British Civilian Internees

Kyt · May 17, 2008

One doesn't often hear about British civilians who ended up behind German lines and were interned, except maybe P G Wodehouse*

::British Internees::

BBC - WW2 People's War - Angela Maranian's Story - Internment Camps in Germany and France - Part 1
BBC - WW2 People's War - Angela Maranian's Story - Internment Camps in Germany and France - Part 2

Intermentcamp Schoorl

*

When World War II broke out in 1939 he remained at his seaside home in Le Touquet, France, instead of returning to England, apparently failing to recognise the seriousness of the conflict. He was subsequently taken prisoner by the Germans in 1940 and interned by them for a year, first in Belgium, then at Tost (now Toszek) in Upper Silesia (now in Poland). He is recorded as saying, "If this is Upper Silesia, one wonders what Lower Silesia must be like..."

While at Tost, he entertained his fellow prisoners with witty dialogues. After being released from internment, a few months short of his 60th birthday, he used these dialogues as a basis for a series of radio broadcasts made of his own free will, but many assumed that they were made under German persuasion. Wartime England was in no mood for light-hearted banter, however, and the broadcasts led to many accusations of collaboration with the Nazis and even treason. Some libraries banned his books. Foremost among his critics was A. A. Milne, author of the Winnie the Pooh books; Wodehouse got some revenge by creating a ridiculous character named Timothy Bobbin, who starred in parodies of some of Milne's children's poetry. Among Wodehouse's defenders were Evelyn Waugh and George Orwell.[3] An investigation by the British security service MI5 concluded that Wodehouse was naive and foolish but not a traitor.
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Kyt · May 17, 2008

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