I been doing some research into a little known naval battle which took place on the 28th December 1943 between the British light cruisers HMS Glasgow and HMS Enterprise, and 11 German destroyers and torpedo boats. In this battle the German destroyer Z-27 and the torpedo boats T-25 and T-26 were sunk.
I have a question
After the battle 164 German sailors were rescued by the neutral Irish ship M.V. Kerlogue which was travelling between Portugual and Ireland, also I have found out that a German sailor who was a victim of this battle is buried in the German Cemetery at Glencree South of Dublin.
My question is this. What happens when a sailor of a warring nation is rescued by a neutral ship in time of war? Would he have to be interned, or is the neutral ship allowed to transfer the men it has rescued to a ship of the same nation?
The German sailor buried in Ireland seems to suggest that the Irish ship took the German sailors back to Ireland, which I presume means they were interned in Ireland for the rest of the war. Is this right?

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I am pretty sure that they were interned. I believe that airman were also interned.

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--General Douglas MacArthur

Timothy-
You're probably right, but Eireann neutrality was a bit vague in WW2.
For instance, RAF flights on U-Boat sweeps from Ulster were allowed to enter Irish airspace on a fly-over basis. I've also read at least one account of Allied airmen crash-landing in Eire and being surreptitiously "helped" over the border by the Garda!I've also read of Germans being handed over to the British authorities at the border for a POW camp.
There's also the inconvenient fact that at least 500 members of the Irish Defence Forces deserted to join the Allied forces during the war. After the war was over, the Irish Government printed an offical list of these deserters and circulated it to prevent these men ever obtaining a government job-or a pension.
Regards,
Gordon

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Regards,

Gordon
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Hmmmmmmmmmm... what are the differences for a soldier to be interned by a neutral or POW of a hostile nation? In principal I mean, I understand that treatment and feelings might be different. [img]smile.gif[/img]

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If someone tries to remove the speck in your right eye, will you turn to him the other also?

Knight,
As I understand it, when a hostile nation takes POW's they are entitled to put them to work to contribute to the cost of keeping them. BUT-they can't be used for work which directly aids the war effort, and they can't be used as "human shields" or deliberately put in harm's way. They must also have access to Red Cross parcels, medical treatment and adequate shelter.
I think all the above-except the war work bit-also applies to internment by neutral nations, who may or may not keep the prisoners locked up in camps/prisons (depending on how dangerous they are perceived to be). The Irish may have handed German prisoners over to the British authorities as a "goodwill" gesture-it's hard to say. Prepared to be proven wrong though!

Regards,
Gordon

[ 18. December 2003, 10:22 AM: Message edited by: The_Historian ]

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Regards,

Gordon
History Vault Bookshop
FortressScotland-http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/Historian/

I don't know, but if so, would this have been any problem in international law? Would it be any problem to return them to their home country during the war?

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If someone tries to remove the speck in your right eye, will you turn to him the other also?

I think the Swedish did not return the crews of aeroplanes that were forced to land there, as well I think the Swiss acted very much the same way. Of course much depends on the closeness of the mentioned country and I would not be surprised if some interned could return as the guards "were not watching"...
And as the influence of Germany degraded men were released earlier.

From a site:

http://www.100thbg.com/mainpages/418th/barrick1.htm

"During the period I was there, One hundred and thirty two B-17s and B-24s came to Sweden. Of that number, we repaired, flight tested, ferried and maintained in flyable storage eighty eight of them and scrapped the rest. At the end of the war, they were flown back to the UK and scrapped and were then sent to the States in November. "

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Knight,
Can't honestly tell you.
However, this month's issue of Living History magazine has an article on the latest files to be released by the National Archives in Britain. Apparently, a team of German saboteurs were landed in Eire in 1944, apprehended by the Irish authorities and handed over to British Intelligence complete with explosives. No mention of the legal niceties, unfortunately.
Regards,
Gordon

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Regards,

Gordon
History Vault Bookshop
FortressScotland-http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/Historian/

Redcoat,

I have pics of Glencree cemetary, see my topic on Glencree.

RED

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"Watch that Fu*ker, he'll 'ave someones eye out!" King Harold at Hastings 1066.

There is a Irish film about British and German Soilders Interned during the war its above average as a film but gives you an idea of how Ireland dealt with both sides. Its called 'The Brylcream Boys' starring Gaberial Byrne.

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The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations.
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Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.
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