, most refugees were - over 64,000 and consisting mostly of of the coast, then issued the notorious order first held in temporary camps, like the 'refugees from Nazi oppression' - were to 'Collar the Lot'. Male refugees in Category racecourses of Kempton Park and Lingfield placed in Categor>' C and left at liberty. Some B were intemed, as were Category B women; for those in the London area. Conditions 6,800 people, whose cases were unclear to the detention of male refugees in Category were bad at Frees Heath in Shropshire, the tribunals, were placed in the C, ordered in June, was under way when the where internees lived under canvas, and intermediate Category B and made subject policy of internment was halted the indescribable at Warth Mill, a disused cotton to certain restrictions. following month. This ultimately caused the mill in Bury, Lancashire, where dirt, squalor But with the fall of France and the Low intemment of some 27,000 enemy aliens, and lack of food and facilities reigned. The Countries in May/June 1940, which exposed including some 4,000 women, most of whom chaos of these makeshift arrangements was Britain to the most serious threat of invasion were Jews who plainly posed no security risk matched by the disorganisation of the entire it had faced since 1066, a wave of panic whatsoever. exercise; the intemees soon realised that the swept the country. Newspapers like the The mass intemment of enemy aliens in military authorities had no real idea why Daily Mail and the Daily Express, organs of 1940 was, it is now generally agreed, they had been intemed, what was to be done the xenophobic right whose hostility to the indefensible. It was a measure that was as with them, and how long they were to be refugees barely concealed their dislike of cmel and inhumane as it was stupid and held. Worst of all was the psychological Jews, had been pressing for some time for pointless. The best that can be claimed for blow of being unjustly imprisoned; the the intemment of Jews from (iermany. The it is that it was an ill-considered response to deprivation of liberty, the confinement and govemment now gave way to those who a situation of extreme emergency, at a time humiliation were made more wounding by argued that the refugees posed a threat to of national obsession, largely irrational, with continued on page 2 A)R JOURNAL JULY 2007 RI'.MKMMKKIXG INT i;K.\,\IK.\'r continued from page 1 the apparent willingness of the authorities including concerts, lecture courses and other the intemees were robbed and seriously to identify Jewish refugees with the agents educational activities organised by 'camp mistreated by the military escort, and of Nazism. universities'. The galaxy of academic and eventually court-martial proceedings were The authorities soon started moving the artistic talent available in the camps made taken against the officer in charge and two intemees from temporary camps to the Isle for a wide and attractive selection of lectures of his subordinates. On 2 July 1940, the liner of Man, where, as in the First World War, for those eager to put their enforced idleness Arandora Star, bound for Canada, was sunk they were to be held. Many spent some time to good use. off the Irish coast with the loss of several at a makeshift camp in Huyton on But the emotional and psychological hundred lives, mostly German and Italian Merseyside, a newly built council estate impact of detention remained powerful and deportees. Though the govemment first hastily converted into a camp. The intemees hurtful. The internees were confined on an claimed that all Germans on board had been were housed in camps in Douglas and other island remote from the mainland cities, far Category A intemees, it soon became known resorts on the Isle of Man, mostly in groups from their families, whose safety was at that many of the dead were Jewish refugees of boarding houses requisitioned for the serious risk from German bombing and who in Category C. purpose. Camp names like Central had been deprived of their main The resulting furore crystallised opposi Promenade, Hutchinson, Onchan, Sefton, breadwinner. Cut off from reliable sources tion to intemment and led to a determined Mooragh and Rushen (the women's camp of news, the intemees fell prey to all sorts campaign against it in parliament, culminat comprising Port Erin and Port St Mary) of nunours and fears, not least that Britain ing in a celebrated debate on 22 August passed into refugee usage. would surrender and hand them over to the 1940, as German bombs fell on the capital. Conditions in the camps on the Isle of Nazis - 'like rats in a trap', as had happened By then, public opinion had swung sharply Man were considerably better than in the in France. The difficulty of communicating against intemment and the govemment had temporary camps, not least because some with the outside world, especially the long reversed its policy, issuing a White Paper semblance of order and stability could be delays to which letters and telegrams to in late July listing a variety of categories of established there. The internees lived in families were subject, was a source of great intemees eligible for priority release; these small groups in individual boarding houses, frustration; refugees found it hard to set were widened over the following months. where the food and accommodation were about securing their release. The arbitrary The release of the intemed refugees pro spartan but adequate; many refugees slept inefficiency of the administration was one ceeded reasonably speedily. The first 50 two to a double bed. The summer months of the aspects of camp life that most affected were released from the Isle of Man on 5 on the Isle of Man were pleasant, and free the intemees' morale. August 1940, though many more were from air raids. Walks in the country were The govemment took the process a stage detained until late 1940 or early 1941. By permitted, under armed guard, as was further when it started to deport intemees August 1941, only about 1,300 refugees were swimming in the sea. There were adequate overseas. Four ships carrying some 4,400 still intemed in Britain, while many of those sanitary arrangements and some medical men sailed to Canada, while some 2,400 were deported overseas had retumed, often to join care. The intemees were able to develop a sent to Australia on the ill-famed Dunera, the armed forces. remarkable array of cultural activities, in extremely poor conditions; on this vessel Anthony Grenville Kindertransport Survey: a progress report he Survey Team of the KT/AJR Planning much welcome further returns. Each Bertha Leverton and Judy Benton, TCommittee has been very busy regis one will add value to our historical who have generously given of their time tering the returns of our Survey archive.