Little relief for prisoners

CHRISTMAS MAY have been a celebration for some, but not for prisoners in this country as Dr Claudia Sternberg, who was involved in the University of Leeds’ Legacies of War project, explains.

“The Armistice meant the end of hostilities but it didn’t mean everyone was free to go. Some British civilians interned in Germany were able to leave at the end of November and those that lived in Britain would have been back with their families in time for Christmas.”

The same wasn’t true for the German, Austrian, Hungarian, Turkish civilians interned in Britain. Most were held on the Isle of Man and weren’t released until 1919 – with many German POWs spending another Christmas away from their families.