Captives from Germany — The Times, 31 May 1916
The Times, 31 May 1916. One of St Peter’s First World War documents, from the years when British prisoners of war were interned at Château-d’Œx, 1916–17. Transcribed from a cutting made available by The Times Archive.
In this report: the arrival of the first train from Constance on 30 May 1916, carrying 304 men including 32 officers, and the crowds that met it at Zurich, Berne, Lausanne and Montreux.
Headline as printed: Captives from Germany British Arrivals in Switzerland · Great Welcome to Our Invalids
The Times, 31 May 1916. From Our Special Correspondent.
In accordance with the arrangement come to by the British and German Governments the first batch of British wounded and invalid captives from Germany arrived in Switzerland yesterday. Their triumphal progress and kindly reception by the Swiss are described in the dispatch from our Special Correspondent, which we print below.
(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
BERNE, MAY 30, 1 A.M.
The first train bringing the eagerly-awaited British prisoners from Constance, 304 all told, including 32 officers, has just left Zurich, where it made its first prolonged halt on Swiss soil […]
When we reach Berne we shall have travelled about five hours through German-speaking Switzerland, but, judging from the reception of our men so far, there is no danger of their not understanding that they are very much among friends. From the moment of crossing the frontier the enthusiasm of the welcome all along the route has been wonderful. In the east of Switzerland the Allies may claim to have won a bloodless victory, so complete is the change in the general feeling since the war began. The reception means something more than mere pity for brave fighters, men struck down by the fortune of war. Switzerland understands and knows now much that it did not 18 months ago. The strongest sympathy exists for us as well as for the French, and the demand for tickets of admission to the station platform at Zurich this evening was unexampled.
Even before giving the names of the officers released I feel it my duty in the name of England to thank the whole of Switzerland for this latest proof of their kindness to their neighbours. The Government, the military authorities, and Swiss reception committees of Zurich, Château d’Oex, and elsewhere have worked with untiring energy to secure the release of our men and to make them feel at home on arrival, and their official action has been splendidly supported by spontaneous outbursts of personal kindness on the part of the people. There is not the slightest doubt that the same welcome awaits the Russian prisoners, who I have just heard will arrive at the end of June.
When the train arrived at Zurich the platform was crowded with members of the British colony, and the Consulate-General, headed by Sir Cecil Hertslet and many prominent Swiss. Colonel Picot, appointed by the War Office as official parrain of all the British prisoners in Switzerland, was waiting to receive our men and make the journey with them to Château d’Oex. During the half-hour’s halt the officers were allowed on the platform. All were astonished, delighted, and much touched by the wonderful heartiness of the welcome they received everywhere en route as soon as they entered Switzerland, and several officers spoke to me with high appreciation of the courtesy shown them by Prince Max of Baden at Constance.
The following are the names and regiments of the officers who were with the party:—
Officers of the party
| Officer | Regiment / corps |
|---|---|
| Col. E. Vansittart | Royal West Kent |
| Col. Maxwell Earle | Grenadier Guards |
| Lieut.-Col. O. D. Christopher | A.S.C. |
| Maj. the Hon. R. B. F. Robertson | 21st Lancers |
| Maj. R. A. Birley | R.F.A. |
| Maj. Ronald Meiklejohn | R. Warwickshires |
| Capt. T. B. Butt | K.O.Y.L.I. |
| Capt. Ian Henderson | London Scottish |
| Capt. Thomas Blackburn | K.O.S.B. |
| Capt. Cecil Morley | Manchester Regt. |
| Capt. Arthur Hargreaves | Somerset L.I. |
| Capt. Charles Darley | R.F.C. |
| Capt. E. D. Hanly | R. Inniskillings |
| Capt. Greville Irwin | S. Lancashire Regt. |
| Capt. C. E. Joliffe | Cheshire Regt. |
| Capt. J. Herbert Master | R.W. Surrey |
| Capt. Donald Baird-Douglas | Royal Lancasters |
| Capt. David Hill | R.F.A. |
| Capt. Robert Alexander | 3rd Gurkhas |
| Capt. Ernest Orford | Suffolk Regt. |
| Lieut. William Reid | R.F.C. |
| Lieut. Harold Henderson | Duke of Wellington’s Regt. |
| Lieut. Elliot Leybourne | D.L.I. |
| Lieut. D. C. W. Sanders | R.F.A. |
| Lieut. Henry le Grand | Intelligence Corps |
| Lieut. Humphrey Goode | R.F.C. |
| Lieut. Charles Turner | Connaught Rangers |
| Lieut. J. W. Reynolds | 8th Lincolns |
| Lieut. Theodore Dodson | R.N.V.R. (London) |
| Lieut. Kenneth Dennys | Somerset L.I. |
| Subadar Pirthi Sing Rana | 4th Gurkhas |
| Jemadar Naiu Sing Gurung | 4th Gurkhas |
The list is complete: 32 officers, matching the “32 officers” stated in the report.
