British WWI Soldiers in Château d’Oex: The 1916 Swiss Internment
In 1916, our village of Château d’Oex became home to hundreds of British prisoners of war in one of the most remarkable humanitarian efforts of the First World War. This extraordinary chapter saw wounded and invalid soldiers, who had endured harsh conditions in German prison camps, find refuge and healing in the Swiss Alps. St. Peter’s Anglican Church played a vital role in welcoming these men, a legacy we commemorated in 2016 marking the centenary of this significant historical episode.
The 1916 Diplomatic Breakthrough
Arranging the Prisoner Exchange
In May 1916, British and German authorities reached an agreement allowing the exchange of wounded and invalid prisoners through neutral Switzerland. Mixed medical commissions, established with the agreement of the governments concerned, visited the prison camps to identify the men fit to be transferred.
British prisoners were assembled at Constance for inspection before being brought across into Switzerland. Colonel Picot was appointed by the War Office as official parrain — sponsor — of all the British prisoners in Switzerland.
Why Château d’Oex Was Chosen
Château d’Oex, a Swiss mountain village in the Vaud highlands, became the primary location for British internment. The predominantly French-Swiss inhabitants, with their strong sympathies for the Allied cause, welcomed the opportunity to host the British soldiers.
Journey to Freedom: From German Camps to Swiss Sanctuary
The First Train
The first train carrying 304 British prisoners, including 32 officers, departed from German territory in late May 1916. The contrast between their treatment in German camps and their reception in Switzerland was immediately apparent. Many soldiers later testified that without regular food parcels sent through British relief organisations, they would not have survived their German imprisonment.
A Hero’s Welcome Across Switzerland
From the moment the trains crossed into Swiss territory, the reception was extraordinary. At every station—Constance, Zurich, Berne, Fribourg, Lausanne, and Montreux—thousands of Swiss citizens gathered to welcome the British soldiers with unprecedented enthusiasm.
At Lausanne, an estimated 10,000 people gathered at 5 a.m. to greet the arriving prisoners. The scene was described as “indescribably moving,” with Swiss citizens showering the train carriages with flowers, chocolates, cigarettes, and gifts. At Montreux, bands played both national anthems, followed by “Tipperary” and the “Marseillaise,” creating an atmosphere of international solidarity.
Life in Swiss Internment: A World Apart
Accommodation and Daily Life
The contrast between German prison camps and Swiss internment could not have been more stark. Prisoners were housed in comfortable hotels and boarding houses, with two men sharing each room. Local hoteliers provided their finest accommodations for the British soldiers.
The daily routine was structured but generous:
- Three meals daily adapted to English tastes
- Morning work for those fit enough
- Afternoons free for recreation within village limits
- Regular Church of England services at St. Peter’s Church
- Sports and outdoor activities encouraged
Officers enjoyed considerable freedom within village boundaries and could receive visits from relatives. Married officers’ wives could join them within Château d’Oex limits.
Medical Care and Recovery
Swiss medical care was exemplary. Many prisoners arrived in poor physical condition after months in German camps. Swiss doctors worked tirelessly to heal wounds that had remained open for years. The combination of proper nutrition, medical care, and psychological freedom contributed to remarkable recoveries.
Perhaps even more important was the psychological healing. Those who had endured harsh treatment found their faith in humanity restored by Swiss kindness. As one soldier told the British Minister, “God bless you, Sir: it’s like dropping right into ‘eaven from ‘ell.”
The Wives’ Visits: Lord Northcliffe’s Campaign
Public Appeal and Response
One of the most touching aspects of this story was Lord Northcliffe’s campaign to bring soldiers’ wives to visit. After visiting the camps, he launched an appeal through The Times, arguing that for just £12 per person, wives could visit their husbands who had “been through the hell of the trenches and the bottomless pit of the German prison camps.”
The public response was overwhelming:
- Mr. Fenwick Harrison, the purchaser of the Kitchener letter, was the first to offer assistance; through his generosity the Lord Kitchener Memorial Fund Committee hoped to arrange for fifty mothers and wives to make the journey
- The British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John undertook to organise the visits if the Government did not
- Applications were received by Sir Hedley Le Bas at 34 Norfolk-street, Strand, London
- Hundreds of individual donations poured in
Emotional Reunions
The arrival of the first party of sixteen wives in October 1916 created scenes of extraordinary emotion. The Swiss population embraced these visits wholeheartedly, with local families offering hospitality. These reunions provided emotional healing as important as medical treatment.
