In response to this illustrated article on page 30 of the last Journal by Henri Chartier, Geoff Cory writes to say “I am sure that others, particularly Don Somerville, will have comments to make. I have been aware of the 1914 Camp on Chausey for many years, although from my research it is fair to say that little has been written about it.
The French Authorities decided in August 1914 that Germans and Austrians in particular, who were resident in the area of Manche, should be arrested on the basis that they were potential enemies of the State. They were transported to a number of isolated coastal areas and prominent among these was the ancient Fort on Chausey. This effectively became an Internment Camp, housing anything from three to six hundred Internees until 1919. In his article Henri describes “German Prisoners”. I can find no evidence that Chausey was used to house Prisoners of War captured during the many battles in Northern France, but Belgian troops were certainly stationed in both Granville and Chausey and might well have been used to supervise Internees.
The Camp was the responsibility of the French Ministry of the Interior. I have a postcard dated 30.12.1914 from Austria, routed through Munich, that was written to a Frank Koblitz and addressed to the Swiss Red Cross for onward transmission to Koblitz at, ‘Iles Chausey, durch Granville, Manche’. This clearly was from a close relative as it commences ‘Dearest’. I have also found an official record from the Vendee Region which shows that Frank Koblitz was transferred to an Internment Camp in that Region and that he remained an Internee until 1919!
Although this card is the only WW1 item in my collection addressed to Chausey, I am aware of other covers that refer to “Franchise Postale Interne Civil” and “Depot des Etrangers Iles Chausey”, have 1915 or 1916 Granville postmarks and large circular red Cachets that read, “Ministere de L’interieur, Depot D’Austro/Allemands de la Corderie Granville et de Chausey”.
I certainly agree with Henri that this is an unusual and interesting area for future study.