An earlier pass recorded a possible 33rd name cut off at the head of the right-hand column (“… s, Royal Lancasters”). That was not a separate officer: the two-column list begins at the foot of p2 with “Col. E. Vansittart, Royal | Capt. Donald Baird-Doug-” and continues at the head of p3 with “West Kent | las, Royal Lancasters”. The fragment is the tail of Baird-Douglas’s own name, split across the page break. Confirmed on a 5× upscaled crop, and by the count.
The two Indian officers will go to Leysin; all the rest to Château d’Oex.
From Berne to Montreux
A Triumphal Progress
MONTREUX, MAY 30, 7 A.M.
We reached Berne at 1 o’clock in the morning, and the reception there and at Friburg, Lausanne, and Montreux was overwhelming.
During the two hours’ stay at Berne all the officers and men detrained and were entertained at the first of several breakfasts by the Swiss. The very large crowd on the platform included Colonel Hauser, Médecin en Chef of the Swiss Army, and many other officers in uniform. At Fribourg, which was passed at 3.30 a.m., another large crowd was wonderfully enthusiastic.
At Lausanne certainly 10,000 people were in the station at 5 in the morning. The scene was indescribably moving, and none felt it more than our officers and men. “We never expected anything like this,” they kept saying, “It’s marvellous,” “It’s incredible,” “It’s top hole,” “Do thank the Swiss for us,” “You can’t say too much.” And I cannot.
Long before we reached Montreux every compartment was overflowing with flowers, cigarettes, flags, chocolates, newspapers, magazines, presents of every kind. On every platform was a mass of cheering people waving flags, handkerchiefs, and hats, and crying “Vive l’Angleterre!” and answered by our men with British hurrahs and handshakes and shouts of “Vive la Suisse!”—that is, when they were not drinking coffee brought into the train by Red Cross ladies.
At Montreux, where several French prisoners and men joined in the greeting, our men were welcomed by a band with the Swiss National Anthem and our own National Anthem, and afterwards “Tipperary” and the Marseillaise, all moving tunes for the British, but never more so than this morning. A sit-down breakfast was given here by the Swiss inhabitants on the terrace front of the Suisse Hotel overlooking the lake, and speeches were made by the Syndic of Montreux, Colonel Picot, and the British Vice-Consul.
As our men walked or limped or were carried one by one down the long flight of steps from the station to the hotel, their caps and tunics covered with flags and flowers, it was a wonderful sight, while the large crowd cheered every man. Our Tommies looked dazed and bewildered, and, most curious of all, shy. “We feel like children,” one of them said to me. “After our time in Germany we can’t understand it at all.” But what they did understand was that they were being treated like old friends.
“Bonne chance, prompte guérison et toute notre admiration” was written on one of the post-cards thrown into the train addressed “Aux défenseurs du droit et de la […]
End of the transcribed document
Questions answered
- How many British prisoners of war arrived in Switzerland on the first train?
- The Times reported that the first train bringing the British prisoners from Constance carried “304 all told, including 32 officers”. It reached Swiss soil on 30 May 1916 and made its first prolonged halt at Zurich. The exchange took place, the paper said, “in accordance with the arrangement come to by the British and German Governments”.
- What welcome did the Swiss give the arriving British prisoners?
- The Times correspondent wrote that “from the moment of crossing the frontier the enthusiasm of the welcome all along the route has been wonderful”, and that the demand for tickets of admission to the station platform at Zurich was “unexampled”. He added that he felt it his duty “in the name of England to thank the whole of Switzerland for this latest proof of their kindness to their neighbours”.
- Who received the prisoners when they arrived?
- At Zurich the platform was crowded with members of the British colony and the Consulate-General, headed by Sir Cecil Hertslet, together with many prominent Swiss. Colonel Picot, appointed by the War Office as official “parrain” of all the British prisoners in Switzerland, was waiting to receive the men. The Government, the military authorities and Swiss reception committees of Zurich, Château-d’Œx and elsewhere had, the paper said, “worked with untiring energy”.