Genealogy Chat

Hi, I have my suspicions that a member of my family was interned during WW2. Trying to piece the information together has led me to this conclusion. The problem is, I cannot find a web site that lists the civilians who were interned during WW2. Does anyone have any suggestions or does anyone know of a website that I may search? Thank as always for your help.........Janine

I don't think there is a website. National Archives has some info on internment: Internees During the Second World War: Policy During the Second World War, enemy aliens were interned by the British authorities, in internment camps. Internees primarily consisted of enemy aliens, but during the first two years of the Second World War other aliens were also interned, including refugees who had fled Nazi Germany to escape persecution. Fears of invasion led to a general feeling of hostility towards all enemy aliens. After the outbreak of war in September 1939, known Nazi sympathisers were rounded up. This was the start of a campaign which lasted to mid-1940 by which time 8000 internees had been gathered into camps, to be deported to the Dominions. This harsh policy was gradually relaxed after the sinking of the SS Arandora Star by a German U-boat in July 1940, with the loss of 800 internees. This disaster led to vigorous protests about the British internment policy, which was changed to internment of enemy aliens in camps in Britain only. Most internees had been released by the end of 1942. Of those that remained, many were repatriated from 1943 onwards. It was not, however, until late 1945 that the last internees were finally released. 4. Internees' Records, Second World War A small sample of 75 personal case files of internees survive for the Second World War. These records can be found in HO 214 and are particularly useful in depicting the life of an internee. The files were created whenever the Home Office became involved in a personal case for whatever reason. Further files relating to aliens are gradually being transferred from the Home Office in HO 382 and HO 405 though it will be many years before all the files are at The National Archives, and many more before they are fully available to researchers. HO 396 , available on microfilm, consists of index cards of enemy aliens (mostly Germans, Austrians and Italians) interned or considered for internment by Internal Tribunals in 1940. There are two main sets of records ? one for those who were exempt from internment and one for those who were interned. The former set is simply arranged alphabetically by surname. The latter is, usually grouped by nationality, and then arranged alphabetically by surname. All records were opened in 1999 following a re-review. Certain information about those where a decision was made to intern may still be closed. In these cases enquirers can request a review of the file by writing to The National Archives. The records give family history details such as date and place of birth, address, occupation and details of employers. Further references to individual internees and internment camps may be found in the printed indexes of the general correspondence of the Foreign Office, available at The National Archives (see the research guide Records of the Foreign Office from 1782 for further information). Not all papers survive. Other Foreign Office records relating to enemy aliens interned by the British are in FO 916 . This series consists of general files relating to reports on internment camps and a number of lists of alien internees, arranged by location, name and number of camp. 5. Internment Camps, Second World War Nominal lists of internees can be found in HO 215 . These records are arranged by name of internment camp and the documents record the internee's name, date of birth and (if applicable) date of release. HO 215 also contains general files relating to internment during the Second World War including subjects such as conditions in camps, visits to camps, classification and segregation of internees, regulations and enactments and the movement of internees abroad. HO 213 also contains a selection of files relating to internment camps during the Second World War, as do HO 45 and HO 144 under the subject headings 'Aliens' and 'War'. For further information on defence regulation 18B and the internment of fascists please check Source Sheet no.25, 'Fascism and anti-Fascism in the United Kingdom', at The National Archives. General Memorandum No. 619, on Isle of Man Internment Camps During the Second World War can be seen at The National Archives. The Manx National Heritage Library holds a wealth of source material on the subject of internment on the Isle of Man during both the First and Second World Wars. Their address is: Manx National Heritage Library, Douglas, Isle of Man IM1 3LY (Tel: +44 1624 648000, www.gov.im/mnh, email: [email protected]) nell