Community Response and St. Peter’s Role
Swiss Hospitality and Church Support
The Swiss response exceeded official government policy. Entire communities mobilised to support the British prisoners:
- Mayors and civic leaders personally welcomed arriving soldiers
- Local choirs practised English songs for performances
- The British chaplain, Rev. E. Dudley Lampen, organised services at St. Peter’s Church
- Families opened their homes for social visits
St. Peter’s Anglican Church became a spiritual home for the internees, providing regular worship services, pastoral care, and a connection to their Anglican faith far from home.
Historical Significance
The Swiss internment established important precedents for humanitarian treatment of prisoners of war and the role of neutral nations. The programme demonstrated that even during total war, civilised standards could be maintained. For many soldiers, the experience was transformative, restoring their faith in humanity after brutal treatment in German camps.
The 2016 Centenary Commemoration
A Weekend of Remembrance
On 29-30 May 2016, Château d’Oex hosted a special commemoration marking 100 years since the first British soldiers arrived. The bilingual event brought together descendants of the original soldiers, local historians, and community members to honour this remarkable humanitarian chapter.
The commemoration began with a service at St. Peter’s Anglican Church led by Revd. Clive Atkinson, followed by academic presentations from Dr. Susan Barton on prisoners of war in Switzerland and Cédric Cotter from Geneva University on the International Committee of the Red Cross’s role in humanitarianism and neutrality.
Official Recognition and Personal Connections
The event featured addresses from His Excellency David Moran, British Ambassador to Switzerland, and Charles-André Ramseier, Mayor of Château d’Oex. Lieutenant Colonel T. Evans represented all the British regiments whose soldiers had been interned in 1916, reading letters of thanks from fifteen regiments to the Swiss nation.
Several descendants attended:
- Susie Kershaw, granddaughter of Captain Cyril Edward Jolliffe M.C., Cheshire Regiment
- Paddy Jackson, son of Major Eric Archer Jackson, Cheshire Regiment
- Frances Byrnes, granddaughter of CSM William Henry Kitson, West Yorkshire Regiment
- Gay O’Reilly, granddaughter of Thomas William Ames, Border Regiment
The Living Legacy
The descendants presented a bouquet of flowers to the Mayor as “an expression of affection for all those who contributed to the healing and peace” of the British soldiers. The event concluded with a public conference at the Grande Salle featuring panel discussions moderated by journalist Edward Girardet, exploring how this story continues to inspire humanitarian values today.
The commemoration reinforced how St. Peter’s Anglican Church remains a living memorial to this remarkable chapter, with the original memorial plaque serving as a daily reminder of when British soldiers found sanctuary, healing, and hope in our Alpine village.
Sources
The account above is drawn from contemporary press reports of these events, held in St Peter’s own press archive. We have published them as full transcribed text so that every figure and name on this page can be checked against the document it came from:
- Captives from Germany — The Times, 31 May 1916. The first train, and the names and regiments of all 32 officers.
- Our Wounded in Switzerland — The Times, 13 June 1916. The second party, and the service in the English church.
- Soldiers at Château d’Oex — the chaplain’s appeal for the organ, The Times, 17 August 1916.
- Wives of Prisoners in Switzerland — The Times, 31 August 1916. Lord Northcliffe’s appeal, and how the visits were funded.
- The Claim of the Prisoners — the leading article of The Times, 6 September 1916. Mr. Fenwick Harrison and Sir Robert Younger each offer to send out fifty wives and mothers at their own expense.
- Visits to Prisoners — The Times, 6 September 1916. The Duke of Portland’s £100, and gifts earmarked for the Kentish men and for County Down.
- Tears and Smiles at Château d’Œx — the first party of wives arrives, The Times, 7 October 1916.
- Cheerful Wives at Château d’Œx — the second party, The Times, 10 October 1916.
- Farewells at Château d’Oex — the wives go home, The Times, 20 October 1916.
The eyewitnesses. The reports above were written by newspaper correspondents. The men themselves — and the village that received them — left an account too: a sergeant’s description of the journey out of Germany, the British Minister’s official despatch from Berne, a corporal’s poem written in a chalet, the local paper writing in French about its own guests, and a fiancée’s journey out from Waterloo in the January snow. These are gathered, with photographs, on ‘Like dropping right into heaven from hell’: eyewitnesses to the 1916 internment.
The legacy of the 1916 Swiss internment lives on at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, where a memorial plaque honours the British soldiers who found sanctuary here. Learn more about our church history, or see Sundays at St. Peter’s where we continue to welcome all who seek sanctuary and peace. If you are researching an ancestor who was interned here, please get in touch.